Recent reviews by Jaxon

Oh Counter-Strike...

By far my most played game.

Counter-Strike does a great job in giving players a competitive FPS. It has many tactics to be used, as well as teamwork and communication.

From a technical standpoint each gun has it's own spray pattern, and each map is designed purely for balance, which is partially why many players sink hours in, to improve in these areas and, in turn, climb the ranking system.

However the community takes all of this and throws it away in the garbage as you constantly carry god-awful teams without ranking up, all while a 12 year-old on the other side claims you're "mad cuz bad".

Don't get me wrong, there are some great friends to be found on this community, and with them you can form great teams, and climb the ranking system, but it takes many hours that will prove both fun and aggravating.

When doing well the game is fun, addicting even, and it's fun to see yourself improve in many ways and get more knowledgeable on how to play the game and work with teammates, competitive really sets the game apart from the traditional shooter, which is why I have over 1k hours now.

While there are already many lengthy, positive reviews, I feel I owe this game the service of doing one myself with all the good times I've had.

I'll start by saying that the Witcher 3 is without a doubt one of, if not my favorite game of all time.

In short, if you love story-driven games, or just a good RPG, this is a must for your library.
Now on to the details.

Story:

At some point during the main quests, I started to feel attached to many of the characters I encountered. Each character is very likely to give you a tale or two about their past, making each character unique, lively, and memorable. Voice acting is also superb, which helps bring the character alive even more-so.

Eventually, the story became something that I couldn't wait to progress in, as I wanted to see the future for the main characters.

As well as just the main dialogue, almost every single conversation has optional dialogue that explains more lore, information, or story that's specific to the character you're talking to.

Then, I hit a point where I became very attached to certain characters and the main story, and I felt like some of Geralt's decisions were becoming my own, as I really wanted the game to finish in the best possible way, as the game gives you many choices that can impact the story line both on a minor and major scale.

The only con I can give about the story is that I felt extremely empty after completing it. Even though the game went above in beyond in both detail and length I became so attached I never wanted it to end. This really showed the impact that the amazing writing had on me.

While I first I believed maybe I was one of few that grew this huge obsession with the story, after reading some of the other 97% positive reviews, this effect shines upon many.

Combat:

Not much to say here, the combat is solid, I find it quite fun and it rewards those who continue to progress due to its learning curve. You notice yourself improving at critical things such as dodging, as well as how and when to attack during each fight. Using magic signs also add some variety and gives you an edge against harder foes, which proves to be a very good gameplay element.
The combat isn't really varied at all, and doesn't allow as much choice as other RPG titles may, but I had no problems with it, as it fits Geralt as a Witcher, and other types of combat wouldn't make sense in the story.

World:

While playing it is obvious that CD Projekt Red put a tremendous amount of love and care into creating the world that is Witcher 3.

As many here have already said, the world is beautiful, detailed, and huge. When venturing players will discover many random events and creatures. Making it feel dense instead of just a barren wasteland like other's have done prior. Many locations prove to be memorable due to events that take place during the story, which I am always reminded of when I travel to familiar cities.

CD Projekt Red gave the user so many things to do that could potentially go untouched blows me away. I have beaten the main questline to its entirety and still have yet to really touch crafting, alchemy, and Gwent aside from when needed (which by the way is actually a great card game). Not to mention things such as side quests, and contracts on the notice board I have yet to dabble very much into. This game has so much content, even for a RPG, giving it tremendous replay value.

Graphics:

All around the graphics are fantastic, the world, the characters, and every other little detail looks amazing. It's also good to note that the game has some mods available on the Nexus for those who desire even more.

The boobies look pretty solid too.

Detail:

The amount of detail that went into this game blows my mind. The choices you make mid-game will change the dialogue later on in the game, as well as the multiple endings to each game that are each followed by even more dialogue options to hear. The game is definately a varied experience for each player in terms of dialogue.

The Witcher also, as previously said, has a great deal of detail in the world, both graphically and physically, with people roaming around, and notice boards giving the player more things to do. Even the little things such as the trails left behind a sailing boat, or the little puddles in swamps really show the attention to detail they took upon creating this game.

Even the small things such as written books and letters have been given so much thought to fit the time period, while adding so much lore to the already astoundingly story-rich game.

DLC:

While I haven't personally had a chance to play the paid DLC for this game, I greatly appreciate that CD Projekt Red included so much free DLC, it shows that they care a great deal about their fans. This free DLC includes alternative outfits for main characters, as well as more hairstyles, armor, weapons, and even quests. One DLC also adds New Game +, which can allow the player to make completely different decisions and live the story all over again, while keeping their level and items.

Summary:

CD Projekt Red somehow managed to combine a fantastic RPG with great gameplay, while adding storytelling that I have never seen before in a game of its type, making it a favorite of mine. It makes other games look worse, and for me has set the standard of what a true story-based RPG should be like. For many including myself, during your play through, the Witcher 3 doesn't just become a game, it becomes a second world for you. After completing, as many have said, I wish I could forget everything so I could experience it yet again for the first time.

This is the kind of game that reminds you that Singleplayer games can still give you amazing experiences that multiplayer games can never offer.

Pros:
+ Fun Combat
+ The best story I've ever played
+ Fantastic Characters and Dialogue
+ Great, predefined lore from the novels
+ A huge, lively, detailed world to explore
+ Fantastic Graphics and Detail
+ Good Music, sound, and voice acting
+ Amazing detail all around
+ Free DLC
+ Ethically great company
+ Bonus Game within a Game (Gwent)
+ Has gotten me to play a low-budget point and click from 2008 just for more story

Cons:
- Makes other games less fun and less impressive
- You feel empty after finishing
- A few bugs, but never game-breaking

10/10 - Ty Poland for blessing us