THE WITCHER 3: WILD HUNT
Tending to Roach are: enki and Monk
To be some of the first journalists to see The Witcher 3 in action, we made a visit to CD Projekt Red's headquarters. Deep within it's bowels, in a small room, we met with eight developers - specialists in different aspects of the gameplay. For a few hours, we talked, we watched the demo, we pried. Below, you will find everything we managed to learn about the finale of the trilogy.
The last days of winter (1) on Skellige welcome us with a windy, harsh aura, that has toughened the bodies and spirits of the natives of the archipelago for centuries. The first frames of the demo are filled with Geralt's figure and a coniferous forest, swaying to the rhythm of the icy gusts. Above the treetops, a blizzard pushes the dark clouds over the bare rocks on the horizon, and the piercing cold almost pours out of the screen on to the carpet of the room we're in. Aside from the White Wolf - unraffled by the cold welcome the land prepared for him - and the two witcher's swords on his back, we notice one more familiar element. Or rather a name, in the laconic sentence describing our quest (2): "Find Crach an Craite".
Let's dance!
The camera pans for a better look at the protagonist and his face sporting a week's worth of facial hair, far however from the truly manly beard which Gwynbleidd proudly presents in the concept art revealed thus far. A moment later, the world turns on it's head - Geralt jumps in place, then runs off the beaten path, downwards, getting a bit of air time just to prove that the new, open world finally allows for true freedom, but also the dangers inherent in it. A leap from a cliff straight onto the sharp-edged rocks sticking out of the stormy sea depths cannot end well even for a witcher - however, the developers ensure us that our hero learned not only how to jump, but how to swim as well..
In the forested wilderness, Geralt soon encounters a group of bandits. This is an example of a random encounter we can, but don't need to engage in. The devs hint that it's usually worth to, since intervention often results in finding valuable items - crafting inggredients (3) or mutagens (4). Thus, the witcher unsheathes his sword and... for a few seconds, the screen is filled with something so dynamic and spectacular, that it's impossible to accurately describe. Almost like in Sapkowski's books, the ballet of pirouettes (5), lightning fast strikes and ripostes lasts for only a flash, captured by intelligent camera work. The White Wolf slashes quickly, effectively, not once resorting to the overused roll known from the previous game. Our eyes still wide open, we'd welcome more of this, but there's no one left to fight - all foes lie dead. Once again, the icy wind plays first fiddle, accompanied only by the frightened sounds of our horse.
Roach, maybe?
The Witcher leaves the forest on his new mount (6) and rides towards the cliff of a bare rock, the stormy sea a few dozen meters below. Here, we have the first opportunity to look around, noticing interesting points on the horizon (including the jarl's castle, sculpted in stone), and we appreciate the scale of the island, just one in the Skellige archipelago, a modest section of the world (7) crafted by the digital surveyors, architects and interior decorators working for CDP Red. Our sense of adventure and discovery awakens, as we yearn to set out on the witcher's trail and explore the world. To save our time however, the developers have implemented a fast travel system allowing to instantly reach previously discovered locations. In the next scene, the castle guard open the gates for Geralt, and show him the way to Crach.
The conversation with the jarl, held in english (as the rest of the demo), is an opportunity to showcase the uniquely cinematic way of showing dialogue, a far cry from the typical two camera angles and characters standing around like dumb. It also allows us to get a small taste of the story, and learn the background to the political play that could have a large impact on the world later. (Deeply and unofficially speculating - it's about getting Skellige to join the war against Nilfgaard). Crach an Craite's request to the witcher is just about one person though - his son Hjalmar (once hopelessly smitten with Ciri). To prove he's worthy of the crown, Hjalmar set out to the Island with No Return... and didn't return. It's time to bring him back, or at least his body. A navigator living in the fisherman village below the castle is supposed to help us reach the ill-fated island.
White Sea-wolf
Despite the surrounding cold, the life in the village burns brightly - whalers prepare their boats for another catch, sentries warm against the fire and the lively tavern is home to a neverending feast. It's there that we meet the bald, tatooed sailor with a nasty facial scar - though not half as intimidating as Geralt's. It certainly is, memorable, however, which is pointed out by the devs as the reason to slightly exaggerate NPCs' mugs. A mug of golden beer is enough to loosen the sailor's tongue, and a bit later he guides us towards another, unexpected means of transportation - the sailboat.
Freshly off Roach, Geralt already has the opportunity to steer a small vessel with a piece of rag for sail. And we stare, wide-eyed as he traverses the tumultous waves stalked by enormous, water-sprouting whales (8). When asked how far it's possible to sail, thedevelopers answer that the world is really vast, and when you reach the boundaries, the fast travel system automatically kicks in. To save time, our hosts transport the hero to the shore of the ominous island. After all, there's still some exploring to do - the island is about as large as the entirety of the second act in The Witcher 2! And while it might be missing encampments, towns or the always welcoming tents of courtesans, it doesn't mean it's a boring wasteland.
I'll give you burns, Yen!
The sight of a grim graveyard of ships wrecked on the sharp rocks lining the shore reminds us that the name of the island Geralt landed on is not a coincidence. It's here that the developers can showcase his new ability - a sense that highlights important items, bodies, and other clues. It doesn't require drinking an elixir, and it's very useful on the witcher's trail (9). It's thanks to this instinct that he succesfully finds Hjalmar's boat and, a bit further, the corpses of part of his crew, caught in an avalanche. A few seps more, and it gets even more interesting - based on tracks, scattered equipment and a body impaled on a sharp trunk of a wilted tree, Geralt, like Sherlock Holmes in Ritchie's films, pieces together the events that transpired. And judging by the trajectory of the poor sod had to travel to end up on that poor excuse of a tree, he had to have been thrown by something of decidedly above average strength.
Before we follow the witcher into a small canyon, we take a look at the horizon to spot a few orientation points and assess the vastness of the area once more. A moment later the landscape disappeard behind vertical walls rising above the hero, and the only thing of note is the swarm of crab-like corpse-eaters beneath our feet, with sharp pincers and evil intentions. Thankfully, Geralt has the ideal tool to deal with them - the improved Igni sign (10) scorches the shellfish like a flamethrower, until only twitching remains are left.
The path eventually leads to a small hollow with another ship stranded on the rocks. The witcher needs to be careful - up above, screaming hellishly, is a flock of one of the biggest scourges of Skellige. They're sirens - harpy-like creatures, far from the stunning mermaid Sh'eenaz from the short story "A Little Dedication". Killing machines, whose hunger is fed best with raw meat. This time, dinner arrives in an unexpected form. The hollow thumping of heavy steps heralds the arrival of an ice giant with a large pot of bloody scraps, which he throws to his pets. When the cutscene ends and the beasts leave their unisual mess hall, we're informed by the devs that the quest has been shortened for the purposes of the demo, and that to reach the giant's lair in the full game, we will first need to find and fix a boat, which will allow us to traverse the lake, which is too cold to swim in. For the last time today, Geralt grabs the rudder.
A shard of ice
The first thing that catches our eye upon entering the giant's cave is a shoddily constructed but solid cage, occupied by Hjalmar - still alive. We're informed that even a seemingly unimportant decision of whether or not to release him before facing the giant, can have far reaching consequences for the whole archipelago. The person playing the game releases the jarl's hotheaded son, who immediately rushes towards the sleeping giant, driven by the hunger of a giant-slayer's fame. Whether he likes it or not, Geralt needs to draw his sword again.
This time, the battle looks completely different than in the case of the wannabe highwaymen. Dwarfed next to the monster Geralt and his companion can only strike at the giant's legs, protected by solid woden planks likely pilfered from one of the shipwrecks. The hero doesn't hesitate to roll out of the way of incoming strikes, especially when the giant grabs an anchor on a chain and starts punding the ground with it, causing sharp stalactites to come crashing down. Lightning fast, powerful swings of the improvised weapon trash the remaining furniture that found its way into the cave, proving that the giant is only seemingly clumsy. He's no match for the likes of the witcher though. It doesn't take long before Geralt and Hjalmar defeat their adversary. Before the final blow, Geralt manages to save his new companion's life once more at the last moment (11). Then, the screen darkens and the demo comes to an end.
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The Witcher 3 is still in such an early stage of production, that many decisions regarding gameplay, balance, or interface still haven't been made yet. Having seen just a small piece of one of the three enormous regions of the game, we can only imagine the scale of the entire project. It's clear however that, ambitious and eager for new challenges, the Reds are aiming high again. The Witcher 3, with its mature story, deep consequences of choice and its open world, has a chance to beat everything the game industry has put out so far when it comes to RPG (well, maybe except the absolutely untouchable Planescape: Torment). And that's what we're hoping for, fingers crossed. No pressure, CDP RED!
INFOBOXES:
1. Six months later...
The events we're going to see in the prologue to the new Witcher happen exactly half a year after the previous game's ending. Nilfgaard's invasion is a fact, however the invading forces lost their impetus shortly after crossing the Yaruga, and further warfare has been stalled by the quickly approaching winter. Now however, with the coming spring, the southern army begins its march again. Geralt also sets off, his destination known only to him. His memory recovered, himself temporarily pushed away from the centre of great events, he begins his journey to find his loved ones. The role of the titular phenomenon remains unknown.
Importing savegames from previous games is also uncertain - while the developers like the idea, it's impeded by problems in carrying over saves between different systems. One thing is confirmed - since "three" is the last part of the cycle, the developers will put every effort in closing all threads open so far, for example in sidequests.
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2. Brother Geralt, missionary at world's end
During the meeting with the devs, the word "story" has been mentioned multiple wimes, in all possible contexts - they claim that the freedom offered by the open world not only does not "dilute" the story, but actually makes it more believable. A situation where you take an alternate route and solve someone's problem before being asked to will be nothing out of the ordinary - you'll simply inform the surprised potential questgiver and collect the reward.
The developers admit that the problem with Assassins of Kings was that they threw the player into the middle of the story too rapidly, especially for players not familiar with any incarnation of The Witcher so far. Aware of this information overload, they decided to simplify the form of the journal entries. Because of the open world, the main plotline of Wild Hunt will not be divided into any sort of chapters, it will instead slowly emerge from the "local" stories for particular regions (see: the box: "Witcher-land"). Along with side stories, the game will last about 100 hours of pure gameplay, however, this number doesn't take into account the potentially branching storyline - true to the series' tradfition, our choices will have serious consequences.
Eventually, the player will reach one of three wildly different epilogues, each lasting up to two hours, and leave the world in one of 36 configurations depending on on key choices. And now a curion: the presence of snow is supposed to have great importance for the plot. Ithlinne's prophecy maybe?!
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3. Made in Novigrad
Item cafting and equipmend management rank high on CDP's list of elements in "two" worth fixing. Aside from a new interface (it's highly likely we'll see the traditional grid!), the developers want to improve the entire mechanics of equipment rotation. Crafting is supposed to require more effort, but also give much better results, so we'll use our personally forged weapons longer.
Many of the schematics Geralt will work with require not as much set ingredients, but rather their category, i.e. "leather". It's up to us whether we use recycled old boots or the still warm hide of a mythical beast for our armour. A good choice of components will be reflected in the properties and quality of the resulting equipment.
An important part will be played by a distinct division between regular, human equipment and special equipment exclusively made for witchers, resembling the Dark Mode arsenal from The Wither 2 EE. Trophies will also make a comeback - apart from their regular statistics boosts, they'll also be usable in alchemy. The economy will also be made more believable, so we'll be able to buy a Skellige knife cheaper at a local market than from a merchant in distant Novigrad.
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4. Pimp my Geralt
Meticulously collecting experience points will allow Geralt to reach a maximum of 60 levels. The player will be rewarded with points for raising skills in the three familiar branches: swordsmanship, magic and alchemy. The skill tree - only described to us by the developers - took the shape of a disc, where particular groups of abilities (fighting styles or cooking up elixirs etc.) form concentric lauers. The majority of skills is supposed to be active (like guard breaking or disarming), but filling up particular circles will also give us passive bonuses, for example to health.
The Reds promise that "three" will allow for a large degree of freedom in building your character, so in comparison to the last game, we'll get much more playable builds that will not result in the game getting drastically harder than. The importance of mutagens will be higher in Wild Hunt, allowing Geralt to fight and move more effectively, for example allowing him to swim longer in ice-cold water. The witcher will be able to "wear" three such bonuses at a time (or four, if he "buys" an additional slot - we're guessing he'll have to sacrifice something more than a sack of orens). He'll find the ingredients needed for modifying his organism in the bodies of slain monsters, among other places. Oh, and the most important bit - you can change Geralt's hair and beard.
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5. Master swordsman don't roll like that
Even at the current stage of production, the combat system looks absolutely fantastic, the despite developers still tuning it and haven't yet implemented many "things you can do to the enemies" (one of the reasons they didn't want to give the controller to us yet). Geralt will finally fight just like a reader of Sapkowski's books would imagine. His arsenal of moves is as much as 96 animations (compared to 20 in TW2), and the variety shows even in the stances taken by the hero according to the enemy type. When facinfg a bandit or a small group of them - hardly dangerous - he's visibly relaxed and he's holding his word low. He doesn't hun around during the battle, his dodges are short and quick, sufficient to get missed minimally and to perform a lightning quick counterattack. The previously overused rolls are now reserved for situations where they will actually be necessary.
Quite rightly taking inspiration from Rocksteady's fantastic Batman games, the developers push the camera away from Geralt's back during combat, giving it a semblance of intelligence so the player always knows what's happening around him. Geralt can easily choose the opponent he wishes to strike, and block another's strike. All strikes are performed equally quickly now - in the case of a gamepad, they're mapped directly to buttons under the right thumb. The real cherry on top are the additional graphical effects, such as sparks when two blades meet each other in the heat of battle. We cannot wait for all this!
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6. I can help you, I'm a horse
CDP Red know where to get inspirations regarding horse riding mechanics. But whereas in the cited Red Dead Redemption the magnificently animated horse was little more than a means of transportation, Geralt's Roach will mean more to him - even if he happens to swap one mare for another. Having decided not to include a Skyrim-like house, the devs want to make the horse into a home of sorts for the witcher on his trail. Whether we'll be able to burden our horse with additional equipment and whether it can get killed is still being decided by the studio. However, the devs did mention the words "weak", "fast" and "war-" describing the available types of horses in the game, and a confirmation that you can upgrade your mount - for example enhanceing its stamina during a gallop.
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7. Witcherland
The numbers used to describe the game's world are impressive - in The Witcher 3, we'll have access to an area around 40 times bigger than the one in the previous game, and at the same time 20% bigger than the province of Skyrim. Riding on horseback north to south will take is about 40 minutes.
Aside from the windy, icy Skellige archipelago, a small part of which we were shown during the presentation, Geralt's travels will also take him to No Man's Land - a war-torn, swampy region home to a variety of nasties straight from slavic legends. Another area for adventuring will be Novigrad, a thriving city full of rival factions, its atmosphere resembling XVII. century Paris from "The Three Musketeers".
We won't see Skyrim-like, automatic hints "on the radar" making navigation easier in the game. Instead, the developers claim that regardless of where we are, there will always be something extraordinary loomng on the horizon, our own curiosity pushing us to reach it. The multitude of such points and the lack of invisible walls are to ensure we can reach any destination in a dozen ways, each time discovering new relishes such as hidden caves or meeting NPCs with their own problems.
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8. RedEngine 3
One of the studio's major reasons for further developing the engine towards open-world generation wasn't, as you might think, Skyrim, but rather a natural desire to revisit locations from already finished acts in The Witcher 2. From Aedirn to Flotsam, for example - where you would see for yourself what consequences of our earlier actions or finish still open quests.
The studio has a dedicated team of programmers tirelessly working on technology used - we remind you - in the production of two games at once, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and Cyberpunk 2077. By the way, before the demo, we were informed that alongside the successful move to a new engine that streams vast open spaces and ditching Havok for PhysX, the whole is still waiting for a change of rendering engine, which will make the things on the screen even prettier.
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9. Drowner contract, take three
Monster hunting will be both Geralt's basic source of income and a way to introduce an element of randomness. These sorts of quests are supposed to find the witcher almost by themselves - a notice on a board or an unfortunate villager's remains strewn around the forest can both serve as an impulse to take action.
The first step towards the completion of a contract till be preparation - conversations with natives and other sources will allow Geralt to learn effective ways of dealing with particular types of creatures. In practice, gaining such knowledge will let us use as special targeting system during combat with monsters, in which the witcher can use a certain amount of so-called focus points to stab the creature in its weak point. In the case of common monsters such as nekkers, these moves can be performed without any special targeting, just using one button.
If a monster does not initiate an attack itself, Geralt will need to find its lair - aforementioned witcher force recon techniques will be useful here. Knowledge of the terrain will be important, since creature populations are to move independently of the player, for example taking residence in abandoned caves.
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10. Crop circles and other signs
Free of amnesia, right from the start Geralt will gain a full arsenal of witcher tricks, with the effects of some signs significantly altered in comparison to the previous game. A good example is igni, which now works like a flamethrower, spewing fire in any direction for as long as we like... or rather as long as our stamina lasts.
Each of the five signs has two modes, for example Aard can be used to create a shockwave directed toward one enemy, or as an area effect pushing back all surrounding adversaries. Levelling will let us upgrade each mode separately - and while it's too early for details, there should be an large number of improvements, and newly applied ones will not overwrite old ones.
In TW3, signs will also have an additional function of environment interaction, allowing us to hurl a hive of angry bees at an enemy or... experiment with setting corpses on fire. What's most important, all of this without any quick-time events!
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11. Dandelion, Milva, Regis and...?
The theme of a party - a team of companions, roaming the world and facing odds together - is one of the tropes of literary fantasy, and Sapkowski did not shy away from it while constructing his multi-volume story of the witcher. Wild Hunt will be a single character affair, concentrated, both story- and gameplay-wise on the protagonist, but it won't lack Geralt's friends, fighting, maybe even travelling alongside him. Their number, the degree of interaction and how long they will stay with us is a secret for now.
Among the NPCs will be quite a few new characters, but also a host of well-known to readers of the novels and short stories. As the developers revealed to us, when faced with a choice whether to include a character from the previous games or from the books, they usually picked the second option. One of the still undecided factors is the potential presence and nature of fragments where we'll play as characters other than the witcher.
Lastly, despite his quest to save Yennefer, Geralt will still be inclined towards love affairs. It's hard to expect that half a year without Triss will not have an effect on their relationship, and Novigrad will also likely tempt Geralt with some pimped-out bordello, but that's just our fantasy speaking, and gamer and reader experience. After all, "A witcher! Hide your women!"
