Witcher 3 Considering "Insanity" Mode That Would Wipe Saves When You Die

Eddie Makuch: CD Projekt Red currently contemplating ideas for ways to approach uber-tough difficulty option. Polish developer CD Projekt Red is working on an "Insanity" difficulty mode for open-world role-playing game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt that sounds like it would certainly live up to that distinction.

During a recent Twitch live-stream, CD Projekt Red developers said they couldn't reveal too much about the Insanity mode, since it's still in development, but did confirm that one idea being tossed around is that dying even once would wipe your entire game save.

CD Projekt Red's overall goal for Insanity mode is to make it incredibly punishing but still fun, developers said, as reported by Game Informer. The developer didn't reveal any other ideas it had for Insanity mode, and it should be noted that nothing has been finalized.

[KiwiViper85]

Achievement unlocked - Completed Witcher 3 on "Insanity" difficulty - 500 Gs

[AKissFromDaddy]

Lol,...it should be worth that much.

[NukaCola]

Thank God for HDD/Cloud Saves

[KiwiViper85]

Those are the saves they're talking about wiping. If there was an easy way around it it wouldn't be worth implementing.

[aviator189]

I'd literally faint from anxiety playing through such a mode.
Please make it happen. :)

[Big_Game_Hunters]

What would be the point of that? it would just be tedious fake difficulty. BS like that doesn't make a game hard and developers need to learn this. Especially CDPR, The Witcher 2 was a great game but i probably only died once or twice. before they start doing dumb shi*t like this they need to work on a combat system that actually makes the game difficult .Hard gameplay makes a game hard, not wasting hours doing the same thing over because you die.

[mattdillahunty]

this is the truth, although most people will just see it as you bashing TW or CD:PR. changing difficulty levels or having permadeath doesn't change the fundamental design of the game. if the game isn't built from the ground up to be difficult, then slapping a higher difficulty level on them or doing something else artificial doesn't really change anything.

for example, Ninja Gaiden is a game that's built to be difficult. even on the lowest difficulty level, some beginners might have problems. Call of Duty is a game that isn't built to be difficult, so just jacking it up to Veteran doesn't really change what the game is. the game is still fundamentally the same, they just changed some damage/health sliders behind the scenes.

with that said, i'll probably play TW3 on the hardest difficult (no permadeath, because that ruins the story/character involvement). the previous two games weren't very difficult, and playing on the hardest difficulty at least forces you to vary your style somewhat and not just mindlessly spam abilities.

[Irishguy95]

I'd like it as an option, probably won't play it though..not sure, i'd like it there either way.

This is where the souls games hit the mark on the head between 'no penalty for death' and 'permadeath'. Giving a penalty for death makes you feel the annoyance of dying in a game, but perma death is too much for most people including me. Still I wouldn't mind trying it.

[WikusVanDeMerwe]

"only died once or twice"

That's the whole point of hardcore modes. To never mess up and always play your best.

"doesn't change the fundamental design"

Hardcore mode makes you analyze every situation as if it could be your last. How is that not a huge redesign of how you play their game?

I think people just fixate on the fact you start over and never appreciate the fact you are going to play the game in a whole different manner that is IMPOSSIBLE to enjoy / suffer if the mistake is easily remedied and avoided.

[crazychris4124]

With my luck I would come out of one of the last boss battles without a scratch only to sneeze and steer my horse off a cliff

[midnight_23]

And then you would make the face of crazy Chris.

[Revolt13]

I like this idea a lot.
I wish dark souls had this type of mode also

[AKissFromDaddy]

Ohhh,...I would cry, lol.

[YamiMarik]

That's not insanity. Insanity is working a 50-hour week for fifty years, at the end of which they tell you to piss off. Ending up in some retirement village, hoping to die rather than suffering the indignity of trying to make it to the toilet on time.

Wouldn't you consider that to be insanity?

[GokuSolosAll]

It should brick your system if you lose.

[mcjt]

So basically its like the hardcore mode in diablo 3..

[imahustla19]

cant wait for the game but this insanity difficulty wont work. i would just save the game then back up the save to my cloud saves so that if i die i can still have the save.

[Maxor]

The correct term is ironman mode, which only allow you one autosave slot and nothing else. Considering the nature of this game, that would be an achievement worth having on my Steam account.

[One-Shot]

They had it in The Witcher 2, so why not.