Calum Petrie gives his first impressions on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

It has been over a week now since I was given the gargantuan task of reviewing one of the biggest RPG games to ever come to the console generation. It has been no easy task and was not to be taken lightly, when you have been given a game with the sheer size and magnitude of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to review then you better not take the task lightly.

So I was given the review code just 2 hours before launch so I did not get to play the game in advanced of anyone else (much to my dismay I may add), when I finally got the game downloaded and started to play the game I was impressed by the visuals and how much effort had been put into the games polish from its Polish developers CD PROJEKT RED. I started off with the tutorial section of the game which then put me in a place of protagonist and all round gruff and grisly Geralt of Rivia training in the Witcher complex of Kaer Morhen where I would be reintroduced to the basics of The Witcher series.

I can feel a little bit sorry for newcomers to the series at this point, there is so much information and strategy thrown at the player within the tutorial that it can seem a little daunting to any new comers. Though you quickly start to get to grips with the basics of the game and learning such things as which sword to use for what type of enemies, this brings me to interesting point of strategy. The Witcher rewards people who study and take their time to learn the enemy before striking. In the first couple of hours in the game you encounter a side quest in which you have to purge a Noonwraith from an abandoned village. To do battle with this spirit you must consult your bestiary then learn the opponents weakness, then learn what magic to use and what special oils to coat your weapons in. So it’s not as simple as other games such as Elder Scrolls or Dragon age where you can just run into battle and defeat what you are up against. There is a certain degree of strategy involved that is not in any other RPG I have encountered in a while.

Little things that can be annoying (there are very few to be honest) are slight movement controls; I had to climb a ladder, though as I ran towards the ladder I mistimed a button press and then somehow ended up behind the ladder. I then proceeded to stumble around a ladder before I managed to get into the right position to climb. I blame this though to games such as Assassins Creed where climbing things such as ladders and buildings are more refined that the combat, The Witcher is very much the other way around. Though as the game progresses you learnt o not be as heavy handed around object such as ladders and learn to be more precise with the placement of the character.
Horse controls can be a little strange as well, though there is an interesting feature where a player can hold in the canter button (hold in the A button) to make the horse move at a quickened pace or gallop (double tap and hold A). Once you are on a path you do not have to hold the thumb stick for movement, the horse will then follow a path though not always in the direction of your destination.

The game is insanely pretty and I have spent many times just standing, running or riding a horse and panned the camera around the player to see the scenery; although I do also like the views you get from journeying on a boat. Not matter what time of day within the game you find yourself admiring the landscapes or even the smatterings of villages throughout the vast maps that are available to the player. You can spend hours or even day’s just exploring countryside between quests and discovering landmarks and new locations instead of following the main story quests.

So first impressions of the game are very positive and I can put my hand on my heart and say this game has more than lived up to any expectations I had for the past 2 years. It is a pleasure and a joy to review this game and I hope that I can at least get people to consider picking up the game if you have not already considered the game. Please check back soon for my fully review and also videos of the game that I will be making on XBLGamerhub YouTube channel.

 

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