In tribute to The Witcher 3 - the greatest game of all time
Just like one of Dandelion’s stories, The Witcher 3 will go down in history as an absolute classic
Based on the fantastic series by Andrzej Sapkowsi, The Witcher 3 continued Geralt’s story by crafting an immersive world for all players to step into the Witcher’s boots. His journey covered many miles, with Geralt meeting many interesting characters along the way, and getting involved in brilliant side quests. Just like the expert dwarves making Witcher gear, CD Projekt crafted an absolute masterpiece: the greatest game of all time.
The story begins in a simple manner, but quickly develops into a multi-layered plot. Ciri, the prophesied one with the Elder Blood (which is explained in the novels), is being chased by the Wild Hunt, who want Ciri because of her family lineage. It could be argued that all the details of this story aren’t fully conveyed in the game, with some background reading needed, but there’s enough information to get fully engaged. It’s a very compelling story, which occasionally allows the player to play as her. The main quest allows the player to make some defining decisions in the game which affect the outcome of the story. These decisions aren’t simply ‘good’ or ‘bad’, but work in shades of grey and really gets the player thinking about their decisions.
Of course, the main quests aren’t the only area of the game with deep stories. Each side quest (and there’s so many) offers an intriguing smaller narrative: most with twists and tough choices along the way. Even the Witcher contracts offer a layer of moral complexity, with the player often choosing between what is right, and what offers more money. These side quests allow for opportunities to level up Geralt, which unlocks a number of different skills to be upgraded. Likewise, all of Geralt’s weapons and equipment an be upgraded.
The fighting itself, whether against a monster or human, is relatively simple. There’s opportunities to block, parry and dodge through the combat, with most enemies having weak spots to find. It may not be overly fluid at first, but after some upgrades it becomes much more pleasing to play. The boss fights offer much more of a challenge, with in-game reading available to help pin-point weaknesses and areas to exploit.
Geralt is not alone in his journey; he is joined by many different characters from the Witcher franchise. Some of the best appearances are Yennefer, Triss and Dandelion. Each offer their own quests, and their journeys can differer depending on the choices made by the player. There’s no one-dimensional character in the game: each feels like a real person with a real personality, and make the game that much more immersive.
If you gave Dandelion a stage and all the time in the world, he wouldn’t be able to do The Witcher 3 justice. There’s so much to the game, so many small additions that help make it special. Without a doubt, The Witcher 3 has set the bar incredibly high for future RPGs, and all games in general. The Witcher 3 is the greatest game of all time.