Exploring The Vast World of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Gamespot:
In part two of our three part series we explore the world of the Witcher 3. We detail its multiple open areas, and reveal its vast map. We tell you how it runs on consoles and give you insight into the types of monsters you'll be slaying in this varied open world RPG

[ArchangelMike]

I think I'm overdosing on The Witcher 3 hype at the moment. I wish I could 'go dark', but damn it looks just awesome, I can't keep away.

I have to say though, I'm reading through the books at the moment. I had no idea how fantastic the books are. It's one of those situations where I'm like "how come I didn't know about this before". It's such a crying shame that the author - Andrzej Sapkowski disdains the games so much. I wonder if it's one of the reasons CDPR will move on after this game. Also because he refused for the games to be considered canon.

I would definately pay money for more games set in the Witcher universe.

[thekhurg]

I think CD Projekt always envisioned the Witcher being a trilogy. I have faith that their next project will be amazing. The cyberpunk universe is perfect for gaming.

[kingjosh1876]

Why does he disdain the games, surely he would enjoy seeing his world brought to life in this way? Does he have the typical old person view of video games as being childrens toys and time wasters?

[ArchangelMike]

Check out the Eurogamer(Poland) interview with Andrzej Sapkowski about what he thinks about the Witcher games...

"The game - with all due respect to it, but let's finally say it openly - is not an 'alternative version', nor a sequel. The game is a free adaptation containing elements of my work; an adaptation created by different authors," he noted.

Then he says...

"I realise that current times accustom us - which I find terrible - to the strange convergence of media and the freedom of mixing them. To me as a writer, the idea to write 'adjuvant content' and create something 'complementary' to a game or a comic is an absolute pinnacle of idiocy."

And finally...

"I will definitely skip any 'alternative ideas'," Sapkowski promised. "It'll come easily to me anyway, as I don't know any of them. And even if I knew, it would be funny and silly were I to write based on the game's suggestions. I suppose I have made myself clear when I said that I will never accept any ideas and concepts of 'complementarity plots' and 'building coherent stories'. A story can only be contained in a book."

So yeah, I think it's fair to say Andrzej Sapkowski is not a fan of the Witcher games!

http://www.eurogamer.net/ar...

[bloodybutcher]

I do not know his views regarding computer games, but here is my rough translation of his stand on anything ''witcher-y'' outside of his books:''A computer game can not be considered in the slightest a continuation of the Witcher series , or for a sequel or a continuation of the events described in the last volume of the witcher stories , entitled ' ' Lady of the Lake ' . Any adaptations - movies, comic books and also games, including the game ' The Witcher ' , are solely adaptations existing as completely separate entities of fiction, being the work of their creators . They do not have anything in common to written by me adventures of the witcher Geralt, and absolutely can not be regarded as canon , because such canon constitute only things I wrote , published in printed form.

[kingjosh1876]

I suppose that's a fair view, I bet he doesn't complain about the money the games make though.

[bloodybutcher]

But he did call ''The Witcher games'' as ''a high class product, successful adaptation, faithful to the original''

[smolinsk]

So is this open world or what? whats that with the loading for going in to some areas? dosen't sound good:/

[Eldyraen]

It a multi region, open world design. In other words instead of a single huge world there are multiple massive regions to explore but from what I've read it's not as bad as say Dragon Age which had more "small" scale areas. If I remember right one area is actually supposed to be larger than any single Witcher game world combined or even on scale or larger than Skyrim (wouldn't take my word alone but think it's one thing I read months back).

[Khajiit86]

DAI had huge areas as well.

[smolinsk]

oh no say it isn't true, the game just vent from very interesting to huge disappointment here, so sad to here that:/ I fuc.... hate that multi region games. so it is very fales advertising to call it an open world game.

[ArchangelMike]

You obviously don't know much about this game, if that is the one factor you are judgin it by. Never mind the fact that the main open world region is twice the size of the whole of Skyrim. That's without talking about everything else the game has going for it.

[starchild]

So what? The main area containing Novigrad and No Man's Land is much larger than Skyrim. Who cares if there are a handful of other more remote areas that are separated by loading screens? The Skellige islands are remote and quite large. It wouldn't make sense to make people travel hours by boat to get to them.

[bmwfanatic]

I have never bought a season pass for a game but I will for this one! Cant wait!

[smolinsk]

I can accept maybe one or two places like remote Island's to have loading screens, but nothing else. If the main area of the hole map you see is not totally open, then it is very disappointing. Irritating that nothing official is out on the subject.

[ArchangelMike]

Dude seriously, put aside the cynicism. This is one game where it is unwarranted. There's tons of 'official' from CDPR info out there about the game world and its size - if you'd care to look for yourself.

You need to understand that the story setting is a war between the Northern Kingdoms and the Southern Kingdom of Nilfgaard. Within the story there are key story locations - which will not all be connected to the main Map. The Witcher home castle of Kear Morhen for example. It's a separate location where story and gameplay takes place, but it is not 'connected' to the overall map, because it doesn't have to be. But it does have a map of its own as it is a large stand alone area.

There's absolutely no reason to get all worked up about separate locations within a game that need to be loaded in. Especially when the whole is much greater than the sum of its parts, and when the main area is more than twice the size of Skyrim with no loading at all - even when you enter buildings!!!

[mogwaii]

We'll see, this game has simmered in my expectations.