Into a land of magic, war and terror we ride. Mouse and keyboard in hand
Polish developer CD Projekt Red has had extraordinary success with the Witcher series. Since the release of the first title in the series, in 2007, the core game has matured and evolved into something rather epic. But does The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt have what it takes to be the best open world RPG ever released or is it just a passing fad?
As with the previous titles, you take on the role of Geralt of Rivia, hard as nails swordsman, monster slayer extraordinaire, and gruffly voiced rogue. The plot follows Geralt as he roams around the lush and mindbogglingly huge land of Temeria, deep in conflict from warring nations, searching for his once ward, the youthful Ciri.
Ciri, as it happens, is also the daughter of the Emperor of Nifgaard and the one who has sent you on this quest. However, for reasons we won’t get into here, Ciri is being pursued by the ethereal and other worldly Wild Hunt.
The main storyline is a splendid work of fantasy, told through individual missions and reinforced through the various cut-scenes and visually impressive locations. But within the expanse of territory you have to cover, you’ll find countless other submissions and Witcher contracts that help level Geralt up, while also offering you some much needed coin and the chance of looting some better armour, weapons, crafting materials and alchemy ingredients.
It’s these sub-missions that make the game; you’ll be following the main story one minute, when you’ll suddenly come across a weeping maiden at a crossroads, who has a story of woe to tell you. On agreeing to help her, you’ll be thrown into an equally incredible work of fantasy, as you clear an abandoned village of a particularly nasty spectre or hunt down a werewolf. The goal of each mission differs slightly, but the result is money in your pocket, more ability points to spend on upgrading yourself and the self-satisfaction of having introduced a vile band of cutthroats to the business end of your sword.
It’s difficult to get across just how magnificent the world that Geralt inhabits looks from our end of the monitor. True enough, it’s a bleak and harsh environment, war-torn and often littered with the corpses of the fallen. There’s immense poverty, sadness and the inevitable evil that humans can subject one another to when living in a lawless world. Behind it all there’s still the political shenanigans of the rich and powerful, as they manoeuvre themselves like pieces on a chess board for a better advantage. In an almost Game of Thrones way, you’re drawn into their machinations but from the point of view of the sword for hire.
The result is a world that can either make you or break you. The choices you make as you take on various contracts and missions will affect those around you. Villagers will either praise you or spit on the ground as you pass them by. The latter can make things more difficult if you want information, and casting a quick Axii spell to befuddle their minds and force them to dish the dirt won’t win you any allies either. So there’s a level of caution needed. At times you’ll have to be the hard-faced, sword-wielding lunatic, especially when faced with a company of armed individuals; at other times, though, diplomacy and even a spot of heartfelt emotion goes a long way.
Naturally, you have an arsenal of weaponry at your disposal. The two main weapons of choice are a steel sword, for dealing damage to non-monster opponents, and a silver sword, which will harm the supernatural. Alongside your swords, you’ll eventually be handed a crossbow, which can be upgraded with more powerful bolts. And then you have your Witcher Signs, one-handed spells that are quick to cast but which can change your fortune in battle.
There’s more, though; on top of his magical abilities, Geralt can concoct a pharmacy’s worth of potions and other elements using the many plants and monster body parts he comes across. The potions, like the Signs, have the ability to turn a battle in your favour. Some will endow you with more fighting prowess; others will stave off the effects of magic. But for each potion consumed there comes a price. Your toxicity levels will rise, and if they’re too high, then you’ll start losing health, negating the positive effects of the mixed ingredients.
Graphically, The Witcher 3 is one of the most splendid game we’ve ever played. Riding into a decimated village, with the sun setting in the distance, is a thing to behold. Likewise, striding through the busy and bustling streets of Novigrad is simply jawdropping. If you thought standing on a hill and watching the sun rise in Skyrim was breathtaking, then Witcher 3 will have you in tears.
There are countless other elements to the game that we could wax lyrical about. The mini-game of Gwent, for example, is an odd card game that pops up as a submission within a sub-mission from time to time. Equally, you’ll get moments where you have to chase down a rider on horseback. Combined, they all fuse into the glorious spectacle that is the world of monsters, swords, battles and witchcraft. In saying that, though, there are times of repeated looting, hunting and foraging. Often you’ll find yourself going through the motions in an RPG grind that most open-world games suffer from. To be fair, though, when you come to that, it’s time to hit the main storyline again and refresh the environment.
So in answer to the original question, yes, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the best open world RPG ever. There are tens of hours' worth of gaming content here and more on the way in future months. CD Projekt Red has raised the bar, which all other RPGs will now be measured by. To even come close is going to take some doing. David Hayward
Will keep you enthralled for months to come.