CD Projekt RED has revealed that Geralt will be able to ride boats, even swim and dive, in their latest trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
This is just part of the immersion that the game world will offer. The devs placed no limits on what to place in the game world, save some areas key to the story. So, you will see battlefields, villages, castles, and ruins, all in areas where they would logically be found.
They also cite the game’s 100 points of interest, and much like Zelda Wii U and Dragon Age Inquistion, they promise that whatever you can see in the background, you can visit. Each of these locations have a backstory, challenge, and reward.
The game also has a complex community system, giving each character you can meet dynamic AI. Novigrad has two thousand characters in it, each of them with different motivations and reactions to Geralt. They will have contextual reactions to whatever Geralt is doing at any one time, and their interactions with you will change dynamically in accordance with the story.
The boats are not just part of specific quests. They can be used to go to isolated land masses, much like inAssassin’s Creed Black Flag. You will also have to worry about sea creatures and inclement weather taking out your boat as well. Unlike Black Flag, there will be fast travel locations if you choose it.
CD Projekt RED have hinted at this before, but the day night cycle in the Witcher revolves around monsters and monster encounters being more common at nighttime. Geralt gets to choose if he wants to seek out those monsters in their natural element. Of course, Geralt can find the beasts by investigating around town and looking for tracks too.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is coming February 24, 2015 to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows.