Monday, May 25, 2015

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Mature Content Review

"Don't stare, I haven't grown horns. Take it as a token my good faith"
Baron 


If you came for perverted stuff, then you were fooled by the misreading the title. The Witcher series are one of the few games that you have to be over a certain age to purchase because of its mature content. This time of around, the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is less tongue and cheek and more adventure and mystery.  In the the Witcher 3, you won't see a hero with a series of events telling his path to good deeds and instant fame.  Instead, you see a story of a man that makes right and wrong choices and has to live with the consequences and losses.



Story has always been one of the Witcher series strong point.  In this latest installment to the series,the Witcher 3 doesn't disappoint. You are introduced to Geralt's closest relationships and past stories recapped.  The tone of the story is mature and grounded.  In this installment story is driven by finding your lost love instead of saving the world.


Most of the story is revolves around a world infested with monsters and your duty as witcher to rid the villages intelligent monsters like a succubus saying it acted out of self defense or a greedy demon posing as a God not killing but swindling dumb villagers out of wares.  You must choose wisely and plan your choices because often you may find your good deeds carrying a deep unexpected bad consequence.  This sense of choice and consequence carries into the quest design making each quest feel meaningful.  Simple tasks have many great stories and adventures for you to experience.


There is a strange emphasis on the sense of discovery.  Many quest only become available as you explore the world and encounter random strangers in danger or in need.  To facilitate all this exploration, Geralt has become more mobile than in any previous witcher games.  Climbing rock world, sailing a boat, traveling the countryside by horseback, swimming through underwater caves over a more tangible sense of connection to the enormous world.  Controls during some travel sequences become buggy like horse racing and deep sea diving, so thank God for the fast travel option.


Combat is challenging.  You have to adapt to the enemy.  You must observe and wait for a chance to attack an enemy or create you own opening with a parry or essential dodge.  You have five magical signs to use for combat in addition to your swordplay.  Using Aard to push enemies back or using trap signs to paralyze enemies is key to defeating an enemy.


New ultimate forms like using shield to regain heath or continuous stream of fire will aid you in overcoming challenges.  You have the usual tool such as bombs and potions to aid you as well. There is an element of preparation that will make you the more effective in combat.  You can study the monsters weaknesses in the beastology, craft better weapons and armor in order to enhance your chances of victory or mere survival.


A new addition introduced in the Witcher 3 is hunting monsters thru investigative sequences.  Adding a Sherlock Holmes element of deductive reasoning by explaining clues, studying blood trails, and using signs to allow you piece together events that lead you to the answer of what happened to a victim or where a monster is lurking. The is another playable character named Ciri that has her own set of abilities and storyline that add to the mystery of Witcher's 3 world.

Yes there are brothels and steaming S&M full frontal nude sex scenes if you play for that, but there is more to the game than that. The Witcher 3 has over 100+ hours of gameplay, themes of personal character presenting the player with choices and consequences that aren't trying to make the character a hero but a human that learns from his choices and action.  It's one of those games that make you think and wonder "what if". Being one that loves to have my brain teased I give the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt a 9.5/10

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