CD Projekt RED's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is set to be one of the biggest RPGs ever made, offering a full-scale environment in which players can traverse through as they complete their quests. The game has an unprecedented scale for a Witcher title, the previous two of which were confined to linear spaces. The upcoming game takes it cues from the likes of Bethesda's Skyrim and Fallout 3 to offer a much more engrossing world, brought alive by the tales of Geralt the Witcher.
Today, the studio released a host of screenshots, and marks the first time that we've seen any actual images from the game. Previously, the only released images were of artistic concepts and not of the game itself.
“The Witcher 3 is full of impactful decisions, and gamers will choose between storylines that exclude one another in a single playthrough, ensuring extensive replay value. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt crowns the trilogy with the main narrative, revolving around Geralt’s search for his loved ones and his conflict with the Wild Hunt. As players travel through the game, they visit lands with their own unique atmosphere, communities and memorable characters. CD Projekt RED didn’t create an open world with a singular theme, but concentrated on delivering diversified and engaging environments, 30 times larger than those in The Witcher 2.” said Adam Badowski, head of CD projekt RED sudio.
According to Badowski, the world will change and reflect upon the player's actions throughout the game due Geralt's involvement in major local plotlines in every land he visits, along with the sidequests he completes along the way.
"All threads of this player-crafted tale interact with each other and the world, creating an even more nonlinear experience than ever before. The main narrative accounts for around 50 hours of gameplay in one playthrough, and the additional stories add another 50 hours of role playing, giving around 100 hours of total gaming time."
The images, which can be seen in the gallery below, depict a vast world, just as its developers describe.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is set for a 2014 release on all major next-gen platforms including the PC and PlayStation 4