There have been several great games over the last few gaming generations that have not just done well but have done far more than people expected of them. One great example is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The game from CD Projekt Red is, in many ways, their peak, a true magnum opus, and, for a time, the end of the story within that universe. It didn’t last, but they didn’t know that at the time! Anyway, the game was fun and expansive, had a deep set of choices to make within the narrative, and easily had one of the most robust and content-filled gaming worlds ever.
However, if you’ve played the game, you know that the RPG has some small but meaningful flaws that, looking back, really stick out like a sore thumb. One of the biggest ones is the use of Geralt’s “Witcher Senses.” This special “mode” was what Geralt of Rivia used to investigate areas and attempt to hunt things or locate people who had been lost or attempting to hide. If you’re familiar with a certain trio of Batman titles, it was basically “Detective Mode.”
The problem was that CD Projekt Red was more than willing to “spam” that mode so that you couldn’t get away from it at times. CD Projekt Red’s Paweł Sasko went onto a YouTube show with Flow Games and admitted that the team definitely used it a bit too much. He did say that, when it was developed, it was a concept that was “novel,” but looking back, it was “overcooked:”
“But at the time it was really fresh, it was something different. And when we were doing it in 2012, we felt it was a great way to do it. Then we did Witcher 3 with it, and one of our conclusions was, ok, we’ve kind of overdone it, we’ve kind of overcooked it.”
That’s not to say that they didn’t learn their lesson here. When they made the two DLC packs, which added even more incredible content to the RPG, they ensured that the need for “Witcher Senses” was lessened and that players could find clues and insights into an area more easily.
Even with this flaw, The Witcher 3 remains highly esteemed for most gamers. In fact, many are wondering how CD Projekt Red is going to improve upon the formula when the fourth mainline game arrives. We’re all just hoping it’s more complete and playable than their cyberpunk title was…
