The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - The Bear and Badger

JonB

Andy wrote:

I still don't think it's totes-amazeballs, but it's got me interested enough to keep playing.

Pretty much, although I've taken a break from it again. Got a bit bored after finishing the last major quest (find Dandelion) because it just went on so long. Far too much padding.

Now I'm done with The Witness I'll probably go back and attempt the next location.

stonechalice

I gave up on the game a few weeks ago. I appreciate the visuals and the voice acting, but mechanically it feels janky and the combat is weak.

As with many games like these, it's bogged down with so many items and inventory clutter that it put me off wanting to bother with any of them at all. None feel special. There's such a thing as too much. Hundreds of different crafting items to make potions that do essentially three or four different things - healing, stamina regen, increase crit chance and magic potency.

It's all such a cumbersome way to achieve very little in combat. Mechanics like toxicity seem unnecessary.

In between combat, I fatigued with the fetch quests and go here, go there, spidey sense stuff mixed with lengthy but dull dialogue trees.

The lag when bringing up the world map and scrolling through menus is also annoying.

I dunno, I just got bogged down with it all. Such a pretty game but I've come to realise I just don't do games like this anymore.

fullspectrum

I tried playing last night for the first time since Nov 2015 when I stopped - 19 gig update so I sacked it.

Hopefully it's ready tonight.

Speedhaak

stonechalice wrote:

I dunno, I just got bogged down with it all. Such a pretty game but I've come to realise I just don't do games like this anymore.

Yup, pretty much it. Times change, I guess.

JonB

Can someone give me a rough idea how long this game is, just in terms of the main story? I've just recently arrived in Skellige - is that about half way at least?

Dark Soldier

Well I went 220 hours without completing it before I gave up, but a lot was side quests/Gwent.

JonB

That's pretty much the opposite of what I wanted to know, but I appreciate the effort.

Dark Soldier

Anytime mate.

Here you go:

https://howlongtobeat.com/game.php?id=10270

JonB

Cheers.

I've lost track how much I've played so far thought. Could be around 30 hours already, even a bit more, but I've been doing quite a few optional bits so far (no Gwent though).

I'd like to finish it, but it depends how much is left.

Bollockoff

Just arriving at Skellige isn't much of an indication of how far you are. Have you found Dandelion yet? Found any of The B Baron's family?

n0face

I clocked in at about 90 hours with a relatively lean play through.

JonB

Bollockoff wrote:

Just arriving at Skellige isn't much of an indication of how far you are. Have you found Dandelion yet? Found any of The B Baron's family?

Oh yeah, I've finished those sections. This is my only primary quest option atm.

tin_robot

JonB wrote:

Bollockoff wrote:

Just arriving at Skellige isn't much of an indication of how far you are. Have you found Dandelion yet? Found any of The B Baron's family?

Oh yeah, I've finished those sections. This is my only primary quest option atm.

I would guess that you're about 2/3 of the way through based on how I played. I'll confess Skellige was the point at which I stopped just pissing about in every village, and instead focussed on finishing the main story (and secondary quests).

[Deleted User]

Blood and Wine done. Gonna chill for a bit then write some thoughts later.

fullspectrum

Finally got all the downloads back so that my save would load, loaded it, screen was chockablock with popups and I thought nah and went and played some Souls which I didn't really enjoy either. I need a new hobby.

Speedhaak

Not feeling he gaming at the moment?

fullspectrum

Nothing is capturing my imagination and the challenge that most provide is unappealing to take on, feels like effort.

I'm going to go buy loads of produce at lunch time, take it home and cook quality food each night instead.

Speedhaak

Clutching fading embers. At least you're not the only one man

fullspectrum

It's got to the point where I have so little time to do it, that when I do have time, I forgot why I wanted to.

Speedhaak

That's why I find it hard to play big games now. Some weeks I can go several days without having any time so I find it very hard to become engaged in a game world when I can't afford the time required to become invested. That's why I'm playing simple grind games now that don't require any thought, I just log into them when I have some time and play. Story driven games are a big no no for me currently, as I'll just forget what I was meant to be doing

stonechalice

fullspectrum wrote:

It's got to the point where I have so little time to do it, that when I do have time, I forgot why I wanted to.

This.

I've lost any real impulse to bother with games these days. My Xbox is a media player first and foremost. Part of the malaise may be the summer season and having no time, but most of it is just a complete disinterest in the medium in its current state.

Very little available now or coming in the future is treading any new ground, and I find myself sighing when I see an age old videogame trope rear its ugly head in a new game.

The last game I actually enjoyed was Inside, and that can be got through in a couple of hours. Just right, and interesting to boot. Even that had some videogame idiosyncrasies thrown in though.

These big AAA releases are just swollen to bursting with shit that isn't needed, to please the masses. I now prefer, leaner, more refined experiences that are polished, not huge epics with shonky mechanics.

Gonna try Hyper Light Drifter if I get any time in the next year. It's out today on Xbox.

tin_robot

I can totally understand this. I felt the same way with Fallout 4, I played it a bit, but ultimately decided I couldn't be bothered. Conversely though, I find I'm more likely to stick with a game with some sort of narrative, than I am with one without. Purely because if the story manages to engage me, that's enough to keep me going, and ploughing in the time. (I found the Witcher world interesting, I found Fallout's kind of dull. I appreciate this is far from a universal opinion.)

[Deleted User]

So.

That's all done and dusted then.

I suppose it's a testament to the draw of the game that the first thing I wanted to do after polishing the whole lot off (again) with DLC (for the first time) was go back and start over. I doubt I'll ever see everything the game has to offer (there were so many missions I missed first time round that I had no idea existed) but it doesn't matter.

So, Blood and Wine...

Spoiler:

[Deleted User]

Level 80, Haiyoooo!

Paul the sparky

Had a bit of crack with adored about this at the weekend. I've definitely felt that feeling being overwhelmed by it, which is odd as a living breathing world filled with characters and depth is exactly what I've been crying out for. Now it's here and it unsurprisingly needs a bit of effort to see quests etc. through I find myself dipping in and out if it periodically.

It's definitely not a problem with the game, more with how much time I have to commit to it. I'll keep chipping away at it, and probably get round to the DLC in a few years, as I absolutely love what I've played so far.

Spoiler:

tin_robot

Childintime wrote:

So, Blood and Wine...

Spoiler:

I enjoyed it a lot. It's big and beautiful and generous and full of things to do and see. It's not perfect (nothing in the game is) but that doesn't necessarily hold it back too much. The good: It's pretty, that much is certain. The sunflowers, the streams, the architecture, the stars at night, the wildlife...it was often gorgeous. Not to say it was out of place. It felt like part of Geralt's world, yet also somewhere far away. Regis is an absolute boss. The Witcher 1 had amnesia which was a useful way of getting players into a dense universe without too much stilted dialogue. I've never read the books, so I'd never met Regis. But he felt like an old friend, it worked. Awesome writing. There were some great story missions. The festival, meeting the unseen one, posing for a painting, removing the curse from the wight, attending an upper-class party - all worked. Combat balance was far better than in HoS, especially against large mobs. HoS enemies (especially on Death March) amped up the required damage to kill, whilst not giving Geralt corresponding abilities. As a result there were some absolute slogs - combat in the painted world, in particular, was a real lowlight (especially as I loved that mission). But B&W makes Geralt deadly again. Enemies and mobs are smarter and deadlier, aye, but so is Geralt. It's very well balanced, imo. Classic enemies: Bruxae, plant bastards, ghost dogs, centipede things - all classic Witcher enemies, all fun to fight and beat. HoS had far too many human enemies for my taste - and they all blocked too quickly. This was not the case in B&W though - lovely variety, all challenging in their own way. Gwent: the new Skellige deck is awesome. The bad: The characters: Anna, Regis, Detlaff, Damien - all good characters, aye. But compared to the real depth of HoS? That's the one area where the first dlc beats this one. The first DLC is a character study, this one is a holiday. That's cool, but it lacked complexity of character. The story pacing: I dunno...I found it quite weird. The story rushes along at first, then slows for the investigation - then once a new name is floated as a possible villain it all seems to end quickly. It felt like there was something missing. This was exacerbated by certain threads being built and built, then being utterly dumped (hello Cintrian). The transition from the 2nd to the 3rd act needed an extra mission or two. Character-build changes: I like both the new grandmaster kit and the mutation additions. But they both require such investment and time as to be practically useless. If you're high-level enough to be able to resource and equip them, you don't need them. Gwent: once you've done the two main new Gwent missions - collect cards and new tourney - there's little reason to play more Gwent. Needs more Gwent stuff!!!

I guess I'll just spoiler my bit of the conversation too...

Spoiler:

[Deleted User]

tin_robot wrote:

Childintime wrote:

So, Blood and Wine...

Spoiler:

I enjoyed it a lot. It's big and beautiful and generous and full of things to do and see. It's not perfect (nothing in the game is) but that doesn't necessarily hold it back too much. The good: It's pretty, that much is certain. The sunflowers, the streams, the architecture, the stars at night, the wildlife...it was often gorgeous. Not to say it was out of place. It felt like part of Geralt's world, yet also somewhere far away. Regis is an absolute boss. The Witcher 1 had amnesia which was a useful way of getting players into a dense universe without too much stilted dialogue. I've never read the books, so I'd never met Regis. But he felt like an old friend, it worked. Awesome writing. There were some great story missions. The festival, meeting the unseen one, posing for a painting, removing the curse from the wight, attending an upper-class party - all worked. Combat balance was far better than in HoS, especially against large mobs. HoS enemies (especially on Death March) amped up the required damage to kill, whilst not giving Geralt corresponding abilities. As a result there were some absolute slogs - combat in the painted world, in particular, was a real lowlight (especially as I loved that mission). But B&W makes Geralt deadly again. Enemies and mobs are smarter and deadlier, aye, but so is Geralt. It's very well balanced, imo. Classic enemies: Bruxae, plant bastards, ghost dogs, centipede things - all classic Witcher enemies, all fun to fight and beat. HoS had far too many human enemies for my taste - and they all blocked too quickly. This was not the case in B&W though - lovely variety, all challenging in their own way. Gwent: the new Skellige deck is awesome. The bad: The characters: Anna, Regis, Detlaff, Damien - all good characters, aye. But compared to the real depth of HoS? That's the one area where the first dlc beats this one. The first DLC is a character study, this one is a holiday. That's cool, but it lacked complexity of character. The story pacing: I dunno...I found it quite weird. The story rushes along at first, then slows for the investigation - then once a new name is floated as a possible villain it all seems to end quickly. It felt like there was something missing. This was exacerbated by certain threads being built and built, then being utterly dumped (hello Cintrian). The transition from the 2nd to the 3rd act needed an extra mission or two. Character-build changes: I like both the new grandmaster kit and the mutation additions. But they both require such investment and time as to be practically useless. If you're high-level enough to be able to resource and equip them, you don't need them. Gwent: once you've done the two main new Gwent missions - collect cards and new tourney - there's little reason to play more Gwent. Needs more Gwent stuff!!!

I guess I'll just spoiler my bit of the conversation too...

Spoiler:

It really is damn pretty. The first time you look up at the stars is incredible. I'd agree that the characters, and indeed story, are not as compelling as Heart of Stone. As you say, it's a holiday, as well as a gentle send up of all that's come before.
I can't really comment too much on the pacing as I deliberately decided to bugger off and explore half way through the story, thus hijacking it myself. But it certainly felt like the final section is settled in a bit of a hurry. (I wonder if it might have felt different had I taken a different approach at the end - I went straight in to the storybook stuff, when perhaps there's a bit more if you go down the other path?) Also, I got the "happy" ending, but wasn't entirely convinced we'd done quite enough to earn it.
Still, like any good holiday, the thing that most struck me was that it was fun. From the big obvious stuff - like the trip into a storybook reality, the ridiculous trip to the bank, and the repeated spoofing of the game itself - culminating in the invisible horse episode. To the more subtle references to other popular stories hidden away in the game (Winnie the Pooh, and Calvin and Hobbes being a couple of highlights.) It's also the first time in all of Witcher where I've actually thought a weapon I gained was really of note - the one given by the lady of the lake/hermit of the frozen pond is great, and is literally the only weapon in the game that actively benefits from you continuing to use it, rather than ditching it for a better one.
Oh. And going back home after the adventure is finished and credits have rolled to find an old friend waiting was a nice touch as well.

I'd agree with all of that. Especially the last 2 things you mentioned. I also got a

Spoiler:

Reference.

My ending was different. Could best be summarised with the word...

Spoiler:

More things I love about it?

Spoiler:

Another disappointment?

Spoiler:

[Deleted User]

God I love this game.

tin_robot

Childintime wrote:

tin_robot wrote:

Childintime wrote:

So, Blood and Wine...

Spoiler:

I enjoyed it a lot. It's big and beautiful and generous and full of things to do and see. It's not perfect (nothing in the game is) but that doesn't necessarily hold it back too much. The good: It's pretty, that much is certain. The sunflowers, the streams, the architecture, the stars at night, the wildlife...it was often gorgeous. Not to say it was out of place. It felt like part of Geralt's world, yet also somewhere far away. Regis is an absolute boss. The Witcher 1 had amnesia which was a useful way of getting players into a dense universe without too much stilted dialogue. I've never read the books, so I'd never met Regis. But he felt like an old friend, it worked. Awesome writing. There were some great story missions. The festival, meeting the unseen one, posing for a painting, removing the curse from the wight, attending an upper-class party - all worked. Combat balance was far better than in HoS, especially against large mobs. HoS enemies (especially on Death March) amped up the required damage to kill, whilst not giving Geralt corresponding abilities. As a result there were some absolute slogs - combat in the painted world, in particular, was a real lowlight (especially as I loved that mission). But B&W makes Geralt deadly again. Enemies and mobs are smarter and deadlier, aye, but so is Geralt. It's very well balanced, imo. Classic enemies: Bruxae, plant bastards, ghost dogs, centipede things - all classic Witcher enemies, all fun to fight and beat. HoS had far too many human enemies for my taste - and they all blocked too quickly. This was not the case in B&W though - lovely variety, all challenging in their own way. Gwent: the new Skellige deck is awesome. The bad: The characters: Anna, Regis, Detlaff, Damien - all good characters, aye. But compared to the real depth of HoS? That's the one area where the first dlc beats this one. The first DLC is a character study, this one is a holiday. That's cool, but it lacked complexity of character. The story pacing: I dunno...I found it quite weird. The story rushes along at first, then slows for the investigation - then once a new name is floated as a possible villain it all seems to end quickly. It felt like there was something missing. This was exacerbated by certain threads being built and built, then being utterly dumped (hello Cintrian). The transition from the 2nd to the 3rd act needed an extra mission or two. Character-build changes: I like both the new grandmaster kit and the mutation additions. But they both require such investment and time as to be practically useless. If you're high-level enough to be able to resource and equip them, you don't need them. Gwent: once you've done the two main new Gwent missions - collect cards and new tourney - there's little reason to play more Gwent. Needs more Gwent stuff!!!

I guess I'll just spoiler my bit of the conversation too...

Spoiler:

It really is damn pretty. The first time you look up at the stars is incredible. I'd agree that the characters, and indeed story, are not as compelling as Heart of Stone. As you say, it's a holiday, as well as a gentle send up of all that's come before. I can't really comment too much on the pacing as I deliberately decided to bugger off and explore half way through the story, thus hijacking it myself. But it certainly felt like the final section is settled in a bit of a hurry. (I wonder if it might have felt different had I taken a different approach at the end - I went straight in to the storybook stuff, when perhaps there's a bit more if you go down the other path?) Also, I got the "happy" ending, but wasn't entirely convinced we'd done quite enough to earn it. Still, like any good holiday, the thing that most struck me was that it was fun. From the big obvious stuff - like the trip into a storybook reality, the ridiculous trip to the bank, and the repeated spoofing of the game itself - culminating in the invisible horse episode. To the more subtle references to other popular stories hidden away in the game (Winnie the Pooh, and Calvin and Hobbes being a couple of highlights.) It's also the first time in all of Witcher where I've actually thought a weapon I gained was really of note - the one given by the lady of the lake/hermit of the frozen pond is great, and is literally the only weapon in the game that actively benefits from you continuing to use it, rather than ditching it for a better one. Oh. And going back home after the adventure is finished and credits have rolled to find an old friend waiting was a nice touch as well.

I'd agree with all of that. Especially the last 2 things you mentioned. I also got a

Spoiler:

Monkey island
Reference.

Yes! I don't know how I forgot that one.

Spoiler:

Childintime wrote:

My ending was different. Could best be summarised with the word...

Spoiler:

Multi-kill.

Interesting... (Feels the desire to go back and do it again.)

Childintime wrote:

More things I love about it?

Spoiler:

Hansa bases. Fucking awesome to storm them and bring them down.

Yep.

Spoiler:

Childintime wrote:

Another disappointment?

Spoiler:

The home redecoration mission is over far too quickly.

I'll admit I left most of that until the end.

Spoiler:

[Deleted User]

I have a new mission:

I want all the grandmaster sets, just for decoration. Feline and wolf have been made, but they're bloody expensive. I can easily see the rest costing me 100K or more.

I have a sickness.

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