The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (Switch) Review: Blaze your own trail as Geralt of Rivia

For the record, I didn't really like The Witcher when it first dropped on PC and the other consoles, much less get on board the hype train for Assassin of Kings. Now, don't get me wrong; I always found Geralt's aesthetic cool, but the combat just proved to be downright confusing for me. I recall struggling to remember when to use the various fighting styles, and it eventually got so frustrating I simply deleted the game outright.

Fortunately, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt proved to be a lot easier to pick up, mainly because they did away with the Cat, Bear and insert-animal-here fighting styles (phew!). Additionally, with actor Henry Cavill currently playing Geralt on Netflix's adaptation of The Witcher (and looking pretty damn good doing it, mind you), I thought it'd be a great time to come back and see what all the fuss is about for the Nintendo Switch.

If looks could kill

I was running Wild Hunt on a Switch Lite console, and that's perfectly fine except for one thing: I felt the graphics processor on the Lite, which is much less beefy than the one on the regular Gen 2 Switch, doesn't really do the game justice. I know I've never been a big fan ofThe Witcher in general, but the one thing I did concede they did well was the game's stunning aesthetics, and it's awesome that CD Projekt RED has kept the momentum going through to the third instalment. 

TL; DR: It's best enjoyed on a regular Gen 2 Switch, but a Switch Lite will suffice if you're not that picky.

Nevertheless, while the Switch's graphics won't ever match those of a PC or PlayStation 4 blow-for-blow, I have to admit Wild Hunt looks a lot better than most of the other Switch titles I've played - there is a lot more detail to the scenery, combat and character models, among other things. 

The hero-turned-errand boy

So, getting back to the main question: what kind of trouble has Geralt gotten himself into now? After all, the White Wolf isn't exactly the luckiest person in the world, although he does have a...flair for getting cosy with women. And before you say anything, no - the term "Wild Hunt" has nothing to do with his lady problems, but rather is a title that belongs to a group of powerful otherworldly specters on horseback.

Essentially, the game starts off with Geralt and his Witcher buddy Vesemir hot on the trail of the former's lover, Yennefer. After they meet up with her, the White Wolf is offered (read: forced into) a mission to find his missing adopted daughter, Ciri before she falls into the Wild Hunt's clutches. 

Plot-wise, it all seems pretty straightforward, which is good for newbies who have never read up on Geralt's exploits. Not much background information is needed to get started, unlike some other RPG sequels that assume you've played all the previous instalments and treat everyone as 20-year experts. Long story short, beginners can get clued in on the main story just as easily as the veterans.

However, that's a double-edged sword. As easy as the story is to get into, it's equally easy to get disillusioned by it too. The main story doesn't make you feel like the badass Witcher you should be. Instead, it just makes you feel like some overpowered errand boy.

Case in point, for most of the main story Geralt is just scrambling from point A to point B and back again to retrieve some object in exchange for tidbits on Ciri's whereabouts. And to top off that partially melted sundae, Ciri doesn't even play a starring role until the last few bits. Because as far as the first three-quarters of the story are concerned, she's just Geralt's missing surrogate daughter - talk about a let-down!

The fighting is where it's at

In short, Wild Hunt has a surprisingly crappy story, even if it is easy for beginners to pick up. Fortunately, that misstep is heavily compensated for by amazingly diverse combat, levelling and exploration systems. 

As superhuman mercenaries that specialise in dealing with magical and demonic entities, the Witchers' swordsmanship and repertoire of magical Signs are their bread and butter, and Geralt is no exception. You'll need to master these if you really want to enjoy the fights, and luckily, they're pretty easy to pick up with some practice.

On the defensive end, your evasive maneuvers, namely dodging, rolling and parrying are quite straightforward as well, not to mention they have generous timing windows. Essentially, in terms of combat difficulty, Wild Hunt at regular difficulty won't ever feel like Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - thank the heavens for that. 

Aesthetically, combat looks and feel pretty solid too, not to mention brutal - hearing that "ker-chunk" sound as Geralt's blade finds purchase in your enemies' throat is immeasurably satisfying, regardless of whether you're taking down a platoon of armed soldiers or an angry griffin. 

Congratulations - you've levelled up!

Now we're talking. If there's anything I really adore about Wild Hunt, it's how dynamic the levelling system is. Unlike most other RPGs that force you into a style based on a class you select at the beginning, Wild Hunt lets you have a feel of which combat mechanic suits you the best before you really start allocating points.

Want to feel like a makeshift Jedi? Why not put points into skills that enhance Geralt's Sign-casting speed and effiicency? If that's not your cup of tea, that's fine too - you could also go with a swordplay-focused build like I did, investing all my skill points into improving Geralt's physical abilities and dexterity. But, the true beauty of it is that regardless of which you choose, the game doesn't become any easier or harder to complete! Being able to balance a gameplay aspect to such a degree is a feat few developers have accomplished, and is yet another testament to the thought put into the already-stellar combat system. Good on you, CD Projekt RED.

Exploring the wilderness

Next question: what would a RPG with stunning environments be without players having the freedom to explore them? 

A disappointment, that's what.

Fortunately, Wild Hunt doesn't go down that road, and it even provides you some incentives to do your own digging. Apart from the quintessential Fast Travel system, Geralt's main mode of transport in the game is his trusty steed, Roach. Having to travel from place to place on horseback gives players free rein (no pun intended) to take detours and explore various areas of interest if they so wish, which I felt helped to alleviate the errand-running monotony of the main story. Many a time, I would hold off on delivering yet another parcel to scavenge around some bandit camps (and sometimes the dead bandits too), or take down that wraith wandering around the cemetery to complete a Witcher contract.

Apart from acquiring various materials for use in crafting, these Witcher contracts taken from the various towns and villages also made up a sizable amount of my income. These monster hunts pay really well when compared to the main story quests, so in a way, it's like the game forces you to go the extra mile for your rice bowl. After all, nothing motivates a mercenary quite like a hefty sack of cash, so why not explore the world and earn your keep while you're at it? It's a nice, but subtle way to get players out of their comfort zone and broaden their perspective of the game.

Coupled with the multi-faceted combat system and top-tier aesthetics, the degree of free world exploration and discovery in the game is nothing short of impressive, although it's just one of the many cherries on the cake. And while the story certainly leaves much to be desired, it has little to do with the game's long-term replayability. After completing the main narrative, all that's really left is the gameplay, and based on my experience so far, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a title I can see myself investing plenty of time and effort into - it's an absolute gem of an RPG.

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