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Smitty

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I'm actually playing it again -- on Death March difficulty, for the first time.
 

Smitty

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I'm pretty excited for Cyberpunk 2077 as well, but I think the Witcher is more my style. Fantasy, magic, etc.

I loved Fallout 3 and 4, but always preferred Elder Scrolls. I suspect I will heavily enjoy Cyberpunk 2077, but the futuristic apocalypse/dystopia theme has never quite hooked me the same way as high fantasy and history.

I'm hoping it just delivers the same near-movie quality storytelling and performances. That, more than the actual plot or gameplay mechanics, is what made the Witcher so amazing. It just has so many scenes where it nails the acting, the delivery, the dialogue, the ambience (complete with the score), and the drama and tension. It was just perfectly directed and acted in a LOT of places. Example: The two scenes with the Crones when you are in Velen - the first when the woman who watches the children takes you into the hut and you have the conversation with the Crones while she is touching the tapestry and possessed..... chilling. Then, later, when they make their first appearance.... and you see their real forms, that conversation is just perfect. It's chilling.

Something that Skyrim with it's wooden characters, stale dialogue and awful art direction can't come close to matching. Yes, the open world is unparalleled, but ..... Witcher 3 whoops it in presentation, and that matters.
 

Cowboysrock55

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I'm pretty excited for Cyberpunk 2077 as well, but I think the Witcher is more my style. Fantasy, magic, etc.

I loved Fallout 3 and 4, but always preferred Elder Scrolls. I suspect I will heavily enjoy Cyberpunk 2077, but the futuristic apocalypse/dystopia theme has never quite hooked me the same way as high fantasy and history.

I'm hoping it just delivers the same near-movie quality storytelling and performances. That, more than the actual plot or gameplay mechanics, is what made the Witcher so amazing. It just has so many scenes where it nails the acting, the delivery, the dialogue, the ambience (complete with the score), and the drama and tension. It was just perfectly directed and acted in a LOT of places. Example: The two scenes with the Crones when you are in Velen - the first when the woman who watches the children takes you into the hut and you have the conversation with the Crones while she is touching the tapestry and possessed..... chilling. Then, later, when they make their first appearance.... and you see their real forms, that conversation is just perfect. It's chilling.

Something that Skyrim with it's wooden characters, stale dialogue and awful art direction can't come close to matching. Yes, the open world is unparalleled, but ..... Witcher 3 whoops it in presentation, and that matters.
The only thing I liked better about Skyrim was that it wasn't so linear. Witcher was pretty much the same story and experience for everyone. I like the variety of Skyrim better.
 

Smitty

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The only thing I liked better about Skyrim was that it wasn't so linear. Witcher was pretty much the same story and experience for everyone. I like the variety of Skyrim better.
I dunno that I truly agree with that.

I mean.... Skyrim had so much that you could kinda "elect" to partake in, or not. There was the main story, and then one-off side quests that you found along the way. Then it had "guilds" you could join or not that all had their own main questlines. There was enough stuff to do in that game that you could just ignore the main story and still have 100 hours of fun.

The Witcher had just one main storyline and then it's one-off side quests. And so many of the side quests feel tied to the main quest, ie, receiving them doesn't unlock or does not feel right until the main quest is advanced. It doesn't feel like you could do much of anything in the Witcher without first substantially advancing the main plot consistently.

BUT the Witcher 3's quests had much more variance and non-linearity in outcome, I think, or at least way more meaningful in how it impacted other areas of the story and world.

Yeah, I could ignore half the map in Skyrim, but did doing anything or not doing anything truly change any of the other quests? Everything was self contained. The main quest was just as linear as anything the Witcher had it terms of plot, probably moreso. The only thing it had more of was open space between quest assigner's physical locations on the map (though, the Witcher 3 is hardly SMALL, as an open world.... just not as big as Skyrim).

Where Skyrim had more non-linearity was it's character creation/progression. With Geralt, the leveling up and variety of skills was more or less limited. Fast or strong attack, five different magic trees, and the weird alchemy skill tree thing that no one quite figured out how to make maximum use of.

Skyrim presented a way more limitless set of skills and mixes and matches of those skills. But that is in line with their "you make your own character" motto, right down to selection from 9 races.

But I don't think Skyrim's quests were that much less linear.

I think the size of the world just made it feel that way.

Don't get me wrong.... I loved Skyrim, I put 500 hours into it (more than I've put into the Witcher, to date, though I'm catching up). And for it's time it was the pinnacle of fantasy RPG.

But they cannot release Elder Scrolls 6 with the same improvement from Skyrim to Fallout 4. I liked Fallout 4, but even with it's graphical improvements, it was beginning to feel mega stale coming after Skyrim. Way too similar, and way too many of the same complaints (bad story, wooden characters, bad models, stupid movements, robotic AI, etc).

They need to revolutionize whatever engine they are using before releasing a next game in Elder Scrolls, IMO.

Another thing is, they need to invest in their dialogue reading and direction. One of the worst sins for these games is when an actor mispronounces a sentence, puts the stress on the wrong word, etc. It's because they are reading off a sheet and don't know the context of how they are supposed to be replying. Completely immersion breaking.... Bethesda is one of the worst offenders for that. It's like.... did the actor even read the scene that they are doing lines for?
 

Genghis Khan

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The only thing I liked better about Skyrim was that it wasn't so linear. Witcher was pretty much the same story and experience for everyone. I like the variety of Skyrim better.
That's what the elder scrolls series does really really well, and it's why (along with the story and theme) they are generally my favorite franchise.

Have to say though that I am very looking forward to the Bethesda space franchise, Starfield.
 

Cowboysrock55

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That's what the elder scrolls series does really really well, and it's why (along with the story and theme) they are generally my favorite franchise.

Have to say though that I am very looking forward to the Bethesda space franchise, Starfield.
Yeah truth be told I love both of them. I'll probably check Starfield out too.
 

DontCryWolfe

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Have you ever played the Witcher 3?

Cause if not, stop what you are doing, risk the social distancing, and go find an open Best Buy and get it today. The game of the year edition with all the DLC.

Thank me later.

My authority to speak on this subject: 500 hours in Skyrim. The Witcher 3 is better.
Damn, really? Those are bold words, as i’m assuming you think as highly of Skyrim as I do, whilst acknowledging the technical hiccups.

What’s funny is, I enjoyed the first season on Netflix, but I have never played any of the Witcher series. I will give that a go then.
 

DontCryWolfe

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Outer Worlds?

I've only put in about an hour but it seems cool. Same company did fallout new vegas.
I haven’t given it a shot, only because I did get serious Fallout vibes from that game. And I think i’ll probably forever be burnt out on that series. Just too many hours on 3 and New Vegas.
 

Genghis Khan

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Damn, really? Those are bold words, as i’m assuming you think as highly of Skyrim as I do, whilst acknowledging the technical hiccups.

What’s funny is, I enjoyed the first season on Netflix, but I have never played any of the Witcher series. I will give that a go then.
I had assumed you played the witcher 3. Yes, definitely play witcher 3. It is amazing, very much holds up to skyrim.
 

Smitty

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Damn, really? Those are bold words, as i’m assuming you think as highly of Skyrim as I do, whilst acknowledging the technical hiccups.

What’s funny is, I enjoyed the first season on Netflix, but I have never played any of the Witcher series. I will give that a go then.
Yes really, 100%. Do not confuse the Netflix series with the game. I only watched the first episode of the Netflix series and it was eh... ok.

The game is a fucking masterpiece.

Go play it now and report back how much you love it. Kthxbye.
 

Smitty

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Damn, really? Those are bold words, as i’m assuming you think as highly of Skyrim as I do, whilst acknowledging the technical hiccups.

What’s funny is, I enjoyed the first season on Netflix, but I have never played any of the Witcher series. I will give that a go then.
I will also add.... take your time with the story and the side quests. They writing, dialogue and story are some of the best in gaming and is part of what makes the game. Really let yourself get into Geralt’s character even if you don’t know anything about him prior to starting (I didn’t).
 

1bigfan13

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I'm a few hours into the Final Fantasy 7 remake. Just starting chapter 3 of 18. So far I'm enjoying it. One minor thing that I don't like is that you can't change the characters' names like you could in the original.

I'm playing on normal mode which is basically makes it play just like an action adventure game. But you can switch to classic mode which converts it back to the old school turn-based Final Fantasy fight system.
 

ravidubey

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Yes really, 100%. Do not confuse the Netflix series with the game. I only watched the first episode of the Netflix series and it was eh... ok.

The game is a fucking masterpiece.

Go play it now and report back how much you love it. Kthxbye.
Just an amazing gaming franchise. I was hooked from the first installment. Read the first five books too. Shit is awesome and even more incredible how the games gave new life to the story started in the books.

Would love to see something like that latest Unreal engine fit to it.
 

lostxn

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Just an amazing gaming franchise. I was hooked from the first installment. Read the first five books too. Shit is awesome and even more incredible how the games gave new life to the story started in the books.

Would love to see something like that latest Unreal engine fit to it.
Yeah I finally finished the Witcher 3. The game was a total blast. Too much of a commitment to ever replay though.
 

boozeman

28 Years And Counting...
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My son is playing the new Last of Us and he is losing his mind, talking how the game is stressful.

Why would you continue to play a game that does this?
 

bbgun

please don't "dur" me
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almost as crazy as following a football team that hasn't won anything in a quarter century :unsure
 
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