Witcher 3 Early Impressions on Xbox One

Apparently, games without bugs just don’t get put out with this current generation. The Witcher 3 on Xbox One is just another example of an unsettling trend.

Ok, enough about the issues I have with the Witcher 3. This game is absolutely fantastic. Don’t bother waiting for the media reviews or Let’s Plays. Just go buy it!

If you enjoy a good RPG, open world game than look no further than The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It provides the perfect place to jump into the Witcher franchise. As long as you pay attention to what happens at the beginning, and read the various books and manuals you find around the world, you will be running around in the Witcher as knowledgeable as the next guy.

Sure, the game isn’t perfect, especially on Xbox One. I have experience game saving glitches when trying to load the game from standby mode, quests that don’t complete, chests that I should be able to unlock but for whatever reason I can’t, and numerous other issues. But what lies behind the issues is really something special. It’s different from other open world games, and in a good way.

The Witcher 3 is loaded with deep combat. As long as you are not playing the lowest difficulty level,you will be required to think about battles before you enter them. What oils should you put on your swords, what potions should you drink, and which Sign should be your go-to? It’s clever, in ways that Skyrim never was. The Elder Scrolls titles have always been my favorite open world experiences. But the Witcher 3 has quickly become my number one.

It’s hard to pinpoint why. The Witcher 3 and Skyrim are a lot alike, and yet so very different. Deciding what to loot and sell in Skyrim gave me fits, while in the Witcher 3 I know I can leave a house stealing everything possible without being overburdened. Almost everything in the Witcher has a purpose outside of gaining money. A simple rusty butter knife, for example, can be disassembled giving crafting items.

Crafting is equally impressive in both titles, but I cannot help but feel that the ability to disassemble weapons, armour, and what only can be called useless junk in the Witcher 3 makes its crafting system somehow deeper and more enjoyable. While roaming the open world of the Witcher 3, I kept saying to myself, “That is a lot like Skyrim, just better.”

Don’t wait on our full review of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Just go out and grab this title. With sixteen free DLC packs and two paid packs which add 30 more hours of gameplay, there probably won’t be a reason to buy anything else in 2015.