The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Hover mouse over screenshots for commentary.

*Unlike other galleries which are organized chronologically, this gallery is organized by location.

Quite possibly my favorite glitch in any game ever.

This clip is towards the end of a side quest. A Witcher deals with beasts of all sorts, but not all of them are killed with the sword . . .

This nine second clip makes me laugh every time. The guy deserved it.

One of my favorite glitches I encountered. My favorite part is when the guy is walking down the stairs and his leg quickly touches down and then goes back up.

Jump and Dive use the same button, so when you need to jump next to water the game gets confused.

This boss is normally very tough but fortunately it spontaneously developed a nerve disorder.

My guess is that these two guys are supposed to exchange blows but happened to start their swing animation at the exact same time.

July 2015

The Witcher III is a massive, open world RPG where your main weapon is a sword - with a bit of magic mixed in. The game world isn't as well developed as The Lord of the Rings, but it's not far off.

You play as a witcher named Geralt of Rivia. Witchers hunt monsters for pay and are seen as outcasts in society. This is because they are different than average people. Witchers have undergone a mystic transformation that enable them to use certain types of magic and to live for an abnormally long time; they also have heightened senses, including superhuman reflexes. Though Geralt appears middle aged, he's about a hundred years old. He's considered one of the best witchers in the world by his colleagues.

The primary story involves the malevolent Wild Hunt, a group of supernatural warriors that would like to bring about the end of the world. Your main objective is to stop them. However, there are dozens if not hundreds of side quests and many of these quests have better storylines than most games or even game series. For example, I recall a side quest wherein a Baron hires you to find his missing wife and return her home. When you find her she states that she does not want to go back home because her husband has been physically abusive for years and that she finally left him. When you return to the Baron and tell him of his wife's remarks, he breaks down and admits that he has treated his family very poorly for quite some time. It eventually comes out that one of his fits of violence towards his wife resulted in a miscarriage. This would of course be difficult for anyone, but in the world of The Witcher, children who die in utero transform into a horrible monster and can only be put to rest if one of their parents performs a specific ritual with the baby. The father couldn't bring himself to do this and so buried his child without performing the ritual. The Baron was too ashamed to tell his wife the truth, and has been living with the guilt of his actions for years - the guilt of lying to and abusing his wife and the guilt of denying his child rest. He asks if you will help him to unbury his child so that another ritual can be performed that will kill the monster and allow his child to rest in peace. He then hopes his actions will prove to his wife that he is a changed man and that she will return to live with him. And that's just part of this quest. I mean, games just don't approach heavy subjects like this. I really enjoyed playing a game with mature storylines that were more complex than "do you save the innocent people or kill them?" And The Witcher III is full of engaging storylines.

The combat is just shy of being perfect, but it's pretty good. You carry two swords - one for mystical creatures and one for regular folk. You can also use one of five main spells, which are upgradeable. The combat is relatively easy on normal difficulty, but is very challenging on the hardest difficulty. It mostly consists of dodging enemy attacks and striking at opportune moments. Though the fight system is relatively simple, there are a huge variety of enemies that require unique strategies. You can learn how to make specific oils that you coat your sword with, and they do significantly increased damage against specific enemies. You could get through the game without using oils very much, but they're vital on the harder difficulties.

There is a fairly complex armor and weapon system where you can frequently use upgraded equipment. However, there isn't really a central storage system - you use what you can and sell the rest. This was a bit weird for me at first because I like hoarding items in large RPGs, but overall it wasn't really an issue at all. (Edit: a patch added in storage chests.)

Not only is this game huge, but it is also beautiful. The people who designed the landscapes are very talented and it is pleasant just to ride your horse through a field during a sunset. There are a few main areas to explore, and there is decent variety between them all.

The Witcher III won dozens of "Game of the Year" awards, and with good reason. It's one of the best games I've played and I am very excited for whatever comes next!

	Nice pants!	Camping out with your mentor.
Pleasant scenery is aplenty in The Witcher.	That's a strong bird!
Geralt of Rivia, the protagonist.		One of many monsters in the game.
Take that, Griffin!	Geralt and his mentor.
A griffin.		Chasing down a griffin.


Did you know that horses can run faster than humans?		Before you can see some important dude, he insists you shave and wear dorky clothes.
Geralt has been in a scrape or two.	So . .. "welcome?"	Hangman's tree.

There are lots of forts and other settlements across the land.
I really like this field of sunflowers. It's a great environmental touch to the surrounding area.	The sun is almost blinding at times, just like in real life. Notice the absence of lens flare, which games have included for decades now.	Step outside of this magic barrier and you will get messed up.
The swordplay is a bit basic, but works well. It's not as crisp as the Arkham Batman games, but I personally prefer the combat in the Witcher because it has more room for improvisation.
This guy is tricking people into believing he's a god. When you find him it quickly apparent that he isn't.	I read that the developers consulted with a variety of people about the landscape, and apparently the landscape is quite realistic in terms of how land tends to form and settle over thousands of years.
Games are finally getting the point of actually having grass instead of green ground.	This troll is willing to talk to you instead of simply bashing your head in.
	Standing in soup?
So many screenshots just trying to capture the beauty of every moment.	There's not much swimming if you choose not to.
	The three fates.	That white haired woman is your adopted daughter, Ciri. Your quest starts in an attempt to locate her. She's in training to become a witcher.

		These guys are tough. Very tough.

		Some people have prettier land than others.

		You chop off the head of your prey in order to showcase your battle prowess and receive gameplay bonuses.


This little guy has been cursed. Can he be un-cursed?
	This guy is stronger than you.
	A strong contender for the background image on this page.

Dat sunset. . .	Triss is a mage, and mages are unwanted in the land and treated very poorly.
Running in a hedge maze, of course.
	Of of the few places in the game that you can see but not visit.	A region of the game takes place among a series of islands.
		Boom!
		Foolishly trying to reach the peek of a snowy mountain.

A member of the Wild Hunt.

	There is a quest line where you move up the ranks in the boxing circuit. The final fight is against the raining champion, a rock troll. Oh. . . Man. . .

You play some parts of the game as Ciri, who has unique special moves but none of your RPG-gained skills.

A strange, mystical place . . .
	It'd be sweet if this was my boat . . .

	That's quite a snail!
	There are enemies that are basically doppelgangers and can appear as anybody, including Geralt.
A mask I've bought for a ball.



		Apparently the game designers really don't like the number 94?
The Witcher's stronghold, Kaer Morhen. It's a shadow of it's former glory.



Just after winning a fist fight.
	The inventory screen.	You help arrange a play in order to lure your target.




Some fancy dancy equipment.		This is the Bloody Baron, the guy I mentioned in the write up.
This is what miscarried babies turn into if they aren't given rest.

This side quest is better than most games.

This guy's a bit of a turd.