It's time to bring this thing back from the dead. It's been a long bout of meditation and upon my return I have found in my lap CD Projekt Red's The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. A rekindled love affair as I had played this once already, but with the arrival of new DLC via the Expansion Pass, it warranted a second playthrough.
A whole slew of free downloadable content has kept players tethered to the vast fielded and mountainous lands of Temeria where, playing as the titular protaganist, Geralt of Rivia is on the search for his adoptive daughter Ciri under orders of the Emperor Emyhr var Emreis while battling off the Wild Hunt who require Ciri for their own ends. It's a long and winding epic, the final in a trilogy based on the Polish book series by Andrzej Sapkowski. The series has been praised massively for sticking, like glue, to the source material and realising it in astonishing detail.
The world you explore in this installment feels alive with every step. There are peasants tending their crops, drunkards passed out on the cobbled streets in the early hours, packs of wolves chasing deer and of course, monsters waiting to be slain, because what game would this be without them? The isles of Skellige get very special mention, as for those needing their Skyrim fix, this certainly takes crowning glory. The snow-driven mountainsides accomodate small villages, deserted towers and ruined, forgotten homesteads. Exploration is almost second nature, you'll subconsciously peruse each 'Undiscovered Location' marker your in-game map adds when picking up a piece of information from a local Notice Board. As you do, the combined efforts of Marcin Przybyłowicz, Mikolai Stroinski and Percival on the game's soundtrack chime in at particular moments, creating a settling ambience for the adventure you are writing yourself.
I, for one, had not played any of the previous installments in the series, but had read the books prior and had gained enough background knowledge from the Internet to warrant a much-desired playthrough. As Geralt of Rivia, you are a Witcher, someone who is tasked with fending off monsters for villagers at the right price. A bounty hunter of werewolves, wraiths, griffins and a whole slew of mystical creatures, Geralt has a very distinct human side, a coin of the moral right or wrong in which you decide his story's outcome. Each action has a consequence, be it very small in hearing passerby's comments of your recent victories or revenge for a barfight you could have prevented. The great thing about this mechanic is not every decision has to be a violent one and sometimes the rewards can be greater for those who choose a slightly pacifist path. This is especially noted if you have set the game on it's most challenging 'Death March' difficulty, sometimes it's better just to worm your way out of it with the correct conversation choice.
A third-person adventure akin to game mechanics that we have gotten used to over last 16 years with a HUD that takes up a lot of display space, which can easily be toggled right down to its basics allowing for more of a breathtaking view of the world around you. Geralt is armed with a steel and silver sword for slaying man and beast respectively which can be upgraded at the correctly skilled blacksmith's and embedded with runestones to strengthen or add a douse of flame or ice to the blade. There's a crossbow which isn't very useful unless used underwater or taking harpies out of the sky. Your defence is the best offence as Witcher Signs can be selected and applied mid-battle to knock enemies off cliffsides, set them ablaze or mind trick them into killing their own. Your swords can also have oils applied to them for the correct monster to have an advantage over them and a whole slew of decoctions and potions can be taken to add to this also.
Getting around this vast land is made easier by the use of your trusty, indestructible steed Roach who is very useful in winning races but not so much in navigating around a small outcropping. Fast Travel checkpoints are very much a Bethesda trademark and they make an appearance here, which is a much-needed mechanic.
Your in-game menu provides a whole wealth of information - your bestiary, character list, an alchemy menu in which you can craft new potions, a world map and your Ability Points system. The latter being essential in gaining the upperhand as you level up, unlocking upgrades for your Signs which are endless amounts of fun, deflecting arrows, faster sword moves, increased carry weight and additional uses for alchemy. There is a twelve Ability limit but you will find yourself playing mix-and-match with the many Abilities available, which can also be upgraded, to find a fighting style that suits you.
The story here is multi-layered, each conclusion to one quest foregoing the start of a new one or contributing to an existing arc. There are many returning characters familiar to those who are veterans of the series. Some surprise cameos and outcomes from previous installments are all in effect here. Geralt's fellow Witchers and homestead of Kaer Morhen is here, the latter featuring some fantastic lore on the processes to becoming a Witcher. Djiksta, Letho, Triss and Yennefer make a return, the latter two being the most interesting as Geralt's previous love interests. This all makes for blossoming character development on existing relationships even if new players are very unsure on approaching this game as CD Projekt Red make you feel very welcome as a beginner. You quickly settle into the dynamics of what to expect from each individual and that's down to some very key and talented voice artistry. Admittedly Dandelion's very American dialect was a little offputting for me, but that's my only gripe here. Despite the sorcery and politics that play as the backdrop to this story, it's a very human one dealing with a beautifully woven sometimes heart-wrenching display covering the emotional wheel. You will hate some characters and love others and all will be reflected in how you journey Geralt from the lands of Novigrad to Skellige.
However, this is not for everyone, it's a very long game. You're looking at around 20-30 hours which will only increases thanks to the wealth of free DLC and the two new major Expansion Packs, one of which has recently arrived. I can see completionists and veterans of the open-world RPG spending long sessions packing in as much as they can, but honestly the run-and-gunners will find boredom very quickly. Each vista luckily features new and exciting monsters, hidden caves, and artifacts of lives left behind in a time of war, but this may quickly tire and bore those gamers. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is most certainly my game of the year for last year, and I hope the intricacies in the finer details and storylines set a standard to be expected of our bigger Western counterparts.
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