The Witcher is less about politics and more about the adventure around the corner. I think any GoT fan will really like our game,” Marcin Momot, community coordinator of CD Projekt Red, the developer of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, tells t2 over email.
This year’s best game set in the open world made its debut at #1 on the UK software sales chart last month and, according to Eurogamer (the popular website dedicated to independent gaming), four million copies of The Witcher 3 were sold in the first two weeks since its launch on May 19.
Though comparing the game with Game of Thrones is like comparing X and Y but both hold out brutal pictures of the medieval period, filled with violence and head-slaying. While GoT is an adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s stories, the game is an adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher series. And you can end up spending more than 200 hours playing the game… just like you did watching season five of GoT.
Marcin talks us through the how, why and what of The Witcher 3.
How did you come up with the gameplay?
We are all gamers in the company so we know what gamers like. We worked hard to bring a lot of freshness to the genre and, at the same time, bring the true spirit of being a witcher, that is, a monster hunter for hire, to the digital world. What I like in the game the most is how it makes you feel like this badass monster hunter –– you travel from village to village, get contracts and hunt vile beasts. This is something we’ve never done to such an extent in a Witcher game and we’re really proud of it.
The coolest part about Witcher 3?
I think the open world. It’s really huge and full of stuff to do. From the monster hunts that I mentioned above to becoming involved in political intrigues and meddling with other people’s lives, all this is so believable that it’s hard to imagine it’s “just” a game.
Comparisons have been made between Witcher 3 and Game of Thrones? Are there similarities?
The books by Andrzej Sapkowski, the award-winning novelist who created the Witcher universe, are cult classics in Poland for decades. We read them when we were growing up and we didn’t even dream we could make games set in that universe. I’m saying this, because for many Poles Game of Thrones is similar to The Witcher and not the other way around. Having said that, I love the show and I really do think there are some similarities. Both worlds are gritty and merciless, but The Witcher is less about politics and more about the adventure around the corner. I think any GoT fan will really like our game.
Does it feel good to put the Witcher series of books on the radar around the world?
I wouldn’t go as far as saying that we’ve put them on the radar around the world. The works of Mr Sapkowski have been very popular well before we made our games. What I can say is that we all feel very proud that we can do something to spread and popularise these great novels.
Is Witcher 3 only for those who have played the first two parts?
No, definitely not! We’ve designed Wild Hunt in such a way so you don’t have to know the plot of the previous games to have fun right off the bat. In the prologue section, in the village of White Orchard, we teach you the basics of monster hunting and give you all the details you need to have fun. After that, when we introduce a character, you can be sure that we’ll seamlessly introduce him or her with a backstory, so you always know who’s who.
A big game means big challenges. What were some of them?
Each department involved in the creation of the game had their own set of challenges. The tech teams had their hands full with new systems they needed to invent that would allow for the graphics to be as good as they are; the gameplay teams needed to invent new and cool game mechanics to power the world and give gamers stuff to do, while the artists had to draw inspiration from Slavic myths (but not only) to give the game its unique feel. Each department, including the music or animation departments, had their own set of challenges and inspirations –– it’s just too much to list it all.
How long will it take to play the entire game?
That depends on your playstyle! It took me almost 10 hours to max out the prologue of the game alone! If you’re a ‘completionist’, you can spend more than 200 hours playing the game. If you’re here just for the main storyline, I think 50 hours is a safe bet. It’s a huge game that caters to many needs. And we’ve got the 16 free DLCs (downloadable content) adding content each week, plus there are the expansions coming, which will grant players access to even more adventures!
Mathures Paul
I am hooked to The Witcher 3 because.... Tell t2@abp.in
