I'm not going to try and convince you of anything, rather, I will give you a bit of insight as to how I went about tackling this issue
I am a former hardcoregamer. I was that guy in Call of Duty that had tobe the best in every round. The guy that you just knew used hacks, but really couldn't escape the idea that maybe he was just that good. I was that guy who played SWG until the wee hours of the morning,grinding outmy template. I was that guy thatplayed every game that was worth playing because that was essentially my life.
In recent years, I've become more of a casual, experienced gamer,due to the fact that I had to "grow up" and get arespectable job and start preparing for the future.You know... I had to settle down and start taking care of business. I started college once again, and make a living the best I can, setting priorities. Gaming is still my preference when it comes to leisure time, but because I don't play anywhere near as much as I used to, I learned to make my time count.
As a hardcore gamer, I really just got into all different genres. I didn't stick to one type of game, but I did play an aweful lot of FPSs, Action/Adventures, an MMOs. Still, I would dive into other gaming genres when I read about a game that seemed to have the proverbial "goods" on showcase.
All that being said, I discovered what sorts of things really turn me on to a game, and what sorts of things really turn me off. In other words, I figured out what I really really liked, what I would tolerate, and what I absolutely hated.
The Witcher is one of those rare gems that comes along where I said "This game is just flat out good." There is very little in this game, mechanincally, that I can gripe about. Sure, it has long load times, and yes, there are a few small quirks here and there that aren't even really worth mentioning because they can be completely overlooked, but on just about every level, this game delivers the goods. It gives you everything you expect in an RPG, and gives it to you in a nice wrapped package as if to say "Merry Christmas"!
Don't listen to anything anyone says about the combat when they say "it sucks" or whatever. If anyone can sit and play Diablo like it's the best thing ever made, and then turn around and say combat in The Witcher is boring, is a complete idiot. That isn't an opinion - that's a fact. Anyone who plays Oblivion and says it's leaps and bounds better than the combat in Th Witcher is an idiot. That is also a fact.
CD Projekt took a very real issue that plagues almost every RPG ever made and made it refreshingly new and for the most part, very fun. Sure, it's a bunch of clicking - but it's clicking with substance, unlike Titan Quest or any other number of Diablo clones. Oblivion did something different as well, but they really sort of took a great idea and went nowhere with it.
As far as what to choose - if you're like me, and can appreciate all sorts of games, then this really isn't a big problem. Any one of the games you mentioned are going to be good games. I picked the game that I felt I would spend the most time with, and 70-80 hours is what I came up with. Put that into my time schedule, and I havea game that will last me until next year probably. Crysis and CoD4 are games that I will probably still get, but I'll have them beaten over a weekend, and those would really only serve as a break from The Witcher in the first place.
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