I hate Velen so much…
I know that sounds odd, considering how highly I’ve spoken about The Witcher III, but Velen is an inhospitable bog filled with necrophages, relicts, bandits, and that awful violin noise.
Yes, I hate Velen’s music. I realize that it goes against my previous praise regarding the soundtrack, but dear lord the track for Velen is mindbogglingly grating.
Swamp Man
I know I’ve put on a little weight, but that’s just hurtful
During my latest session, I’ve been roaming around the swamps south of Novigrad, mopping up quests and exploring the area. In my previous playthrough, I explored the entire region completely, both north and south of the Pontar. Given my compulsive nature, I’ve found my need to conquer the region all over again. In a way, it’s given me a little more practice with the combat, which is good since I’m playing the game on the “Blood and Broken Bones” difficulty. I’ve died a few times, though most often due to attacks from packs of wolves and wild dogs, for some odd reason. Throw an army of bandits at me or a gaggle of hags and I’m fine, but dogs just chew right through me.
At any rate, playing on a higher difficulty this time around has given me a newfound respect for Geralt’s Alchemy skills. I had used those tools when I played through on “Sword and Story”, but oils and decoctions are almost necessary now. I never go into a fight without researching my enemy and using the appropriate goos and potions. The nice thing is I have some skills unlocked that give Geralt’s oils and attacks a little more oomph, like causing enemies to take bleeding damage if they’re affected by the weapon oil, as well as gear that applies poisons and stuns to unsuspecting opponents.
Geralt is certainly a force to be reckoned with, except when facing canines. I guess he’s more of a cat person? Perhaps not, since cats seem to always hiss at him…
Grit and Glory
It’s funny to me that I’ve been finding things that I don’t remember from the last time I’ve played. Maybe I just don’t remember, but there are some activities that I feel like I missed the first time around. I love that multiple playthroughs can bring that about. That might be why I tend to replay games a few times; games like The Witcher III definitely are worth that time spent.
Interestingly, I’ve found my playstyle to be a little different this time around. Where I focused on heavy armor before, I’ve discovered I’m playing Geralt more like a rogue now. A clumsy rogue, but roguish nonetheless. Granted, Geralt still gets the stuffing beaten out of him on a regular basis, but I think that’s more a fault of mine than the character himself. Good thing I have plenty of White Raffard’s Decoction potions!
I’m just missing one thing: I haven’t been doing many quests, so I’m jonesing for some story. I still have all the DLC to get through too, so I think I might wrap up my exploration the next time through so I can see Triss and the gang again.
Not in that way though!
What are your methods in The Witcher III? Are you a tank, a rogue, or fighter? What about the difficulty? I feel like I haven’t engaged you guys yet, so let’s hear from you!
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