I'm a seasoned gamer with a lifetime of RPG experience and this game easily makes it to my top 5 games of all time. I'm honestly not even sure where to begin so I'll just start with the writing. The dialogue and story in this game are nothing short of Oscar worthy - every interaction with other characters in this bustling world feels genuine and not without purpose. The combat - very satisfying with a bit of a learning curve, however, once I got to around level 6, the combat became extremely fluid. Once you start using the evade / dodge button effectively you'll be dancing around opponents and slaying monsters with relative ease in no time. Character development is extremely satisfying - I played as a melee / fire damage hybrid and really enjoyed my first play through of the main story. So far I have finished up the the end of "Hearts of Stone" which was utterly fantastic and I've heard that "Blood and Wine" is even better. The main story arc had me emotionally upset with the ending I got - the choices you make actually have an effect on the world and outcome of the story (*cough* mass effect 3 *cough*), something I will certainly remedy on my next play through. Also, this game is absolutely gorgeous - the environments and places you visit are teeming with life and usually danger. The forests are beautiful and the snowy isles of Skellige had me taking screenshots like an amateur photographer. This game has crazy depth, and at 100 hours I still feel compelled to jump back in and get into B&W dlc. If you are a fan of great stories, great games, or just want to get lost in an amazing world where adventure is all around you then look no further than W3GOTY edition. You will not be disappointed and you owe it to yourself to experience one of the best games ever made.
