This spectacular debut by CD Projekt RED is a third-person role-playing game inspired by the fantasy novels by Polish writer Sapkowski.
Storytelling is interesting. The player faces complex scenarios which often require choosing between the lesser of two evils; decisions have dramatic, unexpected consequences. Add to this an effective atmosphere with moments of Lovecraftian horror, and you have a winner.
Developers have chosen quality over quantity: the world is not very big, but it's detailed and throbbing with life. The story is gripping and characters are fairly well-developed, going beyond usual fantasy stereotypes. I am usually bored by brooding, sardonic anti-heroes, but monster hunter (or "witcher") Geralt, the protagonist, is charismatic. Quests are nicely varied and sometimes truly special (like a memorable investigation in Vizima).
The combat system is functional; some may complain it's too hack and slash, but I found the use of different tactics (changing sword and fighting style depending on the enemy you are facing) rather satisfying, if hardly groundbreaking. The lack of ranged weapons is irritating though.
Technically the game is great, although I strongly suggest to download the last patch (1.3) on the official site; after I did that, on an average PC I never experienced any problem with the game crashing or unacceptable loading times.
A few possible issues. Fans of character customization need to know that Geralt is a fixed protagonist; while of course you can develop different skills throughout the game, there is no race, gender and appearance selection at the beginning and his personality is pretty much already defined by the game (although his choices aren't). The alchemy system, while an excellent idea in theory, could have used some improvements : experimenting new potions and bombs could have been interesting, but the mechanics are kind of clunky (you need to rest every time). Also, as it often happens in games with spells, special powers and potions, some are worthless and others are ludicrously overpowered, basically the equivalent of launching a nuclear weapon at the enemy's face.
In spite of these minor flaws, The Witcher is a superb game and an eye-popping debut.
9/10
Storytelling is interesting. The player faces complex scenarios which often require choosing between the lesser of two evils; decisions have dramatic, unexpected consequences. Add to this an effective atmosphere with moments of Lovecraftian horror, and you have a winner.
Developers have chosen quality over quantity: the world is not very big, but it's detailed and throbbing with life. The story is gripping and characters are fairly well-developed, going beyond usual fantasy stereotypes. I am usually bored by brooding, sardonic anti-heroes, but monster hunter (or "witcher") Geralt, the protagonist, is charismatic. Quests are nicely varied and sometimes truly special (like a memorable investigation in Vizima).
The combat system is functional; some may complain it's too hack and slash, but I found the use of different tactics (changing sword and fighting style depending on the enemy you are facing) rather satisfying, if hardly groundbreaking. The lack of ranged weapons is irritating though.
Technically the game is great, although I strongly suggest to download the last patch (1.3) on the official site; after I did that, on an average PC I never experienced any problem with the game crashing or unacceptable loading times.
A few possible issues. Fans of character customization need to know that Geralt is a fixed protagonist; while of course you can develop different skills throughout the game, there is no race, gender and appearance selection at the beginning and his personality is pretty much already defined by the game (although his choices aren't). The alchemy system, while an excellent idea in theory, could have used some improvements : experimenting new potions and bombs could have been interesting, but the mechanics are kind of clunky (you need to rest every time). Also, as it often happens in games with spells, special powers and potions, some are worthless and others are ludicrously overpowered, basically the equivalent of launching a nuclear weapon at the enemy's face.
In spite of these minor flaws, The Witcher is a superb game and an eye-popping debut.
9/10