Witcher 3 - most amazing game ever? Probably

[Defenestratus]

I'm going to admit it, I'm not a huge fan of fantasy settings (I prefer historical fiction for my middle ages/knights content) but the Witcher series has totally captivated me. I started the series out on the Witcher 2 which had a better combat system than the first one. I played through that one and was terribly confused by the plot which didn't do a very good job of filling you in on the first episode in the series - although it wasn't all that difficult to figure out. In the end, I was amazed by the game - its immersion into the world, its strong story and character development, and yes, its more mature elements. Afterwards I got Skyrim amidst all of its hype, and I couldn't even finish that game. Even for an open world (as opposed to the witcher 2) it felt just so linear and flat.

When Witcher 3 trailers started hitting the internet, I knew I had to go play the first and second all over again. I'll admit that the first has one of the worst combat systems in the action RPG genre but once you get used to it, its not so bad. While the story starts off slowly, it ramps up and gets more and more interesting as you move through the story. You get introduced to the overarching storyline in the first one, but it really is only touched upon in passing.

In the second one, you start to see how the events are cascading into an ultimate culmination. With whats been shown of Witcher 3, its going to be really epic to be dealing with all of these elements.

The video game made me read the english-translated novels which, again, I'm not a huge fan of fantasy. I enjoyed the first one even though its style is more akin to a series of short stories that simply revolve around the main character Geralt - they develop him as a character in much like the first video game does for the players. The game forces you to make a bunch of morally conflicting decisions. Do you help the order of the flaming rose who stand for law and order but who are non-human racists and want to kill them all, or do you help the scoia'tel who want their freedom but who are ruthless killers of innocent people? All of the choices you make in the main plot line are tough and not black and white.

Anyways, I highly recommend the series. It may not be your cup of tea, but it gets all my parts feeling fuzzy. Especially the "Killing Monsters" trailer that I'll paste below.
*Opening cinematic*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-C8yTTfuXQE


*Warning, adult language in this one*

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sr-DKyAVU34


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJlkMAZTEPI

[Kirsten]

I much preferred the combat in the first game, more to it, more options and depth. loved both games though, this will be the best game of next year, calling it now :p

[Defenestratus]

I much preferred the combat in the first game, more to it, more options and depth. loved both games though, this will be the best game of next year, calling it now :p

It just got delayed until May 19th :(

[Kirsten]

yeah I saw that. I actually don't mind personally, I have a huge backlog of games to play, plus I am expecting it to be truly epic and a real 'next gen' game, so if they want more time perfecting it, then by all means.

[Defenestratus]

Just getting through the 2nd novel now and OMG amazeballs - its getting me more and more pumped up for the 3rd game. They say that the 2nd playable character is Ciri.

[eldargal]

If they are including a female PC might actually buy this one. Unless it's jsut like Catwoman in Arkham City o something.

[Defenestratus]

If they are including a female PC might actually buy this one. Unless it's just like Catwoman in Arkham City o something.

Well, yes unfortunately. The player isn't going to be able to just jump between Geralt and Ciri. You'll take control of Ciri at pivotal times in the main quest supposedly but the majority of the time you have to play as Geralt.

Not sure if this series is the right one for you EG (and excuse me if I seem to be off the mark in my reasoning). There are a ton of really developed, strong, powerful female characters (Yennefer, the brunette in the first video I posted above who singlehandedly stops a heavy cavalry charge, basically manipulates the main character for the entire first couple of books) in the novels, but the overarching storyline is basically a child/damsel in distress story (even though Ciri doesn't need help from anything other than the Wild Hunt since she's a badass herself by the time she grows up). The games themselves so far haven't revolved around the novels other than some cameos from characters - but the third looks like its directly tied to them.

That being said, Ciri is no typical hapless, powerless damsel in distress either. She's gone through witcher training and is herself a powerful sorceress. You can check out some of her moves in the latest trailer...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcB7vMFJRs4

[Defenestratus]

Did a little bit more fanboyism reading of news stories and apparently CDProjektRED has stated that while this will be the last Witcher game centered on Geralt, there will be more titles with a different protagonist. I'm willing to bet that Ciri is going to be that new main character.

[Kirsten]

that would be cool

[eldargal]

Sounds good, I like the sound of the Witcher series but I only buy games with female protagonists now on principle (whihc isn't a criticism of games with male protagonists). Except the Arkham series because Batman.

[Defenestratus]

EG, after reading part of "Baptism of Fire" last night, I think you should definitely pick up the series. At one point, Yennefer scolds Ciri for crying and whining "be still child, you're of the superior gender - act like it." I read it and immediately thought "gee I know who would relish that" :P

Anyways, if you were thinking of picking up the Witcher 3, better make sure your rig is up to specs if you're going to play it on PC. Its going to be one of the first games that was developed for PS4/Bone and therefore will require next gen PC specs to really make it shine. I'm in the process now of piecing together a new rig.

http://techreport.com/news/27662/the-witcher-3-specs-call-for-6gb-of-ram-quad-core-cpus

[Psychosplodge]

It probably doesn't actually need anything like that spec, apparently some pc games have been inflating their required specs to make them sound better :rolleyes:
I think the new assassins creed might or the watcher might have been one of them, where they listed a far more powerful gpu than actually necessary.

[Defenestratus]

It probably doesn't actually need anything like that spec, apparently some pc games have been inflating their required specs to make them sound better :rolleyes:
I think the new assassins creed might or the watcher might have been one of them, where they listed a far more powerful gpu than actually necessary.

Well. I've got a Quad core i5 and a GTX660Ti and the Witcher 2 struggles on my system. Its really a pretty game but when there's a ton of objects around the frame rate starts to suffer.

[Psychosplodge]

Same set-up, I've yet to struggle with anything. Play Planetside two with 100s of people at a battle with everything turned up to ultra... (it looks very pretty as well)
It could just be lazy optimisation?

[Defenestratus]

Same set-up, I've yet to struggle with anything. Play Planetside two with 100s of people at a battle with everything turned up to ultra... (it looks very pretty as well)
It could just be lazy optimisation?

Its just the progression of tech.

The problem is that the PS3 and the XBox360 had such a long lifespan. Game studios create games so they are able to be ported to all three platforms - and if they make games that took advantage of the huge performance bonus that PC's enjoy, they couldn't easily and affordably be ported to the consoles that aren't able to push as many pixels. This lead to games that didn't require a lot of horsepower to run with full features enabled. My 660Ti is still able to run Witcher 3, but its one of the new generation of games that was developed specifically for the new abilities of the consoles and therefore my PC, which was more than capable of running anything produced for the 360/PS4, will not be able to give me a fluid, perfect experience for next-generation games.

My buddy actually owns a company that services the gaming industry. His software is in pretty much every major title that you've played in the last 10 years or so. He was telling me that the studios were sick and tired of holding back on the ability to make next gen games because the PS3 and 360 were holding them back. There was a point he said, that they were considering making PC only titles until new consoles came out.

[Psychosplodge]

I'd heard about that before with the consoles holding stuff back, but I thought the witcher was a PC game anyway? *shrugs*

[eldargal]

Should be able to run it, have a Quad core i7 and a graphics card I'm embarrassed to name because frankly it would be showing off.:p No use to me now though, faulty RAM and it's taken weeks to try and get replacements and everything just goes wrong.>< #tangentialrant

[Defenestratus]

Should be able to run it, have a Quad core i7 and a graphics card I'm embarrassed to name because frankly it would be showing off.:p No use to me now though, faulty RAM and it's taken weeks to try and get replacements and everything just goes wrong.>< #tangentialrant

I just placed my order for my new system earlier this week. i7-5820k with a LGA2011-v3 and a 970GTX should be able to handle whatever witcher 3 throws at it.

And yes, I upgraded my rig just for this game :P

[eldargal]

Noice, probly upgrade to that cpu at some point or something like it.:)

[Psychosplodge]

Been assured two of my three 970's will be with me tomorrow :D

[Defenestratus]

I know it's not necessarily directly s video game related news story but the publisher of the English translations has decided to publish the rest of the books in English. You're just going to have to wait a while for the rest of the novel saga... http://www.gollancz.co.uk/2015/01/gollancz-acquire-three-more-witcher-novels/

[Defenestratus]

The Witcher 3 rig is getting pieced together.

Gotta space out the component purchases so they fly under the War Department's gaze when expenditures are audited (you married guys will know what I'm talking about) but I'm only two components away from completing the puzzle. Yes, that heatsink requires an open carry permit.

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-uj6pJ7rOI3Q/VL2nsneLi1I/AAAAAAAA0HI/SOjHAqXGqek/w1165-h865-no/2015-01-19.jpg
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6aSUqoum0NQ/VL3ElL-GZ8I/AAAAAAAA0H4/rQ3rXdOjPwI/w1165-h865-no/2015-01-19.jpg

[Psychosplodge]

Very pretty.
Would a closed loop watercooler not have been a similar price to that heatsink?

[Defenestratus]

Very pretty.
Would a closed loop watercooler not have been a similar price to that heatsink?

It s only $70
Noctua 12S

[Psychosplodge]

Ah, yeah Noctua's aren't far off that in £s which puts them closer to things like the h60 I think.

[eldargal]

That's a nice baby heatsink.:p

[Defenestratus]

That's a nice baby heatsink.:p

Its the smaller of the two that are compatible. I'm not planning on overclocking anything so it should suit my needs nicely.

[Psychosplodge]

I like the look of them, but I worry about potential strain on the motherboard, though the noctua's always come with those brown fans, I'd have to swap cause of my window :D

[Defenestratus]

I like the look of them, but I worry about potential strain on the motherboard, though the noctua's always come with those brown fans, I'd have to swap cause of my window :D

Its the only blemish on the internals. I honestly wouldn't trust another fan there... I'd imagine that there's some kind of warranty issue with the heatsink if you don't use their fan.

The heatsink itself is rather light - and the mounting hardware is rather hefty.

[Psychosplodge]

They'd never know, but if you have a non windowed case it doesn't matter anyway does it?

[Defenestratus]

They'd never know, but if you have a non windowed case it doesn't matter anyway does it?

I've got a windowed case :)

[Psychosplodge]

Same hence why I probably wouldn't get a brown fan :D
I did hear they were supposed to be launching an enthusiast range in black, but it'll probably cost...

[Defenestratus]

Same hence why I probably wouldn't get a brown fan :D
I did hear they were supposed to be launching an enthusiast range in black, but it'll probably cost...

The brown fan wont bother me that much. Its easy peasey to swap out if it really starts itching.

[Psychosplodge]

It might do now it's been mentioned

sorry

[Defenestratus]

It might do now it's been mentioned

sorry

The whispers of Chaos do not affect me :P

[Defenestratus]

BACK TO WITCHERING I SAY!


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4kuS4wLX06Q

[Defenestratus]

Embargo from the press even last week lifted on Monday. Some great stories coming out about the 3 hours that the press was able to play... very jealous.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2015/01/28/the-witcher-3s-beautiful-ugliness

14 more minutes of gameplay:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgJUL3nN4iI

[Defenestratus]

New official gameplay trailer. Interestingly its narrated in a rather less dramatic fashion...

Anyways, the game is looking amazing. My rig is ready. My mind is ready. My body is ready. 5 weeks from now I'll disappear for 200 hours and emerge muttering things of drowners, vampires and wraiths....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYwe_WHARdc

[Kirsten]

very much looking forward to this

[Defenestratus]

very much looking forward to this

Little more than a month away!

[Psychosplodge]

does it come with hats for tf2?

[Defenestratus]

does it come with hats for tf2?

Sorry. No hats.

Against dress code you see.

[Psychosplodge]

IDK what sort of game comes to steam without hats? :rolleyes:

[Defenestratus]

IDK what sort of game comes to steam without hats? :rolleyes:

Hats? No.. Wolves? YES!!

New 4K screenshots posted... can't wait to run this thing in 4K...
http://wpc.4d7d.edgecastcdn.net/004D7D/media/THE%20WITCHER%203/Screenshots/The_Witcher_3_Wild_Hunt_These_animals_can_rip_you_ apart_in_seconds_if_you're_not_careful.png

More here:
http://wpc.4d7d.edgecastcdn.net/004D7D/media/THE%20WITCHER%203/Screenshots/The_Witcher_3_Wild_Hunt_Old,_abandoned_and_probabl y_dangerous.png
http://wpc.4d7d.edgecastcdn.net/004D7D/media/THE%20WITCHER%203/Screenshots/The_Witcher_3_Wild_Hunt_Sometimes_you_have_to_beat _some_sense_into_others.png
http://wpc.4d7d.edgecastcdn.net/004D7D/media/THE%20WITCHER%203/Screenshots/The_Witcher_3_Wild_Hunt_A_lonely_tower,_is_it_aban doned.png

[Wolfshade]

Wolves are awesome ;)

[Psychosplodge]

Have you got a 4k display?

[Defenestratus]

Have you got a 4k display?

I have.

About a month ago, Woot.com had a deal on refurb 28" Samsung 4k Monitors for $400. A quick spec search revealed that they were capable of 60hz @ 4K (not all 4K monitors can do 60hz at that res) so I ordered three to replace my viewsonics that I moved over to my work machine.

[Psychosplodge]

Cool.
I was going to get one, but the smallest is 27" and I don't have a big enough gap for that, so went for the 120hz instead.

[Defenestratus]

Supposedly the game went gold today. Not long now!!

[Defenestratus]

Charles Dance talks about voicing the Emhir.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xdqHImDYimE

[Psychosplodge]

Oh dear... (https://twitter.com/Totalbiscuit/status/591246907835555840)

[Defenestratus]

Oh dear... (https://twitter.com/Totalbiscuit/status/591246907835555840)

That was a dumb move by everyone involved. Thankful that I'm not on the Bone and I'm a real gamer with a PC. Found out today my rig will run it on ultra settings at 60 fps.

[Psychosplodge]

That sounds pretty.

[Defenestratus]

This one is for Eldargal.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vHNOLytV6hU

[eldargal]

I like her, she falls over and bounces off things a lot, like me. You can't play the whole game as her though is that right?

[Kirsten]

I thought you could play as her all the way through, but I may be wrong.

awesome that there is a female character option, but it might be one of those rare occasions where I stick with the male, big fan of Geralt.

[eldargal]

I might be thinking of another game.

I just have a thing now where I'm only buying AAA games with a female character or otherwise doing extremely well on the diversity front so hopefully this will quality.

[Kirsten]

the female characters so far in the Witcher series have been really good in my opinion.

[Defenestratus]

You can't play the whole game as Ciri. Remember this is an RPG where the story arc has traversed for two games (and 5 books prior to that!) already with Geralt so you're playing through him. Ciri however, is the main character of the game says the developer - Geralt is "just the vessel"

http://gamingbolt.com/the-witcher-3-ciri-is-the-main-character-geralt-just-the-vessel

As for Ciri's clumsiness.. she's been trained as both a witcher and a sorceress, its why instead of rolling around she seems to teleport. She's in danger, but as you can see she's not entirely powerless to defend herself. She's probably going to be the central character of the next witcher game since they've already said that this is the end of the line for Geralt.

[Kirsten]

I like the fact they said Geralt's beard grows over the course of the game

[Defenestratus]

http://e5c351ecddc2f880ef72-57d6ff1fc59ab172ec418789d348b0c1.r69.cf1.rackcdn.c om/images/JwjjXiZNTxSw.jpg
http://4d663a369f9f03c3c61e-870e77779efd63f7bd6c2ee08d8cfae6.r2.cf1.rackcdn.co m/images/-UmkAU83RdKJ.jpg
http://36646d87786feafc0611-0338bbbce19fc98919c6293def4c5554.r0.cf1.rackcdn.co m/images/1larvPS1QDul.jpg

All screenshots taken with Ultra settings enabled.

[eldargal]

Almost as pretty as Dragon Age Inquisition.:p

[Defenestratus]

Almost as pretty as Dragon Age Inquisition.:p

On a technical level, Wild Hunt blows away DAI.

[Defenestratus]

So CDProjeckt Red has been sharing some statistics about the game. Supposedly between the two larger open world areas in the game, it constitutes 52 square miles (136 square kilometers for those funny measurement people). Thats insane. For reference sake, thats 3.5x as big as Skyrim and 1.5x as big as GTA V.

All of it packed with side quests that all have an indirect effect on the game.

The epilogue is an HOUR LONG. There are 36 different variations of 3 distincts finishes to the game that are based off of decisions you've made and actions you've taken throughout the game.
http://www.techtimes.com/articles/50240/20150502/the-witcher-3-is-how-big-we-break-down-the-size-of-cd-projekt-reds-ambitious-rpg.htm

[Kirsten]

sweet

[DarkLink]

As if I already didnt have enough free time for Dark Souls 2...

[Defenestratus]

New Trailer. Pretty badass... looks like it was captured on a console tho. EG you should watch until the end... pretty badass....


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=chn9QN2W5V4

[Defenestratus]

The embargo for reviews was lifted today, 7 days in advance of the game general release and the reviews so far are as perfect as you can get I'm told - I don't read reviews because I like to form my own opinions of games before being tainted by the opinion of some know-it-all :P

[Kirsten]

yup, I didn't read them either, but the tag lines are incredibly positive. will be putting my pre-order down this Saturday and probably putting some money on a gift card ready for Tuesday. very excited.

[Psychosplodge]

Are you not taking part in the year of no pre orders?

[Kirsten]

huh?

[Psychosplodge]

It's some sor of protest against developers releasing shoddy half completed games that always need a big day one patch I think. I'll see if I can find a link.

[Kirsten]

evidently I am not :p

[Psychosplodge]

lols.

I think I originally saw it on r/PCMR but theres an ELI5 answer here (http://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/2semo2/eli5_why_is_the_gaming_community_boycotting/)

[Kirsten]

I do know someone who is doing it, but I didn't know it was part of a bigger thing. there is a big backlash against patches, dlc etc. at the moment but I don't think every company is terrible for it.

[Defenestratus]

It's some sor of protest against developers releasing shoddy half completed games that always need a big day one patch I think. I'll see if I can find a link.

She nor I are apparently doing it... nor are apparently at least 1,000,000 others who aren't either:
http://www.technobuffalo.com/2015/05/12/the-witcher-3-hits-1-million-pre-orders-a-week-before-launch/

[Psychosplodge]

That doesn't sound high really.

Pre orders down (http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/pre-order-crisis-looms-as-3-4m-uk-gamers-hold-off/0148440)

[Defenestratus]

That doesn't sound high really.

Pre orders down (http://www.mcvuk.com/news/read/pre-order-crisis-looms-as-3-4m-uk-gamers-hold-off/0148440)

Well

The original Witcher game only sold 300,000 copies in total apparently. CDPR is pretty happy overall with the numbers I'm sure.

[Kirsten]

well if you bear in mind that a game that sells well might be five million copies, to get one million pre-orders is pretty damn good.

[Psychosplodge]

Yeah I suppose in that context its not bad

[Paintingplasticcrack]

well if you bear in mind that a game that sells well might be five million copies, to get one million pre-orders is pretty damn good.

I pre-ordered the game last week. I got the season pass edition. It was either this or a box of Kastelan both being $80. Looks amazing and can't wait.

[Defenestratus]

So I shouldn't have read this - but it really *REALLY* pisses me off.... freakin consoles killing it for the real gamers.

http://whatifgaming.com/developer-insider-the-witcher-3-was-downgraded-from-2013-list-of-all-features-taken-out-why

[Kirsten]

anybody who plays a game on any platform is a real gamer.

[Psychosplodge]

They always do.

[Kirsten]

not sure I could get down to Game this coming Tuesday, so I just ordered The Witcher and the season pass from the Game website instead. Need to try and finish Dark Souls before Tuesday...

[eldargal]

So I shouldn't have read this - but it really *REALLY* pisses me off.... freakin consoles killing it for the real gamers.

http://whatifgaming.com/developer-insider-the-witcher-3-was-downgraded-from-2013-list-of-all-features-taken-out-why

As much as I dislike how the console market has slowed the growth of video games technology, the sad fact is that games are exponentially more expensive to develop than they were even five years ago they need to sell as many copies as possible which means marketing on multiple platforms. So stuff like this happens.

[Psychosplodge]

But games should be cheaper because everything is supposedly on x86 architecture now even the consoles, and all the different pc configurations follow standards now that didn't exist back in the early windows pc gaming days.

[eldargal]

Nope. Development teams are bigger, much bigger, everything is more complex so costs are much higher, literally orders of magnitude more expensive than they were ten years ago.

[Psychosplodge]

OK, some of that should be offset by the standardisation of hardware, compared to the PS3's special snowflake cell chip or whatever it was called.
the current two are basiclly mid range PC's in a shiney box with a restricted OS.

[Defenestratus]

ZOMG. NOT SAFE FOR WORK but this is the launch trailer for the game - words don't describe how awesome this is.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiukIzzZD9E

[eldargal]

Nice graphics, otherwise nothing too thrilling.

[Tyrendian]

just a heads up for all those like me that haven't had a chance to get them: Parts one and two are up in the Humble Store for a combined grand total of 4€ until tomorrow!

[Defenestratus]

Game unlocked last night - I've been sitting in a puddle of my own filth since then playing it.

Just kidding.. only about... one or two hours into it... trying to do all of the sidequests I find but I'm getting my arse handed to me by your garden variety drowners.

My only complaint so far is that the controls and movement system are definitely, without a doubt, optimized for a controller and not a mouse and keyboard. I'm using an Orbweaver so I'm lucky in that I can map a lot of the most important keybindings --but the way that Geralt moves, slowly at first, then starts immediately running - sooooo annoying when you're trying to open crates, pick herbs, and pickup monster drops.

Combat is tough... really tough. I've died a dozen times already. Save often!!!

[Kirsten]

just had a quick twenty minutes before I go to the cinema. loved it from the moment it started, as I knew I would. going to be so much fun.

[Paintingplasticcrack]

I'm loving it, I have played it now for around 10 hours. I've just moved onto the next area after finishing many of the side quests and main quest in the area you start in. I didn't explore all of it but will come back to do so.
The game play is brilliant, combat is pretty hard but not impossible. Just make sure you use the right spells in combat, especially when you meet a bandit with a shield. You have to get behind him to do any damage at all. The crafting is a little complicated at 1st but easy enough to do once your tuned into it. I even made a potion that I hope saves an npc life.
Now I know what the "wild hunt" actually is it's pretty creepy.
Not a game to play in front of the kids, chopping heads off, carving people in half and sending limbs everyway possible is fun but not for youngsters.
The graphics are fantastic, especially the water effects and the people you interact with. So far no complaints at all with this game. Nothing at all. As is it's 10/10 for me and I'm enjoying it more than DA inquisition which is saying something as I have completed that game 4 times.
If you like RPG style games, buy it. It's brilliant.

[Defenestratus]

I've got over 40 hours in the game since release and I absolutely love it. I love it so much that I don't want to do the main quest any more just to make sure that I don't make it end so soon :P

I'm exploring the countryside and getting my butt wooped by level 20 monsters and stuff.

Incredible amounts of fun, and since the 1.04 patch its really just mind-blowingly gorgeous.

[Kirsten]

The Witcher 3 in steam reviews

http://kotaku.com/the-witcher-3-as-told-by-steam-reviews-1708577559

[Defenestratus]

Over 70 hrs in and the story is still going strong. It stays challenging while at the same time tossing you some fluff that reminds me how much of a badass Geralt is.

Still haven't found Ciri yet tho :P

[Iago Torres Piñeiro]

I've been playing more 120h and wants more !