Foreword:

To fully understand my review and to enjoy The Witcher 3, I highly recommend playing through at LEAST the second game, if not both of the previous titles. It is truly a memorable series of highs and even more highs. If there's one thing I respected and enjoyed most about this series, it's that each title improved significantly upon the others in terms of mechanics and polish. This review is also SPOILER-FREE.

*Shall we begin now?*

It has finally arrived. One of the most hyped releases in recent memory and personally, THE most hyped game of all time is finally (finally!) available on store shelves and through digital download. Ever since finishing The Witcher 2 in the fall of 2011, I've been eagerly anticipating the third installment of this marvelous franchise.

And boy was it worth it. It is extremely rare that a game delivers on its promises, let alone exceed expectations. The Witcher 3 has managed to do both. Due to the level of hype and publicity it has received, it only just managed to cross the finish line uncontested, but the journey itself is quite remarkable.

The geniuses at CD Projekt RED will take you across dark, swampy lands to bright, flourishing cities, and even grant you access to islands to travel between - an area unlike the rest of the game map. Without any spoilers, one segment of the game takes you to environments that really, really make you wonder. The scenery is breathtaking and evokes an actual sense of immersion. This unprecedented sense of engagement is a result of the perfect culmination of creativity in quests, memorable characters, and believable socio-political dynamics reacting and interacting within a gritty, realistic medieval fantasy world.

The characters have always been a strong suit of the series and this time is no exception. The people inhabiting this world all seem to have a story to tell, and one you want to hear. They make the world a place worth exploring and learning about. Dialogue is something you look forward to in this game, and rightfully so. Admittedly, however, as a direct comparison to Witcher 2, the main characters aren't as impactful. The likes of Roche, Dethmold, Iorveth, and Saskia (among others) stay with you for a very long time. The Witcher 3 just couldn't match its predecessor in that sense. This is mostly because of how well the second game was crafted, not because the characters this time around were lackluster. I mean, let's be honest--Ciri is pretty damn awesome.

The progression in the questline lets you play at your own pace, which works very well with the open-world. You don't feel rushed to finish certain quests, and it doesn't come at the cost of in-game immersion. The pacing is done nicely and greatly rewards those who cherish the beautiful world that has been hand-crafted for them. With that being said, the open-world aspect does somewhat detract from the main story as a whole since it lacks the drive and direction that a more linear game would have. I believe this is to be a by-product of the system itself and not because the story is weak.

As a side note, some people like to blow through the main storyline and skip the side quests. Don't do that here. Trust me. They're fun, funny, and even more fun. They're crazy, sad, and everything in between. Make sure you don't skip them!

Though some may disagree, the combat works well. The interplay between "melee" (sword), "ranged" (crossbow), and "magic" (sign) combat is executed superbly. Geralt reacts timely and feels alive. The enemies don't stand around waiting to die, and you certainly can't afford to stand still yourself. It punishes the lazy and rewards the methodical. With most RPGs, once you get to a certain level of strength, all enemies seem easy, but you won't reach that plateau until you've played through quite a bit. Plus, there are several difficulties.

The presentation of the game is incredibly refined. Some may point toward a "downgrade", but this game is still hands-down the best looking RPG to date. For an open-world RPG of this size and scope, it's not even close. If CD Projekt RED says the graphics needed to be adjusted to account for the fidelity of the overall fluidity and responsiveness of the game, then I trust them. They've earned that right. If you're inspecting the in-game sounds and soundtrack, The Witcher 3 is easily among the best in recent years. It's gripping, fitting, and crisp. Get yourself a good pair of headphones or a set of 5.1 speakers and thank me later.

Despite all these positives, this game isn't without its flaws. Certain movements are a bit weird, and some gameplay decisions are questionable. You may even run into a few bugs here and there, though nothing permanently damning. CD Projekt RED has done a great job in releasing patches and updates to sort out some of the launch date kinks. Their level of devotion and dedication is astonishing. At this rate, I don't think they'll even need an Enhanced Edition.

With all that's happened in this series, the (multiple) ending(s) does (do) leave something to be desired, but nonetheless the entire ride has been more than thrilling. You'll walk away from your desk with a sense of marvel, awe, and fulfillment that is often sought, but not obtained from most mediums of entertainment. And if you ever hear someone pronounce Geralt as "Guh-rall-t" or "Jerr-rall-t", you'll turn around to slam that dh'oine onto the ground because NOBODY disrepects the Master Witcher like that.

Oh, and what are you still waiting for? Buy and play this ploughin' game you wh*reson.