My first impression of this game was "This is not as good as The Witcher 3". The characters were cool, but seemed superficial. As I kept playing and got to know these characters better (including V), I realized how special this game is. The depth of storytelling and character design really pulled me in. Gameplay is fun, and the world is beautiful and varied. Sure, it was buggy at launch, but it wasn't too bad on PC, and it never prevented me from progressing. The game creates a strong sense of urgency, so it may seem out of place to pursue side quests. Take the time to do them anyway, because that's where the gold is.
This is one of the best games ever made. I've played just over 300 hours (one playthrough), it never got old, and there are still some things left to do. They really refined Geralt as a character, and the other characters are fantastic as well. The main storyline was great, as was the two expansions. Even the side quests have interesting stories. This game really upped the ante on open-world games, and I can see how it improved the genre as a whole. 10 out of 10.
