Before you read this, please note that I hated Witcher 1 & 2. However, Witcher 3...
+The world is massive. I thought Dragon Age: Inquisition was big but this just makes it seem small. I feel like this is the biggest world I've ever played in.. I can just take my horse and run in one direction forever and I would always find new places to explore.
+There are hundreds of quests and things to do in the game. I'm more than 100 hours in and I still find myself doing sidequests.. I can't even proceed on the main quest because there's just so many things to do, even wandering around aimlessly is entertaining.
+There are dozens upon dozens of enemy types. Every contract to kill some beast is different. There are the standard vampires, werewolves, harpies, griffins, gargoyles, etc. but then there are the Witcher monsters like noonwraiths, fiends, drowners, hags, nekkers, ekkimaras, etc. The best thing is that each monster behaves differently and you can't approach two monsters in the same way.
+The graphics are highly detailed and beautiful. Maybe not as beautiful as the original render because of console downgrading but it's still awesome to look at from every angle. The characters, armor, walls, grass, water, lighting, etc. all look amazing especially if you play on PC on the highest settings. Each strand of hair on Geralt's head behaves differently against the wind as well as the fur on the werewolf's body. The light shafts cascading from the sun that land on the distant trees and mountains are a sight to behold. Sometimes you can just get caught up watching the scenery while running.
+The music and sound add so much to the atmosphere. When I enter into a fight, the drums are thumping and the monsters are roaring and Geralt is cursing. When I enter a city, there's endless chattering and people muttering about freaks and ambient sounds that make it seem alive.
+The theme of the game is so realistic yet fantastic at the same time. It has that perfect dark medieval vibe where witches are burned on stakes by the church and people fear monsters that plague the land. The main character's role in the game represents the professional badass that gets rid of any shit you want gone like a vigilante that kings and peasants alike fear and respect. The game makes all of these themes blend together so well that it's so hard to escape the immersion you feel while playing.
+The story is very deep and inspiring. Even though I don't exactly appreciate 1 & 2, this game makes everything approachable and easy to digest. It's simple enough to understand yet deep enough for completionists. It also doesn't pull any punches. The game curses and swears and shows naked women like there's no tomorrow like an episode of Spartacus or Game of Thrones.
+Combat is very fluid and satisfying yet challenging for harcore players. It's similar to the Batman Arkham games wherein you counter and dodge and try to chain together combos but it's more difficult and demands more from the player in terms of timing and spacing. You can't just hack and slash your way to victory here. Even low level creatures will kill you if you approach them lightly without any strategy.
+Crafting is intuitive and extremely deep. There are so many recipes and crafting components to make your head spin and they're very neatly organized (post new patch).
+Gwent (card game) is the best minigame ever in any game. It's got to be created in real life and tournaments must exist. I've spent more time playing gwent than playing the actual game. It's really amazing, much better than Triple Triad or any other minigame in existence.
+CD Projekt Red is supporting the game wholeheartedly. Free DLC every week and improvements come in consistently. The developer listens to the players and provides feedback regularly.
I can't say anything wrong about the game. I've been trying to break the game myself and yes, there are glitches here and there, but every game has glitches. I can't fault a massive world for having them sometimes. This is as close to perfect a game can be.
9.7/10
