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[truly101]

I think people have been burned last year with a lot of shitty broken games.

A random dude making a thread saying " hey guys, I got to play W3 early and won't tell you anything about the game, but its fucking amazing, definitely Got!!! " is going to be met with scepticism.

There *are* reasons to be wary as well, not least the game being delayed twice and needing 6 months of polishing even though it's apparently complete.

You also can't tell how janky the combat is looking at those videos.

It took me a bit to get used to the combat in II but once I did, I didn't have an issue.

Again, I have no problem with the scrutiny or anyone taking a wait and see approach. We know events like these can be tailored to show off a game's strength and hide the weaknesses. The OP to me reads more like a super fan than insidious corporate pawn, but some are taking his post as more of the latter and not really the former, and I'm not really seeing it.

 

[Lunar15]

Just a warning: don't ever enter a Bloodborne thread. You will not be able to handle it.

Believe me, I've been on GAF for a while now. I'm no stranger to hyperbole, and I'm sure I've used it plenty of times myself.

But being aware of it, knowing how silly it sounds, and looking at your disappointments in retrospect is important. I think the whole "I know it's going to be my GOTY" thing bothers me more than usual lately due to all of the problems with pre-order culture. If we want to hold the industry to better standards, we've got to start holding ourselves to better standards.

There's a difference between "This game really looks great, and it's hitting all the notes I'm looking for. It looks right up my alley" and "I already know this will be my favorite game this year". It's slight, but vital if you want people to actually listen to you.

 

[Baldwin_the_First]

Stupid is a bit harsh. I've got no problem with the OP's impressions. Seems like he was genuinely awed by what he saw, and that's great. My two cents, however, is just advice. If you want people to take your impressions more seriously and not get accused of astro-turfing or whatever nonsense people come up with, avoiding hyperbole is probably a good start.

It's all about how you present yourself. Saying something is going to be the best thing you play all year before you even play it is a silly statement. It's a very limiting, absolute statement. None of us know the future. There's better ways to genuinely express excitement for something. My point is, don't be shocked if people dismiss what you say when you give them reasons to dismiss it.

Then again, those people could also just realise that he's using hyperbole for the sake of evoking strong feelings or to create a strong impression. It wasn't meant to be taken literally I'm sure. Shocked or not, a simple deduction of what the OP meant isn't asking a whole lot.

 

[Teletraan1]

I wish it had fewer hours of playtime.

Or at least, if they didn't put so much emphasis on quantity when talking about the game.

Especially with how uneven the game looks just from a graphical perspective. I wonder if they stretched themselves thin by trying to cram too much in. Somethings gotta give. I doubt a lot of these side quests will be of any sort of quality. I would have prefered a tighter focus. 40-50 hours of really solid content >>>> 100-200 hours of bear pelts. This is definitely a game I am waiting for after the hype wears down to get a take on. The second game actually put me off the series. While the first game was rough around the edges the combat was serviceable and allowed me to experience the story and the world. The second game the combat was not serviceable, it was crap or I was because it never clicked with me at all.

 

[misho8723]

Last Wish
Sword of Destiny (releasing in May 2015)
Blood of Elves
Times of Contempt
Baptism of Fire
+ last 2 books unreleased.

Got the 4 translated ones on kindle and the order is

Last wish (its a series of short stories)

Then the trilogy:
Blood of elves
Time of contempt
Baptism of fire

Almost fished. Good series.


Is sword of destiny a separate story that happens earlier than blood of elves or is it literally part one. Because blood of elves doesn't feel like a second book.

About the books:
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2015/01/bff-the-witcher-will-be-back

"The first book, The Sword of Destiny, will be published in May 2015.."

"Two further books—The Swallow’s Tower and Lady of the Lake—will be released in 2016 and 2017 and will conclude the main story of Geralt the Witcher. All three books will be translated by David French, whose translation of the previous two volumes in the series was widely acclaimed."

 

[Denton]

Thanks for the impressions OP. This game is definitely in my to buy list.
This is such shit. There's plenty of Xbox fanboys and girls on this forum (and Nintendo). A lot of times they are the more vocal crowd too. Unless they're just astroturfing for Microsoft. Nah, we know Microsoft never astroturfs....right? Right?

Of course there are plenty of Xbox and Nintendo and PC fans too. And I am not accusing anyone of astroturfing. But the perception that Neogaf is a bit sony centric exists, even if plenty members may disagree with it.

 

[Guri]

Stupid is a bit harsh. I've got no problem with the OP's impressions. Seems like he was genuinely awed by what he saw, and that's great. My two cents, however, is just advice. If you want people to take your impressions more seriously and not get accused of astro-turfing or whatever nonsense people come up with, avoiding hyperbole is probably a good start.

It's all about how you present yourself. Saying something is going to be the best thing you play all year before you even play it is a silly statement. It's a very limiting, absolute statement. None of us know the future. There's better ways to genuinely express excitement for something. My point is, don't be shocked if people dismiss what you say when you give them reasons to dismiss it.

Why do fans have to worry about that, though? I mean, a developer? Sure? A journalist? Definitely. But why a fan? And what are the reasons to dismiss what a fan has to say? Because then, it seems that the only reason you are dismissing the OP is because he enjoyed something you are sceptical about. And that only makes it sound like you are trying to take the joy he had away from him. You already made up your mind. You are sceptical and nothing will change that. Let him have his fun.

That's what I said about game impressions. I imagine the OP went there to play the game already thinking that he would like to come here and post his impressions. Then he liked the game and was positive about it. Suddenly, people attacked him for it. Because they (and not him) were sceptical about it.

And I am sorry, but trying to give advice related to personal taste is weird. What is the problem of someone enjoying only one game throughout the whole year? If they are having a blast, then why do you have to suggest them to play something else? They will when they feel like it. But no reason to if they are perfectly happy with their current choices. Unless they ask for your advice.

 

[Lunar15]

Why do fans have to worry about that, though? I mean, a developer? Sure? A journalist? Definitely. But why a fan? And what are the reasons to dismiss what a fan has to say? Because then, it seems that the only reason you are dismissing the OP is because he enjoyed something you are sceptical about. And that only makes it sound like you are trying to take the joy he had away from him. You already made up your mind. You are sceptical and nothing will change that. Let him have his fun.

That's what I said about game impressions. I imagine the OP went there to play the game already thinking that he would like to come here and post his impressions. Then he liked the game and was positive about it. Suddenly, people attacked him for it. Because they (and not him) were sceptical about it.

And I am sorry, but trying to give advice related to personal taste is weird. What is the problem of someone enjoying only one game throughout the whole year? If they are having a blast, then why do you have to suggest them to play something else? They will when they feel like it. But no reason to if they are perfectly happy with their current choices. Unless they ask for your advice.

I think you're writing me off as someone who is skeptical of the OP. I'm actually not. I believe that he's genuinely excited. I think that's what frustrates me more: people are writing this guy off for being a shill when he's clearly not.

Also, I've got no desire to change anyone's personal taste or say that it's wrong. Just saying that there's a lot more ways to express that personal taste in a way that people might more readily accept and understand it. It's less me going off on a rant about what the OP is doing wrong, and more me going off on a tangent on how I think people don't express themselves very well.

Really though, I can admit that I'm just being abnormally grumpy and nitpicky about the statement, "This is going to be my GOTY". I'm literally "old man yelling at cloud" right now.

 

[truly101]

Right now my GOTY hopefuls are this and Bloodbourne as those are the two I'm most excited for. There's not been a ton much else announced that I'm interested in unless I get a Wii U sometime this year. E3 will change all that, I think.

I was visiting with my best friend this past saturday and we were talking about the games coming out this year we were hyped for and he made a similar comment about Arkham Knight. I didn't think to ask him if Warner was writing him checks or sending him free stuff.

 

[Wasp]

I'm not keen on the 200 hours to complete thing. I started off loving Skyrim but gradually began to hate it after 100 hours of fetch quests and countless samey dungeons, I had to force myself to finish it which was a real slog, whereas I loved every single second of the 35 hours I spent on The Witcher 2.

 

[whatsinaname]

Witcher 2 was one of my favourite games from the last generation. And I actually enjoyed the combat preparation (and the small side quests leading to the combat preparation). The actual combat was passable, and made shorter with the right preparation.

My only two fears for this game

1) Choices carrying over from the last game - There isn't too much talk about this but I hope they do good things with it. I want alliances from the first game to be carried over and at least have some impact in some quests. Not just lip service.

2) The 200 hr number they keep throwing around - I just got out of playing 35 hours of DA:I and I don't want to be left with a bad taste of "Why did I do that" after I finish spending time in the game.

 

[Guri]

I think you're writing me off as someone who is skeptical of the OP. I'm actually not. I believe that he's genuinely excited. I think that's what frustrates me more: people are writing this guy off for being a shill when he's clearly not.

Also, I've got no desire to change anyone's personal taste or say that it's wrong. Just saying that there's a lot more ways to express that personal taste in a way that people might more readily accept and understand it. It's less me going off on a rant about what the OP is doing wrong, and more me going off on a tangent on how I think people don't express themselves very well.

But you don't need to go and tell him how he should tell people about his excitement. A fan should not have to worry about that. They can be as happy as they want in their message. If you don't like for some reason, then wait for impressions of people you think would suit your vision of how impressions should be told better. Again, let him have his fun here and move on. No need to call him off publicly in a forum thread.

 

[Lunar15]

But you don't need to go and tell him how he should tell people about his excitement. A fan should not have to worry about that. They can be as happy as they want in their message. If you don't like for some reason, then wait for impressions of people you think would suit your vision of how impressions should be told better. Again, let him have his fun here and move on. No need to call him off publicly in a forum thread.

Hey, I was just responding to someone that said "there's nothing wrong with someone calling something their game of the year before they've played it", not really calling out the OP in particular.

Maybe there is nothing wrong with it. But don't be surprised when you get odd looks, that's all.

 

[Denton]

I'm not keen on the 200 hours to complete thing. I started off loving Skyrim but gradually began to hate it after 100 hours of fetch quests and countless samey dungeons, I had to force myself to finish it which was a real slog, whereas I loved every single second of the 35 hours I spent on The Witcher 2.

What if the unthinkable happens, and the 260 people who worked on Witcher 3 for 4 years managed to make it last 200 hours without resorting to copy pasted fetchquests taking place in copy pasted dungeons? What if the game really is quality content throughout ?

 

[Sendero]

Thanks for the impressions and intro description OP.
It would actually be good to hear if there were things that didn't seem polished or good enough. If only to calm my cynical nature.

With so many new games and raise of RPGs, it's such a great time to be a gamer.

 

[misho8723]

Witcher 2 was one of my favourite games from the last generation. And I actually enjoyed the combat preparation (and the small side quests leading to the combat preparation). The actual combat was passable, and made shorter with the right preparation.

My only two fears for this game

1) Choices carrying over from the last game - There isn't too much talk about this but I hope they do good things with it. I want alliances from the first game to be carried over and at least have some impact in some quests. Not just lip service.

2) The 200 hr number they keep throwing around - I just got out of playing 35 hours of DA:I and I don't want to be left with a bad taste of "Why did I do that" after I finish spending time in the game.

Well, this is the first time we are hearing that the game can took about 200 hours.. CD Projekt Red always said that the main missions took 50 and side missions another 50 hours to finish.. so for now, I believe the developers more

 

[Teletraan1]

What if the unthinkable happens, and the 260 people who worked on Witcher 3 for 4 years managed to make it last 200 hours without resorting to copy pasted fetchquests taking place in copy pasted dungeons? What if the game really is quality content throughout ?

I will wait for the game to come out and then the truth will reveal itself. While it would be great if there really was 200 hours of super solid hand tailored content I will believe it when I know for a fact. The uneven media we have gotten from this game really doesn't spark much confidence but we will see.

 

[MaxVarEmreis]

Is sword of destiny a separate story that happens earlier than blood of elves or is it literally part one. Because blood of elves doesn't feel like a second book.

It is series of short stories like Last Wish. All stories happens before saga, before Blood of elves. But connect directly to Blood of elves and beyond, providing essential information about world and people.

 

[Denton]

Well, this is the first time we are hearing that the game can took about 200 hours.. CD Projekt Red always said that the main missions took 50 and side missions another 50 hours to finish.. so for now, I believe the developers more

Any kind of time estimation is bullshit anyway. There will be people who will finish it in 10 hours and others in 500. I plan to explore everything and do everything, so I will probably be closer to that higher number
Even in Skyrim I spent some 180 hours, and that was without any DLCs and with only basic mods.

 

[Seanspeed]

Believe me, I've been on GAF for a while now. I'm no stranger to hyperbole, and I'm sure I've used it plenty of times myself.

But being aware of it, knowing how silly it sounds, and looking at your disappointments in retrospect is important. I think the whole "I know it's going to be my GOTY" thing bothers me more than usual lately due to all of the problems with pre-order culture. If we want to hold the industry to better standards, we've got to start holding ourselves to better standards.

There's a difference between "This game really looks great, and it's hitting all the notes I'm looking for. It looks right up my alley" and "I already know this will be my favorite game this year". It's slight, but vital if you want people to actually listen to you.

I think you're taking this way too seriously and literally. I'm pretty sure people fully realize they are being hyperbolic when they say these things. Its all in good fun.

 

[Koriandrr]

Got the 4 translated ones on kindle and the order is

Last wish (its a series of short stories)

Then the trilogy:
Blood of elves
Time of contempt
Baptism of fire

Almost fished. Good series.


Is sword of destiny a separate story that happens earlier than blood of elves or is it literally part one. Because blood of elves doesn't feel like a second book.

I'd vote for the Last Wish and then Sword of Destiny and then the trilogy.
Sword of Destiny is more of an introduction to the characters, including Ciri.

 

[Yoda]

3 hours of gameplay is a bit fast to determine GOTY material no?

 

[Imru’ al-Qays]

Probably the same way it compares to Golden Axe's, which is to say they're going for such different things that comparisons are pretty pointless.

Nonsense. Souls and Witcher are both going for third-person action-RPG melee combat, it's just that Souls does a good job and Witcher does a terrible job. If Witcher 3 hasn't learned anything from Souls that's not a very good omen.

 

[Sn4ke_911]

Embargo lifts on Monday.

 

[KooopaKid]

3 hours and that's the only description you gave! Come on man, we want more! We want moar!

 

[phaze]

Got the 4 translated ones on kindle and the order is

Last wish (its a series of short stories)

Then the trilogy:
Blood of elves
Time of contempt
Baptism of fire

Almost fished. Good series.


Is sword of destiny a separate story that happens earlier than blood of elves or is it literally part one. Because blood of elves doesn't feel like a second book.

It's a collection of short stories like last wish but it ties directly into beginning of Blood of Elves and serves as very important introduction to Ciri and her circumstances.

 

[TheShocker]

Great impressions! TW2 was in my top 5 games of last gen and 3 is easily one of my most anticipated games this year.

 

[HK-47]

Not happy about the total play time. No way there isnt content bloat.

 

[Jay Shadow]

Not happy about the total play time. No way there isnt content bloat.

More likely developer hyperbole bloat.

 

[Murtrod]

Not believing in hype and waiting to see how a game turns put.

"Everything is awesome" might turn out to be true. But especially with modern games, you are not going to know much from a small slice in controlled conditions.

I can see that. I was able to contain myself after being a little concerned over the combat in last year's demonstrations. I'm not AS excited as I was originally. But by god, do I still want this...

 

[HK-47]

Nonsense. Souls and Witcher are both going for third-person action-RPG melee combat, it's just that Souls does a good job and Witcher does a terrible job. If Witcher 3 hasn't learned anything from Souls that's not a very good omen.

This is stupid. The Witcher is not terrible and Souls style combat doesnt even make sense for a character like Geralt. Maybe Bloodborne but still. The Witcher 3 has a very different kind of game and that likely means the combat wont be as good if only because it isnt the sole focus of the game.

 

[HK-47]

More likely developer hyperbole bloat.

I know its hyperbole, but it still makes me worried about content bloat.

 

[Lucumo]

Pressing one button will automatically steer you in the direction you need to go? What?

 

[Dominic_Shade]

About the books:
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2015/01/bff-the-witcher-will-be-back

"The first book, The Sword of Destiny, will be published in May 2015.."

Whoa, we're actually getting Sword of Destiny? Yesssssss.

 

[erawsd]

Pressing one button will automatically steer you in the direction you need to go? What?

Sounds exactly like the autorun Nintendo is using in Zelda.

 

[billmcdougal]

Whoa, we're actually getting Sword of Destiny? Yesssssss.

If you want to finish reading the novels by W3 release, there's no time to wait for that.

I' just started reading Baptism of Fire and will read the final 2 books fan translations.

 

[nelsonroyale]

Actually, GoT has been praised for its coined "Sexpostion" in which sex scenes are not just there for Eye candy, but often have great importance to the plot.

For every one meaningful sex scene, it has a dozen superflous ones...

 

[Denton]

Nonsense. Souls and Witcher are both going for third-person action-RPG melee combat, it's just that Souls does a good job and Witcher does a terrible job. If Witcher 3 hasn't learned anything from Souls that's not a very good omen.

Unlike Souls games, Witcher has a lot more going for it than just combat though.
Plus it was in no way terrible in TW2. Just unrefined.

 

[Coins]

Can't wait! Especially for the sex scenes! Watching GoT with the wife has turned into some fun because of the sex scenes. Lol.

 

[Sanctuary]

Not believing in hype and waiting to see how a game turns put.

"Everything is awesome" might turn out to be true. But especially with modern games, you are not going to know much from a small slice in controlled conditions.

I was going to say something about how this has been old news since 2005, but instead I'll just agree and say Dark Souls 2 instead.

 

[Lucumo]

Sounds exactly like the autorun Nintendo is using in Zelda.

What game though? Last one I played was Windwaker on the Gamecube. And even if that would have steered you into the direction you had to go, it wouldn't have mattered since there were a lot of dungeons in the game.

Dunno, from the way I imagine this it sounds like a needle on a compass for a quest but way worse. Like auto-travelling in MMOs, that's what I have in mind now.

 

[Some Nobody]

Nonsense. Souls and Witcher are both going for third-person action-RPG melee combat, it's just that Souls does a good job and Witcher does a terrible job. If Witcher 3 hasn't learned anything from Souls that's not a very good omen.

...Calm down, GAF. If Witcher 3 plays like Dark Souls I'm immediately taking that shit back. I know, there's like a "rhythm" to it and all that--but it looks slow and boring from what I've seen of my friends playing. Amalur or Dragon's Dogma is what they need to shoot for, if they HAVE to emulate. (I'm not saying they should.)

 

[erawsd]

What game though? Last one I played was Windwaker on the Gamecube. And even if that would have steered you into the direction you had to go, it wouldn't have mattered since there were a lot of dungeons in the game.

Dunno, from the way I imagine this it sounds like a needle on a compass for a quest but way worse. Like auto-travelling in MMOs, that's what I have in mind now.

I meant the new Zelda U. Its basically an "auto pilot" with the benefit of letting you focus on mounted combat or just admire the scenery.

 

[Mista]

My best WRPG series! Great impressions though I dont really need to read any to be sure of the game

Im confident of CPR and im sure Witcher 3 will be one hell of an unforgettable experience

 

[-Deimos]

i am starting to feel they will dumb her story from the book a lot for game-only people to understand her

I really hope they don't deviate from the books.

 

[lordfuzzybutt]

I really hope they don't deviate from the books.

This is after the book so anything is possible. Doesn't mean it will be bad.

 

[erawsd]

I really hope they don't deviate from the books.

Yeah, though this particular scene sounds like a dream and not a flashback, which gives them room to fudge some of the details.

 

[Dash Kappei]

I hope they've totally overhauled the combat, everything else I (more or less) like already.

 

[SugarDave]

Still need to finish the books and replay the games before this. Can't bloody wait!

 

[billmcdougal]

Still need to finish the books and replay the games before this. Can't bloody wait!

That's a lot to replay.

I personally never played the first Witcher, even though I loved the second one and have started reading all of the books.

I decided to just watch a 3 hour "movie" version of the game on youtube, which takes all of the (presumably) most important dialogue and cutscenes and edited them together into "movie" format. Was an interesting watch. The game did seem pretty dated compared to 2. Dandelion in particular seems...off.

I plan to watch some videos like that if I can find them for the second game before W3 hits.