TLDR: 10/10 (and more. This is the game that defines the genre for me. Sorry Skyrim, but you can't touch this level of Witcher 3) - ever.

After having played this game for precisely 444 hours (seriously, no, I don't time my own playtime) - And after all that treasure huntings, clearing all the skellige map, and making all grandmaster gears, but especially after finishing Blood and Wine, it feels like..,

Like I have just finished a long, long story. But, it’s THE story that, I would love to read all over again when I get old. Witcher 3 has earned its place on my "Youth and Aged Game of All Time" list. I'll definitely play this when I'm retired.

Witcher 3 is, simply speaking, a lovely continuation to the Witcher trilogy (that, is until Witcher 4 comes out), with Heart of Stone adding more stories, and gameplay, while.. Blood And Wine is the send off that Geralt deserves after a long time traveling with us – the player.

So, my review:

- The gameplay: 10/10
If you have played both Witcher 1 + 2, you can clearly see that CDPR has immensely stepped up on each game. They expanded the mechanism from automatic 1v1 combat in Witcher 1, to a bit more hand-on control in Witcher 2, and with Witcher 3? Maturity is the word for it. Complete, freedom of control, with Sign / Combat swing / Swimming / Walking… all that you could imagine! They have done it. Compared to the games of its time in 2013, this game is way ahead of its time.

I would suggest, for experienced players who have finished Witcher 1+2 – play on Blood and Bone difficulty – with level scaling. You’ll fine the game to be much truer to the essence of Witcher story.

(One enemy that I .. dislike playing against would be the Baen Shee, and her skeletons… urrgh… just… urrgh. They cut deep. Really deep).

- The graphics: 10/10
In the main vanilla version, the world of Witcher 3 represents a bit dark in tones. In Heart of Stone, as well. On the contrary: the color in Blood And Wine is so much more vivant, representing a better chapter in Geralt’s story, having saved the world from the Wild Hunt.

I especially adore the lighting, the shadow in the game, really really thought thoroughly. My most recently impressed moment on this would be the way the will-o-the-wisp flying around Geralt, showing exquisite light/ shadow tracing detail on the clothes and bodies. I wonder myself how long would that take to design such a short but incredible moment!!

- The music, world ambience : 10/10
Spectacular settings with hand-picked music and sound for ambience, CDPR has truly created great, immersive environments that I can totally spend my time there just listening to music. Too bad there’s no button to lie down on the grass. Or else I would have done it, instead of letting poor Geralt … standing . Oh well.

The soundtracks are lovely, so lovely that they are worth every penny! Go for it !

- The story: 100/10
I just do not know how to … describe my feelings for this story. It’s like a rollercoaster with ups and downs, the twists, the heartfelt moments (… Vesemir, love you for all that you have taught me) . It was a long journey, but the feelings for each character are always there. The story has almost no loop hole to me, they feel like complete.

The characters stay the same as in the books, sometimes, not, but all the side and main quests are developed equally, with much details.

All that journey through Novigrad, Skellige, Toussaint, were so much worth it. All that time spent, I do not even feel like I was doing any chores at all (except for those hours sailing around Skellige – thanks a lot Sirens… )

I started the journey finding Cir with Geralt, just to have to let Ciri go in the vanilla game, and then .. find her again in Geralt’s arms in Corvo Bianco in the ending. It feels like home now. So much, like home, even though she will depart again. But like Ciri has said once , she “always returns”.

End of Review.

Thank you CDPR for an amazing tale. I have not felt like this since my first time completed Prince of Persia quad-logy and AC Ezio Collection.

Thank you.