The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt is the final installment of journey of Geralt of Rivia. Promising to be larger and more involved than any other game in the franchise, CD Projekt RED had its hands full with the expectations of their loyal fan base.
CD Projekt RED really wanted to focus on the story of Geralt of Rivia and I think that is obvious in everything I saw in the demo. There is of couse, the main story line, but along with the side stories, there are random events that will occur where you will make decisions for Geralt that make have unknown ramifications in the future, even if that decision is simply doing nothing or ignoring a situation because you might be in a hurry. Along with the story, they worked hard on the dialogue to give you more choices in more situations with even further-reaching ramifications. This is definitely an area I look forward to exploring more.
Another huge improvement is in the size and scope of The Witcher universe. CD Projekt RED has made a huge, expansive world. For example, the island you begin The Witcher 3 on is larger than the entire area found in The Witcher 2. They are planning for over 100 hours of gameplay. Built in their RED Engine 3, Witcher 3 Wild Hunt will boast dynamic weather that will affect the non-player characters in their villages, the random events and especially the enemies sa you play through the game. You wouldn’t venture out in a small skiff with storm clouds on the horizon. You will certainly be tossed from your ship and possibly drown. The enemies are also affected – from wolves being stronger at night to werewolves that gain immense strength with the dawning of the full moon.
Lastly, I want to talk about the revised combat. To me, this was one area I really needed to see improvement from The Witcher 2. Combining typical RPG combat along with a more flowing style of fighting games. The combat looks fluid everywhere – from the sword animations to your use of signs (magic). I look forward to trying out the combat for myself and have the chance to hunt down the 80 different types of special monsters found throughout the world. Even better as every special monster has its own unique clues and tracks that you can find using your special Witcher Sense.
All in all, The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt seems to be shaping into the dynamic RPG fans and Witcher books critics alike have been looking for.