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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Essays

Essays 19 August 2014, 14:13

author: Sonia Wojciechowska

Everything You Need to Know About The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt

In this article we gathered the most important information regarding The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that has been disclosed so far.

table OF CONTENT:
  • Story
  • World
  • Character development
  • Combat
  • Monsters hunting
  • Other gameplay mechanics
  • Technical Specifications
  • Other information

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the third instalment of the very popular RPG game series created by the Polish CD Projekt RED studio. The first game of the series was launched in 2007 and it is based on the stories of the wildly popular books written by Andrzej Sapkowski. The game is dedicated to personal computers, Xbox One, and PlayStation 4 users. The premiere will be on 24th of February 2015.

In this article is gathered the most important information about this product that has been disclosed so far. All the facts are divided into thematic categories - the list can be seen on the right. The compendium will be updated regularly with further revelations.

1. Story

Wild Hunt is the last part of Geralt of Rivia’s adventures and it closes the threads of the previous games. Those who are not familiar with the previous parts should not be worried - everything will be explained in detail and fans can expect that the import of saved games from previous parts will be reflected in the world of The Witcher 3. The action begins six months after the events of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. The Northern Kingdom is in chaos caused by the killings of monarchs and to make matters worse, a deadly danger in the form of a further invasion of the Nilfgaard Empire looms over the kingdom. However, this situation is not especially important for Geralt of Rivia. His attention will be focused on personal matters - like questing for his beloved - the sorceress Yennefer of Vengerberg.

However, regaining the love of his life and finding peace will not come easily to the Witcher, because he still has to settle the score with the Wild Hunt – the ghostly procession of riders who are responsible for the condition of Geralt. As you can guess, on the way to achieving these targets, the Witcher will have a lot of obstacles which require traveling across large parts of the world and engaging in a variety of problems which often have significant meanings. Of course, there are some additional tasks and activities - besides extended secondary missions, the player has the opportunity to take part in different random events like searching for unique equipment, and (an activity which is very important in Wild Hunt) hunting monsters. The creators’ announcements sound promising – they claim that the optional activities taken by the players will be able to affect the main plot line.

It is worth mentioning that the game has an open world construction (which you can read about below), - that is why, the creators have avoided dividing the story into acts. During the adventure, the hero will meet a lot of familiar faces, like: the bard Dandelion, the sorceress Triss Merigold, the dwarf Zoltan Chivay and the witchers of Kaer Morhen. The trailer presented at the June conference of the CD Projekt RED has confirmed that Ciri - the main character of five books written by Sapkowski will appear in the end. The creators want to emphasize the importance of the relationship of the White Wolf and supporting characters. The main storyline is enough for about 50 hours of gameplay, but if the player explores everywhere and does the secondary tasks the adventure should take at least 100 hours. Once the end credits roll player can continue playing with the equipment, skills, etc. he had by the end of the game. - by the way, there are three different ways of finishing the game (there are also 36 combinations of the factors which determine the state of the world after finishing the story).

2. World

Wild Hunt has abandoned the closed locations from the previous games and it has become similar to The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim - it offers a completely open world. According to the initial announcement, the available area will be about 20 percent larger than the land from the Bethesda Softworks’ work, but later premises - from the Game Developers Conference 2014 - indicated that the universe has expanded considerably and now it is at least several times larger than the province of Skyrim. The creators did not confirm these suggestions, but they said that we are dealing with a "living world", which is still growing, so in the end it is possible to reach such a size. What is more, the developers have announced that during the journey, the player will not experience any loading screens. There is one exception, which is during the journey from the mainland to the Skellige islands, but it should be very short. Horses will help the player to move quickly from one place to another. There are also other means of transport (for example boats in marine areas). In this game, the player will find a fast travel system – it allows moving among road signs in areas that the player has found.

In spite of the open structure of the world, the creators do not intend to scale the level of opponents to the abilities of a hero. The three main (but not only) lands that the player is able to visit in The Witcher 3 are:

  • the Skellige Islands (they are populated by quasi – the Normans, it is an archipelago of cold climates),
  • Novigrad (the most magnificent city in the Northern Kingdoms, it is several times larger than Wyzima from the first part of the Witcher)
  • Vellin (an empty place, plundered during the war, it is the vast border area where the fighting with Nilfgaard is taking place).

Each of these areas is supposed to have a separate storyline, which is developed independently of the other threads. The creators’ purpose was to fill the world with various attractions and make it an authentic, living and rapidly changing place. Our actions or lack of them will affect the appearance of the individual locations (for example, the villages will depopulate if no one helps the inhabitants fight bandit attacks). It is also worth mentioning that many areas will welcome the players presenting familiar, Slavic climates (which many players were missing in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings).

Importantly, the developers swear that during our journey we will not see a single loading screen – except maybe for travelling from the mainland to the archipelago of Skellige, however, even there any possible loadings should be very short. Mounts and other means of transport (e.g. boats in marine areas) will prove helpful for moving around quickly. There will also be a fast travel system, letting you move between the already discovered road signs at crossroads. Despite the open structure of the world, the creators do not intend to introduce level-scaling of opponents.

3. Character development

Like in the previous versions, our character is Geralt of Rivia – there is no option to choose another character. The players do not have any opportunities to select the character’s race or even class of the hero. Nevertheless, there will be probably be the option to have some influence on the appearance of the protagonist, by changing his hairstyle and possibly to shaving off his beard at a barber in the game world. Nonetheless, there will be also a hero development system, represented by three Witcher specialization trees – Swordsmanship tree, Alchemy tree and Magic tree. When the players develops some skills, they get points, which are the rewards for reaching the next level of experience. In short, it is very similar in comparison to The Witcher 2. However, it will be remodeled and developed. What is more, the creators will highlight the role of mutagens (it is possible that those substances will have a separate tree skills). It is obvious that the capabilities and skills of Geralt will also be increased – for example by acquisition of more and better equipment (weapons, armor parts, trophies, etc.).

4. Combat

The developers intend to apply an arcade model of combat, which is an evolution of the mechanisms applied in the Assassins of Kings, inspired by the games of the Batman: Arkham series. There are also other changes, for example, the way Geralt moves during clashes will be remodeled – the dodges of the Witcher will finally take the form of well-known books pirouettes (instead of the usual somersaults)and it will not be possible to run freely between opponents. What is more, the hero will be able to move while holding down the block button and will be able to drink potions during battle. The character will receive up to 96 new combat animations, which is almost five times more than it was available in the previous part of the game.

Serious changes can also be noticed in the artificial intelligence of monsters and other adversaries. There is one useful option – which is the possibility of interrupting an action half way through an animation. Environment will also be important during clashes - for example, hitting beehives using the Aard sign (telekinetic push) will make the insects angry and bring them on the heads of our opponents. The last trailer (June 2014) confirmed that Geralt will be able to sit in the saddle and fight using both sword and Aard and Igni (fire blast) signs. A ranged weapon will appear in the game, useful e.g. for hitting flying targets (interestingly, it comes with different ammunition types and has its own set of skills in Geralt’s progression tree). It is worth keeping in mind that when it comes to the level of difficulty of the fights, it will be a little easier than in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

5. Monster hunting

Of course the game has not forgotten the Witcher's profession, and what is more, it will be extended in comparison to the previous versions. There will be more than eighty kinds of monsters (mainly inspired by Slavic mythology), and Geralt will receive orders for hunting them in different ways, for example by eavesdropping on a conversation at the tavern. Before taking the job, the White Wolf has to collect some knowledge about the enemy, reading books and chatting with people who live near the monster. It will be essential to investigate the place where the beast was active. There is a new feature which will be very helpful, in the form of activated senses, for example sharpening the eyesight of the hero.

Sometimes the monster turns out to be an insurmountable opponent, unless we find out about a weak point, then the players can attack the monster's weakness. The last stage of the quest will be tracking down and killing it. Sometimes we will have to use bait or use of one of the hero’s senses (for example, hearing). It should be remembered that the behavior and abilities of the beast may be different depending on various factors; for example, a werewolf will be much stronger during the full moon.

6. Other gameplay mechanisms

6.1. Magic

As you know, several signs represent the Witcher’s magical abilities. In this game, the players will be able to use such powers as Aard (telekinetic thrust), Igni (fire blast) or Yrden (magical trap). A new innovation applied in the game is dividing the powers of each sign into two forms, one less and one more advanced. For example, Igni will serve as a ball of fire or will produce a flaming circle, which will surround the hero, and Yrden will produce an effect against one opponent or the entire group. The player will be able to select spells using the circular menu, but it can be also chosen using keyboard shortcuts.

6.2. Crafts

The Wild Hunt will see the evolution of many existing mechanisms. The basic craft activities of Geralt will be brewing various potions as well as improving armor (there is one curiosity – improving equipment will not only improve them, but will also change his appearance). There will also be the task of collecting of plans and schemes – if the player finds the relevant components and service providers he will be able to create solid equipment. A small innovation is the fact that the most powerful items will be able to be produced only by masters of crafts, and finding them can create some difficulties.

During CD-Action EXPO the alchemy system was characterized precisely. In general, it will be more similar to the first part than to the second one. The discussed mechanics will be more extensive and offer more potions levels than previously. What is more, they will be divided into mutagenic - a powerful potions with a high level of toxicity which are taken before the fight - and those which support – they have weaker properties but they are less toxic and can be drunk during clashes. There will also be special types of decoctions – the character needs them whilst hunting for certain types of monsters. In addition, the hero will also be able to produce grease for swords, bombs and firecrackers.

6.3. Navigating

Geralt will get the opportunity to climb, jump, and swim (even under water), but such efforts will cause him to lose strength and stamina. It is true that the Witcher will not climb every nook and cranny (as in the Assassin's Creed), but these mechanisms should be so significant that while playing, the character will even be able to perform some acrobatic sequences. While traveling the player can use horses and boats. It is worth mentioning that during sailing, the player should pay attention to sea monsters (they have to be bypassed, because there is no option to take part in sea battles), as well as storms and huge waves – there is a danger of our means of transport being sunk or smashed against rocks.

6.4. Mini-games

As in previous games, between major quests Geralt will be able to take part in various noncommittal entertainments. They will be different and will depend on the region. Moreover, each of them can be associated with a separate storyline, for example involving competition with great experts in a given discipline. We can be sure that the Witcher will take part in competitions such as bone poker or fist fights – the fist fighting will not be based on QTE sequences anymore (in general, this mechanic will disappear from the game), but instead a combat system similar to the clashes using swords will be used. Our team has found out that the Witcher will take part in knife throwing and horse racing.

Some special attention should be paid to Helix – a card game well-known to fans of the books as dwarven invention that bears many similarities to game of bridge. However, the video game version will offer rules close to what we know from e.g. Hearthstone: Heroes of Warcraft – two players fighting dynamic battles, while commanding one of the four armies available (Nilfgaard, Northern Kingdoms, Scoia’tael, monsters), represented by cards with various units, spells, heroes, etc.

6.5. Equipment

CD-Action EXPO revealed that there will be plenty of solutions taken from the first and the second part of the Witcher when it comes to equipment. Our character will have to carry a number of things, but the amount will be limited (as in the second part). Of course, the hero will collect various items, such as weapons, items of clothing or armor, crafts ingredients (especially alchemy), trophies, books and trinkets.

6.6. Witcher’s medallion

During CD-Action EXPO it was announced that the witcher’s medallion will return, although the creators have not yet fully defined its role in the game yet. It will certainly warn the player against dangers but its other uses are unknown for now.

7. Technical Specifications

The game is created using another third generation REDengine engine. This is very advanced technology – you can see it in the pictures or watch it in the Wild Hunt trailers and observe what the developers were able to achieve in terms of visuals. The game world will be rendered based on the physics and properties of the elements which compose it. In addition, there are a lot of graphic fountains, like SpeedTree, PhysX, animations of clothing and Nvidia HairWorks technology.

Noteworthy is the new system of facial expressions and a fresh dialog editor, so every conversation should look as good as cut scenes. In terms of quality of game graphics, it presents a similar level in all three hardware platforms, but the PC’s users with powerful configurations can enjoy a little nicer setting. Among the changes made in the technology process, the most significant are the improved artificial intelligence of independent characters (both enemies and "ordinary" people of the world).

7.1. PC version requirements

The optimization process still continues, so giving the exact hardware requirements is not already possible at this time. However, the developer reassures that having two graphics cards to play with the best settings will not be necessary. Lately it was said that it is not unlikely that comfortable gameplay with high visual settings may be possible even on systems with graphics card of performance level close to Radeon R9 280X.

7.2. Versions dedicated to consoles

At the end of 2013, the developers announced that they would like to provide versions for the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 - the speed level will be 30 frames per second. It is still too early to give specific information - also about display resolution. However, in May, the creators announced that the game version dedicated to the Sony console may (but does not have to) work a little better than the version created for Microsoft’s equipment.

8. Other information

8.1. Editions and prices

The game is published on the market in three editions. The recommended price of the standard version is 59,99$ (PC, Xone, PS4). The package includes a large format map of the game world, a compendium of the universe and instructions (all in printed form), as well as a set of stickers and audio CD with soundtrack. The digital issue includes the same content (but it is not in physical form, of course). It is available only for PC users and should cost about 59.99$. If you are interested in purchasing this game, you should visit the GOG.com store that offers different gifts and discounts for each order. Then there is the cherry on top of the cake – the collector's edition. Its suggested price is 149,99$ (PC, Xone, PS4), but at the moment it is already mostly sold out. Beside the supplements to the standard version, the collector’s edition includes a heavy statue of Geralt fighting a griffin (26 centimeters tall), the Witcher’s medallion, art book and steel book. Lately it was said that buyers of the richest edition of the game on Xbox One will receive two exclusive items: an additional map made of cloth and two decks of Helix cards (compare with section 6.4. Minigames).

8.2. Language versions

Similar to the previous versions, the Wild Hunt will receive a full Polish language version on the Polish market – Jacek Rozenek will again play the main part with numerous well-known stars from previous parts of the Witcher.

Nevertheless, it is worth paying attention to the English dubbing. An excellent example is the Emperor Emhyr var Emreis who is dubbed by the superb Charles Dance, known as Tywin Lannister from the Game of Thrones TV series. American actor Douge Cockle will reprise the role of Geralt of Rivia.

8.3. Multiplayer

The creators do not provide this mode in the Wild Gon game. The only way it can appear is fighting in the arena, but it is not confirmed that such a function will be possible.

8.4. Soundtrack

The soundtrack is composed by Marcin Przybylowicz. The unique musical compositions that can be heard e.g. in the game’s trailers, are so largely due to Percival Schuttenbach band involved in Wild Hunt’s production. In total, we will hear several hours of soundtrack, much more than in the previous games.

8.5. Import of saved game

Similar to the previous versions, it is possible to transfer a saved game from Assassins of Kings. The player will receive saved choices – so there is no need to construct the world again and the progress achieved in the previous version will also be saved. The creators want to make a similar function for console owners (the ability to generate their own "save file"), but at the moment they have not yet decided if the service will be available.

8.6. Backstage Production

The cost of creating Witcher 3 is about 25 million dollars, and almost the same amount will be dedicated to a marketing campaign. When it comes to the progress of the game, in the second half of March 2014, we learned from Marcin Iwinski that the Wild Hunt is in alpha stage – the main storyline and a large part of the side quests are completed, but the creators are still working to eliminate errors and bugs. Moreover, there is lack of dialog recordings and other items, which are important in the game.

During CD-Action EXPO it was explained that more than 200 people are now involved in the production of The Witcher 3. It was also said that the participation of Andrzej Sapkowski in the creation of the game is limited. The author is occasionally consulted about the look of the map in the Witcher’s world and provides proper names.

8.7. DLCs

The developers are not going to break their habit and follow large studies, launching more or less paid DLC for the game after the premiere - if such packets occur, it will be free (at least for PC’s users). What is more, the Wild Hunt is looking forward to have a large fiction expansion (with new adventures), which may be extra paid.

8.8. Mods

In accordance with tradition, some time after the publishing the Wild Hunt, the players will receive new versions of the REDkit tools, used to modify Witcher 3. This time, the developer wants to give modders the opportunity much faster than in the case of Witcher 2 (the players received REDkit tools two years after the release of the game).

8.9. Reception

It is obviously too early to talk about the game’s reception or sales. However, it is noteworthy that according to CD Project RED The Witcher 3 is expected to sell in around 150-200 thousand copies in Poland only (the home country of the franchise).

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

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