The Witcher 3 | Review Thread

Steve Youngblood said:
All I'm getting at is that you can't completely hand wave away criticisms about representation by noting that this was a universe created in the 80s for a Polish audience when the games are being created now for a global audience.
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I think this is fair, but at the same time if we want to criticize The Witcher for lack of what amounts to "people of color" we can't just ignore the diversity that The Witcher brings to the gaming industry just by the mere fact of its existence. I don't want to repeat myself, but it does bear repeating: Eastern Europeans were historically looked down on by Western Europeans and being able to taste some of their lore (even as modernized by Sapkowski) is really damn cool. A view of The Witcher that amounts to "oh it's just more white people" does a huge disservice to the game and really to the issue of diversity when there have been, and still are, marginalized "white" groups who weren't seen as equal to the others.
 
IMG_20150514_205744_zpsvtvsp4ir.jpg


Shamelessly stolen from elsewhere but its big!!
 
orthodoxy1095 said:
I think this is fair, but at the same time if we want to criticize The Witcher for lack of what amounts to "people of color" we can't just ignore the diversity that The Witcher brings to the gaming industry just by the mere fact of its existence. I don't want to repeat myself, but it does bear repeating: Eastern Europeans were historically looked down on by Western Europeans and being able to taste some of their lore (even as modernized by Sapkowski) is really damn cool. A view of The Witcher that amounts to "oh it's just more white people" does a huge disservice to the game and really to the issue of diversity.
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Sure. But what I'm getting at is just along the lines of thinking about this on a go-forward basis. The first game was just kind of a niche PC offering 8 years ago. And now, the third entry is a pretty hyped up multi-platform AAA title. What if it continues to get even bigger? The Witcher's origins obviously inform us as to why the characters are predominately white. And from where I'm sitting, I'm content with that explanation. Honestly, I'm not sitting here agreeing with Gies. I'm not even playing devil's advocate for him.

But I also think that people have a right to their opinion. This is becoming a major franchise that appeals to a global audience. If that audience should prove to be increasingly uncomfortable with the predominately Caucasian makeup of the world, I don't think it would be insane of CDPR to take some liberty with the ethnic makeup of the world in future games. If it winds up that most people are happy to play the game as is, then that's fine as well. You just chalk it up as Gies being Gies and continue to look elsewhere for critical guidance about video games.

I just think that situations like this wind up more controversial than they need to be. Arthur Gies has his thoughts. Other people have their's. Life goes on.
 
Art Vandilay said:
Check out the YouTube video I posted if you haven't already. There's a brief mention of the visual effect they have. And they do look awesome!
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Just FYI on those runes: You can destroy sword in order to get stones back or destroy stones in order to get better ones into the sword.
 
Cake Boss said:
Is it just me or does anyone else get a Read Dead Redemption vibe from this game?
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It's not just you, I think it's fairly obvious

From the Eurogamer Witcher 3 early impressions:

Eurogamer said:
However, while Skyrim (for all its majesty) often sent you on quests hewn from glum fantasy cliché at the behest of a series of plastic-faced nobodies, CD Projekt's work feels richer and more humane.
If anything, Wild Hunt recalls Rockstar's cowboy epic Red Dead Redemption - and not just because both games let you trot about on horseback.

What it comes down to, I think, is that, like Red Dead, Wild Hunt offers an open world with a real sense of place.
This is a game packed full of life and character that manages to remain focused and cohesive, despite its imposing scale.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2015-05-12-the-witcher-3-is-a-masterpiece-of-world-building
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Zakalwe said:
Also, people dress sexily in real life. Some use their sexiality to their advantage, some flaunt it, some have extrovert personalities and wear revealing clothing. Men and women both, Just because the gaming industry has catered to the male fantasy for a long time and does indeed require balance, doesn't mean that every time there's a character with skimpy clothing or an overly sexual nature the game in question. is being sexist or imbalanced. Again, we need to be careful we're not pushing for some kind of bland "everyone is equal" creative environment.
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What's funny to me about this is that most of the women in the books are really not "knockouts". At least, that's how Geralt describes them. But yes, they do use their charms to their advantage.
 
thebloo said:
What's funny to me about this is that most of the women in the books are really not "knockouts". At least, that's how Geralt describes them. But yes, they do use their charms to their advantage.
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Not that it's important, but isn't the beauty of characters like Yennefer and Triss supposed to be largely artificial or the byproduct or some sort of magical cosmetic surgery? At least Geralt is a legit beefcake.
 
Nearing the end of my Witcher 2 playthrough and enjoying it a lots. I'm finding the size of the world to be great (tightly-designed) as is, so am a bit cautiously optimistic about 3's enormous size. Still, great reviews across the board and am looking forward to it.
 
Steve Youngblood said:
Sure. But what I'm getting at is just along the lines of thinking about this on a go-forward basis. The first game was just kind of a niche PC offering 8 years ago. And now, the third entry is a pretty hyped up multi-platform AAA title. What if it continues to get even bigger? The Witcher's origins obviously inform us as to why the characters are predominately white. And from where I'm sitting, I'm content with that explanation. Honestly, I'm not sitting here agreeing with Gies. I'm not even playing devil's advocate for him.

But I also think that people have a right to their opinion. This is becoming a major franchise that appeals to a global audience. If that audience should prove to be increasingly uncomfortable with the predominately Caucasian makeup of the world, I don't think it would be insane of CDPR to take some liberty with the ethnic makeup of the world in future games. If it winds up that most people are happy to play the game as is, then that's fine as well. You just chalk it up as Gies being Gies and continue to look elsewhere for critical guidance about video games.

I just think that situations like this wind up more controversial than they need to be. Arthur Gies has his thoughts. Other people have their's. Life goes on.
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I absolutely agree with the bold. Some people act like it would be an affront to The Witcher and to Poland to add more racial diversity in. I don't see it that way at all. I see it as something that could be done or something that might not be done. In my eyes, this is not a hill worth dying on for the sake of argument. It happens or it doesn't. Like I said, maybe I'm a simpleton, but I'm just really happy to be playing something made by and inspired by this part of the world. I really want to see more stuff soon. There are tons of really interesting smaller "white" cultures and populations within Europe (especially Eastern Europe) that would be super awesome to explore, especially the more traditional native/indigenous people!
 
His Majesty said:
Geralt's journey in the games:

BwnpKxP.jpg


Haven't included minor locations from W3, also not sure where the game will start.
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This is amazing, thanks for posting it! The scale and intricacies of the Witcher's setting are rather ill-defined in the games; it's really difficult to grasp exactly what is going on if you've only played them and not read the books.
thebloo said:
What's funny to me about this is that most of the women in the books are really not "knockouts". At least, that's how Geralt describes them. But yes, they do use their charms to their advantage.
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IIRC it's like a magical veil/glamour to make them appear more attractive, smoothing out any flaws. The games don't really get into it as far as I can recall.
 
Steve Youngblood said:
Not that it's important, but isn't the beauty of characters like Yennefer and Triss supposed to be largely artificial or the byproduct or some sort of magical cosmetic surgery? At least Geralt is a legit beefcake.
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Sure he is a legit beefcake. But he is also an artificially mutated human. Arguably this is no different from other magics.
 
Steve Youngblood said:
Not that it's important, but isn't the beauty of characters like Yennefer and Triss supposed to be largely artificial or the byproduct or some sort of magical cosmetic surgery? At least Geralt is a legit beefcake.
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Yeah pretty much, its heavily hinted in the books Yennefer was once a hunchback if I remember correctly.

The reason that sorceresses are almost all universally gorgeous is because they can change their appearance through magic.
 
Steve Youngblood said:
Not that it's important, but isn't the beauty of characters like Yennefer and Triss supposed to be largely artificial or the byproduct or some sort of magical cosmetic surgery? At least Geralt is a legit beefcake.
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I don't think Trish has any enhancements but Yennefer use to have a hunchback.
 
woober said:
I really wished they did release day shipping for it. Unfortunately, now I'm tempted to get it on Steam first and selling the Amazon key or something. Argh. I lack patience.
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Yeah kind of sucks.

Though I ordered the PS4 CE and will be playing on my PC. Got it of GoG for 13 bucks a while back.

Going to let my friend play my PS4 copy and introduce him to be Witcher series. So really, sucks for him more than for me, I'm just in it for the stuff.
 
Faynwulf said:
Why are some people already talking about Witcher4? You guys do realize that Witcher 3 isn't even out yet. And also their next project is still Cyberpunk2077.
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A lot of new folks to the franchise. Can't blame them. Witcher 3 is the end of a journey. For me Cyberpunk 2077 is next (in 2018). So even if a new Witcher comes... That would be around 2020? CDR is not Ubisoft/Activision pumping out yearly franchises. Even if they are huge now compared to the days of W1.
 
thebloo said:
What's funny to me about this is that most of the women in the books are really not "knockouts". At least, that's how Geralt describes them. But yes, they do use their charms to their advantage.
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.. did we read the same books? I mean, do you not remember the party Geralt and Yennefer attend on Thanedd? Or all the time we spent with Fringilla Vigo?
 
Obliterator said:
I believe Triss does as well, she was a burn victim at one point I think, right?
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Wasnt sure so I did some digging and you are correct...

(book Spoilers)
Triss is naturally beautiful. However, after she was wounded at Sodden Hill they used the "highest magics" to restore her original body, which had been badly burned.
 
erawsd said:
Wasnt sure so I did some digging and you are correct...

(book Spoilers)
Triss is naturally beautiful. However, after she was wounded at Sodden Hill they used the "highest magics" to restore her original body, which had been badly burned.
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Yep thought I remembered something like that happening to her.
 
woen said:
A "Red Dead Redemption" like a gaming open world masterpiece experience from A to Z ?
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Considering Witcher 3 is currently at a 93 Meta, and given how good CD Projekt Red is, I'd feel its pretty safe to say this will be an "open world masterpiece" to many, yes.
 
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