My First Impressions Of The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt!

There must be something about the third game in an RPG series.  With the Elder Scrolls there was Morrowind, and with Dragon Age there was Inquisition, but it seems like it takes that third game to get the mix right.  The same seems to be true for The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt.  Sure The Witcher had great storytelling and a sprawling environment, and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings had great action and good graphics, but the third one blended everything together amazingly well.  So far anyway.

This is a game that is going to take me a long time to finish, so like Dragon Age: Inquisition I am going to give you my impressions, and my impressions are that you should play this game.  I was intrigued by this game when I saw Geralt of Rivia on his trusty steed in a wide open plain, and then he got off his horse and decapitated some monsters.  Great stuff, but I was sold on it when I read a review that said it was the fantasy version of Rockstar’s classic western game Red Dead Redemption.  I hit the buy button faster than my mind could process that statement.

That review was right.  You ride from town to town solving problems, killing monsters, kissing maidens, and then when you are done you ride off in to the sunset.  It is great.  I love getting lost in this game.  I also like that they took a page out of Dragon Age’s book and have more than one environment.  There are a few giant maps to explore, and new wonders around every bend in the trail.  I love it.  This is the game I always wanted The Witcher to be.

There are some problems.  I am playing on the Xbox One, so the frame rate dips from time to time, and there is so much to do it can be overwhelming.  Not to mention the difficulty spikes at times, so you are left wondering how the quest that was three levels higher than you was a piece of cake while the quest a level lower than you kicked your butt, and the story is so complex I am not going to bother telling you about it, but those are minor compared to all the positives.  Just make sure you have lots of liquor to replace all your potions and you will be fine.  Seriously buy all the booze, you will need it.

I think this is one of the best games of all time.  It is not the personal hero building of most modern Western RPGs, but it has a great story with good action, and some of the best exploration ever.  If those things sound at all good to you should give this game a shot.  Provided that you are over eighteen that is.  It is a mature experience all around, but one that shouldn’t be missed.