Ведьмак

Вот наконец я и ознакомился с серией игр "Ведьмак" по мотивам книг одного из моих любимейших фэнтези-писателей - Анджея Сапковского. Впечатления в целом положительные, хоть и без ложки дёгтя не обошлось, но обо всём по порядку. О графике я говорить не буду, всё-таки 2007-08 год, уже на тот момент игра не могла похвастаться технологичностью (особенно смущают повторяющиеся модельки NPC), но в целом, даже спустя столько лет смотрится "Ведьмак" вполне себе ничего. Стержнем подобных ролевых игр служит сюжет, диалоги и нелинейность. Не скажу что сюжет вызвал у меня восторг, но интерес держал на протяжении 60+ часов, почти детективная интрига есть, деления на черное и белое нет, персонажи неоднозначны - в общем, крепкий уровень. Диалоги... Ну, определенно неплохи, но до уровня пана Анджея не дотягивают, плюс немного подкачала российская озвучка: актёров мало и нередко переигрывают или вообще не так озвучивают диалог (это касается и самого ведьмака, хоть голос ему подходит, но актёр дубляжа периодически черезчур эмоционален и пафосен:)). Нелинейность сносная, на всё и вся не повлияешь, а иногда выбор бывает не очевиден, но неплохо. Очень понравилась мастерски созданная мрачная и суровая атмосфера, чему во многом поспособствовал великолепный и атмосферный саундтрек (особенно мне запомнилась тема днейной Вызимы). На счёт геймплея, тут в принципе стандартно, но фишки вроде эликсиров и более интенсивной боевой системы вносят разнообразие, играть увлекательно. Ах да, ещё спасибо разработчикам, теперь я люблю покер! Из недостатков хочется выделить излишне частые задания типа "подай-принеси", я понимаю что время прохождения нужно растягивать, и всё-таки надеюсь что в сиквелах их поменьше... А вот охоты на чудовищ наоборот хотелось бы побольше. В общем, игра отнюдь не шедевр, просто хорошая игра в своём жанре, на твёрдую 8/10. Конец заинтриговал, надеюсь продолжение лучше будет. P.S. Игра в целом работает стабильно, но, раз 7-8 случались вылеты, так что почаще сохраняйтесь!

100% worth full price. The game really shines in its writing: great story; characters are well written and have great personalities; world-building is done well and information is drip-fead over the course of the game; dialogue is fantastic; choices affect the storyline; brilliant voice acting; music is also great. On the other hand the gameplay isn't so great: - Most late-game enemies spam you with stun moves so I couldn't get the chance to attack before dying. So my only choice was to pick off enemies 1-by-1 which is pretty boring. - Group combat mode stopped working properly and Geralt wouldn't build up any attack streaks even when he wasn't affected by stuns, etc. - Geralt puts the torch away every time you loot an enemy/chest. - Geralt puts his weapon away a few seconds after a fight ends. This is frustrating when you're in a crypt and pull out the torch after killing enemies, and then he puts it away again shortly after. - Geralt moves quicker with his sword out on group mode, so I suggest you activate this whenever possible. But stay away from enemies or he'll put it away when the fight ends. - *possible spoiler*: there is a house in Chapter V that has a bunch of characters you met in earlier chapters which kinda just pulls you out of the immersion. Maybe if they were in separate, random houses it would be more believable, but lumping them all in one hut felt like a cheap way of saying "Hey, remember all these people you helped?!?!?" These seem like small problems, but the first two are so common that they really dampened my experience of the game. Any combat sequence or crypt location became a real bore, and I started to wish they'd just offered the game as a visual novel instead. But I played on and I'm glad I did because ultimately the storyline/characters/dialogue is what really makes this game so great. Spent 48+ hours on my first playthough. Will play again with different choices to see the other possible storylines.

The age of the game shows on several occasions. Firstly, repeated character models with clunky animations. Secondly, the engine wasn't optimized to handle large number of NPCs. So the game is lagging in crowded areas. The movement is pretty limited. You can walk only on paths. You cannot cross bushes, water or jump even over small fences. You simply must go around. It is noticeable in areas outside the city, like marshes and fields. It can be pretty annoying. However, for me it has the best atmosphere in the trilogy. You really feel like the Witcher. The alchemy is integrated pretty well in the game. Something, that I lacked in the sequels. The combat is hit or miss. It took some time for me to get used to it. But in the end, I enjoyed it. Geralt has really sick fighting animations that were pleasure to watch. The story, the characters known from the books, choices that are not black and white... Those are things that hooked me to the screen. Despite its flaws and age, the Witcher holds special place among my favourite games.

Me and my wife just finished Witcher 1+2+3 and we have plans to start them again. I've played and finished probably hundreds of games since the age of 15, and this is by far the deepest one i've ever played. So much thought has been done about the story, that it's absolutely amazing. You make choices, moral choices that make A HUGE difference on how the game evolves. The game is funny, thrilling, interesting, evolving ... Playing the witcher for the 1st time, was like seeing Lord of the rings for the first time. You KNOW you're in the middle of a "one of a kind" experience, and you cherish every minute. I highly recommend on buying Witcher 1+2+3. Enjoy

Considering season 2 of the TV series came out, I suspect interest in the games may rise and I thought I write a review despite the game's age. I think this is still a great RPG. I read some reviews that recommend going directly to Witcher 3, but if you like the Witcher story, and haven't played the games yet, that would be a mistake. The first Witcher game certainly has faults. It was written mainly for a male audience (it is rather sexist), the graphics cannot be compared to the Witcher 3, the combat system feels weird (though once I got used to it, I found it to be a rather refreshing change). And yet this is one of the deepest and most mature RPGs I have ever played. There is no hand-holding, as in the Witcher 3 (where the game even tells you what level you should be to attempt a quest), and my impression is that indeed it was made for serious and mature gamers. Let me explain what this game is and what it is not, so that first-time players can know what they get. It is not a textbook RPG. You can't choose your character or profession, and there isn't really any variety in terms of weapons and armor. But this is because it is based on the Witcher stories (you play as Gerald the Witcher, using witcher's equipment), and what you get in return is a very detailed and interesting world to explore. The story is original, as it occurs after the last book from the saga, but you are introduced to all the characters because it starts with Gerald having amnesia. As such it is a great way to get into the Witcher world. And let's be honest, it is thanks to this game that the books and the TV series became popular. Hence if you are interested in the Witcher saga, with all faults the game has (as many reviews have pointed out), I recommend that you try to ignore them in return for discovering the world of the Witcher. I think after playing it you will also enjoy the TV series more, as you will understand better some of the small details, such as when Gerald uses a sign.