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[DunDunDunpachi]

The reasons given for liking it are usually the same as those given for an Elder Scrolls game:

- the map was so big and breathtaking
- all of the skills, weapons, items
- I can complete this mission... like.... three different ways!!!
- tons of books scattered everywhere
- tons of "AAA" content, like voice acting

But as a standalone RPG, I cannot think of a single way in which Witcher 3 moves the genre forward. The combat is lame. The map itself is too large and the rewards for off-script exploration are too sparse. The skill tree has some bottlenecks that reduce the overall number of viable builds. Touching your medallion all the time for witcher sight trivializes gathering in the open world. Instead of a true next-gen open world game, we just got a really, really, really massive PS3/360 era open world game.

In and of itself, there's nothing wrong with that. But we cannot ignore the fact that Witcher 3 didn't have any competition from the other big publishers. In a different universe where Bioware and Bethesda were competent, Witcher 3 would've been viewed as a somewhat-flawed RPG release. Certainly one of the better RPGs of the generation, but not the monolith that it is today.

Come at me with your knives. Yeah the title is clickbaity. Obviously the game has plenty of genuine merits and people have different tastes.

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

Neither company has made a modern game as good as the Witcher 3, in my opinion, so I disagree.

 

[MiyazakiHatesKojima]

The hottest of takes can only be done by those who possess the GAF Gauntlet.

 

[pLow7]

Yeah let's forget te Fact that it had the best Side Missions since inception of the Genre, amazing Story Telling with a really compelling main Quest ( in contrast to every Elder Scrolls game ) and really really good Characters.

Witcher is far and away the best RPG i've played since Gothic 2.

 

[yunkaiza]

Witcher 3 is only popular because it's good

 

[GHG]

You have valid points but I think the main thing that made this game stand out over other open world games was the story.

We had never seen an open world story driven game like it before and haven't since.

The open world also managed to be memorable despite being so large, almost everywhere somehow managed to be memorable, it has a sense of place.

 

[Bankai]

No, I don't think so. I really enjoyed both Fallout 4, Skyrim VR ánd The Witcher 3 this gen. Also, I played Witcher 1 and 2 before that, as well as Dragon Age, Fable and so many more action RPG's.

In the end, they can all perfectly co-exist next to eachother IMO.

One thing is clear though, Bethesda needs to step up its game in future games. They have to be willing to learn from what Project Red (and others) have improved/evolutionized.

 

[Nikana]

Said nobody ever. I don't even like Witcher 3 but claiming one thing is popular because someone else didn't make something more popular is pretty ridiculous.

 

[Serge85]

Witcher 3 is only popular because is excellent.

 

[Digity]

Game was an absolute borefest.

 

[Wunray]

No, what is this? The witcher 3 is as popular as it is because it pushes what a story and side content should be be in an open world rpg. Yeah it's not an old school rpg like the years of old but if you were looking for that I can suggest you play divinity original sin 2. I consider the witch 3 to be an action rpg with the best story and content in the business with a business model that puts every other publisher to shame.

 

[AV]

I would argue that not having a new Elder Scrolls title for an entire generation isn't exactly "dropping the ball" when the latest release is one of the most popular games ever created and continues to shit money across every platform imaginable. If they did release Elder Scrolls 6 this generation, who's to say it wouldn't have taken The Witcher 3 to the cleaners? It probably would (in terms of popularity, not quality).

 

[kiphalfton]

Or it may just be a quality game.

 

[Kacho]

Witcher 3 seems overrated in general. It's really only great if you prefer story over everything else. The game didn't come close to anything BGS related and that is backed up by sales data and player counts to this day.

 

[The Bloody-Nine]

Witcher 3 is only popular because it's good

Exactly. Bugfesta and Bioware gave us Fallout 76, Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem. I'm not sure they're even capable of producing a good RPG anymore.

 

[Bonfires Down]

It’s because of Gwent

 

[DunDunDunpachi]

The hottest of takes can only be done by those who possess the GAF Gauntlet.

DeepEnigma was on the toilet.

 

[Riven326]

Exactly. Bugfesta and Bioware gave us Fallout 76, Mass Effect Andromeda and Anthem. I'm not sure they're even capable of producing a good RPG anymore.

BioWare certainly isn't. As will be proven with the next Dragon Age. Bethesda is still up in the air.

 

[DeepEnigma]

DeepEnigma was on the toilet.

 

[jonnyp]

Completely disagree. I don't really like fantasy in any shape or form and I absolutely loved The Witcher 3. Cool characters, entertaining main story, enjoyable side stories. Don't understand the hate some have for the combat either. Is it best in class? No, but the sum of all its parts makes it a great game that I had a blast with.

 

[MastAndo]

It's cool, not everyone likes good games.

 

[The Cartographer]

I can believe that, especially for Bioware.

 

[Romulus]

I think the Witcher 3 is great in it's own right, but I agree with the OP. Some of the reason W3 is so well regarded is there was basically zero competition. And for a 3rd person game that focuses on a swordmaster, the combat is mediocre.

 

[GreyHorace]

Don't agree at all... but I'll give you the combat is not that good. I really had no problem with it but after playing games like Sekiro and Jedi Fallen Order I really wish CDProjektRed took the time to develop it more.

But everything else is golden From the visuals, the story, the exploration, the amount and quality of the side quests and the most addictive minigame that is Gwent, The Witcher 3 has more than earned it's share of awards and accolades. It's probably my favorite game of this gen.

 

[nordique]

I don’t think so
It’s just a really great game that got the recognition it deserved

 

[sobaka770]

I mean Bioware did do an open world Dragon Age and it was a 30h story put into a 100h drag of a game which won GotY cause no competition. Fallout 4 was considered good.

And yet Witcher 3 is just putting those to shame. Bioware and Bethesda lost the way - yes, but Witcher does move a genre forward and is an excellent game on its own.

 

[Ogbert]

Not a huge fan of the Witcher 3. I liked it for the nudity and the broads are hot, but my main problem was the combat. It was light and superficial. The skill tree was naff and you had the damn yodelling going on every time a bog goblin jumped out at you.

Very impressive and I get why people love it, but not for me.

 

[Thaedolus]

It looks great, has a great story with meaningful choices, great music, great voice acting, ok gameplay. I’d say the only thing holding it down somewhat is the gameplay, but even that is serviceable.

I think you might be wrong bruh

 

[D-Dude]

With BGS it's all in the details (16x) and it all just works

 

[Kusarigama]

The Witcher 3 is put simply one the finest games made. The graphics, music, gameplay and story are all very very well done. It's success was not because other studios dropped the ball.

 

[JTCx]

No.

Theres actual quality in CDPR games.

 

[Bladed Thesis]

You have valid points but I think the main thing that made this game stand out over other open world games was the story.

We had never seen an open world story driven game like it before and haven't since.

The open world also managed to be memorable despite being so large, almost everywhere somehow managed to be memorable, it has a sense of place.

To tag along with the open world being memorable, I think the Witcher 3 wasn't scared to make the game M rated and very dark. The world is littered with flawed characters, random encounters and events that all have a very believable and (for the most part) dark/realistic vibe. This is supported by the artstyle that was also very dark, very real in terms of characters being dirty, armor being damaged, the world in disarray while characters were numerous and different.

Compare all of that to Elder Scrolls or Fallout open worlds where every character looks like a Bethesda character, very rigid, very cookie-cutter in design and appearance. Elder Scrolls comes off as very high fantasy.

Also, I didn't mind the combat too much. Guess that puts me in the minority.

 

[OmegaSupreme]

Peak Bioware shits all over CDPR. The Witcher 3 is perfectly fine but it doesn't come close to Biowares best. Unfortunately, I think Bioware's best days are behind them. I'm hoping they can make a comeback and surprise me.

 

[Life]

We need some sort of a voting system that automatically locks and deletes a new thread that smells of bullshit from the title itself.

 

[RasAlGhoul]

LoL OP.

 

[Sacred]

I loved everything about the witcher 3, the story was fantastic, the boss fights were really well done, the side quests were varied and meaningful, gwent was so much fun, and the fact that all their games are DRM free and consumer friendly. There is a very good reason why people love these games.

 

[johntown]

I don't think Bethesda and BioWare ever even had a ball to drop. They had no competition so all we knew about open world was really what Bethesda was giving us. I do enjoy Bethesda's open world RPG's but they are a technical mess that have ugly animations and graphics in general. All it really took to compete was a competent developer.

BioWare has been dead along time and their ball if they even have one is flat.

The Witcher 3 was what Bethesda games should have been. The biggest draw in the game for me was the immersive story and superb graphics.

 

[GymWolf]

Yeah and ron jeremy's dick only looks gigantic because he has micro-testicles and small hands...

 

[phil_t98]

Witcher 3 is popular because it’s a good game

 

[Sakura Doritos]

I don’t like the Witcher 3 combat. It is pure jank. But, do not like FPS rpgs and the TPS mode even modded in Skyrim is jank.

I do like most other things about the W3 more. I feel W3 is mired by its engine but just far less so than ES.

honestly, I liked Dragon Age Inquisition more than both.

 

[Darth]

Skyrim being completely dull with bad game play doesn't make Witcher 3 a great game. Witcher 3 has better and more varied environments. Witcher III has crappy gameplay but still better than Skyrims. Voice acting in Witcher 3 is far better.

 

[Matt_Fox]

I'll echo all those above me that have said the word story.

IMHO The Witcher 3 is the best in class RPG when it comes to the script, voice-acting and story. Absolutely brilliant.

For me personally, gameplay trumps cut scenes every time (which is why I prefer Elder Scrolls if I had to choose) but if you can have both then why not!

 

[Optimistic Gamer]

Elder Scrolls questlines are 80% bullshit boring shovelware.

 

[Belmonte]

DunDun, I get where you are coming for. The combat and RPG features are very simple, without much to mess around. From Software, Capcom and Bethesda have more complex systems in their games. Even CD Projekt Red said they didn't have an encounter designer for Witcher 3.

But IMO, Witcher 3 (and 2) have the best story and narrative in a RPG since Planescape Torment. And not only that, but everyone, from the main character, to a NPC in a quest feels like a real person and the situations are well constructed, very far from "give me X bear pelts". Each side mission or minor quest, damn... sometimes even hidden treasures in the map have an interesting story!

Aside from the story quality, it is very well acted, with enough character expression to convince. Scenes which have everything to feels awkward, like sex scenes or slice of life moments between father and daughter are convincing as hell. In a 200 hour RPG which makes even more impressive.

 

[Entroyp]

This is just like saying the PS4 is a success because the Xone sucked.

 

[KingXtreme81]

An outrageous take, IMO, but you're entitled to it.

 

[Fbh]

I mean... one of the main reasons every good product is seen as good is because no one else is doing something better.

To me the game is far from perfect. The combat is fun but nothing amazing, I think it's one of those RPG's with too much useless shit to pick up, I didn't particularly like the crafting and for as big and nice as the world looks, it still uses the same ol' "follow the GPS" design as most modern open worlds.

But what set it apart and what made it one of my favorite games was that the world felt filled with meaningful content. A lot of quests obviously follow a similar gameplay structure but through fun or engaging stories and characters and unique scenarios or context almost all of them felt worthwhile to me. You can have 4 quests that are ultimately about going somewhere and fighting a monster but one is about a werewolf tricked into killing his lover, one is about some monsters banding together and trying to trick you, one is about a monster hiding among humans and one is about a village where the older and younger generations are clashing over how to deal with a monster, etc. I guess for people that are into RPG's for the stats and numbers it's all the same but I enjoy these games for their worlds and stories and I think W3 excels at it.

I also don't think dismissing the presentation is fair. A quest can be made more memorable by taking place in a nice looking place with a story that's presented with competent voice acting and animation as opposed to having dated visuals and stiff characters that just stand around and talk through text boxes.

 

[Ristifer]

But we cannot ignore the fact that Witcher 3 didn't have any competition from the other big publishers.

Sure we can.

 

[diffusionx]

The contention that Witcher 3 got more shine than it would have otherwise, had games like Fallout 4, MEA, and DAI not been such giant turds, may have some merit. This gen was pretty shitty for RPGs. But that doesn't mean that Witcher 3 isn't an excellent game, because it is.

Obviously Witcher 3 isn't perfect, but you can go back to last gen's top RPGs and find plenty of problems with them, honestly.

This is just like saying the PS4 is a success because the Xone sucked.

It's a big part of it, no doubt.

 

[Terenty]

Yeah let's forget te Fact that it had the best Side Missions since inception of the Genre,

Facepalm