How "open world" is this game?

[Professor Von-Wulfen ]

Before I start, this is not Skyrim vs Witcher. I am using Skyrim as an example as its the only game of this type I have really played.

How would you compare the "open World" experience to that of Skyrim?
Can you hunt, forage etc then use the materials for food and crafting?
How big is the world size?
Can I set up camps in the wilderness (There was a great SR mod I used to use)
I like the idea of just roaming the wilderness and living off the land. Maybe take the odd quest here and there, can I do this in Witcher?

[Go0lden_Archer]

Nay, it's not that type of open world.
The WItcher 3 is still storybased game, just in open world. Skyrim is more of a sandbox experience, go anywhere, do anything, with mods that experience is doubled (If not more).

Open world in this title is large landscapes, with lots and lots of villages, and different stories, where you can travel from one side of the map to another, and do things in whatever order you want (For reference, in both TW1-2 there were chapters that divided the game, both by time passed and areas of activity)
Also, game is divided in large areas. There's Velen+Novigrad, Skellige isles and Tousseint, also other's but alot smaller areas. it's like traveling from Skyrim to Soltsteim with loading screen in Dragonborn dlc.

Just living off the land isn't something TW3 is made for, so no. Nothing of a sort. You can "go hunting" with a sword and crossbow, kill some wildlife, get meat and other ingridients, but they're used mainly for alchemy or restoring your health.

[ElectricMonk]

Originally posted by Go0lden_Archer:

Also, game is divided in large areas. There's Velen+Novigrad, Skellige isles and Tousseint, also other's but alot smaller areas. it's like traveling from Skyrim to Soltsteim with loading screen in Dragonborn dlc.

Is there variation in the areas? I quite like exploring different environments in games, but a friend said they found it mostly a lot of forest that is hard to differentiate.

[Vellari]

Four major maps are different in scenery.

Velen is rural forests and swamps runover by war.
Novigrad is a big city surrounded by farmland.
Skellige Islands are mountains, sea and snow.
Toussaint (DLC) is lush and colorful vineyards.

True, forest is a forest (found in all maps), different kind a vegetation though.

Roughly.

[Prester]

Originally posted by FireHouse:

Originally posted by Go0lden_Archer:

Also, game is divided in large areas. There's Velen+Novigrad, Skellige isles and Tousseint, also other's but alot smaller areas. it's like traveling from Skyrim to Soltsteim with loading screen in Dragonborn dlc.

Is there variation in the areas? I quite like exploring different environments in games, but a friend said they found it mostly a lot of forest that is hard to differentiate.

wtf, fuch forrest and ♥♥♥♥ your variation in areas. this game has 10x more immersing stories than skyrim, and that includes EVERY SINGLE SIDEQUEST and monsterhunts. actually it also has more variety in areas than skyrim, but thats not the ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ point, its so good in making you feel like an actual witch hunter badass ladykiller and makes you love the questing so much, that you wont ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ care more than a few seconds here and there for your landscape variation.

[Vellari]

And you really should take a look at the screenshots page here or go check out some youtube videos. For quick reference on forest "types":

http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=783954882
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=783111787
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=782636850
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=783623187
http://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=781249853

Factor in day/night cycle and weather effects, that's a ton of variation.

[Prester]

you just have to experience a single storm in velen to fall in love with the athmosphere and level design of this game. not buying it because "it doesnt offer enough variation" is like not going out with the girl you like because you dont like her shirts

[ElectricMonk]

Thanks for the replies - sounds good :D

[ElectricMonk]

Originally posted by Prester:

you just have to experience a single storm in velen to fall in love with the athmosphere and level design of this game. not buying it because "it doesnt offer enough variation" is like not going out with the girl you like because you dont like her shirts

I wasn't saying I would or wouldn't buy it based on variation of environments, I just saw this topic and hoped it wouldn't be innapropriate to ask about a similar query.
Thanks for the answers, though, that's all I was wandering about - don't wanna high jack the OP :)

[Professor Von-Wulfen ]

Compared to the previous witcher, what is the combat mechanic like?

[Professor Von-Wulfen ]

Originally posted by FireHouse:

Originally posted by Prester:

you just have to experience a single storm in velen to fall in love with the athmosphere and level design of this game. not buying it because "it doesnt offer enough variation" is like not going out with the girl you like because you dont like her shirts

I wasn't saying I would or wouldn't buy it based on variation of environments, I just saw this topic and hoped it wouldn't be innapropriate to ask about a similar query.
Thanks for the answers, though, that's all I was wandering about - don't wanna high jack the OP :)

No worries, i found the question interesting :)

[Vellari]

Originally posted by Captain Black:

Compared to the previous witcher, what is the combat mechanic like?

Streamlined from W2. Traps are gone, and you can use potions/oil in combat so preparation is a little less important.

Basics are the same though: Swordmanship, jumping around evading/dodging/blocking and signs/bombs.

[Go0lden_Archer]

Originally posted by Captain Black:

Compared to the previous witcher, what is the combat mechanic like?

If comparing to TW1, it's completely different mechanic.
If comparing to TW2, it's basically similar, roll, dodge, parry, counter-attack, all there. More fluid, less "Roll2Win".

[Flytrap]

Its not that open world, there are big areas but those have invisible walls on their sides. so this isn't like skyrim where you can go anywhere in the whole world. Also, you can only fast travel from fast travel posts

[Living Broscillograph]

Originally posted by Captain Black:

Compared to the previous witcher, what is the combat mechanic like?

Something mixed between 2 and 1, with more 2 than 1, however things from 1 appear again and you no longer break the keyboard in anger because of 2's controls.

You still have to mouseclick to do the swording and roll from time to time, yet it is more complex now. In TW2 only fast and heavy attacks, blocks, counterattack and rolls. - now you can fast and heavy attack, block, counterattack, roll, dodge, special attack, use arbalet, do the fights on horses. Oils, potions and bombs are useful again as they were in TW1 (no advanced alchemy though), as well as signs. Environment matters again.
There are patterns in enemies' behaviour to learn and react, plan your timings and overwhelm with skill - feels like a good step towards TW1 times, though swording-rolling mechanics remind very much of TW2 on the surface.

[Tasso]

I would say witcher 3 is pretty open world. Its divided into 5 different maps 4 if ur no counting the dlc. The transition between them is seamless. They are each unique with very detailed structures everywere. Each peice of the map does not feel like it was just randomly placed there just to say its a big map. Each structure or body of land feels like it had a purpose. If you are a skyrim fan like u said I would definitely recimmend this game. YOU WILL LOVE IT for sure.