Enemies and encounters are surprisingly varied for a game of this genre, tactics have to be modified and exploiting vulnerabilities gives you a fighting chance. Running in and mashing the light attack button will get you killed fast – combat requires thought, timing and decent reflexes. You can parry, block or dodge enemy attacks, and these skills are vital as monsters pack a hefty punch. Bombs and potions can be crafted to use in battle and munching food restores health on the go. Geralt prefers to get up close and personal with his swords, but you also have minor ranged spells and a weak crossbow at your disposal. You won’t be spending a great deal of time fighting, but combat mechanics are good. Gameplay is a mixture of exploration, combat, detective work and dialogue. This griffin is one of the first big monsters you hunt down, and you'd better prepare wisely for these fights or prepare to stare at plenty of "You are Dead" loading screens. Witcher 3's claim to 100-200 hours of length is definitely not exaggerated. That’s my choice I’ve been happily completing most of the side quests instead of pushing the main story to the end. In fact, I have to put a disclaimer here – at over 120 hours of play I still haven’t reached the end of the main story (although I’m close), and there’s tons of content left to see. The main story quests are only the tip of the iceberg though, with hundreds of side quests and contracts to complete. You spend much of the game roaming the country of Temeria on Ciri’s trail, often doing practical favours for political figureheads to earn information on her whereabouts. She’s being pursued by a demonic skeletal crew called The Wild Hunt, who might as well be icy versions of Nazgul from Lord of the Rings. The main storyline has Geralt hunting for his protégé, Ciri.
![the witcher 3 wild hunt monsters the witcher 3 wild hunt monsters](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cRKsXokhkpU/maxresdefault.jpg)
Geralt is macho and gruff, a hero or anti-hero depending on the situation, and there’s more than a passing nod here to the lone wolf strangers of Westerns and samurai lore. He's a monster hunter for hire, a solitary wanderer picking up contracts for coin. Witcher 3 is set in a medieval fantasy world inspired by the books of Andres Sapkowski - a mature and brutal place, a bit like a mashup between Tolkien and Game of Thrones, seasoned with Eastern European folklore.
![the witcher 3 wild hunt monsters the witcher 3 wild hunt monsters](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/84/78/d6/8478d6851a2832fa5e754f39db0adef9.jpg)
However in true RPG fashion the only thing stopping you from looting every poor peasant's house is your own self control. Looks like Geralt has nicked someone else's horse here, although stealing in the open generally gets you mobbed by the local guards. Is this the re-invigoration of the open world RPG I’ve been waiting for? Be warned, this is an epic review, as it's an epic game boasting over 200 hours of gameplay. But now the Witcher hype-train has finally ground to a halt, I decided to play it and judge for myself.
![the witcher 3 wild hunt monsters the witcher 3 wild hunt monsters](https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/witcher/images/b/be/Gwent_triptych_monsters_wild_hunt.jpg)
On its surface, it didn't appear different to any other fantasy RPGs of recent years. So, when Witcher 3 by Polish developer CD Projekt Red started picking up accolades, I wasn't convinced.
![the witcher 3 wild hunt monsters the witcher 3 wild hunt monsters](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/knDkjzKDfDE/maxresdefault.jpg)
THE WITCHER 3 WILD HUNT MONSTERS FULL
The genre is full of sequels which although decent are somewhat stale, worlds which initially seem rich but ultimately feel empty and are packed with meaningless drudgery to extend the game’s length. Fallout 3 was the last open world RPG that I really admired and that was 8 years ago.
THE WITCHER 3 WILD HUNT MONSTERS FREE
See, these games are huge – and as I've only got limited free time, titles like Fallout 4 or Skyrim are a big time investment to make. Witcher 3 is out now on PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. With the new release of the Game of the Year edition of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which includes all of the downloadable content, ComiConverse brings you this review of the original game from our very own Alan Stock.