The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a dark fantasy, non-linear, open world RPG with a focus on a character-driven story, player choice, tactical combat and a rich living world.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be the crowning achievement for the critically acclaimed game developer CD Projekt RED, and the final episode of one of the best RPG trilogies. All the lessons the team has learned while developing the series will make The Witcher 3 larger, more polished and a masterpiece of storytelling and gameplay like no other.
The world is in chaos. The air is thick with tension and the smoke of burned villages. The fearsome Nilfgaardian Empire has struck again, ravaging the hapless Northern Kingdoms. The once mighty who tried to use Geralt are dead or gone. These are uncertain times and no one can say who will rise or fall, who will bring peace to the world and who will bring only misery.
But a force darker and deadlier has appeared. Little do the petty men and women moving their tin-plated armies across the Northern Kingdoms know that their conflict is mere child’s play compared with another otherworldly danger which now looms closer than ever. This brooding danger lusts after one thing: that which matters most to Geralt, that which is dearest to his heart.
Unique, intuitive combat system blending a wide range of tactical elements with the most spectacular and dynamic combat sequences ever seen in a role-playing video game. In The Witcher 3 the swordplay gives combat a more realistic feel. The player can feel like a real witcher, the ultimate monster slayer, taking full control of his swords and becoming the most dangerous hunter.
■ Intuitive and unique combat system rooted in traditional RPG systems but updated and improved to provide modern, spectacular and thoroughly gripping entertainment full of dynamic and brutal combat sequences. Combat effectiveness comes from real-time player skills combined with RPG mechanics rooted in character development stats that interact with opponent AI.
■ The game features a broad range of obtainable abilities and skills and players can vary their tactics in battle, mixing advanced swordsmanship with the witcher’s magic signs and alchemical boosters. The number of strikes, swings and all other possible attacks have been significantly increased and all combat movement looks smooth thanks to additional combat animations (96 animations compared with 20 in the Witcher 2).
■ Combat complexity based on a variety of actions at the player’s disposal, not only on correct attack sequencing. Basic attacks and their sequences are triggered simply and available at the players’ fingertips, but there are many more tactical options at the players’ disposal such as magic signs, potions, oils, bombs and traps. The combat mechanics do not require the player to take part in QTEs even during important fights or events.
■ The Witcher Senses system brings new tactical depth to combat – strike at your opponent’s weak points using Geralt’s knowledge of beasts. In The Witcher 3 the real feel of being a huntsman, who makes a living by tracking down beasts, is brought to a new level. For example to track down a Basilisk, first you may use Witcher Senses to investigate a corpse, find clues in the surroundings, prepare bait, and finally, when facing the enemy, use the combat Witcher Senses to pierce the venom glands to gain advantage.
■ Environment interactions affect combat – the player may use in game objects to defeat enemies (e.g. destroy bee hives to unleash a swarm which will attack Geralt’s enemies).
■ This is the last part of the legend of Geralt of Rivia. In the past he has raised and overthrown monarchs, battled legendary monsters and saved the lives of many. Now Geralt embarks on his most personal quest yet, to save his loved ones and protect the world from an ancient threat.
■ The story is drawn based on player decisions. Each action will have consequences that change the story and the game world. NPCs, communities, monsters and locations all change, based on player choice.
■ The player can resolve quests and main story threads in any order or complete them in a parallel fashion.
■ The Witcher 3 is standalone adventure, easily entered into by new players – the story and game world do not require the player to know the previous games or even the books. Witcher fans will find subtle references to past adventures, but these elements are not necessary to enjoy the game fully.
■ A breathtaking cinematic introduction demonstrating the game background – this lets players immediately know the situation in the war-ravaged Northern Kingdoms and the background story of the main character.
■ Unique atmosphere, memorable characters and gritty dialog – the game world has its own unique feel. It is a classic dark fantasy tale that will appeal to fans of all kinds of fantasy stories.
Open world features and exploration methods:
■ A vast open world environment – 30 times bigger than The Witcher 2. The size of the world requires new methods of exploration such as horse riding and sailing.
■ The free-roam environment of the game consists of diversified lands, each with a completely different atmosphere. The player may go beyond one ecosystem and culture and experience a completely different type of adventure in each part of the world.
■ Each lands has a different inspiration and deep cultural reference, giving each of them that personal feel.
Confirmed lands are:
◆ Skellige: a wind-swept and rugged archipelago.
◆ The delta of the Pontar river with its centre in the port city of Novigrad.
◆ The war-ravaged No Man’s Land.
■ The open world environment does not consist of set piece scenes the player rushes through, but real ecosystems, with their own life, which can be easily set out of balance by Geralt’s choices. The living world is not a stage filled with “dead” props, but an interactive environment that interacts with the player and is dependent on Geralt’s actions in the Northern Kingdoms.
■ The world is shaped by the player’s decisions, but left to itself it just lives – predators hunt for other animals and villages defend themselves against monsters. These are not scripted events, but something incorporated into the game world AI itself.
■ A unique, deep, consistent and expansive game world based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s seven book series – recreated in the game to provide the ultimate, sophisticated player experience.
living open world
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt delivers an enhanced and deeper role-playing experience, thanks to advanced gameplay mechanics. The Witcher 3 takes full advantage of a robust RPG system. This will make The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt the crowning achievement of its genre. Stats will have real consequences in gameplay, but will be intuitive for the player to use. No unnecessary scripts or gameplay mechanics will spoil the player’s immersion.
■ A tutorial system incorporated into the game that allows player to dive into the world of the Witcher with ease. This creates a smooth learning curve for new players. All aspects of gameplay will be explained.
■ The Witcher Senses mechanic, Geralt’s abilities will come in handy not only during combat. You will also use them to:
◆ Discover tracks and clues invisible to mere mortals and use them to find blood-thirsty beasts, hiding in secret lairs.
◆ Examine dead bodies in order to find essential information, key to identifying and finding their killer.
◆ Detect magic and danger using the witcher medallion – a special talisman that vibrates when approaching anomalies.
■ An expanded sign casting system – each of the 5 signs has two totally different modes of use. This creates even more possibilities in combat allowing the player to use magic in creative way.
■ Highly-intuitive Alchemy system. In addition to potions, bombs and blade coatings, players can create new pyrotechnic devices. Alchemical concoctions and creations provide greater benefits when players use them regularly.
Geralt can create concoctions for specific monster types, fortified potions and control his toxicity level to derive benefits from it. In The Witcher 3, a new potion activation system gives more control over the effects of drinking elixirs.
■ Unforgettable quests deeply linked with the core storyline. The game’s significant quests are linked deeply with the core storyline, affect relations with NPCs and population and avoid well-known quest patterns such as “Fed Ex” quests. All quests are designed from scratch; there are no automatically generated assignments.
■ Advanced crafting mechanics. Geralt’s options for creating items have been significantly expanded. The effects of crafting have more influence on gameplay.
