Why some companies get a free pass when releasing games with problems ?

[SvennoJ]

The frame rate dips are definitely annoying in combat. I rather meditate for sunny skies than to take on a group in the rain. Frame rate is far from the only problem the game has, it's a diamond in the rough, very rough.

I don't know why they get a free pass. The witcher 2 launch wasn't exactly smooth (it launched with drm that did not work and left people unable to play, then they were suddenly heros for removing the drm). Plus the game was badly optimized, making me to go into the settings to try to make it playable in some areas. (pc version)

Now on console at least the frame rate doesn't dip so low it becomes a slide show but it's still annoying. As for the other problems, I posted them before and the list keeps growing:

The game play is somewhere between passable and plain bad. Clunky movement, finicky positioning to press x in the exact right spot, camera is the biggest enemy in combat, bad horse controls, bad swimming controls, you frequently get stuck on the scenery as well as the camera, enemies get stuck on trees and the environment, climbing is inconsistent, crafting system is a mess that only weighs your inventory down with the ridiculous number of components you find everywhere, inventory is slow and a mess with no sorting options, text is too small in the menus.

The main quest and some side quests have been great so far, yet I've already spent far more time doing the same old generic stuff. Repetitive points of interest as well as generic kill x quests all over the place. Plus the actual game play in the quests is nothing to brag about either. Witcher sense spot the glowy red things in the right order to trigger the next thing gets old fast.

The frame rate can get so bad at times that combat becomes almost impossible with the wildly moving camera. Don't fight large groups in the rain. The loading times are downright awful. Equipment degrades far too fast, the game would have me repair my sword multiple times in one game day. Shops reset instantly, can't buy back stuff.

Axii is far over powered. I put most of my points in it (lvl 10 atm) and when I charm a lvl 7, he can chop down a shield bearing lvl 16 in 2 blows. Yet my lvl 10 self can hardly touch the lvl 16.

Graphical glitches are not uncommon either. Weird instant weather changes at times, night time environment lighting while the sun is already up, corpses that stick out in the air or through things, trees blowing through walls.

It's a testament to how good the characters and writing are that I want to play more. The landscape does look lovely and there's plenty to explore. However exploration is becoming less and less rewarding due to all the identikit villages and points of interest locations. Plus I saw the exact same guy 3 times in a row, twice as a merchant in an identikit village, then as an inn keeper. He could have at least changed his clothes.

I saw that guy again, and the exact same kid 3 times already. Got stuck in the scenery bad enough I could do nothing but reload, sometimes saves don't actually save, walking through gates is comedy as always, better get off the horse when you get near walls or fences, and summon him again later, it's better for your sanity.

This game proves that game play is the least important asset of a game, I'm still enjoying it despite occasionally getting fed up with the game play.  Btw what is this stuff about not milking it. Sure it has some free horse armor type dlc (why isn't it simply part of the game) yet like any other game there's a $25 expansion pass for still unknown content. Sounds like a season pass to me.

Back to talking with the characters and sight seeing. /casts axii: there are no bugs, the game is perfect, must gather more loot.

Edit: Beware, don't go too close to the (invisible) edge of the map. It automatically reset me floating in the air, to then fall to my death after 2 steps.