Platform: Xbox Series X
Date Started: March 15th, 2024
Date Finished: April 24th, 2024
Time Played: 64 Hours

"Witcher mutations, they strip us of emotion. I’d be jumping for joy otherwise."

This is the first time I have played through The Witcher III since its original release, and not only does it hold up, it surpasses my memories' expectations thanks to the massive updates and upgrades and the addition of the two major expansions in this Complete Edition.

Whilst I found both Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine lacking in comparison to the main story, they are nevertheless both wonderfully written joys to engage in. Toussant is a lovely new location to explore and offers tons to do and gives book readers plenty to feed off of.

The game is a little janky at times in terms of Geralt's stiff movements (this also applies to navigation on Roach), but I have always found the combat to be a good time, and the little jank there is rarely detracted from my enjoyment.

The Witcher III is just a monumental game, and it remains one of my all-time favourites. I'm so glad that I finally got around to doing this second play-through, and while I didn't spend as much time in the world as I did on my initial run, I had just as much of an amazing time. The characters are so well written, the world so absorbing and the story so captivating that there are no doubts as to why this one is held in such legendary regard.

Um dos melhores jogos de RPG já feitos, se não o melhor. Jogo que te prende do início ao fim, com mais de 200 horas, DLCs fantásticas, uma delas que é praticamente um jogo novo. Mundo gigantesco com diversas sidequests para se fazer e que realmente valem a pena de se fazer. Personagens excelentes, você com toda a certeza se lembrará de cada um deles. Vale cada centavo e tempo investido, apenas compre.

Minha nota para o game é 10/10. Tem seus problemas aqui e ali, mas são coisas pequenas quando se considera tudo o que a CD Projekt Red criou para o game.

The Witcher foi minha estreia no PS4, comprei ele junto com o play + um headset, tudo no mesmo anúncio do Mercado Livre (jurei que ia tomar golpe), vi vários vídeos antes e sabendo que ia demorar pra comprar outro jogo tinha "certeza" que ficaria por meses nele, com 30min eu dropei por não gostar de ter que amolar a espada (achava um absurdo kkkkkkkk).

Anos depois um grande amigo meu (Alô Álef!), falou tão bem do game e insistiu para que eu desse uma segunda chance, comprei a Complete Edition por preço de banana e ele acabou sendo uma das melhores experiências que eu tive, tenho um carinho muito grande por todo o universo desse game.

It took only 4 years of convincing for me to start playing this game and now I can't shut up about it honestly....it's just THAT cool and awesome!!! As an enjoyer of puns, I absolutely adore Geralt because he is an absolute pun machine and he delivers them in such a dry way that I always laugh about it...the best man ever, especially when I can punch everyone that disrespects women WHICH I DID BTW!!! Therefore, I'm super happy about these parts.
The most obvious part which impressed me is the story, I mean the storytelling is honestly insane with so many details about each and every quest, side quest and minor optional quest which you can accidentally come across! Once I did a super minor quest about chicken stealing (I know) and came back afterwards to see if the way I solved it had any consequences, AND IT DID. I never thought that so much effort would be put into such minor characters, and it really made me happy that I had that kind of effect in the story...Every quest was more or less memorable for me as it had a story of its own and it helped with understanding of the world we are exploring and about the diverse problem every region has. The Easter eggs are super funny as it has something from Kill Bill, Fight club and Twillight which were extremely funny and if you're playing read all the books and letters because they serve as an excellent intel and can be really funny at times. The main story is out of this world, and I teared up several times...
With all this said I also loved that we always had a choice in everything we did, but the part that stayed with me is that there weren't "good or bad" choices because nothing is black and white, but mostly you had to choose a "good" choice which is actually a lesser evil without knowing about it with Geralt saying that evil is evil and "If I'm to choose between one evil and another, I'd rather not choose at all".
Characters are also very well written, and everyone is interesting in their own way so you get to discover all the layers and grey areas which they have throughout the game which I will stay silent about for now...but Yennefer is THE mother and girlboss ever and Yen and Geralt just belong together I don't make the rules. I read some comments about Yen being bitchy but honestly? I don't see it. She is just strong willed and knows what she wants, likes and what is sometimes cruel but necessary so if you don't like women with a strong character and an existing personality of course you'll think she is only bitchy. This is only one character among so many of them so....find out about their awesomeness on your own because if I don't stop now, I'll write a novel instead of a review ig.
WITH THAT SAID I was completely mesmerized by this and so many other aspects of this game as for the enemies, fights, music, Gwent etc. and I will always recommend this game because it really is 5-star worthy and it can be so well adjusted to every kind of gameplay whether you're here for the story, combat or both it can be well adjusted and tailored for your wishes specifically so yes! That is how the game won me over ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

Thousands have already said what I could say about this game. One look at the universal acclaim from both critics and the general public will tell you all that you need to know about The Witcher 3. It is an incredible, almost transcendental experience, and a game well worth all the plaudits it has received since its release eight years ago.

For my part, I have to agree with it all. I've played a lot of games in my 25ish years of gaming, and there aren't many that made me feel like The Witcher 3 did. I would put it up there along with Half Life 2, Planescape Torment, Braid, Fez, Batman Arkham Asylum, DOTA 2, and a few others—games that deeply affected me in some way and will stick with me for years to come. 

For a game made in 2016, the graphics still wowed me. Yes, I used a few mods to spruce things up a bit, and yes, if you stopped and really inspected things, you'd see the game's age, but in broad strokes, Witcher 3 looks incredible. The weather is superb; the world looks truly miserable when it rains and beautiful in the sun. The character and monster designs are truly iconic, especially the werewolves and Crones, the latter of which are so damn creepy. I thought the towns and villages were detailed and believable, and they still wowed me despite being an 8-year-old game. A special shout-out to Novigrad, the crown jewel of the game and one of the best cities in RPG history, perhaps second only to Baldur’s Gate. I was in awe as I played through The Witcher 3; it truly impressed me on multiple occasions. I even thought it ran very well, barely dipping below 60 fps, even in busy cities. 

There is too much writing in Witcher 3 to truly comment on in any great depth—it would be thousands of words—but I'll summarise. The overarching story is solid—traditional, world-ending fare that’s common in much of the media I’ve seen over the years. In fact, I'd say the main narrative of Heart of Stone—fulfilling three wishes—and the murder mystery writ large in Blood and Wine are far more interesting. The OG game isn't bad by any means, and the way the world will end is certainly pretty unique, but it just wasn't something that thrust me through the game. Where Witcher 3's narrative shines the most is in the moment-to-moment stories and interactions. Finding out what happened to The Bloody Baron's family, helping Triss get magic users out of Novigrad, hanging out with Dandelion, trading barbs with Dijkstra, capturing a Djinn with Yennefer, and getting pissed with other witchers—all examples of some of my favourite moments in the main game. It is the journey, not the destination.

The secondary quests also stood out; the world was richly filled with many poignant and beautifully crafted moments. Just about every secondary quest I did was satisfying, fun, and had a moment of emotional impact or a difficult choice to make. Some events have global repercussions—such as the potential assassination of an emperor—while others affect individual lives, like ensuring a child’s safety at a steep price. Yet, each is considered equally significant from Geralt’s and the narrative’s viewpoints. There are countless excerpts from books, notes, and diaries that give some context to the world and even some useful gameplay-relevant information. It is all of the highest quality you could ask for in a video game.

The real highlight of the game, however, and the thing that makes this game one that I will think about for years to come, is the cast. Geralt is a fantastic protagonist. A semi-blank slate for the player to change, yet still brimming with personality. He is frequently hilarious with his dry sense of humour and has massive dad vibes, especially when you interact with Ciri. I played him much like I played him in Witcher 1 and 2, as a Witcher who is sympathetic to the monsters he is tasked to slay, frequently at the cost of both reward money and annoyed villagers. There isn't a 'Good/Evil' bar that fills up when you make choices; only your conscious or how you feel your version of Geralt would react to a situation. I also adored Ciri, Triss, Yennefer, Dijkstra, Dandelion, and countless other supporting cast members. Each one felt fully realised and multifaceted. 

There is also a maturity in The Witcher 3 that I really appreciated, especially when compared to the other Witcher games. The female relationships you can have in the game felt realistic, for one. Reigniting your romance with Triss or working with Yennefer to discover if your love is true never felt like mere fan service in the game. You could sense the years behind both women's relationships with Geralt. Shani, from Heart of Stone—less so, but that was a great callback to the first Witcher game. The sex scenes were tastefully executed, a far cry from the days of collecting cards for intimate encounters. The scene with Syanna in Blood & Wine stands out as particularly memorable. Also, and I've made mention of this a few times, the choices you have to make are always difficult, and the consequences of your choices feel natural. Overall, as you can no doubt sum up, the writing in The Witcher 3 is almost beyond reproach.

There are a couple of issues I have with the game—nothing major, but they were things I definitely picked up. For one, the PC version is still pretty buggy. For a game in its fourth version, I expect better. The game experienced consistent crashes, including one upon exiting the first area, which were resolved only by reverting to the DX11 version. A solution that I think is just not on, especially not nearly a decade into the game's release. Also, the glacial pass levelling up happens in the game, and the way you unlock perks was too slow and kind of boring. Maybe I levelled up the wrong things, but when everything is just levelling things up to have higher percentages rather than visible buffs, it is kind of boring. Finally, I will say that the combat was servicable but never the highlight. 

What else is there to say? So much. Gwent was fun. The DLC is some of the best stuff in the game. And each ending I experienced in the main game and both DLCs was very satisfying and emotional. After completing the Blood & Wine DLC, the final section of the game, I lingered in the game world for a few more minutes, feeling a tinge of sadness despite the 135 or so hours spent playing. Could I have hung out some more to uncover more Witcher armour or treasures? Sure. But I was fully satisfied with my time with the game and was happy to see it end there. I wanted my Geralt to finally relax after the journey he and Yennefer went through.

The Complete Edition of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt makes this one of the most complete videogame experiences ever, with 2 amazing expansions and an insane amount of additional content.

An absolute monster of a videogame.
The main story is very well made with an exceptional cast of characters, and the writing is fantastic, everything in the game has depth to it.

The amount of content is absolutely ridiculous, at first you might get overwhelmed by all the activities the game throws at you, but exploring the map and doing side quests is definitely worth it, this game has perhaps the best side quests I've ever experienced, and the quest design is phenomenal.

The dialogue options are groundbreaking, almost every quest has different outcomes and interactions, it's insane. Your actions have consequences and if you're not careful, you can miss entire questlines that can alter your entire experience with the game.

Also I think it's worth mentioning how beautiful the soundtrack is, it's pretty much one of the highlights of the game and really sets the tone perfectly.

It's an all-around solid game, it does almost everything very well, except from the gameplay which is a little bit clunky so you'll have to get used to it.
The biggest problem I have with the game personally is the amount of filler and padding in the first half of the story, it's a slow burn and takes too long for the pacing to get good, however, even when it's slow, it's still great and has so many things to offer.

The Open World is one of the best I've ever explored, it's very enjoyable from start to finish, there are so many things to do in this game.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt achieved the impossible, it's unbelievable how a small Polish studio managed to create a remarkable videogame like this one.

Final Rating: "Masterpiece" ~ 10/10.

Witcher 3 had a lot to live up to, especially being put on Switch.

I will get my gripes out of the way. I think there's really only one major issue with the game outside of nitpicks, which is that you are way too underpowered and weak at the start of the game. You do barely any damage, you take way too much damage, there isn't a lot of healing options, a lot of the enemies are too strong. It makes the game really slow paced to start and it sets a bad precedent that dosent stay thankfully: but it makes you think the whole game will be an uphill battle like that. Also, I cannot stand item weight. It is a mechanic that never needs to come back again. I get limitations create builds and different experiences, but there is such a thing as being too limiting.

There are a very minor handful of quests that won't click for you. Sometimes you inadvertently fail one by completing another even if you haven't really started the other one yet. On Switch, I think this port gets way too much hate, but I know it is a little rough in some areas. It dips in fps in minor occasions, it crashed a few times. It had some visual bugs. But those were minor. They happened maybe once every 10 hours. Some of the animations, to wrap this up, are stiff and janky.

Ok so why is this game amazing? There are many reasons. The lore of the universe feels very lived in. There's tons of cool monsters and settings. There is a sense of conflict between the regions. You feel like a bit of an outcast and reject. So the odds are stacked against you, yet you have strong powers and can handle the opposition.

The main story is really engaging. Ciri could have been this super annoying foil to drive the plot forward, but she was really endearing and fun to watch. You care about a lot of the characters, even ones that have minor roles. The dialogue is really well written and encompasses what needs to be expressed. Even with some occasional weird deliveries, and while you have to adjust to Geralt's flat voice (by design) you really get sucked into the game.

This is a title that really emphasizes its quests. Honestly most of the meat and time I spent on this game was on random stuff that was going on around me. I've only played the game once yet I remember every single thing about it. All these random towns and people, the one conflict where they can't pick a leader. The one where you venture with a bunch of people into a cave. All the fist fighting, waiting to get a form from the bank. There's many moments that stick with you.

I would be a fool not to mention the best side content, Gwent. I initially ignored Gwent, and then as soon as I played 1 game I proceeded to travel to every single town and climbed every mountain looking for cards for my deck. It is so easy to sink hours into. It is such a simple but stimulating experience. So much so they made an entire game around it!

Presentation wise it's awesome. The various outfits you can customize yourself in. The music is great. The locations are pretty and feel appropriate for the journey. The monsters are all imposing when they need to be and help add to the roleplay aspects here.

Thats a real key thing, roleplay. FINALLY, a game where your choices matter. Not these half lie games where only the last few do. No in this game there were characters that could have lasted all the way to the end that I got killed in the first few hours. It gives you a real sense of purpose and significance being in control.

And of course the game is good fun as well. You have a lot of options for approaching combat. Lots of weapons and powers. Yet the game is a pretty good challenge as well. You can get overwhelmed easily, but you'll still have tools to just barely get by. Thats a great balance to have I think. Fair, but challenging.

The dlc was really great. I felt like it added a lot to the experience in the ways it wanted. And it didn't feel padded. It felt like a natural expansion to what was already in place.

I really had an incredible time with this one. Even my issues aren't ones I think about. When you play it you are just sucked into everything you love about it.

It's one of the few games I ever attempted to truly roleplay with. I turned off the HUD and just explored with the full map that came with buying a physical copy of the game. And it was such a special experience because it was something you could do without it being too difficult.

Just an incredible game all around, in all the right ways. You can't pass it up.