I played this game 2 years after it came out and I had no expectations going in since I didn't see any of the trailers, I never (and still haven't) played the old games and after watching gameplay of it I really wasn't sure about if it was for me. I was blown away by how everything comes together.
Gameplay
The gameplay is similar to most RPGs in terms of quests, loot and dialogue. The main difference is in combat at the 'Witcher Sense' mechanic.
Tons of people had a lot of complaints about the combat system. I personally love it and it's a very refreshing combat system since I haven't played a game with a similar system. It strikes that perfect balance of complexity and simplicity. It takes a beginner to learn but a skilled player to master.
Your 'Witcher Sense' adds a whole new layer to missions with it providing clues and a general sense of any nearby enemies. I don't know if they were in previous games but needless to say I'm a big fan of the system.
Story/Missions
The story is very well executed even though I feel it drags it out a bit too long (especially tracking down Ciri). The game took me around 40 hours to finish, this is with a healthy balance of doing story/side missions and getting collectables. The game really shines with it's characters with Geralt. Yeniffer and Ciri being the best. The relationship you build between these characters aren't ones you'll be forgetting anytime soon. The relationship between Geralt and Yeniffer is one of the best romances in games with Geralt and Triss not treading far behind. There are dozens of endings and I got the best one. This evokes a lot of replay value, this adds more bang for your buck with the content being well over 100 hours in length.
Presentation
The game looks damn beautiful, the 'Blood and Wine' expansion especially showcases this. Whilst there were downgrades from the gameplay shown at E3 you won't mind at all whilst playing since what is there is still gorgeous to feast your eyes upon.
Technical Issues
Whilst there was nothing game-breaking the issues I encountered were significant FPS drops in major areas like cities, villages and big battles. The game crashed for me three times during my two playthroughs, two of these took place in cities and the other occurred during a loading screen.
Conclusion
This game is damn near perfect and will be played and praised for generations to come. If CD Projekt Red can deliver this same quality in their upcoming title 'Cyberpunk 2077' we are in for something special. This game is definitely worth the retail price just off the main story alone, the rest is just gravy. It's for this reason that I'm giving this game a 9/10.
Other points not mentioned in the review
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Map/Minimap | Occasional pop-in |
| Shop system | Slow progression |
| Voice Acting | Annoying sea enemies |
| Animations | Some easy and repetitive side missions |
| Controls | Lack of in-depth armour/weapon/hair customization |
| Expansions |