CD Projekt RED took time out to answer several questions from the community.They revealed things like a new potion system, new gameplay mechanics, their fidelity to the source material, and more.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will not have time limits for each mission. CD Projekt RED wants fans to take their time with the game as a whole, and play it at their own pace. There will be times when the game will prompt that you finish a task quickly, and these will be necessitated by something important to the story.
Parts of The Witcher 3 will feel like The Witcher, and others will feel like The Witcher 2. The game is set in a large continent, which allowed CD Projekt RED to create different locales. The combat uses the best parts of The Witcher 2 and improved on it. For example, in The Witcher 3, you will have dodges, evades, rolls, etc.
Edibles are coming back from The Witcher, and they will be tied in to a new gameplay mechanic.
There are many things you can do outside of the main quest. You can race on horses, on boats, get into fistfights, hunt monsters for a living. There will also be points of interest, a new system that allows you to find something new to do, so that you can go anywhere and not be bored. The game will generate these random encounters in such a way that you can choose to engage in them or not.
You will always be able to summon your horse, no matter where or how far off you’ve left it behind, with as much as a whistle.
There will be several difficulty levels for the game. Whichever difficulty you choose to play, there is no autoscaling. What this means is that there will be some areas that will always have enemies that can kill you easily from the start. You will need to plan your trek carefully.
To defeat some monsters, you will need to use unique solutions. For example, you may need to dip your sword in a specific oil, or you may need to equip a specific type of bold on your crossbow. You have two swords by default, because some weapons are better for taking out some specific monsters than others.
You cannot take your enemies’ swords. This is because Geralt has his own signature swords. CD Projekt RED has pledged to stay as close to their source as possible, and this is another example of that. Geralt also does not have parkour or stealth abilities for this same reason.
Again drawing a line from The Witcher and other games, CD Projekt RED explains Geralt is not out to kill as many people as he can. There are many missions which will require nonviolent solutions. CD Projekt RED’s focus is for Geralt to make meaningful choices.
These meaningful choices will affect the outcome of the game. However, The Witcher 3 will not have branching storylines. CD Projekt RED wanted everyone to experience the main storyline as it is.
Inventory will now be grid based. Horses will also supplement your inventory with extra slots.
The game will have a new potion system. You start by obtaining a recipe, either by buying it in a shop or by finding. Then, you gather ingredients and use them all together to make your potions. You will be able to prepare potions ahead of combat and use them several times. You can then refuel your potions while meditating. To upgrade your potions, you need to use more ingredients to increase their potency.
There will be NPC monsters. Sometimes, you will interact with them in some of your missions.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be released on February 24th, 2015, to Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One.
