…except not really, you can never have too many boobs! This game is the third main installment in The Witcher series based on the fantasy novels and short stories that had their beginnings in the 1980s, by the polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. Witchers are for-contract beast slayers who undergo a series of mutations and battle-training in order to attain superhuman reaction speeds, senses, powers and endurance. Throughout the game(s) you will live through Geralt as he takes on monster-slaying quests, political engagements, carnal pleasures and many more.

Having previously tried the first game in the series, I was skeptical of The Witcher 3 given how deflating my earlier experience had been. However, after a laudable recommendation by my fellow DnG contributor leopovoas, I decided to give the Game of The Year a chance – and it did not disappoint. It quickly became one of my favorites on the PS4, and led me to buy the ensuing DLCs (Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine) on their release dates, both incredibly priced and with loads of additional content that kept me involved for tens of hours. In fact, I became so smitten that I decided to give the past games a rerun. I can say CD Projekt Red, currently, might be my second favorite game developer (they give Naughty Dog a run for their money!).

What change made you rethink your previous experience with The Witcher?

My previous experience was about 4 years ago when I first played The Witcher (the first installment, originally released in 2007) on PC for a total of 30 minutes. The weird fighting mechanics and slow progression of the game, coupled with a complex inventory and leveling system, quickly drew from the excitement I had built up envisioning myself Rambo-ing through werewolves and vampires. Perhaps I was a bit immature back then and did not want to invest my time to learn a game such as The Witcher, when the comparisons that came to mind were The Elder Scrolls series (think Oblivion and Skyrim) with their simplicity and customizability. I didn’t give The Witcher a second thought and just mourned the (approximate) 30 dollars I spent.

The major change I felt was in the gameplay. Originally, The Witcher 1 presented a clunky and awkward fighting mechanism where the player would attack a single enemy at a time (sometimes doing damage in an area) but in a non-intuitive, player-unfriendly manner. A click on an enemy was followed by a few sword slashes (instead of a single blow) and a misclick, mistiming, or even holding down the attack button would result in a non-active Geralt simply standing in place while getting shafted by enemy blows. The Witcher 3 has grown away from this format to an incredibly fluid system which allows the player to combine fast and strong sword attacks, witcher signs (your powers), dodges and rolls, and other facets of combat into constantly shifting/dynamic fights. Where group fights were daunting in The Witcher 1, they become a refreshing challenge in The Witcher 3 and even more so with the Blood and Wine DLC (which introduces enemy strongholds that you can attack).

Ok, it seems gameplay is awesome. What else makes this game GOTY quality?

The real question is: what doesn’t? The Witcher 3 does deal with some glitches and bugs, however, I was lucky enough to not encounter many of them in the game. The other aspect which has disappointed some fans (I thankfully was also able to avoid) was the ending – there are three main story endings, one of which is incredibly depressive. I was savvy enough to make the right choices in-game that led to an amazing completion, but this is arguably another aspect of The Witcher 3 that makes it such high-quality experience: your choices directly impact the outcomes, and different choices will bring you different conclusions.

The Witcher 3 is also a prime example of how to build an open world game: full of exploration, incredible graphics and landscapes, constantly changing environments, quests everywhere, enemies aplenty, new discoveries to be made at each region, the list is endless. It is also a great concept of open world because as Geralt travels through multiple regions in the game (different kingdoms and cities), not only does the landscape change but the people, the music and the culture as well. Analogously, when one travels around in real life, it is fairly obvious when one enters a new country/city due to changes in customs and culture – this touch of reality in The Witcher 3 is easily overlooked by the player but something incredibly ingenious implemented by the developers.

The content is also impeccable, let alone the story line. Hundreds of different swords to choose from at different levels, armor, and customization options (including crafting and others) keep this game fresh even after 80 hours of play. The retention of alchemy, potion brewing and decoctions maintain the original feel of The Witcher without making it a hassle. You also get to play Gwent, a strategic card game that brings Hearthstone and the old Magic: The Gathering to mind, allowing you to try out the various different speeds and game modes that The Witcher 3 provides (Gwent has been so successful that CD Projekt Red is developing a standalone version).

The approach to defeating each enemy is different and may require different loadouts, as is known in The Witcher series. The player will have to adapt his combat-style and strategy in order to defeat all foes (from the simplest to the toughest) – many times on the fly. Finally, The Witcher 3 is definitely not your pick-up-and-play game as it requires time to learn and strategize, but the constant flux will have you look at your watch and realize 12 hours later that you haven’t eaten.

Regarding the main quest, you play as Geralt and work on tracking down your apprentice, Ciri, who is being followed by the White Frost (the main enemies in the game). Without spoiling the story line, you must adventure throughout the land, completing quests in order to gain other people’s favors and learn new clues on the whereabouts of Ciri. The game becomes more and more compelling as quests spew out side quests, monster contracts and treasure hunts, which are incredible in their own right, and the plot thickens with every slash of your sword(s). Deviating from the main quest will definitely yield a stronger character and better items, which are incredible incentives for exploration.

What can you tell me about the DLCs?

In one phrase: if each DLC was a standalone game, I would still be willing to pay a full game price for each. I’m glad CD Projekt Red shows respect to its faithful gaming community and does not exploit us to this end.

Hearts of Stone expands your original map while adding new crafting options for weapons and armor and introducing a new foreign culture to the region. Furthermore, it adds new main and side quest lines, which do not rely on the base game but are equally as involving. In summary and without spoilers, in Hearts of Stone you make a pact with a shady individual (or is it?) and are tasked with seemingly impossible missions (such as partying with the dead). Again, as with the main story line, different choices lead to different outcomes.

Blood and Wine adds Toussaint to the game, an entirely new French-like region known for its unparalleled wines and exquisite taste. Also, LOTS of vampires. Again, in summary and without spoilers, Blood and Wine is about fighting vampires in this new region, who may or may not be involved in murders and plots to overthrow the ruler of Toussaint. BnW also revamps the leveling system and abilities, adds additional modifications to your spells, and gives you new items (like grandmaster witcher armor) that may provide additional perks to Geralt. Take my word for it: it’s incredible.

If you had to summarize this experience, what stands out?

Geralt of Rivia is a badass. Not only do you go around completely pubstomping monsters such as werewolves, griffins, vampires and much much more, you also charm the hell out of women, get laid and look cool. The game has enough content to keep me playing all year and enough replayability to keep me hooked even longer. Earlier, I saw The Witcher 3 + DLCs for less than $50 on the PS Store, and if you don’t buy it at that price you can go f*** yourself. You’ll be missing one of the top RPG franchises of this generation.

Wrap it up!

In times where we are presented with experiences such as Star Wars Battlefront, The Witcher 3 is a statement to a great-value AAA game. Having paid perhaps $80 for the game + DLCs, I can say with confidence I would be willing to pay double that amount for the level of entertainment I have been provided. That notwithstanding, I am going back and replaying The Witcher 1 and 2 in order to get the full experience (I might even check out all the novels and short stories).

Drink Pairing

This game has so many variations and dynamic moments that it is incredibly hard to pick a drink, but I believe Three Philosophers by Ommegang Brewery to be the best fit. This quadrupel Belgian ale gives you strong, flavorful and palpable tastes that linger and can also pack a punch at 9.7% ABV. A consistent top-finisher in the World Beer Cup, Three Philosophers is the best pairing for The Witcher 3 and will keep you company even if you get the worst ending in the game.

EDIT: We will be streaming the full Witcher saga on Twitch, make sure to follow us here and join!