The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
MULTI
"The Witcher 3 was clearly intended to be played with a mouse and keyboard..."
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the first game that finally justify this new generation of games; at least for me. I’m sure you’ve already seen the heaps of praise that publications have thrown at this game, and while I normally buck the trend in many respects, they are pretty spot on this time around. But if you are looking for the best possible Witcher 3 experience you’re going to want to grab the game on PC and skip on its console counterparts if you can. The Witcher 3 is available on lots of online stores, but we got our review copy through GoG.com, and being purely a Steam platform kind of player myself, I can say the GoG is doing some pretty nice things with its service, even having a much better
store layout –in my opinion– than Steam
has. Before I get into the nitty-grity about
the PC version of The Witche r 3 , I have to
make note that the Botchlings in the game
are some of the most nightmare inducing
things I’ve ever seen in a video game. The death of children, let alone dealing with miscarriages, are still more or less taboo when it comes to their depiction in video games. While I’m not for self-imposed limits, I do think that their addition here shows a step forward in the evolution of storytelling in video games. Yes, seeing them in-game can be difficult for many people, but the way they are incorporated within a minor story element really says a lot about the player in how each of us handle the quest, instead of just being a random throw-away element of the game.
Okay, so what makes The Witcher 3 a better experience on the PC over its console counterparts? The biggest thing that you’ll notice is that Geralt controls worlds better with a mouse and keyboard combination over the limits of a controller. You can always plus in a 360/One controller and play that way –I did so for a little bit–, but a controller will only limit you. The Witcher 3 was clearly intended to be played with a mouse/keyboard and then adapted to fit into the confines of a controller. Opening up the key-binding menu you’ll see so many options that you’ll wonder how someone on console could even have fun with the game. The way the combat works, a mouse and the precision it offers is a godsend, especially when dealing with groups of enemies. The game does offer up a lock-on system, something I depended on while using a 360 controller, but when I
switched over to a mouse, the games
combat really began to open up. While
the lock-on system does work okay, it’s
no comparison for being able to adjust
your attacks on the fly and having a
more “natural” combat experience. The game plays in a third-person perspective and is structurally along the lines of Skyrim –for those that haven’t played the first two Witcher games–, but not being limited by the FPS style really makes The Witcher 3 a much better experience in the fantasy genre.
As our white-haired hero Geralt, you’ll have some pretty impressive abilities at your disposal that can be upgraded as the game progresses. Geralt is equipped with two swords that are strapped to his back at all times; a steel and silver sword that each react differently to enemies. He also will be able to strap on a crossbow which can also up upgraded for long distance attacks and combos. Being an RPG, Geralt will have some magic to throw around as well. These innate magical abilities, of which there are five, are called Signs, and each distinct Sign can also be upgraded along the course of your adventure to your liking. There isn’t an endless amount of spells and weapons, but the game benefits from keeping a tighter control over the things you can use. I never quite cared for having 800 versions of the same weapon or potion with slight variations when one or two would suffice. What is really fun about all these spells and weapons is in how you use them during combat. Geralt isn’t some beefy brawler that hacks and slashes his way to victory, instead combat needs to be treated like an art-form if you want to get the most out of it. The combat is quite simple to pick up, but you are going to have to understand Geralt to win battles, especially when multiple enemies abound.