It’s not a problem per se, just a learning curve.Ĭombat scenarios vary dramatically, but I found myself rolling around like a fool, mixing up Geralt’s five sign abilities (fire, persuasion, shield, telekinetic blast and a magical trap) with quick sword flourishes. It initially feels unresponsive-and an unpredictable lock-on camera doesn’t help the issue-but once you understand the rhythm of the combat it’ll become second nature. Geralt’s turning circle is tank-like and his movements seamlessly animated, meaning the combat and even exploration can feel a bit syrupy at first. If you’ve poured hours into Dragon Age or Souls games of late, it’ll come as a rude shock. Those familiar with The Witcher 2 will know this, but it’s worth mentioning for everyone else: Geralt is a big, cumbersome, burly old lunk. Just take some rejuvenating raw meat in case you get chewed up a bit, okay? Geralt Is A Heavy Old Lunk While Velen is rife with poverty, crime, miserable people and ravenous wolves, you’ll want to take the time to admire the scenery, and the sunsets in particular are gorgeous. You can sail on small boats along Velen’s wide riverbeds or between the Skellige Isles islands, or you can call upon your (sometimes recalcitrant) steed Roach. You can fast travel from road signs in most major locations, but you can’t just warp from the middle of nowhere. From there you’ll visit another major region called the Skellige Isles. You’ll start out in the relatively serene White Orchard region, but soon move on to Velen where the full extent of The Witcher’s melancholy beauty becomes apparent. You won’t be jumping to and from them at will-legwork is required. None feel “gamey” (and some problems arise there, which I’ll get to later).

Mood is where The Witcher 3 really shines: the weather effects, the wind in the trees, the boggy dirt roads and tumbledown cottages… none feel programmed or designed. If that puts you in mind of Dragon Age: Inquisition, then you’re only halfway there: the two major regions of the map feel bigger than those in DA:I, and they’re the most lifelike pastoral open world settings I’ve seen in a video game-and I played it on PS4. It’s a handful of massive sections, with the game’s lore necessitating loading screens due to the distance between each. It’s well known by now, but the Northern Realms isn’t a seamless map like Skyrim.

Witcher 3 save game