I'm advocating for challenge rooms like what we got in Arkham Asylum, an opportunity to hone our skills and really get used to the way Geralt moves.

Myself and many others feel there are problems with Geralt's responsiveness, and a dev claimed everything was working as intended. Whether they 'fix' or improve the combat, or if it's going to stay the same, challenge rooms would be an opportunity to hone our skills, risk free. It would also be a great piece of dlc that wouldn't take a lot of resources.

I dunno, I think we have some arena-like challenges already. We have numerous opportunities to engage in arm wrestling and fist-fighting for example that provide multiple benefits that may extend beyond gameplay. With arm wrestling for instance, I’ve been able to build up my flexor digitorum superficialis and flexor digitorum profundus muscles of the index finger of my right hand by keeping constant pressure on the left mouse button, all the while exercising my flexor and extensor carpi radialis and ulnaris muscles keeping the cursor on the moving bar. What’s not to like here?

With the fist-fighting minigame, I’ve developed the dorsal and palmar interossei and four lumbrical muscles of my left hand to a phenomenal extent by pushing the WASD keys. And this is not to mention the eye-hand coordination required to push said key precisely when my brain perceives the onscreen prompt. Educational as well as entertaining.

It’s now to the point where my right arm looks like freaking Popeye and my left hand like Mickey Mouse.

So, yeah, sure, I’d like more arena stuff.

I dont think thats because of game :trollface:

:DDDD

Pwned by Slavs :D

Well, it'd still be fun to practice combat outside the story imo.

I agree with this, I would have liked an optional combat tutorial that's separate from the main game. Something to let me get the hang of things before starting the Prologue, where I was mostly interested in what was going on rather than learning how to fight.

I actually really agree too. I was just trying to have a bit of fun with you with my feeble attempt at some humor. (Did you lol or at least chuckle?). Anyway, I think that all RPG games should have an arena-like tutorial, at the least, for us to get used to the controls and the combat. And a true arena as you suggest with actual combat, not a text thing with words. Who has time to read words while you're being bitten in the arse by some beast and you don't know yet which friggin' keys to push to fight back.

It could be placed in the Options menu so it doesn't interrupt immersion and make it totally player choice whether they want to use it or not.

I think we don't, It's really not rpg-ish. Even if liked it in mass effect 1 (pinnacle station).

I think if it was a separate thing from the main game, there are ways to make it fit. For example, it could be a flashback to Geralt's witcher training, and would let us spar with some people in order to practice combat. This could even be tied into the fact that Geralt has started to recover his memory, so he now recalls his training.

I still do not get why there is no such "arena" at the start of the game, in Foltest's camp. It would be the perfect place, serve as a much needed combat tutorial and could fit into the story very easily....

@clunealdynia You are a physical therapist (or married to one), right?

Well, there actually is such "arena" place but it's not really called an arena. It's at the courtyard with the ballista :P it's one big challenge room too :P

Jokes aside, I say "no" to some learn-how-to-fight arenas. Some properly displayed tips about the keys plus balanced set of enemies at the start of the game - YES. It adds excitement to the game when you know that you're learning in real fights rather than in some "I don't care because I can't die" training grounds.

But a challenge arenas like Batman or Darskiders would be nice. They might be rewarded with some special&unique skills or abilities for Geralt for example.

+1
Minus the reward thingy, though. Unlocking skills/other rewards by spending hours in a challenge mode is too action-adventure'esce. I wouldn't want any impact what-so-ever on the actual game.

Yes, but then, why would you want to spend hours in challenge arenas?

That's why they should be optional and separate from the main game. I don't like having to learn the controls while I'm in the middle of a huge exciting battle... with an optional, separate training mode, I could learn how to fight beforehand, whereas you could skip it and learn everything in real fights.