Review 5: The Witcher
Rating: 5/5
Even at 3 years old this is still the best fantasy RPG on the market. Better than the Elder Scrolls games, better than the various Bioware RPGs, a mile ahead of Fable. Why? Well its not the outdated engine, or the frustrating to learn and cringeworthy sword fighting system but because it is a damn fine game with an actually adult storyline which doesn’t rely on a cheap “slaughter babies vs save the unicorns” morality.
RPGs for me are about the journey, all of them follow the basic Explore->Experience->Kill the Big Bad path, and at its very base the Witcher is no exception. However, the journey and the side quests and the world around you as a coherent and liveable real place hasn’t been done better. The average or even non-average person in the world is not evil or good but just is doing what is best for themselves and their family/group. One person’s hero truly can be regarded as another’s nemesis and the choices you make throughout the game are intelligently woven into the storyline with no obvious “This is the right thing to do” and where the consequences may not show up for hours later instead of some cheap horns grow from your head motif.
As such this game has what I would consider far better replay value than most in that you can’t play the exact same storyline twice, once as a saint and the next time as a serial killer. Rather that your options are much more sensible and it prevents you pulling a complete about face at the end of the game to just get the ending you want even though you have played against that for the previous 40 hours.
Also, collectible cards from ladies you conquer with your third sword.
Even at 3 years old this is still the best fantasy RPG on the market. Better than the Elder Scrolls games, better than the various Bioware RPGs, a mile ahead of Fable. Why? Well its not the outdated engine, or the frustrating to learn and cringeworthy sword fighting system but because it is a damn fine game with an actually adult storyline which doesn’t rely on a cheap “slaughter babies vs save the unicorns” morality.
RPGs for me are about the journey, all of them follow the basic Explore->Experience->Kill the Big Bad path, and at its very base the Witcher is no exception. However, the journey and the side quests and the world around you as a coherent and liveable real place hasn’t been done better. The average or even non-average person in the world is not evil or good but just is doing what is best for themselves and their family/group. One person’s hero truly can be regarded as another’s nemesis and the choices you make throughout the game are intelligently woven into the storyline with no obvious “This is the right thing to do” and where the consequences may not show up for hours later instead of some cheap horns grow from your head motif.
As such this game has what I would consider far better replay value than most in that you can’t play the exact same storyline twice, once as a saint and the next time as a serial killer. Rather that your options are much more sensible and it prevents you pulling a complete about face at the end of the game to just get the ending you want even though you have played against that for the previous 40 hours.
Also, collectible cards from ladies you conquer with your third sword.