this post was submitted on 19 May 2025
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I really had trouble getting in to that game. May try it again but it seemed a bit too… generic?
I know exactly what you mean. I started it 3 times before I got into it
In my opinion, a lot of the gameplay is fairly generic. Attacking a wraith feels the same as attacking a human
It really shines in the immersion and story, though. The first two times I played it, I was skipping all of the dialog and cutscenes (depression is a bitch), so I missed all the good parts
Once you get into the mindset of "hunting" one of the monsters and selecting the right oils and potions, it can be really fun and feel almost like "strategy". For example, there's a potion that turns your blood poisonous to vampires
Wait so you can let yourself be bitten in order to slay the vampire ? I played it in 2018 but never really did the oils and stuff
Yeah! Although, it's more of a preventative measure than a trap card. A lot of the oils are pretty boring, but some can be fun to use
I ended up almost exclusively doing the Witcher missions since you usually learn what you're going to fight
You could try The Witcher 1. Gameplay there is..unique. A little dated today but IMO has the best writing of the three.
I feel like you could only think that if you're more interested in learning the setting than seeing the characters interact.
What I appreciated with the first Witcher is seeing the story from all sides and I dont recall it feeling black and white. Humans were shown as hating elves for their attacks, but then you get to the elves and learn their part of why they were attacking. The writing feels raw with hints of racism, vulgarism and the like. It felt right for the setting.
The Botching story line (the barron) in W3 was probably my favorite in that game and that was a side quest. I didnt feel the same momentum going forward in the main story of W3.
I'd argue that there's plenty of that in 2 as well, and by 3 it's more about taking things to their conclusions as all the characters we've built relationships with start bouncing off each other but fair enough.
I remember it being in W2 as well. Its just been so long since I've played either, I really cant articulate it well why I liked it so much. I just know I did but didn't feel the same way about W3. In the end, I loved each of the games because they all had their own thing going for them. I don't have a favorite.
I really enjoyed that the setting is more grounded than other games. Personally, I wouldn't describe it as generic.
Gameplay-wise it doesn't do much interesting.
IMHO, its gameplay is mediocre at best:
This game's strengths are not the gameplay, but the lore, characters, and story. (All the things that could be had from reading the books, or maybe watching the live action adaptation.)
Oh, and Gwent. Gwent is remarkably well-designed for a mini-game within another game.
The live action adaptation took a steaming dump on the original story sadly, some episodes are still worth watching but it's not made by people who understand what made Witcher special, no wonder Henry Cavill left
What would you suggest for better open world games?
It depends on what aspects of an open world are important to you.
Exploration is at the top of my list, and Skyrim is a good example of doing it well. Its world is full of unique things/places/characters to find, whether through an NPC's directions, or a roughly sketched map picked up while adventuring, or following your curiosity toward an area that looks interesting, or chasing a fox, or simply by wandering off the beaten path.
Map markers appear after you've already been somewhere so you can find your way back again, but since most of them are hidden until then, they don't spoil the experience of discovery.
And, when you find something, it's often genuinely interesting. Not yet another copy/paste monster fight or "hold the button to follow your witcher sense to the lost thing" quest. Not just checking off a task list item (or pre-placed map marker) so you can rush to the next one. The experience itself is rewarding.
Mind, I have criticisms of Skyrim, but it did exploration and environments (including sound) very well, and I wish more open world designers would learn from it and build upon its strengths.
EDIT:
I would love to play a game that reached or exceeded Skyrim's bar for exploration and environmental immersion, Breath of the Wild's bar for freedom of movement and wildlife, and The Witcher 3's bar for characters and story.
I feel CP2077 does great with regard to storytelling and exploration (plenty of nooks and crannies in and around Night City), wildlife is nonexistant though. A Witcher game played in first-person would be cool...
I think my favorite part of Cyberpunk 2077's open world was that it was full of activity. The encounter variety might have been a little disappointing, but I was impressed with how they made the city feel dense and populated. It was much more convincing than the miniature towns full of locked doors and fake windows that are passed off as "cities" in so many other games.
My disbelief was suspended as well
I played through it once and really liked it but didn't see myself going back because of the generic gameplay. Apparently, the hardest difficulty forces you to use all of your oils and potions depending on the monster/situation. I think that might solve the gameplay problem since that was pretty much optional in easier difficulties. Not to mention make it a lot more immersive since you have to strategize like the witcher