the quote is not vague at all, witcher 1 and 2 are pretty much the opposite of the latest bethesda RPGs. I dont like them at all, but loved the old witcher games.
when CDPR now say the take a completely different approach for witcher 3 and take the same path bethesda took, how is that vague?
You know, after playing Witcher 2, I"m not sure why people compare the games or think that you have to love either one or the other. You are right they are different games. But, they are different games with different focus's on what they are aiming for.
Witcher is trying to tell you a story and give you choices on what is the best option that you think Geralt should do but with the idea that Geralt wants to do good (or what is the best option you would think Geralt would do given his personality). It's a game where you are playing a certain story and a certain character and you are given the character you are playing and his goals.
Elder Scrolls is more about creating your own story with a given backstory that it's being written in. Be the bad guy, be the good guy. Your choices aren't about trying to figure out what is best, but what you want your character to be.
Sure, some people have preference towards one or the other, but i'm not sure you can say that either makes the other better. Personally, I kinda prefer more Elder Scrolls (it's more immersive to me to be able to play how I want to play. First I usually play as how I think I would be like in that game, I like to pretend I'm there, oh, and that I'm not a coward
. That's harder to do in Witcher since I'm playing some one else's choices. But I do also like to try to roleplay a character different than me too).
Neither's combat is great but also, to be honest, I'll probably get yelled at, but I prefer Skyrim's. Mainly cause not being forced to target something before I try to hit it. I much prefer just trying to aim for myself and hit rather than having to tell the computer where to aim and then hit (I really really hated that in Witcher 2). Both are button mashers though really (as in that is all you really need to do). Skyrim does have the problem that it gets really easy once you get high level (Even more dismaying in Fallout since part of hte fun of Fallout is feeling you are in an area where resources are very few).
Honestly, there is no reason one has to choose one or the other. They are different games and can be enjoyed for what they are. Yeah, Bethesda sucks at stories (and being an open world/choose your own character is no excuse, they could do better. Look at Fallout New vegas). And I do like the choose which option has the least bad and most good in your opinion. But still, it's a different aim of how you want to play.
They're both good games in their own rights (and they both have *gasp* flaws. I will say I really disliked the try to pretend it's open world feel of Witcher 2 while still not being. All it did was make it more immersive breaking when you noticed the walls/linear stuff. I prefer a game to either just admit what it is, be linear and very story oriented, or be fully open world. This is why I'm super excited for Witcher 3 cause I will admit while I like either, I prefer open world. And I'll just say as much as I adored and had total fun with Skyrim, there are few complaints I disagree with that I think it could have been better with. Just I loved the game despite the flaws, it still was fun and very immersive to me and let me pretend I was in that setting. And in the end that's the most important part, if I overall liked the game).
As an animator I have no idea why people are saying that the animations are bad, aside from maybe the sprinting animation it looks fantastic for a game of this size. They're not the best in the industry but they're certainly not bad by any stretch of the word.
People are being nitpicky. And also, probably built up in their mind how good this game will be (part of the problem of being a developer that people believe is the "good guy" and expect more out of).
Personally, I think it looks gorgeous *shrug*.