gaming The Witcher 3 isn't a good RPG

[CosmicHooves 2,705]

It seems like saying anything negative regarding the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is considered heresy by any gamer who's into RPGs in general.

Well I've played a shit ton of RPGs from titles such as Mass Effect to RPGs that focus more on freedom such as Fallout: New Vegas and I've put about a good solid 60 hours of gameplay into the Witcher 3 so I have a definite say in what I think about this game.

Keep in mind that I was excited to play this game.

In short, I found it to be boring and never finished it, and I think I know why.

The Witcher 3 has a good story, characters, and open world, but it is not a good roleplaying game.

And this is directly at fault do to the fact that the series is based off of the book series.

Or I could just say a book series in general.

Because if it's one thing that books and movies have in common it's that they're both forms of media that try to tell a story.

Not your story, a story, the developer's story.

Which results in the Witcher 3 having an extreme lack of freedom over certain aspects.

One being your relationship with Yen.

The game seems to force your character to be attracted to Yennefer regardless if you're even interested or not.

I found Yen to be an awfully boring character in terms of personality, but it seemed like there was no break up option with her.

I want more control over shit like that.

Often at times Geralt would say something or make a decision that I wish I could have altered.

I just felt at times during dialogue I didn't have much control of Geralt rather he was set on autopilot mode for a brief moment.

The Mass Effect games were better at things like dialogue control and relationship freedom.

Now if we're just taking freedom in general into account, it would be unfair to compare Fallout: New Vegas to the Witcher 3.

New Vegas provides more freedom than most roleplaying games I've seen.

If you were powerful enough you could kill everyone in the world.

Certain choices you made could have a long lasting effect on what a particular faction thought of you.

Help out the NCR enough times and the Legion will eventually mark you as Vilified.

Want to kill the leader of the Legion?

Just disguise yourself as a Legion soldier walk into The Fort up to Caesar's throne and put a bullet in his head.

The less freedom you have in an RPG, the less choices you have.

In the Witcher 3 it's nearly impossible to kill guards no matter what level you are because the game makes them nearly indestructible.

So in that aspect, Skyrim has more freedom.

And the game won't allow you to attack anyone who's not a guard and in non hostile state. (like peasants, beggars, citizens)

And while you probably don't have a good reason to do so, it just takes more freedom away from the game.

 

In conclusion, I didn't really like the Witcher 3 because in my opinion it's not a good RPG.

Please feel free to share your thoughts on the matter.

Edited March 6, 2017 by Blue Snow

[Sir Hugsalot 8,624]

As much as I can see Your points You are wrong in two points.

 

First of all You can also romance Triss and don't have to pursue relationship with Yennefer at all. You don't even have to romance any of them. There are occasional opportunities for short romances in the story too, including for example Shani. Tbh I am suprised You feel forced to romance her. I never felt like developers try to force You into romance with her... or anyone. And personally I believe romance options in The Witcher 3 are pretty... mature as sex even if more graphic than in other games doesn't play main role. And, here I have to put it above Mass Effect: in Mass Effect games if You sleep with two different women a "consequence" is simply chosing one. Just like nothing ever happened. In The Witcher? Try sleeping with both Yennefer and Triss and You'll get gaming slap of Your life. Even now Bioware claims romance in ME: Andromeda is very inspired by The Witcher 3. I hope they're honest on that. 

 

Guards are easily killable on further levels of the game. They do require some effort, but after turning my Geralt into a literal death machine they didn't stand a chance. Other thing is - making Geralt so OP he'd slaughter entire town alone would be kinda ridiculous. Yes, he's a witcher, so he is kind of a superhuman. But he is not immortal. He was put down by a random peasant at one point lol. Tbh I was severly disappointed by the fact You could eventually put giant, angry dragons in Skyrim in few strikes. I mean, yes, I have entire daedric set, every skill set to 100, but the game, where nothing can stand in Your way gets boring. Hell, I enjoyed Dark Souls 3 where random crappy enemy could slaughter me any time far more xD

 

And well... I do agree game has significantly less freedom, than for example Skyrim. It's much more story-driven game and RPG elements are very reduced in it. For me it is a great game, but I always cared more about great story than overall freedom. Even in games like Skyrim I had no interest in slaughtering guards etc. It breaks the character I want to be. Maybe that's why I enjoy The Witcher 3? Geralt has pretty much my moral code in many aspects so I don't feel like my freedom got reduced by developer's choices. 

 

With this being said I see Your points. Everyone has his own taste and I can see why someone, who digs games like Skyrim a lot may dislike the Witcher.