Home Gaming You’ll face a more charismatic villain in The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

You’ll face a more charismatic villain in The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

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The Witcher 3

The Witcher 3 is easily the biggest success story of 2015, a triumph of digital engineering and storytelling on the grandest of scales.  It’s also a lesson in how to do expansions right, as last year’s Hearts of Stone add-on felt like the kind of extra content that many game developers had forgotten how to create after they’d been blinded by the allure of a few extra coins in their pocket.

Hearts of Stone did what expansions are meant to do: Add to a game and build on its foundations. It’s also the penultimate chapter in the saga of Geralt of Rivia, as this year will see the magical mercenary exit stage left in the second expansion, Blood and Wine. Speaking to Eurogamer Italy via GameSpot, senior writer Jakub Szamalek explained how fan feedback has helped shape the expansions into content that he sees as being even “better than the main game” itself.

According to Szamalek, if there was one thing missing from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it was a villain with presence. That’s why Blood and Wine will see a more charismatic foe to deal with over a more complex story before Geralt rides off into the sunset.  A hero is only as memorable as the villains that he fights. Think of Batman and the Joker, the Fantastic Four and Doctor Doom, rational human beings and Donald Trump.

Having that counter-balance to your hero makes them that much more interesting in the end. A good villain needs to make you root for the hero, while also being more than just a moustache-twirling psychopath who ties young ladies to the tracks of oncoming trains (You had this coming Matty). 2016 looks like another good year for CD Projekt Red’s flagship franchise. Beyond the expansion, they’ve got a freshly-minted patch out that’ll fix more bugs, while they’re also nominated for eight DICE awards and honours from the Writers Guild of America.

Last Updated: January 14, 2016

No Comments

  1. You tied Martha to the train tracks D? You MONSTER!

    Reply

  2. Captain JJ 4x

    January 14, 2016 at 07:40

    I have to start my 2016 replay of Witcher, but I really shouldn’t. I have other games to play, damn it.

    Reply

    • Hammersteyn

      January 14, 2016 at 07:42

      Play your other games, the good ending is overrated anyway *Runs*

      Reply

      • Captain JJ 4x

        January 14, 2016 at 07:43

        You bastard!
        *cries*

        Reply

      • RinceThis

        January 14, 2016 at 09:19

        Is it as good as Destiny’s? *run

        Reply

        • Hammersteyn

          January 14, 2016 at 09:33

          Will tell you in 8 years time, they said it ‘s a 10 year game and I totally believe them

          Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      January 14, 2016 at 07:46

      I won’t replay it. Maybe some time in the far future, but I doubt it. I had the perfect story and ending. Wouldn’t play it any differently a second time around.

      Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        January 14, 2016 at 07:53

        I never did visit all the question marks. Started to feel like Jacques Cousteau at one point

        Reply

        • Alien Emperor Trevor

          January 14, 2016 at 07:55

          All those ones in the ocean around Skellige. Was a pain in the ass to clear all those.

          Reply

          • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

            January 14, 2016 at 08:35

            By the time I hit Skellige, I was almost tired of hunting question marks and with my glorious inability to remember where I parked my boat, I spent most of the time swimming back to shore…

      • RinceThis

        January 14, 2016 at 09:05

        I definitely would. Just like I would read my favourite book again.

        Reply

    • RinceThis

      January 14, 2016 at 09:02

      Yeah, I only just finished it and I want to start on New Game + right away! Fuck collecting Pokemons, I want all the endings!

      Reply

      • Captain JJ 4x

        January 14, 2016 at 12:18

        No new game + for me. I like to start from scratch again 🙂

        Reply

  3. Alien Emperor Trevor

    January 14, 2016 at 07:43

    I’m still busy with Hearts of Stone. It’s basically more of the same – which is great seeing as the same is one of the best games I’ve ever played.

    Reply

    • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

      January 14, 2016 at 08:29

      CDPR has this way of creating some of the best vistas that I’ve seen in gaming, what makes it even better is that when you see the closing shot of the story, it’ll round every bit of it off so nicely… Heart of Stone is exactly as you say, more of the same, but brilliant content…

      Reply

      • Alien Emperor Trevor

        January 14, 2016 at 08:34

        Professional reviewers would give it 5/10 for not being innovative enough.

        I’m almost finished with the wedding, that was really fun to play through.

        Reply

        • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

          January 14, 2016 at 08:37

          That’s true, but why change what works so well? That wedding was fun! Chasing pigs around in gaming has never been that good!

          Reply

      • oVg

        January 14, 2016 at 09:12

        SPOILER

        How has that vista on the sand dune planet and its only there for 5 minutes?

        Reply

        • Greylingad[CNFRMD]

          January 14, 2016 at 11:41

          It was amazing, the oil painting effect was also quite spectacular, and that sunset…

          Reply

  4. Ghost In The Rift

    January 14, 2016 at 07:45

    I knew they where gonna use their….Trump card

    Reply

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      January 14, 2016 at 07:45

      Most useless Gwent card ever.

      Reply

      • Ghost In The Rift

        January 14, 2016 at 07:55

        I second that.

        Reply

      • Hammersteyn

        January 14, 2016 at 08:03

        Every deck of cards has a Joker

        Reply

      • oVg

        January 14, 2016 at 09:11

        The King Wig card applies Blizzard to all grey matter on the board. Even THE FUCKING INFANTRY 😛

        Reply

  5. oVg

    January 14, 2016 at 09:00

    lol Trump would love the Witcher world. The darkest skin in the game is from sun burn 😛

    Reply

    • RinceThis

      January 14, 2016 at 09:03

      Ohhhhhh!

      Reply

      • oVg

        January 14, 2016 at 09:05

        SPOILER

        Did you remember Ciri saying she traveled to different worlds? “One world was hot, had taller humans with black skin, it was crazy”

        Reply

        • RinceThis

          January 14, 2016 at 09:06

          Haha. Yeah, but don’t open that box, people will point out that if there can be dragon-like-creatures then you can have black people!

          Reply

          • oVg

            January 14, 2016 at 09:09

            To be fair there are black succubus… you know? Fantasy world and all 😛

  6. RinceThis

    January 14, 2016 at 09:01

    I don’t want this to end. I finally finished Witcher III and man what a ride. Easily my favourite game on PS4. Now I have the first of the DLCs, please, bring out more!

    Reply

    • oVg

      January 14, 2016 at 09:02

      I think there will be a 3rd expansion after all the GOTY awards.

      Reply

      • RinceThis

        January 14, 2016 at 09:03

        I really hope so. The could roll out an expansion every 6 months and people WOULD buy it!

        Reply

        • oVg

          January 14, 2016 at 09:06

          I wonder what they highest level that has been achieved from the New Game Plus.

          Reply

          • RinceThis

            January 14, 2016 at 09:09

            What level did you finish the game on first time?

          • oVg

            January 14, 2016 at 09:14

            37.5

          • RinceThis

            January 14, 2016 at 09:18

            Same. Now to level up!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            January 14, 2016 at 09:28

            I would’ve lol’d if you finished on lvl 40.

          • oVg

            January 14, 2016 at 10:24

            Some people did before the patch fixed the troll farming exploit. But either way the narrative and side missions all even out to level 35 and above even if there are no experience points for doing a side mission 10 levels below.

  7. RinceThis

    January 14, 2016 at 09:05

    I want to reply W3 again, only this time be an arsehole. Was way too nice my first time round.

    Reply

    • Geoffrey Tim

      January 14, 2016 at 09:06

      no matter how you play any game, you’ll be playing as an arsehole. 🙂 Love and pickles.

      Reply

      • oVg

        January 14, 2016 at 09:07

        lol

        Reply

      • RinceThis

        January 14, 2016 at 09:08

        *Warm feeling inside

        Reply

        • oVg

          January 14, 2016 at 09:13

          Inside what? sis

          Reply

          • RinceThis

            January 14, 2016 at 09:19

            Oi!

          • Alien Emperor Trevor

            January 14, 2016 at 09:27

            Where’d my pickle go? It was here a minute ago.

      • Captain JJ 4x

        January 14, 2016 at 12:18

        “play” as one.

        Reply

    • oVg

      January 14, 2016 at 09:07

      Got to be cruel to be kind does not work with Ciri, thats why you got the morbid ending 😛 You bad father

      RUNS

      Reply

      • RinceThis

        January 14, 2016 at 09:07

        Hue hue! She deserved it! tehehe

        Reply

        • oVg

          January 14, 2016 at 09:08

          eish

          Reply

          • RinceThis

            January 14, 2016 at 09:08

            Taaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaali!

    • Alien Emperor Trevor

      January 14, 2016 at 09:29

      You’re a bad Geralt. Doesn’t surprise anyone. 😛

      Reply

    • Francois Knoetze

      January 14, 2016 at 13:19

      you want to reply? have you tried smoke signals instead of carrier pigeon?

      Reply

  8. miaau

    January 14, 2016 at 11:14

    Gwent. Just not that cool for me.

    Anyone remember Might and Magic 6? Game you played in the inns? It was totally addictive, called Acromage.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arcomage

    As to article, I want to replay when ALL the DLC are out. Is this the last of the promised two?

    Reply

  9. bibhu

    January 14, 2016 at 14:13

    this has the best cinematic trailer and worth watching.

    Reply

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