It is quiet this time of year for game releases, I decided to go through all the games released in the last 7 weeks to see if I missed anything and I had. Bladed Fury by NExT Studios, a beautiful looking game with side-scrolling action. It was on Steam for only €5 so I thought why not give it a go.
Crunchie is a very underrated chocolate bar, growing up I was not huge into them as the honeycomb felt weird on my teeth. When I got older and especially at Christmas time I really got to enjoy them especially the little ones in selection boxes. They are a nice treat, small, pretty and tasty. Playing Bladed Fury I found myself asking was this the little tasty treat I needed?
Story
The story is set in Ancient China and sees you take control of Princess Ji, who in the first few minutes of the game is accused of murdering Duke Kang Qi and as a result is exiled. Demons seem to be entering our world and Ji has to find out why and try to save the kingdom.
Overall the story is fairly rich and provides a lot for such a short game. It's a good story that focuses on the folklore, demons and the evil that is man.
Visuals
The visuals in the game are impressive, a beautiful art style mixed with Chinese Art and filled with woodblock tapestries. The demons are interesting design and sometimes random, like a chest of drawers coming to life, in other circumstances, it may come off as comical but in Bladed Fury it just comes across as dark. The movement and look of Ji are really smooth even when in fast-moving battle sequences. The cut scenes are works of art depicted as paintings that changed as the story is told.
Overall the visuals are fantastic and they really stand out as one of the most impressive parts of the game.
Music
The music is described as 'Future Bass + Ancient Instruments', which sounds almost impossible but Bladed Fury managed to achieve it. The music is composed by Austrian composer Edwin Wendler, whose credits included the soundtracks for; Iris Fall, Into The Blue, Unknown, and X-Men Apocalypse to name but a few.
The soundtrack is a little over thirty minutes in length, and while it may seem short it packs a lot in. Easily my favourite soundtrack of the year so far, and while most of the time I can pick out specific tracks that are highlighted for me this time I just can't, all the tracks are strong and work well with the game.
Gameplay
The gameplay is side-scrolling fun, Ji has both light and heavy attacks depending on what the situation calls for. She has an awesome slide movement which allows her to pass by any enemies and avoid attacks. A really cool feature of the gameplay is that as you beat bosses you capture their spirits and can use their moves in battle, this is particularly helpful with boss fights.
The game has a levelling up system for your abilities, which can be obtained in one playthrough. One of the most helpful abilities being rejuvenation which allows you to carry more health vials. Saving the game and upgrading abilities can be done at lamp posts throughout the game which are never too far away from you.
The boss battles start off simple-ish and then get crazy towards the end, the most impressive being the serpent battle where I had to use everything I had to stay alive.
Overall the gameplay is play is fast and fun, while it offers a challenge at times I never felt like was going to pull the few remaining hairs in my head out.
Final Thoughts
So, after just over four hours how did I feel? Really happy! The story was interesting, the visuals were amazing, the soundtrack was fantastic and the gameplay was smooth and fun. Overall it is hard to find fault in it and certainly the chocolatey treat I needed after Gears Tactics. This one gets a solid 4 out of 5
Superhot is a game I have been curious to play due to the minimalist art style and the random name. Up until recently (say in the last week) I thought it was a VR game, only this is not true it turns out. One I saw it advertised on the PlayStation Store I couldn't help but whip out my debit card, punch in the numbers and download Superhot.
I like pizza is the same as saying everybody likes breathing, who doesn't love pizza and breathing? While Goodfella's Stone Baked Thin Chicken with Herb Dressing may not be the most exotic pizza in the world but is damn tasty. But to spice it up I like to add a little (a lot) of Frank's Red Hot Original Sauce to it. The combination of these two flavours arouse my taste buds to the extreme and turns something simple and tasty into something supremely tasty. Playing SuperHot I found myself asking was this supremely tasty yet simple dish I was looking for?
Story
The story immediately had me curious, the menu screen loads and look like an old DOS command prompt. A friend contacts you and tells you about this new game they found on the company server called Superhot.exe, he sends you the file and tells says; '...you have to check out this game. It's the most innovative shooter I've played in years.' After scanning the rest of the files available in the menu I launch Supershot.exe, the story is suggestive, creepy, thought-provoking and many other things combined. In earnest, it is hard to talk about the story without giving things away but suffice it to say things are not what they seem.
Overall the story is extremely interesting, playing it brought to mind games like; The Rub Rabbits!, Past Cure, Hot Line Miami, Observation to name but a few. If any of these are games you enjoyed even small elements of the story you will love Superhot. Super. Hot. SUPER. HOT.
Visuals
The visuals are very minimalist, the levels you are thrown into are all white, that doesn't mean the look is bland as there are a lot of details in the environment, the subway and bar particularly stood out for me. The enemies are all in red, weapons and objects that can be picked up are in black or grey. Enemies that you damage or destroy explode and shatter like glass. The visuals both look like you are in a simulation but also have a realness to them which I think is part of the appeal for me, knowing something is a simulation but at the same time doubting if it really is one.
Overall the visually are interesting and intriguing, adding to the story and leaving you wondering just what the heck is going on?
Music
There is something about the music that gets into your head and makes you mistrusting of the world you are in (not the real world, I mean the Superhot world, or do I?). A mixture of drum, bass, metal, electro and no doubt other styles that I likely missed. The music is created by Venezualan keyboardist, DJ, composer, producer and mixer Zardonic.
The soundtrack is shy of being an hour in length and can be downloaded and listened to on Steam for free. It was only listening to the soundtrack independent of the game that I realised how much music was in the game. Without a doubt, the track 'SUPERHOT' is my favourite and even hearing the words Super Hot will stay with me in the same way Portal's 'the cake is a lie' will.
Gameplay
The gameplay mechanic is unique, the world moves when you move. Move your head, move forward, any movement and time will move forward by an equal amount. For example, you can see an enemy, he has shot a bullet at you, if you don't move it won't move. It can be avoided by sidestepping it slowly (or quickly depending on how brave you are feeling) and fire off your own shot if the enemy is standing still easy, if he is on the move you will need to compensate for it.
There are a number of weapons including; pistols, shotguns, machine guns, katanas and there are random items that will not kill an enemy but will stun them. Each weapon can be fired a set amount of times before you run out, at this stage you can throw it at an enemy which will stun and allow you to knock them out or steal their weapon and kill them with, which is really badass. Later on, you are given the ability to slow jump and even jump into enemies to avoid near-death or just for fun.
Once the game has been completed you will unlock an endless mode along with a challenges mode which is pretty cool.
As the story progresses the gameplay becomes more intense and difficult, you will die but never feels frustrating as such and makes you plan better for the next time. Overall the gameplay is amazing and makes me was a PlayStation VR just so could get to explore the world more and likely as it was tended to be played.
Final Thoughts
So, after over fours of playing how did I feel? SUPER. HOT. The story was really interesting and had me both doubting and questioning what was happening. The visuals manage to be both minimalist and exciting, the way enemies are shattered looks intense and cool. The music is perfectly sewn into everything else in the game and moves between adding to the carnage of the gameplay itself and making you feel uncomfortable in the world you are in. The gameplay is very different from anything that I have played before or likely will in the future, and it is something I really admired. Overall this one gets a solid 4 out of 5
I really love that to some degree FMV games are making a come back, one studio in particular stands out, Wales Interactive. I played Late Shift a couple of years back and enjoyed that, and then played Erica which was also really enjoyable. I love when a game is heavily story based and you have to make decisions that will potentially effect the overall story in minor and often major ways, it is a big reason I like TellTale Games The Walking Dead. When I saw that Wales Interactive had released a game around potential virus and pandemic outbreak it really resonated with me, can't imagine why!
I recently tried Cadbury's White Chocolate Oreo Bar and I loved it! I love white chocolate and like a fungus Oreos have grown on me over the years. The combination of the two means I scoff it down so quickly I worry I might lose the tip of one of my fingers. In summary, it's damn good. Playing The Complex I found myself wondering was I in danger of losing part of a finger?
Story
There is a new potential drug that could be used to help heal people with limited supplies, in particular an upcoming mission to Mars. Turns out if someone break in, steals it and get infected by it before it has been completed it makes for a nifty bio-weapon. The game has you take control of Dr. Amy Tenant, the scientist responsible for making the drug/weapon, along with a slightly old untrustworthy colleague you are stuck locked in the facility with, trying to figure how who, how and why this all happened. Can Dr. Tenant figure it out or are we all doomed to stay in lockdown permanently?
There are lot more decisions to be made verses Wales Interactive's previous games, it is not quite as clear cut as good and bad decisions and instead goes for something deeper. If you had created something and it was then used as a weapon how would you feel, how would you deal it?
Overall the story is pretty solid and offers multiple endings, characters can even die based on your decisions so choose wisely, or don't.
Visuals
The FMV quality featured in the game are great, high production values and even with the lockdown element there are still a few different locations you will get to see. My favorite part visually is the lab you are locked down in, it has a very real feel to it with some mildly futuristic instruments, doing this creates a blend of being both grounded and futuristic without pulling you out of the story.
Overall the visuals and locations used are really good, the only thing that was occasionally jarring is when choosing a decision there was sometimes a solid 1-2 seconds where it stutters and while it was far from being a deal breaker it certainly could have been a little smoother.
Music
Unfortunately, there was no sign of a soundtrack being available to listen to outside of the game itself. The music is sparse, but in a game so heavily focused on the story it is not really a big deal. There are few snippets of music used often when a bigger decision is being made, nothing to write home about it.
Gameplay
The gameplay and story are almost one and the same. There will be a lot of decisions to make, everything from who should get the vaccine, whether or not to ignore someone or give them a snarky response, or picking to use a microscope to open a vent (?) over using science and a little brain power. Some of them are a lot of fun and did have me smiling in places.
The lead character is very strong and likeable but unfortunately almost no one else in the game is, but I think that was by design rather than an accident. As the game progress it give you percentages stats on your relationships with others and what kind of personality you have based on the responses and decisions you make.
One of the most enjoyable parts of the game are the endings, there are quite a few and some of them are pretty intense and there are more than a few unexpected turn of events.
Overall the gameplay was pretty solid and definitely makes me interested to try more of Wales Interactive games.
Final Thoughts
So, after six hours of playing how did I feel? Not bad. The story is pretty solid, it is a shame the only likeable character was the one you play as. The visuals are high quality and some decent productions values, the occasional stuttering when making decision was a little jarring but not the end of the world. The lack of music was unusual, but if you look at episode of a TV show you would not expect to hear a lot. The gameplay like the story is pretty solid and the multitude of ending provides some great replay value. Overall this one gets 3 out of 5
Last year developers The Coalition and Splash Damage created a new game in the Gears of War Series - Gears Tactics. Being a Gears of War fan since the early days I was naturally curious, the only thing that put me off was the turned based combat. Until now Gears of War has always been played out as a third person fast-paced shooter so the idea of changing gears so much (couldn't help it) seemed a little strange. All that being said I liked The Bureau: XCOM Declassified so why not Gears Tactics?
I love many types of chocolate and chocolate bars, one of my favourites being Kinder Bueno, especially the white ones. Naturally when I saw that Jacobs had something similar called Elite Special Moments Hazelnut Cream Wafers I thought they would be tasty. They look the same, smell the same but are vastly different. From the outside, it all seems good but once I bit into it and had the first taste I was not impressed. The chocolate had a weird consistency and there were bits in it that tasted more like sawdust rather than hazelnut. Playing Gears Tactics I found myself asking was more like a tasty Kinder Bueno or just a poor imitation?
Story
Gears Tactics is set after emergence day and over a decade before the original Gears of War. The game features a new character to the series, Ukkon, a Locust Scientist. Becoming more unstoppable as the days pass Chairman Prescott sanctions Sargent Diaz and Major Redburn to take him down with extreme prejudice and by any means necessary. A small way into the story you manage to recruit militia to your cause who also isn't a fan of Ukkon. Its hard to say much more without giving away spoilers, what I can say is things are much darker then they seem and some of the COG's deepest secrets are going to come to light but will anyone be alive to talk about them?
Overall the story is pretty good and helps expand Gears lore - and the story has a similar theme/feel as Gears 5 which was really cool. The characters are not massively memorable which is a shame but I get the impression there won't be a sequel.
Visuals
The visuals are very different from the rest of the Gears games but equally, they are very similar. The world is still in bad shape between the COG using the Hammer of Dawn to destroy most of their cities and the constant battles taking place. The big thing that has changed is the perspective, with it now being top-down rather than third-person. Similar to XCOM you get to see up close animations when carrying out actions; like cutting off an enemies head with a bayonet, using a chainsaw to cut them in half or watch a grenade decimating a group of enemies. As the game introduces enemies (some of them never seen before) you get a really cool intro of them and what abilities they have.
Overall the visuals are pretty strong, the only thing that lets them down is that many of the levels are rehashed a number of times, not just inside missions but also main missions which gets boring over time especially with the games having a large number of missions.
Music
The feel of the soundtrack feels very removed from the rest of the series, it's more sci-fi, and doesn't use any of the classic gears music that remade and reinvented in other games. The soundtrack is composed by British based composer Edward Patrick White. White has a rather varied background having worked on an animated movie called Battlesuit, documentaries' All You Need Is Love and Nine Lives, along with creating some of the music for Bear Grylls TV series.
The soundtrack is less than an hour which seemed short for a game that takes around thirty hours to complete. My favourite tracks were; 'The Wrong Gear', 'Brumak' and 'Asshole Factory'. Overall as a soundtrack, it is okay, as Gears soundtrack is the least memorable to date.
Gameplay
The gameplay moves from being a fast-paced third-person shooter to a top-down turn-based strategy game. The change is refreshing even if it a little jarring to start with. The team consists of four players (some missions are reduced down to two), each has a number of action points (AP). These can be used to move, attack or set up overwatch. The overwatch ability is one of the most useful in the game as it allows a character to cover an area and if any enemy walks into it then they get wounded or killed altogether.
What was really interesting is that each character has their own special abilities and can be upgraded and new ones earned as they gain experience points. Especially later in the game, you can end up having a great healer, and sniper, and you are going to need them. If you are unhappy with how you have used your experience points you can redistribute them.
There are main missions and side missions, side missions often entail holding an area for a set amount of moves, destroying an objective, rescuing prisoners in a limited number of moves, and collecting cases before being bombed into oblivion. The main missions are also similar to the side missions, when I say similar they are almost the same except for the boss fights. There are few slightly frustrating things with side missions, firstly you have to pay x amount of them before you can proceed with the main mission, making them feel less like side missions. There is also the oddity that if you use one of your main characters in a side mission they will then not be available to use in the main mission. This issue is a pain as it means you don't get to gain additional experience for those characters and then use them in the main mission, which seems bizarre. This means for side missions you have to use recruits that are never as strong. I learned much later on that if you fail all the side missions you can then just proceed with the main mission like normal, with no penalties. It seems strange to not allow your main characters to take part in side missions without sacrificing being able to use them in main missions (you know the time you actually want and need them).
Some missions can take around half an hour or less, others significantly more. An example of this would be the boss fights. The last boss was a giant pain in the ass and took me many, many attempts to beat it and even more hours. By the time I was done with it, I could not have been happier, not because of beating the boss (although that was part of it) but also to be finished with the game.
Overall the key mechanics in the game work really well, but some odd choices and repetition of maps really let them gameplay down.
Final Thoughts
So, after in excess of thirty hours how did I feel? Glad the experience was over. The story adds new lore to the gears universe which was quite interesting, but the unmemorable main characters certainly took a little away from it. The visuals are strong, the addition of new enemies and animations are very welcome. The music is underwhelming, not just for a Gears soundtrack but even in general. The gameplay has some really strong mechanics that have clearly been borrowed from XCOM, sadly those some strange choices and level repetition stopped the game from being all it could be. Overall this one just about slides in with 3 out of 5
A few years ago I played Supermassive Games' Until Dawn, a fantastic story-driven horror game. Naturally, when I heard they had released a series of games called The Dark Pictures Anthology I was excited. Last year I played the first game in the series The Man of Medan and was a little underwhelmed, everything was very so so, but I was willing to give the second instalment in the series Little Hope a chance. My lovely partner in crime got it for me at Christmas and just finished playing it this week.
With it being January I have been trying to reduce my intake of sugary goodness. I have been having slightly less bold things, one such thing is Milky Bar Milk Slice. Barely 100 calories, so how bad? Well it's a mixed bag, I like Milky Bars but these slices not so much, I mean I wanted to like them but just couldn't get into them. Playing Little Hope I have found myself asking did I like it or was I just trying to like it?
Story
The game is set in the small Salem-like town of Little Hope, an apt name. The story moves between the past, very past and present. There are five main characters and while you get to move between them Andrew is the main protagonist who is a student and comes across as fairly emotionless. There are four others who make up the group, Angela, an old mean woman that is constantly stirring things up, although one of her main traits is that she is understanding? There is John, the professor who is a stick in the mud and prone to behaving rashly and attempts to be the leader no one needs. There is Taylor who is a bit of drip and a troublemaker and her nice-guy jock boyfriend Daniel who seems nervous to go public about them until 'I trust you 100%'.
The dialogue is quite poor and most conversations seem overly simplistic or over-explained. That being said the overarching story is actually really good and went a small way to making up for the dialogue. As with the Man Of Medan, and Until Dawn there are many dialogues choices and actions, some of which can result in the death of any or all characters.
Overall the story is good, but the clunky dialogue and poor characters really let it down, and how Supermassive Games went from the great story and dialogue in Until Dawn to that of Little Hope is beyond me.
Visuals
The visuals are one of the strongest parts of Little Hope which is something Supermassive Games are constantly good at delivering on. While the quality of the visuals is good at a lot of the game feels like you are walking down a long road. What really stands out are the 17th-century sections which feel authentic, and eerie, from the clothes to the buildings. Without giving too much away the enemies are twisted and unnerving, which help in providing jump scares.
Overall there are some great visuals with two of the timelines but present-day feel likes you spend a lot of time walking down a long road, while there are detours along the way none of them really excited me as much of the 17th Century sections.
Music
The music left little impact on me and unfortunately no matter where I looked it I was unable to find a place to listen to the soundtrack. The music is composed by Jason Graves who has an extremely rich back catalogue of work, Command Conquer 4, Far Cry Primal, Until Dawn, Friday The 13th: The Game, Evolve, Dead Space, and Fear 3 to name but a few.
Overall the soundtrack sadly did not do a lot for me which is disappointing as Graves is an accomplished composer. Perhaps it was less to do with him and more how Supermassive Games incorporated his music into the games.
Gameplay
The gameplay like much of the rest of the game is underwhelming. There are a lot more chances to move around and control characters, than in the Man Of Medan. Unfortunately, movement is still an issue, it feels like trying to drive a forklift with only two wheels - that are both on one-side. Outside of movement, there is a lot of dialogue choices, while each choice does affect your relationship with the characters it does not really seem to matter. The only true thing that seems to matter in the game is how you react to quick-time events. If you mess up even one you can kill a character, which can be interesting, as much as seeing someone die horrifically can be interesting.
The game can be played solo or with friends, I would be curious to play it with friends to see how the mechanic works as while the game is short it might be difficult to get multiple people to play in one sitting or multiple ones.
Overall the gameplay is very so so and I can't say it enough - how did SuperMassive Games go from something as good as Until Dawn to the Dark Pictures Anthology.
Final Thoughts
So, after six hours how did I feel? Sadly, underwhelmed. The overall story was pretty good, but the characters were annoying and fairly unlikable, there were some good visuals, the music was meh, the gameplay felt like it was still in the Beta stages. That all being said there is still a part of me curious to play the next instalment. Overall this one gets a lowly 2 out of 5
Many moons ago I played a game by Sega called Panzer Dragoon Saga II, a fantastic rails shooter. Later they released a game called Panzer Dragoon Saga, one of the first RPG's I ever played and one of the most memorable. The first game in the series was called Panzer Dragoon. I played it years after it was released on PC - it handled poor and looked in desperate need of a visual overhaul. When I saw there was a remake I thought it was worth a look.
I love food but I might love sweets even better. Refreshers were something I really like growing up, which is unusual as I don't really like lemon or lemon flavoured things. There are tough, chewy, full of colouring and sugar - simply put they are bad for you. Things you enjoy during your childhood are not always the same as those you like as adult. Strangely while Refreshers have enjoyed their high point there is still something great about them now. Playing Panzer Dragoon had the time of this game and indeed series seen its day?
Story
The story is set a thousand years in the future, the once densely populated Earth has been reduced to almost nothing. It is no surprise that weapons of mass destruction were the cause of the issue. Civilization seems to be made up of small towns and nations, and the ruling force is known as The Empire. They are already starting to take over but their latest discovery is ancient weapons which could change everything.
Moments into the game's intro sequence someone riding a dragoon kills another in front of your eyes. The dying rider chooses you to take charge of the dragoon and simply tells you to follow the dragoon, he knows where he is going.
Overall the story is sparse yet intriguing and continues to develop as the series continues. When all is said and done you don't really get much of a story from any arcade rail shooter but this one certainly piqued my interest.
Visuals
Panzer Dragoon was originally released on the Sega Saturn in 1995, at this time polygons were being used to help create visuals. The visuals could sometimes look clunky and even ugly but at the time they were pretty damn good. While the newly remake Panzer Dragoon Remake cannot hope to rival today's visual marvels it is also far cry from the original release twenty-five years ago. The colours used in the game are quite vibrant especially during the forest episode, the games look pretty smooth and it is easy to see how much time and effort MegaPixel Studios put into the game.
Overall the visuals are massively improved over the original release and while the remake may not be as impressive as some of newer games on the market it cannot be overlooked how much effort has gone into this remake.
Music
The music is classic Sega, warm and whimsical sounds, it is reminiscent of the music of Studio Ghibli. The music is composed by Yoshitaka Azuma, who worked on Panzer Dragoon Orta and Saori Kobaishi who worked on Panzer Dragoon Saga, Sonic Drift 2, Nights Into Dreams, and Super Monkey Ball: Banana Splitz.
The soundtrack runs just shy of an hour, it features some great tracks including; 'Main Title', 'Sudden Turn', 'Departed Souls', 'Imperial Capital Set Ablaze' and 'Conclusion'. Overall it's a fairly solid soundtrack that really is a classic example of early Sega Saturn music.
Gameplay
Panzer Dragoon Remake has the same mechanics as the original but with some improvements. Essentially the game is an arcade rail shooter, which is really fun as you don't see any nowadays. There are two weapons; your pistol and the dragoons lock-on lasers, the lasers are far superior to use on enemies with the exception of one of the bosses.
While you are stuck on a rail you can, and need, to bob and weave to avoid structures and incoming projectiles. The radar is a big help in this regard, not with structures but enemies as you can see where they are coming from and act accordingly.
Overall the gameplay is simple and fun - the only issue I ever ran into was that the lock-on lasers could be slow to recognise targets on occasion. There is a lot of replay value as there are a number of difficulty setting and even a Pandora's Box menu which can really change the game.
Final Thoughts
So, after a few hours of play how did I feel? Pretty damn good. The game really played on my nostalgia and made me giddy to play Panzer Dragoon Zwei (which hopefully will be released later this year). The story is interesting, the visuals look pretty solid for an older game, the music reminds me of a simpler time and the gameplay is a lot of fun. Overall this one gets a solid 4 out of 5
Wow, what an epic and fantastic year 2020 was....well it probably was in an alternative universe but here it sucked ass. Everyone has been affected by COVID in some way and even typing the word sends shivers down my spine. Feeling everything creeping in around me I needed a reliable escape and after nearly fives years decided to play Witcher 3 again - this time it was the Game Of The Year Edition with all the downloadable content.
There is nothing better than roast dinner, its reliable, hearty, and - depending on how much you consume - healthy-ish. Over the Christmas period, I had days and days worth of roast dinners. Did I get sick of eating so many of them? Nope. Playing Witcher 3 I found myself was there almost too much game and was it as good as a Christmas roast dinner?
Story
The Witcher series does not do simple when it comes to storytelling - it is filled with politics, revenge, espionage, war, romance and monster slaying. Geralt is a mutant - a skilled fighter with two swords; steel for humans and silver for monsters, on top of that he can perform small amounts of magic referred to as Signs. Witcher 3 sees Geralt trying to find Yennfer his love and Ciri someone who was his ward and like a daughter to him. Things are never simple for Geralt and he will have trade blows politically and physically to get her back. The main storyline is excellent, the side missions are even better. Helping out people who are looking for loved ones, sorting out disputes, helping people get back their land and even some more unusual deeds.
There are two large DLCs for Witcher 3 - Blood and Wine, and Hearts of Stone. The Blood and Wine DLC is set in a brand new area of the game and is clearly inspired by the French with the new area being called Toussant. It is a story filled with wine, lots of it, along with a mysterious assassin, royalty, oh and did I mention, wine. A really solid story that I dare say is better than the main game story itself. Hearts of Stone focuses on a deal with the devil of sorts, partying with a devil, talking cats and dogs and living paintings. The story is many ways in more heart wrenching than any other in the game and is a solid example of CD Projekt Reds commitment to not just phone it in but to really create something new and special.
Overall the main story, side missions and the DLCs are amazing and I would be hard-pressed to think of a game of this size and magnitude that does it better.
Visuals
For a game that has a few years under its belt, it really looks amazing and being honest it puts a few more recent games to shame. The cities in the game look old and grim and tell a story of downtrodden people, back-alley dealings, and other much darker elements. The villages in some ways are a breath of fresh air, open country farmland, animals and something resembling peace if not a hard life - although still, waters run deep. Where the game shines visuals is the open world, the vast lands, mountains and wooded areas. The enemies, especially the monsters, have a lot of unique designs that make monster-hunting all the better.
That all being said the Blood and Wine DLC leaves the rest of the visuals in the main game in the dust. They are fantastic, the buildings, artwork, vineyards, animals, it is just breathtaking and once again shows CD Projekt Red going above and beyond to create fantastic content.
Overall the game looks amazing and I would be really curious to see a little upgrade in the visuals to bring it more up to date. I genuinely feel if this happens few other games will be able to stand above it.
Music
The music used in The Witcher 3 including the DLCs is some of the best fantasy music I have heard in a game. The music moves between epic battle music, to folksy melodic music which works really well when roaming the countryside. The music is composed by Marcin Przybylowicz who has worked on Cyberpunk 2021, The Vanishing Of Ethan Carter, and Duke Nukem Critical Mass to name but a few and accompanied by Polish Folk Group Percival.
The complete soundtrack runs around three and a half hours and features some brilliant pieces of music, my favourites being:
The Trail
Commanding The Fury
Silver For Monsters
4. Whispers of Oxenfurt
Cloak and Dagger
Forged In Fire
Drink Up, There's More!
After The Storm
The Song Of The Sword Dancer
The Hunt Is Coming
Back On The Path
A Story You Won't Believe
Fanfare and Flower
For Honor, For Toussaint
Wine Wars
On the Champs-Desoles
Overall a magical and powerful soundtrack that I never got tired of and may even feature some of it myself and Noll's wedding in 2021 (we're having a fantasy RPG themed wedding).
Gameplay
When I say there is a lot to do in The Witcher 3 it is an understatement. The world is huge, the story is huge and the gameplay is no different, I will do my best to try and summarize it all.
Fight, fight, fight! Naturally, there is a lot of killing to be done, roll, sword attack, use a sign to set someone on fire, roll again, throw a bomb. That is just a snapshot of what is involved in combat. The system works pretty well and while the lock-on targeting system is not always 100%, it works well the majority of the time. Everything can be upgraded if you have enough coin and materials. There is a levelling up system that is one of the most satisfying I have experience in a long time. The levelling is steady, every time you level up and upgrade an ability you genuinely feel more powerful and is extremely rewarding.
Need a break from the main story? No problem. There many people who need your help and are willing to pay for it; some are simple, while others take time and patience. There are treasure hunts, quests for new witcher gear, and of course witcher contracts so take down troublesome monsters terrorizing the locals and threatening their livelihoods.
Sick of swords? Like boxing? Got you covered. There are opponents big and small waiting to be defeated to you can be crowned champion - lots of fun and a great way to make coin. Horse racing is another great past time as long as you have the right upgrades for your horse. One of my favourite card games of all time is in this game - Gwent. It's not only about playing the game but also battling to win cards and then getting others from merchants, tavern owners and some unexpected people. It is so much fun and has such a following a stand-alone game was created from it.
Overall the gameplay is really good bar a few glitches, there is so much to do and none of it ever seems to be boring or a waste of time and the DLC adds even more including a home for Geralt and his trusty steed Roach to stay in.
Final Thoughts
So after a hundred plus hours (this time), how did I feel? Excellent and like I could easily play more, I'm even considering starting the plus game already. The story is so in-depth and enthralling, the visuals are in places boarding on the masterful, the music is impactful and helps to create a more organic world, the gameplay is like the Christmas dinner you can't finish as your heart might shut down but you keep going anyway. After careful consideration, this one gets a solid 5 out of 5
