What Makes The Witcher 3 Worth Trying?
In an interview with OnlySP, gameplay producer Marek Ziemak revealed several exciting features in this latest installment.
1. Say Goodbye to Load Times
Fans of The Elder Scrolls will be envious. The Witcher 3 suffers no tedious loading times. The whole map is open for instant access. Ziemak explains,“Thanks to new technology on RedEngine3, we were actually able to create a world without loading screens as you travel across the world.”
2. No Terrible Port to PC
Every PC gamer’s worst nightmare is a poorly-ported game. The Witcher 3 spares us from this nightmare. Its dev team had the foresight to start off developing the game to be multiplatform from the beginning. There will not be any porting whatsoever.
3. The Wild Hunt Takes Center-Stage
The Wild Hunt has always been an important part of The Witcher series, and to have a sequel centered on them will surely entice many gamers. Ziemak mentions that the majority of Geralt’s interactions with the Hunt are now going to be connected to the main storyline. Judging by this and the very title, it seems to imply they’ll be making far more appearances than they have in the last two games.
4. Twice the Size of The Witcher 2
The game map of The WItcher 3 is slated to be “30 times bigger than The Witcher 2.” As yet, this appears to be the truth. This probably has something to do with…
5. 36 Different Endings
The game undoubtedly needed a massive map to incorporate the many storylines and paths a player will get to choose from to hit 36 different ends. Ziemak says it’s more than just picking a path and hitting one ending. Your character won’t be the only one affected by how the game finishes.
6. Improved Gameplay Experience
Ziemak describes the enhancements added to this installment. Not only will players have new ways to fight and dodge, magical signs will also come with two versions available.
Other gameplay improvements include new alchemical potions. He hints at more, but gives no details.
7. Close out Geralt’s Journey
For fans of the series, this is the final chapter in Geralt’s adventures as a witcher. If there are future games set in this universe (a prospect that CD Projekt RED has not denied), they won’t feature him.
“That’s our goal,” says Ziemak of The WItcher 3. “To close the story of Geralt of Rivia.”
8. Support An Anti-DRM, Gamer-Friendly Developer
The dev team at CD Projekt RED is well-known for being anti-DRM to its core, and above all, gamer-friendly in its policies. It has thus released The WItcher 3 on all three major platforms (Xbox One, PS4 and PC), to ensure no gamer goes neglected. This comes despite criticism for “supporting” Xbox One. Let’s face it. Xbox One is currently Public Enemy No. 1 largely due to its unfriendly attitude toward used games and DRM.
Yet Marcin IwiÅski, co-founder of CD Projekt RED, has given Joystiq an answer for that.
When he puts it like that, it’s hard to criticize these guys.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will release simultaneously on all three platforms in 2014. Are you planning to grab a copy?
