Bandai Namco and CD Projekt Red recently took me to Stirling Castle in Scotland for the first ever hands-on gameplay with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and I had some additional questions for Damien.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a story-driven, next-generation open world role-playing game set in a visually stunning fantasy universe full of meaningful choices and impactful consequences. In The Witcher 3 you play as the professional monster hunter, Geralt of Rivia, tasked with finding a child of prophecy in a vast open world rich with merchant cities, Viking pirate islands, dangerous mountain passes, and forgotten caverns to explore.
Whilst I was there playing the game, I also got to sit down the Damien Monnier from CD Projekt Red to talk all things The Witcher. Damien is the Senior Gameplay Designer on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you may have already watched the video interview, but here are some off-camera questions I got him to answer:
What were your biggest challenges in creating the game?
Bringing the game to the open world format was definitely a challenge. We had to change the way we think about quests and the overall design of the game. Everything is accessible at any given time, so we had to foresee events that would not usually happen in a closed world game. You can do quests in any order you want which means that they have to interconnect somehow, you can go anywhere so we had to introduce a robust monster system and so on. There was a lot of creative thinking involved but I think we’ve managed to create something truly epic!
How much involvement do you guys have in the comics?
Everything was consulted with us and CDP RED team members had great input in what was going on. It was never a case of “hey, let’s sell the license to someone and forget about it” — we don’t do this kind of thing.
The PC specs are pretty high – are you worried that some gamers wont be able to play?
I think the specs aren’t that high. We’re a next gen game, and the overall specs bar has been raised since the new consoles came out — we can do more and we’re doing more. If you want a next gen game, the specs had to be a bit higher than everyone was accustomed to for the last few years. On the other hand, we’re giving you never-before-seen visuals in open world games. I think it’s worth it.
Are there any differences between the PC and Console versions of the game?
No, there are no differences. On the PC you will be able to change the resolution and enable some special effects like NVIDIA Fur, but that’s typical for the platform. Aside from that, it’s the same game.
Do you need to have played 1 and 2 to play 3?
No, definitely not! This is pretty much a standalone game but written in a way, so that long time fans will treat as a natural continuation of the series. We’ve got both sides covered.
What did you use for inspiration?
A million things. Starting from Slavic mythos, to Nordic legends, to contemporary issues like racism and social inequality. You’re this monster hunter dude in Tolkien’s world gone wrong. It’s really eclectic, but it’s so well put together, so cohesive that, once you see it, it makes perfect sense.
Can you go into detail about the combat?
Combat in the game is something really unique. Geralt’s a master swordsman so he dances around his enemies, parries attacks, and uses his special combat magic to crush them. There’s no QTE, so you’re always in control — each button press is one swing, which means you’ll chain combos or utilize strike and dodge tactics. It’s also your choice if you want to become more magic oriented, or a paragon of brute force — we have a really robust character development system players will definitely like.
How much does the time of day feature in the game?
A lot. It determines the lifecycle of creatures and greatly adds to the overall graphics experience.
Thank you Damien.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be available 19th May 2015 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC.
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