I initially purchased this game on a whim during a quieter period of gaming releases in 2015 on the Playstation 4. I knew nothing of the Witcher universe, hadn't played any of the previous games or read any of the books. I've never quite had an experience like playing this game for the first time before or after it. I ended up sinking around 300 hours or so over two playthroughs before the DLC's were released.
I did a 'definitive' playthrough on my PC, fully modded to improve the vanilla combat (not offensive by any means, but definitely not it's strongest aspect) and adding hundreds of graphical and immersive mods which transformed this into the most immersive and visually appealing title I've ever played. There's something truly special about this game and universe. The writing and quest design, especially for the side content, is still the best I've ever experienced. The main quest is admittedly not the best in the world, but the characters, both main and side, are so believable and the writing so engrossing, that the fetch quest that is the main story is still enjoyable to play through.
The side quests are where the game truly shines. There are so many memorable quests, big and small, which feel (and sometimes do) like they have a genuine impact on people within the world, whether direct or indirect. The impact of your choices and what stories you chose to engage with or ignore influence the space you play within and the characters you interact with. This was something I hadn't experienced before (not to this level at least) and it's a testament to the time and effort the developers put into the game.
For me, the real star of the show though is the world in which you exist whilst playing this title. The desperation and desolation of Velen. The striking and resplendent Oxenfurt. The mix of clean and affluent and dirty and violent of Novigrads' districts and residents, which feels like a real melting pot of different individuals and social classes - all seasoned with a mix of racial tensions, discrimination and radicalisation all stemming from the Church of the Eternal Fire. The picturesque snowy tundras, mountains and hamlets of Skellige - which feels like a wild land where humans have managed to settle, but danger and mystery is still rife in the many thick forests that paint the Isles. And the best area of all, Toussaint, a truly magical world space which was such a contrast compared to the mainly war ravaged areas of the main game, which made it all the more memorable.
I am a sucker for gaming soundtracks, and the quality of a games OST has a direct affect on my enjoyment of a title. It's not a big surprise then that the Witcher 3's OST is absolutely fantastic. Marcin Przybyłowicz did a great job, creating pieces that fit each area perfectly. A special mention to Piotr Musiał and Mikolai Stroinski as well, who helped create the music for the Blood and Wine DLC - without which my enjoyment of Blood and Wine wouldn't be anywhere near the same.
A mention on the DLC, Hearts of Stone was a fantastic addition to the game, with a gripping story and an antagonist the player had already met within the first 30 minutes of starting a new save, who somehow knew who Geralt was seeking in White Orchard, and where they currently were - joking that he wasn't omniscient, a great forshadow. He's an antagonist who felt truly menacing, a literal devil of this universe, who lives up to the image of these creatures - written fantastically and performed even better by Alex Norton. The second piece of DLC, Blood and Wine, is frankly big enough to be a game by itself, and I believe would be released as such by other developers (and the current CDPR if we're being honest). Toussaint is an idyllic location, especially in comparison to the other world spaces you've experienced throughout a playthrough, and the abundance of content available here is absurd given the price of the DLC on release. It's deservedly mentioned when speaking about the best DLC's of all time.
It's not a perfect game, it has its flaws (middling combat, slightly cookie cutter, by the books main quest) but it's an enthralling, epic adventure where you can spend 150 hours or so forging attachment and relationships to the characters you meet and just exist and savour this world that's utterly believable, dark and gritty as well as totally fantastical and immersive all at the same time. It's one of the best games ever made, and my favourite title I've ever had the pleasure of playing.
I did a 'definitive' playthrough on my PC, fully modded to improve the vanilla combat (not offensive by any means, but definitely not it's strongest aspect) and adding hundreds of graphical and immersive mods which transformed this into the most immersive and visually appealing title I've ever played. There's something truly special about this game and universe. The writing and quest design, especially for the side content, is still the best I've ever experienced. The main quest is admittedly not the best in the world, but the characters, both main and side, are so believable and the writing so engrossing, that the fetch quest that is the main story is still enjoyable to play through.
The side quests are where the game truly shines. There are so many memorable quests, big and small, which feel (and sometimes do) like they have a genuine impact on people within the world, whether direct or indirect. The impact of your choices and what stories you chose to engage with or ignore influence the space you play within and the characters you interact with. This was something I hadn't experienced before (not to this level at least) and it's a testament to the time and effort the developers put into the game.
For me, the real star of the show though is the world in which you exist whilst playing this title. The desperation and desolation of Velen. The striking and resplendent Oxenfurt. The mix of clean and affluent and dirty and violent of Novigrads' districts and residents, which feels like a real melting pot of different individuals and social classes - all seasoned with a mix of racial tensions, discrimination and radicalisation all stemming from the Church of the Eternal Fire. The picturesque snowy tundras, mountains and hamlets of Skellige - which feels like a wild land where humans have managed to settle, but danger and mystery is still rife in the many thick forests that paint the Isles. And the best area of all, Toussaint, a truly magical world space which was such a contrast compared to the mainly war ravaged areas of the main game, which made it all the more memorable.
I am a sucker for gaming soundtracks, and the quality of a games OST has a direct affect on my enjoyment of a title. It's not a big surprise then that the Witcher 3's OST is absolutely fantastic. Marcin Przybyłowicz did a great job, creating pieces that fit each area perfectly. A special mention to Piotr Musiał and Mikolai Stroinski as well, who helped create the music for the Blood and Wine DLC - without which my enjoyment of Blood and Wine wouldn't be anywhere near the same.
A mention on the DLC, Hearts of Stone was a fantastic addition to the game, with a gripping story and an antagonist the player had already met within the first 30 minutes of starting a new save, who somehow knew who Geralt was seeking in White Orchard, and where they currently were - joking that he wasn't omniscient, a great forshadow. He's an antagonist who felt truly menacing, a literal devil of this universe, who lives up to the image of these creatures - written fantastically and performed even better by Alex Norton. The second piece of DLC, Blood and Wine, is frankly big enough to be a game by itself, and I believe would be released as such by other developers (and the current CDPR if we're being honest). Toussaint is an idyllic location, especially in comparison to the other world spaces you've experienced throughout a playthrough, and the abundance of content available here is absurd given the price of the DLC on release. It's deservedly mentioned when speaking about the best DLC's of all time.
It's not a perfect game, it has its flaws (middling combat, slightly cookie cutter, by the books main quest) but it's an enthralling, epic adventure where you can spend 150 hours or so forging attachment and relationships to the characters you meet and just exist and savour this world that's utterly believable, dark and gritty as well as totally fantastical and immersive all at the same time. It's one of the best games ever made, and my favourite title I've ever had the pleasure of playing.