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The Witcher 3 – Witchery and Trickery at Gamescom

4 min read
54

Say no to DRM!

Of all the games I saw and played at Gamescom this year, none grabbed me by the testicles, demanding I played quite as much as The Witcher 3. It blew my eyeballs out of my head when I saw it at running at E3 last year, and it’s done so once again.

We sat down in the darkened, theatre-like booth, and watched a 45-minute live demo of the game. So yes, none of us have yet played the game, but we’ve been able to see it running, on a big screen, right in front of our own eyeballs. Matthew sat next to me, agape, his jaw very nearly on the ground. It was his first experience of The Witcher, and he pledged afterwards to buy everything CD Projekt has ever made.

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It starts off with Geralt, the Witcher; a mutant trained from birth to hunt and kill monsters. He’s sat atop his horse, the head of a dead Griffin strapped to his mount. It’s obviously some sort of trophy, something he needs to pass on to somebody else  to finish a quest. He’s on his  way to Novigrad, the game’s largest city. He needs to head there to find information, and as he saunters up to the city, the level of detail is immediately striking. It’s visually resplendent.

It’s home to thousands of digital inhabitants, a full living and breathing city. Fishermen go out to sea, merchants ply their trade, blacksmiths sharpen swords and children play silly games and make up equally silly rhymes in the city’s cobbled streets.  They all react as you’d expect to the time of day and the dynamic weather, heading indoors when it gets dark, scrambling from the rain.

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Geralt’s looking for an “ashen-haired” woman, and to find her, he needs information. That information, for now, comes courtesy of a man named Dikstra from within the city. He in turn sends Geralt out to another district, a war-ravaged no-man’s land of a swamp, Velen – where he’s to look for a small boy like creature known only as Johnny. It’s half-way on the other side of the map, and according to CD Projekt RED, that trip, on a horse going at full speed the whole way will take at least 20 minutes if you don’t stop for any activities along the way. This being The Witcher of course, you will.

On the way there, we see a number of creatures and beasts – and just like the people of cities, the fauna have their own lives, hunting and foraging. There’s an entire ecosystem at work.

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Using his heightened tracking abilities, he quickly locates the creature, who happens to be little godling. His voice is gone, and after a bit of a tit-for tat or two, the quest sees Geralt taking on a swarm of harpies with one of the new weapons in his arsenal; a mini crossbow. It’s great for taking out flying enemies and other creatures from mid-range. The whole combat system’s been given a bit of an overhaul, making it far more fluid and responsive – which is one of the major complaints levied against the game. He can even use the crossbow mid combo, using switching to his sword, and flinging out Igni, his fireball spell in succession. In The Witcher 3, quest, begets quest, begets quest.

He’s now freed Johnny’s voice from the Harpy’s nest, and Johnny sends him further on his path, to an old woman who speaks to three witches through a magical link with a tapestry., and the witches get Geralt to go even further…I’ll not spoil the rest, but I will say that the choices you make will have overarching, potentially devastating consequences on the game. I’ll also let you know that you’ll be treated to some of the most delightfully dark, twisted and macabre character design you’ll ever see in a game.

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CD Projekt promises that there are no invisible barriers in the game; Geralt is now able to clamber up rock faces, jump over obstacles and even swim to find new locations. If you can see it, you can reach it, they say.  We’ve heard that before, but I have a feeling that this time, It won’t be an empty promise. CD Projekt also says you’ll be able to tackle the game however you see fit, and that there will be “absolutely no linearity between key points”.

“Epic” is an overused word I’m loathe to use when describing games, as they’re usually anything but. This time though, its use is justified, and The Witcher 3 is real epic fantasy.

Last Updated: August 19, 2014

54 Comments

  1. Rinceable

    August 19, 2014 at 15:37

    YETH! I WANTZ!

    Reply

    • Norm

      August 19, 2014 at 15:39

      As do I!

      Reply

      • Rinceable

        August 19, 2014 at 15:40

        I loved the second game, even with some of its issues. Witcher III is the main reason I will go new gen and it’s delayed release is the only reason I am able to actually pay for food at the moment.

        Reply

        • Norm

          August 19, 2014 at 15:45

          I’ve got the second game too. It was fantastic, just battled a lot to get to grips with the combat system.

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 19, 2014 at 15:47

            Apparently the combat rebalance mod is golden!

          • Rinceable

            August 19, 2014 at 15:48

            Yeah, me too. But damn, not many games draw me in that much.

          • Norm

            August 19, 2014 at 15:49

            Agreed. I had to really think about what to do when I had to make a choice.

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 19, 2014 at 16:02

            Unlike most games with “meaningful” consequences.

            “Your decision will change the fate of the world, what do you choose?”
            “I choose to let them live!”
            “Here, have a nice shield instead of a sword.”
            “…..what?”

          • Mossel

            August 19, 2014 at 15:50

            Don’t know why everyone struggles with the combat. I thought it was awesome!

          • Rinceable

            August 19, 2014 at 15:51

            The camera was a bit sticky, it wasn’t BAD, but it could have been better. So this is going to rock!

          • Mossel

            August 19, 2014 at 15:52

            With a mouse the camera was exactly where I wanted it to be…hehe.

          • alister louw

            August 19, 2014 at 19:52

            Did you play the first? If yes, which combat do you prefer?

          • Mossel

            August 20, 2014 at 07:52

            Indeed, Witcher 2 wins hands down. The first game’s combat is very boring. Click…wait….click again…wait…click once more…wait and done.

          • alister louw

            August 20, 2014 at 21:35

            Call me strange, but I actually liked the timing aspect of the first one more…
            Not that the more “mouse-click-spam-die-mutha..” action of the second was bad, it just didn’t feel that stylish or finesse-ey as the first..
            The first one had many long dreary sections(including loading screens) that the second managed to avoid.

            So am eager to see how the series will evolve

        • alister louw

          August 19, 2014 at 19:45

          I’m a huge fan of the series…
          Definitely going to get the 3rd one…and fortunately I dont need to go next/new gen…..
          MASTER RACE 4 LIFE!!!!!!!

          Reply

  2. Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

    August 19, 2014 at 15:42

    Wild hunt? As in a wild goose chase?

    Reply

    • Brady miaau

      August 19, 2014 at 16:50

      yes, the latest rival to Goat Simulator

      Reply

    • Stasiek PL

      August 21, 2014 at 20:50

      wild hunt(originally “dziki gon”) is a name of a kind of group of monsters

      Reply

  3. Mossel

    August 19, 2014 at 15:44

    That 3rd pic looks like a zombie Arya Stark.

    Reply

    • Admiral Chief Assassin

      August 19, 2014 at 15:44

      …but you’d still hit that?

      Reply

      • Mossel

        August 19, 2014 at 15:48

        I think Arya is 17…so yes.

        Reply

        • Brady miaau

          August 19, 2014 at 15:58

          um, no. Unless you 19?

          Reply

          • Mossel

            August 19, 2014 at 16:00

            x/2 + 7 = 17 dude. Thus x = 20.

    • Sir Rants A Lot: On Pandora

      August 19, 2014 at 15:44

      A rather constipated one at that

      Reply

  4. Admiral Chief Assassin

    August 19, 2014 at 15:44

    So glad I have this already! Just biding my time…

    Reply

    • Spaffy

      August 19, 2014 at 15:49

      Have what?

      Reply

      • Admiral Chief Assassin

        August 19, 2014 at 15:50

        W3. Just waiting until released so that I can activate the download LEGIT

        Reply

        • Spaffy

          August 19, 2014 at 15:51

          For real?
          Edit: On pre-order. Obviously. Make me lose my mind looking everywhere.
          What’s wrong with you!?

          Reply

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 19, 2014 at 16:06

            Indeed, courtesy of one fine character here at Lagz and GOG.com

          • Spaffy

            August 19, 2014 at 16:09

            I’m clearly missing out…

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 19, 2014 at 16:09

            screenshot of my library (not nearly as impressive as Steam library though…)

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            August 19, 2014 at 16:12

            Cute 😉

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 19, 2014 at 16:14

            Hahaha

          • Spaffy

            August 19, 2014 at 16:13

            Some classics there.
            Wing Commander 4? Priceless.

          • Mossel

            August 20, 2014 at 07:53

            Why did you buy it on GoG? Now there are no achievements! The horror! I love achievements btw.

          • Admiral Chief Assassin

            August 20, 2014 at 08:04

            Got it as a gift!

    • Quirky

      August 19, 2014 at 20:18

      You’re ready, but is your video card ready?

      Reply

  5. Alien Emperor Trevor

    August 19, 2014 at 15:44

    NEW PANTS!

    Reply

  6. MrChinwag

    August 19, 2014 at 16:03

    Dunno.. Games too good to be true.. think might end up being a fail.

    Reply

    • Ryanza

      August 19, 2014 at 17:10

      How dare you use words reserved for EA, Ubisoft, Activision, Microsoft, Sony, Peter Molyneux.

      Reply

  7. Zombifiedking

    August 19, 2014 at 16:25

    Allow me to force myself into a self inflicted coma until next year February. Ain’t nobody got time fo waiting!

    Reply

  8. Brady miaau

    August 19, 2014 at 16:48

    legen-wait for it- dary?

    Reply

  9. Ryanza

    August 19, 2014 at 17:07

    Nice write up.

    I don’t really have anything to say. I’ve said it all, many times over before. The Witcher 3 will have no DRM, will tell a good story, 100 hours play through, open world sandbox but not just that, pushing graphics for PC and console in open world sandbox type games, the game is for a mature audience, there will be nudity and sex, visual upgrades of armor and weapons, RPG, ect.

    It is really important that CD Projekt RED and The Witcher 3 gets supported by gamers. The game is going to be really good and the game will come out with no DRM. So it is really important that the game gets good sales numbers, to get a good clear message out there that AAA games don’t need DRM.
    So support The Witcher 3 by buying it on release day. Get everyone you know to support The Witcher 3. Get people you don’t even know to support The Witcher 3. If you see someone playing a mobile game or Solitaire in the office, oh you like to play games, get The Witcher 3 and if you don’t like just sell it. Oh you got a new console or new PC parts, did you know that The Witcher 3 will be a good test to see how well your console or PC works.
    Just get people aware of The Witcher 3.

    With great games comes great responsibility of telling other people it.

    Reply

    • CypherGate

      August 19, 2014 at 17:11

      100% agreed.

      Reply

    • Quirky

      August 19, 2014 at 20:16

      I would also like to add that if you love The Witcher games you should really read the Andrzej Sapkowski books that the games and characters are based on. Four of the seven books, including the first one ‘The Last Wish’, have been translated to English and are available on sites like Amazon while the remaining three books have been translated by fans and can be found online elsewhere.

      Reply

      • Ryanza

        August 19, 2014 at 20:23

        The books can be ordered through local online shops like takealot.com, kalahari.com, loot.co.za, raru.co.za
        some of the books might be available but always check the sites.

        Reply

        • Ryanza

          August 19, 2014 at 20:27

          Just checked. Books are available to order at those sites.

          Reply

  10. Ryanza

    August 19, 2014 at 17:15

    Let’s not forget about this trailer. It’s so damn good.

    Reply

  11. Ryanza

    August 19, 2014 at 17:20

    Oh I forgot to mention Cyberpunk 2077. So here goes. Cyberpunk + CD Projekt RED = gameover. Damn I didn’t mention it. Cyberpunk 2077. Only available after you buy The Witcher, The Witcher 2, The Witcher 3.

    Reply

  12. Ryanza

    August 19, 2014 at 18:32

  13. Ryanza

    August 19, 2014 at 20:53

    And here’s the gameplay demo that Geoff wrote about

    Reply

    • Ryanza

      August 20, 2014 at 06:03

      E3 had the griffin hunt, Johnny in the swamps. Gamescom they gave us Ladies of the woods, Downwarren, werewolf, tree demons and ear spoilers. All in all, 40 minutes of solid gameplay. CD Projekt RED knows how to get people excited for this game.
      It started at E3 and ended at Gamescom. Or at least I hope. I can’t handle more gameplay spoilers. I just want cgi trailers from now on.

      One thing that I learnt, a goose is more powerful than Geralt by stopping him in his tracks.

      Reply

  14. Ryanza

    August 19, 2014 at 21:03

    How about some controversial issues. The Witcher 3 graphics getting a downgrade?

    http://i.imgur.com/pq0BQso.jpg
    http://i.imgur.com/ZOU1X9v.jpg

    The build that they using for the demo will not be the same build when the game is released. They still using the same build for E3 and The Witcher 3 had to play on the Xbox One for the briefing.

    So to me PC vs console? or we getting another Watch Dogs on PC.

    Reply

  15. Tiaan Pat

    August 20, 2014 at 07:09

    So amped for this game!!!

    Reply

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