There's Big Witcher News Brewing!

It has been quite a week of big gaming news (or leaks...) and luckily, some of it feels relevant to my own interests.  Sadly, that's not all the hubbub around Grand Theft Auto VI, because I am on PC and know that it'll be at least a few years before I'll be happily running and gunning around a new fictional world.  (Plus, some of the "takes" get really annoying--people claiming that it's going to be disappointing because xyz isn't featured...sheesh!)  The most relevant news for me has been about the now 11 year old The Witcher 3.  I was very surprised when they announced a new DLC but it turns out that it gets even better than that.  If you haven't booted it up in awhile, the end of September is going to be the perfect time to dive back in.  Here's why/the big news:

The Witcher 3 is getting a "remastered" version!  Now, I could've sworn that it already got a bit of a graphical update (when they were adding in the new crossover content from the Netflix series), but apparently it's getting an entirely updated look.  But that's not it folks--if you're someone who never invested in the DLC (do those people exist?) the remastered version will include both "Hearts of Stone" and "Blood and Wine" for free!  On top of all that there's an entire list of improvements to the base gameplay that's being included--stuff like new finishers, new animations for signs, improved monster behavior, revamped skill trees...and a lot more!  Undoubtedly the best part--it's free to anyone who already owns TW3!  Take a gander at the official trailer if you haven't seen it yet:

I'm a huge The Witcher fan, so this is an unexpected surprise.  One thing that I'm finding funny is that people are widely singing the praises of CDPR and lauding them for offering this upgrade for free when other developers would make this a paid version.  Just a few years ago, when the release of CyberPunk 2077 was an absolute disaster, these same folks were in full on torches n' pitchforks mode and prognosticating the doom of CDPR.  My, how the turns have tabled.  I guess now it's okay to like them again.

One interesting piece that no one is talking about was an announcement that CDPR was "partnering" with Blizzard to offer TW3 through Battle.net.  I was very confused by this and a bit worried that maybe this means that CDPR might be getting gobbled up by the Activision/Blizzard monster.  I guess they've done plenty of partnerships with other games or crossover content, so maybe it's nothing to worry about.  I'm really hoping that's not the case--CDPR seems like they want to stay independent and I've appreciated their more pro-gamer stances (like no DRM).

They also released a new trailer for the upcoming "Songs of the Past" DLC and a bit more information about the story.  It will apparently take place in a province known as Letten and will broadly feature characters related to Geralt's bard BFF Dandelion (formally know as the viscount Julian de Lettenhove).  The entire Lettenhove clan is apparently going to be part of it--granny too!  And, we finally get to use that silver chain that was featured way back in the original The Witcher trailer!  If you're interested, here's an entire interview about the upcoming features in "Songs of the Past."

I'm excited for all this new content--I don't really need a reason to start yet another TW3 playthrough, but both the remaster and the new DLC definitely give me one.  I was a bit surprised that there wasn't more The Witcher 4 information, but hopefully that will be forthcoming.  I can't wait for September 29th!

Semi-Unexpected Surprise

I tend to ignore a lot of the internet related gaming rumors--especially the ones that seem a bit unbelievable.  Even though I kept seeing some reports that there was new content for the now 11-year old The Witcher 3 in the works, it seemed downright goofy.  Who makes new content for an 11-year old game?!?  (*Okay, there are obviously some exceptions like games that have multi-player/online content like GTA V or maybe the oddity that is No Man's Sky).  It turns out that these rumors were true--The Witcher 3 will be getting new content as part of the "Songs of the Past" expansion that currently has a very vague 2027 release date.

The Witcher 3 is definitely one of my all time favorites, so yeah, I'm definitely going to play anything related to it.  So far the details about the new content have been very sparse and a bit cryptic.  They released a graphic promoting the new content that shows Geralt (in his very traditional gear) holding an interesting new sword with a giant, crazy tentacled monster lurking in the background (*included below in case you haven't seen it in a billion other places).

What details can we glean from this image--honestly, not much.  We can safely assume (based on previous DLC) that there will be new gear and some sort of big, bad monster that Geralt will ultimately face off against.  The title also hints that it might take place in the past OR potentially involve some sort of event from Geralt's past that has come back.  I'm curious if there will be some sort of tie-in with the upcoming The Witcher 4.  It sounds more likely though that it will reference the OG The Witcher since it is being co-developed between CD Projekt and the devs of the upcoming Witcher remaster.  I had completely forgotten about that project because there has been so little news about it.

There are a few confirmed details--CD Projekt made it a point to emphasize that "Songs of the Past" isn't a DLC but a full expansion similar to "Hearts of Stone" and "Blood and Wine."  Based on that, we'll likely see a new zone, new enemy types, new abilities, and maybe even some new gwent cards!  In a video yesterday they also dropped some hints that there are clues in a graphic related to the in-game holiday known as Belleteyn.  (See below)

So we have Geralt hanging out with the same sword that we see in the other image and Dandelion strumming his lute in the midst of a fun belleteyn celebration.  There's apparently also a poem that accompanies this image:

On Belleteyn night, when tall fires rise,
Whispered wishes go through the quiet skies.
A lion cub’s fate is penned in the stars,
And lilac and gooseberries are never too far.
Tonight, there are no monsters to kill, no roads to roam,
Just quiet thoughts and wishes that try to find a home.
The White Wolf sits still, mesmerized by the dancing flame,
While Dandelion strums his lute and hums Geralt’s name.

The poem hints at Ciri (the lion cub) and Yennefer (good ol' lilac and gooseberries), so there's probably a good chance we'll see involvement or a storyline involving them.  Oh, and Dandelion too.  But other than that, there's not much to glean--a party atmosphere?  Maybe some magical nonsense related to the festival of Belleteyn itself?

I felt like "Blood and Wine" ended in such a great way that I'm a bit surprised at this new content.  Geralt has just settled into Corvo Bianco and he's venturing out again?  I guess he's not actually retired...maybe he has one more adventure in him.

I'll be keeping my eyes peeled for more news related to "Songs of the Past."  Happy gaming!

Good Looking Gear

Every time I re-play The Witcher 3 I try to mix it up a little bit with some different choices.  One departure I chose this time around was to opt for some of the non-standard craftable witcher gear sets.  You can purchase fragments of maps from various vendors that unlock the standard gear treasure hunts (your griffin, cat, bear, and wolf sets).  There are a few other gear sets that are separate and I usually don't pay much attention to them, but I decided to give them a go this time around.

The last big patch to the game added in a new story type of quest to investigate The Devil's Pit for a priest of the Eternal Fire whose colleague had gone missing.  There's an entire story that involves a long-lost Wolf School witcher who had been tricked into battling a particularly devious type of monster that had then possessed him.  The boss fight is a bit trickier than other fights because you have to figure out the sequence of skills to free the witcher from parasitic monster that is possessing him (it's not that hard though--just a couple of different signs).  After completing this mission the ghost of the witcher offers to share with Geralt the location of plans for a unique set of gear.  This gear is inspired by Netflix's "The Witcher" series and is called the Forgotten School of the Wolf (I posted pictures of it a couple of weeks ago).  The stats are similar to other gear sets but the level requirements are slightly different and the look of the gear doesn't change depending on the crafting level.

Another set of gear that I never checked out is part of the "Hearts of Stone" expansion. As part of the main story mission Geralt has to steal Horst Borsodi's house for Olgierd von Everec.  Geralt finds himself in the company of Vimme Vivaldi, the dwarven banker/entrepreneur from Novigrad, and is introduced to several of his acquaintances while waiting for an auction to start.  One of those acquaintances is the Countess Mignole, an older, very rich woman who is an avid collector of witcher-related items.  She offers to sell Geralt a set of armor plans (...and Vimme of course gets his cut).  I usually pass on her offer, but this time decided to check it out.  The armor is an upgraded version of the Viper armor from the beginning of the game and has a slightly flashier look.  The swords are found separately in two different main story missions (one as part of the auction house heist and the other in the final mission if you choose to solve Gaunter O' Dimm's riddle).  The silver sword is very easy to miss because it is tucked into a side area during the timed mission to solve the riddle.  Overall, the entire set is very nice looking (it's called Viper Venomous).

Since I had opted for these non-traditional armor sets I didn't feel like having to go through crafting all the lower-level versions of the more standard witcher sets once I was ready for the grandmaster level.  Instead, I decided I would check out the one grandmaster set that stands on its own--the manticore gear.  It's definitely a bit more of a hunt to cobble together the entire set--rather than finding all the plans in one place, Geralt must explore multiple locations related to the witcher Merten.  Merten apparently found religion and decided to join the followers of the prophet Lebioda in Toussaint.  As a result, the plans are scattered among the locations related to the prophet.  It turns out that the manticore set is some very handsome gear.  I really like the look.

Geralt in full Manticore glory.

 Like Geralt, we should all be enjoying the fine weather of sunny Toussaint.  I'm planning on enjoying the few days of nice, sunny weather where I live.  Have a sunny, beautiful weekend!
 

One Decision I Won't Change

Unsurprisingly, I'm still playing through The Witcher 3--and I have both "Hearts of Stone" and "Blood and Wine" left too, so it's going to be awhile.  Last week I wrote about a few new quest experiences that I encountered, but this week I had the realization that there's one side decision that I've never ventured away from.  I just can't do it...and that's saying a lot because I have even made choices that have led to the "bad" ending (which sucks and is sad).

Geralt in the Netflix series inspired gear set.

I'm talking about the mission to participate in the assassination of Radovid, but more so the end of that mission.  I've experienced both outcomes of Geralt either refusing to participate in the mission or completing it, but there's another decision after the main event (Philippa Eilhart emerging to get her revenge on the psychopath that is the King of Redania).  After Radovid's demise, Geralt and crew flee to the abandoned theater to meet up with their other co-consiprators (one Sigismund Djikstra and Thaler) under the guise of celebrating their victory and cementing their post-assassination plans.  It's here that a side-plot is revealed--Roche, Ves, and Thaler have negotiated a deal with Emhyr that Temeria will stop resisting Nilfgaardian rule in exchange for becoming an independent vassal state.  It's not exactly the free Temeria that Roche and Ves seem to be fighting for, but it's basically the lesser of two evils.

I particularly like the swords for this set.

It's here the Djikstra emerges from backstage and reveals that he actually has his own plan--he will replace Radovid as the new king of Redania (umm, ok?) and will continue the fight against Nilfgaard.  A pack of his minions emerges and Geralt can make the decision to either leave Roche and Ves to their fate (will they be able to fight off all of Djikstra's goons?) or to defend them.  I've never chosen to leave--it just feels wrong abandoning Roche and Ves given that they helped fight off the Wild Hunt at Kaer Morhen.  I am a bit curious about how things would differ if Djikstra was in charge--maybe a decision for next playthrough.

It's a beautiful day where I live, so I'll likely do some adventuring away from the ol' PC.  I hope everyone has a nice weekend either spent outdoors on a lovely spring day or inside with a nice, cozy game.

A True Skelliger

A few weeks ago I started a comfort play of one of my favorite games, The Witcher 3.  It seems like an inherent millennial trait that when things might be a little rough that we turn to our old familiar favorites--that might be a movie or TV series that you've watched a million times or, in my case, a game that I've probably played through at least 10 times.  There's something about that strong sense of nostalgia that manages to soothe the stress of real life.  One of the things that always surprises me about The Witcher 3 is the fact that I'm almost always able to find something new that I missed in one of my previous playthroughs.  So here's my record of what I've discovered in my umpteenth playthrough of The Witcher 3 (plus, a stupid argument that I have with myself every time that I play).

Sometimes you stupidly mess up something that you've done correctly a million times.  This time around it was the mission to trick Caleb Menge (the leader of the evil, sorceress torturing and burning Temple Guard) by pretending to turn in Triss.  Geralt has to keep his cool while he can hear Triss being tortured in the other room and every other playthrough I've done it perfectly.  This time around I decided to click on a slightly different dialogue option (one where Geralt tries to pretend as if he and Triss never had any kind of past relationship) and Menge immediately caught on.  Instead of coolly waiting for a mangled Triss to  appear in Menge's office after escaping from her captors, Geralt and Triss had to fight their way through the entire Temple Guard.  I figured that I had royally messed things up, but it turns out that there's an alternate way to wrap up the mission.  It involves finding a secret message with a method to meet with a spy outside of Novigrad--apparently Menge used this spy for his nefarious purposes.  Geralt can ask Djikstra about it and then he and Triss can meet the spy.  Triss still goes a little bit nuts (this time on the spy, which is a lot less satisfactory than it being Menge) and it's obvious that she's a bit cracked from her encounter with the Temple Guard.  You can still fully complete the mission to free Dandelion afterwards.

There are a billion side quests and many of them you just have to sort of stumble upon.  In my totally insane desire to discover all the question marks in Skellige (which I will discuss later) I discovered two men on a random island who were having an argument about how one of them had corrupted the others sister by luring her away from the priestesses of Freya (a sort of Skelligan religious sect for the ladies).  Geralt can intervene and slay the attacker.  The survivor then is a bit conflicted about the situation and asks Geralt to find books about different religious practices and then bring them to him.  I have always noticed the random items tagged as quest items that are for sale by some vendors, but had never actually encountered one of them.  Now, for the life of me, I cannot remember where to find the books for the quest since they are sold by random merchants.  And, honestly, this quest is highly inconvenient because it is located on a small island with no nearby fast travel markers--getting back to the quest giver means hopping on a boat and returning to the island.  If I find the books, I might complete it, but I'm not planning on going heavily out of my way to do it.

Behold, the lack of question marks!  (Take a look at ol' Geralt's finances too)

Every time I get to Skellige I am always confronted with what is a very stupid internal debate--do I save myself a lot of time (we're talking multiple hours) and ignore the numerous question marks polluting the map or do I needlessly do them?  There are pros and cons to this debate--the main pros include the fact that you might find a decent item or two that you can actually use (out of an absolute mountain that you will sell) and that you will earn an absolute Skelligan longships worth of gold (which, again, you don't really need).  The cons--sailing around to ALL the question marks means fighting off scores of some of the most annoying enemies in the game (sirens and ekidhnas).  It also means having to manage selling off all your loot--another annoyance since finding vendors who have enough coin to buy it all can be difficult (you can wait for 24 hours until their stock resets).  And, most importantly, it's fairly pointless.  The sad reality--I still do it every time!  I think there's something wrong with me.

Surely I can't be the only one who does this?  There has to be other insane people out there who refuse to let the question marks remain  If that's you, I hope you enjoy your adventure--I used it as an opportunity to get caught up on some podcast episodes that I had missed.

Happy spring to the gamers out there!  The weather is getting nicer, so maybe it's a good opportunity to get outside and touch some grass.  Or maybe we just stay in and explore some more pointless question marks on a map.  Either way...win-win!

Same Old, Same Old

The end of the school year is approaching--slowly, but surely, and the looming and always exciting period of early summer has me thinking about my gaming conquests.  A few titles on my wishlist are looking to be non-starters--Cook Serve Forever, which recently released and is in early access has mixed reviews.  Apparently it's more of a story-based spinoff that doesn't continue the keyboard-mashing, restaurant building tradition of the earlier games.  I think I'll be skipping it (or waiting until a full release sale price comes around...so, that could be awhile).  I'm still semi-watching the Diablo IV news, but that $69.99 price tag seems a bit steep for me.  So, who knows that the summer will hold--there are a few indies with overwhelmingly positive reviews that I'm interested in.

I'm currently continuing my The Witcher 3 next-gen playthrough (still a smidgen glitchy) and have reached Toussaint--the most beautiful place in the game (I love it!).  I wish all big RPG's that span multiple games would include a final, great DLC with a positive sendoff for our favorite heroes (like Mass Effect's "Citadel" DLC or "Blood and Wine").  Yeah, it's definitely fan service, but it's the fans who are laying down the cash, so why not?

Gearlt ponders his next move.

The new photomode is a nice addition and I've snapped a few heroic pics of Geralt in all his beardy, black leather glory.  My collection of Toussaint screenshots is sorely lacking, so there's a goal.

If you're a teacher who is still in school--the time is coming, hang in there.  I feel your pain and am looking forward to June 13th (our last school day).  May your summer dreams be fruitful and you find the strength to survive the absolute doldrums of the school year.  Amen.

There's a Sale A-Brewin'

If you're in the market to spend some of that hard earned cash the Epic Mega-Sale is currently taking place.  I know--it's Epic, but there is generally a good reason to check out their sales.  The first is the fact that they like to offer up some good games as giveaways--they're offering up Death Stranding this week only.  I very much enjoyed Death Stranding, even though the story was straight up bonkers (you can read my full review here).  Another good reason to check out the Epic sales is because their coupon offers are a nice way to knock 25% off of the price of a game (and you usually get the coupon for grabbing the free games, so it's a double bonus).  I'm not really in the market for anything right now, but I hope people find some decent deals.

Last week I stated that I hadn't really read anything too bad about Diablo IV, but this week I did.  In two different PC Gamer articles, there was some definite doubts laid down about the upcoming ARPG.  The first article described the fact that the class balance is currently really out of whack--some classes are super OP and others are miserably weak.  I suppose we can sort of give Blizz the benefit of the doubt--it's still in beta, so hopefully these issues will be hammered out before the full release.  The second article bemoaned the fact that it simply feels like more of the same--it doesn't offer up anything new or unique to the ARPG genre.  (And, actually the first article also gets into this fact).  I'm not sure about the total validity of that argument--so many of the triple-A's don't really bring anything new to the table--they have a big enough fan base and name recognition that people are willing to shell out $69.99 for the newest, shiniest iteration of almost the exact same game.  That's not necessarily a bad thing--I mean, if people genuinely enjoy the gameplay.  I think the challenge lies in the fact that eventually people will get tired of it (I think that's something that Ubisoft is currently dealing with) and then they're in a real pickle.

Myself?  I've been marching Geralt through the main story of the new and improved The Witcher 3 (I'm not so thrilled with this "new" version, but some of the issues I was having do seem to have been ironed out in a recent patch).  Even since I got the worst ending in my last playthrough I've felt a driving desire to go back and get the best ending.  And, mission accomplished, so I feel good now.  The best parts of the "new" version are the added items--there are a couple of early game armor sets and there's also a new set of plans that can be unlocked by completing a new quest in the Devil's Pit.  This quest sees Geralt investigating a haunted mine pit, finding out that the Church of the Eternal Fire is still up to no good, and meeting an old Witcher who offers up the location of a set of plans for an armor set that is inspired by Netflix's The Witcher series (which sadly has lost its Henry Cavill).  Since it was something new, I decided to give the new armor a go.  The stats seem pretty similar to the Wolven set with a few differences and it looks alright.  Check it out:

The front view.  I don't love the flat medallion, but the whole set has a very...black vibe.

The swords are interesting.  For some reason the way the silver sword narrows and flares makes it seem weirdly large.

Have a happy gaming weekend and maybe check out some of those deals on Epic!

Next-Gen Witchering Ain't All it's Cracked Up to Be

I'm just not one of those people who care deeply about the most uber-graphics settings for my games, so the next-gen update to The Witcher 3 wasn't earthshattering news.  I finally decided to get around to checking it out to see what it has to offer.  True to form, it offers a whole smattering of fancy new graphics settings.  Last time I tried to change the settings (when it was first released), it crashed it right to desktop.  The initial release for the next-gen update was pretty rocky, but those issues have been fixed.  To tweak the settings to be "optimized," I decided to use the NVIDIA GeForce Experience to pick the best settings.  It, of course, opted to turn on ray tracing, which I would normally skip.  My poor GPU, which always ran smooth as silk, sounded a little bit strained under the new settings.  So, since I don't really care about the very slight difference in shadow quality and whatnot, I opted to turn the settings back down into a comfortable "medium" range of settings.  My GPU immediately thanked me, but I started to notice some weirdness that I've never experienced before.  Firstly, there are occasionally some weird sort of flashy, line-like visual disturbances near the bottom of my screen (possibly some light screen tearing).  It's annoying mostly.

Just leave poor Geralt alone!

The other thing I noticed after I lowered the settings was the fact that some textures seemed to not load.  I mostly noticed this during cutscenes in story missions.  Again, it's something I never experienced prior to this update, but was another documented technical issue with earlier versions of the next-gen update.

So, needless to say, I've been a bit disappointed with this "update."  I want my old, normal version of TW3 back--it worked perfectly fine and had no issues (for me).  I've also had a few crashes (which seem to have stopped now that I've lowered the settings).  Just be aware that if you're going to crank up the ol' graphics settings, you might have some problems you didn't have before.

Experiencing the Worst Ending

Okay, let me be honest here--I've played an ungodly amount of The Witcher 3--over 900 hours.  It's my favorite game and I just love returning to Geralt, the Witchers, the sorceresses, Ciri, and the strumpets in Novigrad that yell hilarious things as you navigate the city.  When you've played a game as much as I've played The Witcher 3 you might feel the urge to make different choices...you know, just to see what happens.  I decided to choose some things that I don't normally choose and will now narrate the disastrous consequences.  (I suppose it's worth mentioning that this will contain spoilers for The Witcher 3)

Things started to go wrong early on--I fully intended for Geralt to re-ignite his relationship with Triss Merigold.  I chose all the flirty, supportive options (except for maybe 1 or 2) but decided that Geralt shouldn't drop the big "ILY" as Triss is departing.  Apparently, that's the clincher.  Even though I like Triss as a character (and relationship choice), I do feel that Yennifer is the canon option.  I always ponder the dead rose of remembrance--it's supposed to stay alive forever...as long as there is still love in the relationship, if it's dead...well, that's not a great sign.  Plus, there's always the issue of Geralt losing his memory and Triss sort of stringing him along.  So, overall, choosing Yen isn't the worst thing ever.  I did not intend for things to fall apart with Triss though!

I've never really paid much attention to exactly which key decisions can impact the ending.  I really only had it in mind to ignore Emhyr and dissuade Ciri from visiting her dear ol' daddy.  There are other decisions though that have a big impact on the ending...and I chose poorly.  The earliest of those decisions occurs immediately following the tangle with the Wild Hunt at Kaer Mohren--Geralt chooses to comfort Ciri who is struggling with her magical training.  Geralt can either tell Ciri that it's okay, not everyone is good at everything or offer up a break to take her mind off of the training.  One of my favorite parts of the game plays out if you choose the break option--Geralt and Ciri have a silly snowball fight and share a cute hug at the end.  Instead, I chose option number 1 and got to watch as a sad Ciri joined Geralt for a round sad drinks.

The second key decision takes place after Geralt has rescued Margarita Laux-Antille and has reunited the Lodge of Sorceresses.  They want to speak to Ciri and she's feeling nervous about them due to their past schemes--Geralt can either reassure Ciri that she should go in alone and handle it herself or can offer to go with Ciri.  I decided that Geralt should go with her (to offer support) and it turned out to be the worst of the two decisions.

The last disastrous decision occurred while visiting Avallac'h's hidden laboratory with Triss and Ciri.  It's here that you discover that Avallac'h has a very intense fascination with the Elder Blood (and Ciri) and his "friend" tells Ciri that he actually hates her and that she's a dirty "half-breed."  Ciri is visibly upset and expresses frustration with her "gift."  Geralt can either choose to tell her to calm down or can encourage her to vent her frustration by trashing the lab.  Choosing the "calm down" option means that Ciri becomes angry and storms out of the lab.

Geralt sadly contemplates Ciri's medallion.

I didn't think too much about the choices I made and was stunned when Ciri seemed to picture all these events in a negative fashion as she took on the White Frost.  Then, a brand new ending that I had never seen started to roll--Geralt is in Velen and he's looking for the last Crone.  A werewolf has offered to show him in exchange for Geralt's help in rescuing some wolf pups who are in danger from some local villagers.  Geralt finds the group of villagers and discovers that they've trapped the she-wolf and plan to kill her and the pups.  There's virtually no hesitation as he kills the peasants--it's brutal.  Then, the werewolf leads him to the swamp village where the Crones reside.  Weavess confronts Geralt and implies that Ciri is dead--tons of monsters swarm the area as the fight takes place.  Once Weavess is dead, Geralt frantically searches the village for the Wolf medallion that once belonged to Vesemir but that Ciri lost during her battle with the Crones.  He finds it and then sits and stares at it as tons of monsters swarm the village.  There's a strong indication that Ciri's death has caused him to lose his will to fight.

I felt so bummed by this ending that I contemplated reloading my save before the Isle of Mists.  Holy crap does that ending suck!  I decided against the re-load since 1.) there was probably a good 30-ish hours of stuff to re-do and 2.) I've experienced the other two endings plenty of times.  I guess it was worth the experience of finally getting to see all of the endings...but, like my renegade Mass Effect run...never again!

The Head or the Heart--What's the best TW3 Ending?

(**This post contains spoilers for The Witcher 3's ending.  1. Go play it--it's great.  2. Read with caution if you haven't finished it before)

Even though I've played through The Witcher 3 multiple times, I somehow managed to get my least favorite ending.  I felt some heart pangs when Ciri unbelted her sword, handed it to Geralt, and rode off to become the successor to the Nilfgaardian throne.  Where did I go wrong?  Oh yeah, rather than telling Ciri to ignore meeting with her father (the emperor of Nilfgaard himself) I told her that she should probably meet with him.  For some dumb reason I was very sure that this decision didn't really matter and that Geralt would still have the option to talk Ciri out of it in the end.  I have a gift for replaying things and still managing to mess something up!  Yeah, it's the ending I don't like, but I got to thinking about it and maybe it's the better of the two potential endings.

Say it ain't so, Ciri!

I decided to think of the two endings as the head--the logical option--and the heart--the emotionally satisfying option.  To me, having Ciri become the future empress of Nilfgaard has the potential to benefit the most people.  As ruler of a vast empire she can play a positive role in how Nilfgaard rules over its many subjects.  Life under Nilfgaard seems a bit like a mixed bag--they have a very organized system of laws and run an orderly government but there are some negative aspects.  Mages don't seem to have much freedom and are kept under the oppressive thumb of the emperor.  I suppose that is the preferable option to being burned at the stake by a looney tune like Radovid.  There's also the entire concept of using newly conquered peoples in labor camps that seems a bit sketchy.  I don't think this option is the preferable one for Ciri herself--she's basically trapping herself in a position of authority that is inescapable.  It's clear that her duties will keep her from spending much time with her beloved REAL family--Geralt, Triss, and Yen.

On the other hand, Ciri can decide to become a witcher and set out on the path--a life of wandering the countryside and taking contracts for dangerous monsters.  This option is the more emotionally satisfying one.  Throughout the main storyline it becomes abundantly clear that Ciri values her freedom and has spent her entire life running from one threat or another.  She desperately wants to have the ability to make her own choices and do as she pleases rather than constantly having to worry about staying ahead of whoever is currently pursuing her.  She could visit Geralt and the sorceresses whenever she feels like.  With this option it's also important to remember that Ciri isn't a full witcher--she never underwent mutations.  In choosing the Nilfgaard option you are reminded of this fact when Geralt spends a last few quality moments with Ciri.  He offers to show Ciri the carcass of the griffin in White Orchard and the two encounter a forktail that has settled in the abandoned nest.  Ciri narrowly avoids getting smacked by the beast and Geralt chastises her for her lack of attention.  Yes, Ciri has special gifts that give her fabulous abilities, but maybe trying to be a full fledged witcher is too dangerous.

Of the two options, I greatly prefer the second.  Ciri has been through so much and has spent basically her entire life suffering because of her "gift."  She needs a chance to enjoy life rather than being saddled with responsibility that she has never wanted.  That option is definitely the more selfish of the two--it's what's best for Ciri, but not what's better for the greater good.  

Unanswered Questions--Ciri

Good news--I managed to finally finish off the quest to track down all the question marks in Skellige.  Geralt is no longer the poor, lowly witcher of yore and could now finance an entirely new Kaer Morhen.  As I've progressed through the remaining side quests, witcher contracts, and various other distractions, I've been thinking about Ciri as a character and the future of The Witcher franchise.  Several years ago, CD Projekt hinted that The Witcher 4 could be a possibility (and, after the CyberPunk fiasco, maybe going back to the tried and true is a good move...).  In thinking about a potential fourth game, I wondered if Ciri would be a good protagonist.  In playing through the third game for the bajillionth time, I am always struck by how little you actually get to know Ciri--she's a major part of the plot, but you don't get a ton of insight into her complicated history.

Artwork from the novels depicting Ciri
and Mistle.

One of the questions about Ciri that I (and, apparently many others) came away with has to do with her sexual orientation.  During the Skellige mission chain, Ciri is rescued after being wounded and barely managing to flee through a portal that dumps her into the sea outside of the village of Lofoten.  She awakens with her wounds bandaged but in a weakened state.  The villagers inform her that the only way to fully recover her strength is to spend some time soaking in the heat of the sauna.  Ciri accompanies the sister of Skjall (the young man tasked by Avallac'h with caring for Ciri) to the sauna.  Players are given a seemingly odd choice in the sauna--does Ciri wrap herself in a towel (which is kind of an odd thing to do, but would be understandable for someone who is modest) or enter sans towel (no, you don't get to see any extra-special Ciri parts if you choose this option--pervs!)?

Choosing the no towel option reveals the fact that Ciri has a tattoo of a rose on her upper thigh--a fact that the other ladies in the sauna are keen to remark upon.  This is one part of the game where there just isn't a lot of additional information given and that has a tie-in with the novels.  The ladies in the sauna ask about the origin of Ciri's tattoo and she responds with a vague statement about getting it to remember someone who she loved but who had died.  If you read the novels (which I do recommend) you learn that Ciri's tattoo was a product of her time with the Rats--a gang of bandits who took Ciri in after she helped to rescue one of their members.  During her time with the Rats, Ciri had a somewhat complicated relationship with Mistle, a female member of the group.  The complication comes from the fact that there is some indication that Ciri  pairs off with Mistle in an effort to avoid the advances of another member of the group and that Ciri's mostly looking for safety.  However, there are some indications that maybe the relationship was more serious--they both choose to get matching tattoos and Ciri does tell Mistle that she loves her and that she will come back to find Mistle in the future (Ciri decides to leave the gang...I don't remember the exact reasons--I need to re-read the books).

Bea, the barmaid at the Golden Sturgeon.

After the brief exchange about Ciri's tattoo, the ladies playfully joke about Skjall, the young man who has adoringly cared for Ciri since he returned her to the village.  Here players are allowed to choose how Ciri responds--she can drop a hint that Skjall is a nice guy (maybe there's a bit of interest there); simply state that she's not interested; or make it clear that she prefers women.  I've always felt a bit conflicted about what to choose because Ciri's sexuality is so clouded (if you're trying to play a canon Ciri).

Later in the game there is another possible hint at Ciri's preference.  Prior to heading to Skellige for the final set of missions, Geralt finds himself working with a bevy of sorceresses, Avallac'h, and Ciri to come up with a plan to try to defeat the Wild Hunt.  In Novigrad he agrees to meet up with Ciri to help her tie up some loose ends.  One of those tasks involves heading to the Golden Sturgeon to deliver a gift to someone.  That someone turns out to be a freckled barmaid named Bea who helped Ciri track down Dandelion.  The meeting itself doesn't involve any hints at the actual relationship between Ciri and Bea, but Geralt does feel the need to comment "she seems nice," in a way that hints that he can clearly see that the two had some sort of connection.

So, for me, the option I choose for Ciri is "I prefer women."  The signs seem to point in that direction.  Sorry Skjall (poor Skjall!  He really is a nice guy).

The Skellige Wall Strikes Again

Even though I've had a hard time controlling my impulse buying habits (I bought two games from my wishlist that were on sale), I'm sticking with my main witcher bro, Geralt of Rivia.  Something I've noticed in almost every single playthrough is that once I get to Skellige, I get a bit less motivated.  There's just something about the Skellige map--it may be largely caused by my insane need to hit every single question mark on the map--that always makes me internally groan a bit.  Now, a sane person would just make the logical decision to simply skip the bulk of the exploration based tasks--but I just can't do it!  I know Geralt is going to need every penny to upgrade his gear (...at least that's what I tell myself) to the grandmaster level.

One of the things I love about The Witcher 3 is the fact that no matter how many times you play through the game, you will always find something new.  (**spoilers for the Skellige quest line ahead) In my deluded need to search every question mark in Skellige, I found the answer to a question that I've had since my first playthrough--where do they take Birna Bran after she has been sentenced to death?  I always assumed it would be within visual range of Kaer Trolde--after all, she is a rotten traitor who breaks the most sacred laws of the island nation.  Through multiple playthroughs I've searched the waters around Kaer Trolde in vain.

(*Not my Geralt) discovering Birna's body.

I'm not exactly sure how I missed it all these times, but I finally stumbled across the location of Birna's brutal execution (she is sentenced to die by being chained to a rock and left to succumb to the elements).  If you head south from Kaer Trolde down the coastline you will find the village of Rannvaig.  There is a boat conveniently located near the docks and you can use it to reach a nearby question mark located along the coastline slightly farther to the west.  Once you approach the question mark it will reveal the location as a hidden treasure--you need to find the key to unlock the chest.  There are a bunch of Ekihdnas circling around an area on the coast--once you eliminate the flying filth you can check out the giant rock jutting out of the middle of the area.  Chained to the rock are the earthly remains of Birna Bran.  I am not really sure how I missed it all these times, I guess being too laser focused on all those dang question marks has its drawbacks.

Birna is a fairly minor character and one who is immediately unlikeable.  Your introduction to her occurs when you arrive in Skellige and witness the funeral for King Bran.  As they lay Bran's body on his ship/floating funeral pyre, a horrific Skellige tradition is revealed--the wife of the king usually joins the remains of the king on his final, fiery voyage.  Everyone waits in anticipation to see if Birna will climb aboard the ship--she doesn't, and instead, Bran's much younger (and notably very teary eyed) concubine chooses to climb aboard.  A nearby peasant couple comments on how wrong it its and a dry-eyed Birna just keeps looking on.

There's not a lot of background given into Birna's character--I've always gotten the impression that she's not a Skellige native and probably not Bran's first wife.  Birna has a very distinct feeling of not fitting into Skelligan society.  Once you've helped Cerys and Hjalmar with their adventures and it's time to hold the ceremony to choose the next ruler, Birna reveals her snakelike nature--she sabotages the event by using the Vildkaarl's (a band of Skelligers who possess the druid-like ability to morph into bears) to attack the potential claimants to the crown.  Her ultimate goal was to see them all killed off, leaving only her son, Svanrige as the sole contender.  She wants Skellige to adopt a hereditary line of procession...starting with her own line.  Luckily, if you choose to help Cerys you can unravel the details of her plot and see her sentenced to a gruesome end.

Maybe Birna's right though--Skellige's system of choosing a new ruler is messy and plagued by long-running clan feuds.  Everything about Skellige seems to be wrapped up in being bold and careless rather than trying to do things in an organized way and/or plan for the future.  Supposedly there is a way to side with Hjalmar and have Svanrige crowned as king.  I could never betray Skellige that way (even if I do think their system is messy) and have never chosen it.  As king (and with momma bear Birna mostly running the show) Svanrige chooses to acquiesce to Nilfgaardian rule--a possible deathblow to the defiant Skelligan nature.  That choice feels extra icky.

How I Love to Hate Yennefer of Vengerberg

Poor, scraggly Geralt at the beginning of this playthrough.

Why play something new when you can just replay The Witcher 3 over and over?  That's the true question you all should be asking yourselves.  Joking aside, I have committed myself to another epic (that means base game + all DLC) TW3 adventure.  My initially scraggly Geralt is starting to look like a real witcher and is currently travelling the rugged wilderness of Skellige.  It's upon reaching Skellige and playing through the main story missions that I realize how much I dislike Yennefer of Vengerberg.  (*I suppose it's worth stating that there are potential TW3 spoilers ahead)

From the very beginning of the game Yennefer rubs me the wrong way.  Throughout the second game Geralt begins regaining his memory and his memories of Yen lead him to want to track her down.  Then, when the third game starts, that need becomes even more urgent as he seeks out the aid of all of his allies to help track down Ciri.  Upon completing the White Orchard section of the game, Geralt finally is reunited with Yen--and it's not exactly a warm, loving reunion as she immediately yanks Geralt to Vizima to meet with the Nilfgaardian Emperor, Emhyr var Emreis, to discuss finding Ciri.  It's straight to business with no time for pleasantries or any indication of their ongoing relationship.  So Geralt has just spent a bunch of time trying to track Yen down and he doesn't even get so much as an "I missed you?"  That's cold!  Yen then decides that she will head to Skellige to investigate a strange magical event that could be tied to Ciri and leaves Geralt to search the swamps of Velen and the city of Novigrad for any traces.

Pretty, but cold.

Once in Skellige, Geralt and Yen are reunited and agree to work together to investigate potential Ciri sightings.  There are a few dialogue opportunities for flirtations, but again, Yen isn't really interested in Geralt's struggles or in anything other than her own plan to learn about Ciri.  Immediately it becomes obvious that Yen's not at all concerned about other people--she cooks up a scheme to sneak into the druid Ermion's laboratory and steal a powerful artifact, the Mask of Ouroboros.  Ermion is an ally and someone with a vested interest in Ciri's well-being--he could've probably been convinced to help seek her out...but noooo, Yen has to have things her way and isn't willing to compromise at all!

After stealing the mask (which Yen insists is just "borrowing") Geralt and Yen agree to meet up at the site of the mysterious magical explosion.  When Geralt arrives, Ermion is busily berating Yennefer for stealing the mask--an action that I always find hard to defend (even though it is important for the urgent purpose of tracking down Ciri who appears to be in danger).  Oblivious to Ermion's anger about the potential dangers of using the mask, Yen wanders off to use it while Geralt tries to level with the livid druid.  A sudden crack of lightning indicates that Yen has used the mask...even though Ermion warms her that it could set off a cataclysm!  Geralt and Ermion have no choice but to rush off to try to neutralize whatever chaos could occur from the usage of the mask.

The mask reveals that Ciri was attacked and was wounded, but narrowly managed to escape through a portal.  Yen is able to track the portal to the island of Hindarsfjall.  The village of Lofoten was the most recent victim of the Wild Hunt and likely where Ciri exited the portal.  A group of priestesses are performing a ritual when Geralt and Yen enter the village.  Geralt urges Yen to wait until they're done with it, but Yen barges right in and starts pressing the traumatized women for information about Ciri.  The angry priestesses point the duo toward a sacred garden--the last location where the only possibly surviving person who saw Ciri was known to have been.

Geralt and Yen set off for the garden to track down Craven, a young man who was the last person to see Ciri and someone who was actively exiled from his village for supposedly fleeing during the attack of the Wild Hunt.  They quickly discover that Craven died in his mission to redeem himself by killing the cursed werewolf Morkvarg.  Yennefer is in no way disturbed by this fact and offers up the ghoulish option of using necromancy to reanimate the corpse and find out what happened to Ciri.  The dialogue options allow Geralt to choose to try to dissuade Yen from using forbidden, dark magic, but there's just no reasoning with her!  She reanimates the corpse, yanks the truth out of it, knowing full well that her actions will likely destroy the sacred garden.  Upon the termination of the spell, two angry priestesses appear and discover that the garden is completely dead.  They inform Yen that she is now persona non-grata in Skellige--a fact that she doesn't seem at all miffed about.  The only redeeming part of the entire exchange comes when Yen expresses some genuinely concerned fear that Ciri might have been the victim of a nasty curse. 

Throughout the multitude of times that I've played TW3 I haven't found very many redeeming qualities in Yennefer of Vengerberg.  She seems blindly ambitious and almost completely selfish (with the one exception being her concern for Ciri and the role she played in helping Ciri control her magical abilities--but even this I question!  In the books Yen has a strained relationship with the Lodge of Sorceresses, but does seem to want to play into their schemes for world domination--Ciri, with her powerful magical abilities is the perfect tool for accomplishing those goals).  To make a Mass Effect comparison, I find Yen to be the renegade option--she's willing to stop at nothing to accomplish her goals.  Her personality completely puts me off and even though I do think she's the canon Geralt romance option, I have only opted to stick with her once.  As far as I'm concerned, the Last Wish is all in her head. 

How Long is too Long? A Story Length Query

This week I've been trying to navigate all the social media posts about people doing some version of the following:  1.) bemoaning the fact they haven't had success in ordering the PS5; 2.) gloating over the fact they were able to order a PS5 or, of the more PC variety, 3.) bemoaning the fact that they haven't had success ordering a 3000 series GPU; 4.) gloating over the fact they were able to order a 3000 series GPU.  After seeing approximately 9 billion different versions of the aforementioned posts, a couple of pieces of gaming news were able to break through.

System specs for CyberPunk 2077!

Both pieces of news are related to the highly anticipated CyberPunk 2077, which is slated to be released later this year (November-ish, I believe).  After much waiting and anticipatory gnashing of teeth, the system requirements were released (see image below).  I was pleasantly surprised as both the minimum specs and the recommended specs seen reasonable.  I know there was some concern that the game could gobble up an insane amount of disk space, but the 70 GB listed is well below what many people anticipated (I think Assassin's Creed:  Odyssey is currently gobbling up a very sizable chunk of space on my HDD).  Now everyone has a target to aim for and hopefully the rabid fanbase can get their hands on needed upgrades prior to the release

The other piece of news is related to the length of the main storyline.  According to this source, the story in CyberPunk will be shorter than the story was in The Witcher 3.  Data from player activity in TW3 revealed that many players never actually finished the main storyline and CD Projekt Red apparently wants more people to finish it.  I am a bit surprised by the fact that people didn't finish the main storyline--according to the above linked article people can finish the entire main storyline in 32 hours...if they skip all the side content.  What kind of monster does that though?!?

Personally, I've always enjoyed a big RPG and if it's well designed (as TW3 is) I'm willing to spend a lot of time playing.  I can also understand the reality that many people just don't have hundreds of hours to sink into completionist playthroughs of todays uber open-world RPG's.  I am looking forward to a long jaunt through the world of CyberPunk 2077 and fully intend to spend as much time as I can meticulously completing every bit of content.

Even though TW3 had a long story I liked how it was designed--it took you to every region in the main game and placed you in a new location at perfectly spaced intervals.  Lingering too long in one place can get tedious, so a change in scenery is needed every once in awhile.  One of my main complaints about Assassin's Creed:  Odyssey is that the absurd size of the map feels fairly pointless.  The main storyline doesn't take you to every region (although there are side quests that can draw you there) and much of the exploration based content seems a bit like needless filler (but, I'm positive that I read something Ubisoft said--that in their playtesting people actively requested the nightmare map o' symbols that seems pretty stock in their games).  I'm on board for engaging content rather than the mindless grind through map symbols that don't contribute much to the actual game.

As much as I would love to pre-order CyberPunk, I'm probably going to hold off until it has been released, gone through the early release growing pains, and is stable and has been patched (even though I don't remember many problems with TW3).  It's going to be painful, but I think I will survive.

Good luck to those of you trying to navigate the PS5/3000 series GPU ordering frenzy.  I would highly encourage you PS5 people to come to the world of PC gaming where it's not a bare knuckled brawl for hardware (the vast majority of the time).  I know you love your exclusives....but it's better over here ;)

Newsy News

On my own personal gaming front, I sadly don't have much to report, plus, it's back to school time which means my time has started to be spent elsewhere.  Mostly I am exhausted and like to just plop down in front of something relaxing.  My go-to relaxing game continues to be PC Building Simulator.  Unfortunately, I've hit level 31, unlocked all the parts, and don't know if simply completing jobs is enough to keep me invested.  I'm on the hunt for another relaxing game to unwind with.

So shiny!  So chonky!

There has been some interesting gaming/hardware news this week.  NVIDIA announced its next generation 3000 series GPU's and, shockingly, some of them could actually be semi-affordable (although, I would say with the state of the world right now, I don't know how many people are going to be clamoring for even the cheapest of the new cards).  They rolled out their announcement with some gorgeous shots of the hotly anticipated Cyberpunk 2077 featuring the much lauded, but little understood ray tracing.  I am very much looking forward to Cyberpunk 2077, but won't be trying to beat the ravenous crowds of hardware nerds to these fancy-shmancy GPU's.

Another piece of good gaming news was the announcement that The Witcher 3 is going to be getting a graphical update in time for the release of the next generation of consoles and this includes the PC version (PC Gamer Article)!  It has been a few years since I've delved back into TW3 and this update might just be the thing to start up another adventure with Geralt and pals.  CD Projekt is awesome.

This isn't exactly breaking news, but fairly recently EA decided to begin selling its games on Steam.  I am very excited about this prospect because I was never wild about Origin.  Unfortunately, it doesn't look like you can migrate your Origin games over to Steam (sadface).  Weirdly, one of the games I've been feeling a hankering to go back and replay is Mass Effect:  Andromeda.  For a game that was critically panned by many fans of the series, the Steam reviews are currently sitting at "very positive."  I guess time has softened those wounds....

Whether you're starting to scrape up some pennies with the hope of snatching a 3000 series GPU, waiting for TW3 to get all fancied up so you can play through it for the 20th time, or thinking about replaying a game you felt fairly meh about (I'm looking at you Andromeda), have a happy, long Labor Day weekend!

I Can't Stop Witchering

I still haven't finished Guacamelee! 2 despite the fact that I've probably played through 80-90% of the game.  I've been feeling like I'm a little in a "game hole" where I just can't settle on what I want to play.  The crazy part about this feeling is that the bulk of the time I end up settling on an old favorite that I've played a billion times.  This time around, that game is The Witcher 3.

What can I say about The Witcher 3 that I haven't already said?  It turns out that after 700 hours I can still gush about its magic.  Last summer I had begun my annual effort to replay the entire trilogy and had managed to play mostly through the series--I completed the main campaign in TW3, completed Hearts of Stone, and then had barely begun Blood and Wine--then, I got sidetracked by a new graphics card and a few new games.  Now, I've found myself gravitating back to Geralt's quest to solve the mystery of the "Beast" in the beautiful, sunny world of Toussaint.

I absolutely adore Blood and Wine as a DLC.  I love the fact that they created an environment that is decidedly less bleak and depressing than many of the others in the game.  The main storyline is fabulous and I've always enjoyed seeing Geralt reunite with his unlikely friend/higher vampire, Regis.  To me, Blood and Wine is TW3 equivalent of what the Citadel DLC was to Mass Effect 3--a lighthearted, fun way for fans to spend some quality time with their favorite heroes before saying goodbye.

One of the best features of Blood and Wine is the ability to acquire the rundown estate of Corvo Bianco.  With a bit of coin and some time, players can help Geralt restore the estate to its shining glory.  There aren't a ton of options for personalization, but players can choose paintings to hang throughout the residence.  Personally, I firmly believe that the following paintings should always be hung:

1.) Iris and Olgierd.  You can acquire this painting while finishing the main storyline in Hearts of Stone.  It's a great reminder of the tragic and heartbreaking story that is at the center of that DLC and looking at it makes me smile.

2.) Cranky Ciri.  There is a vendor in Beauclair (located near the grandmaster armorer) who mostly sells junk, but also sells a wide selection of paintings--one of those paintings is a copy that you see earlier in the game when interacting with Emhyr var Emreis--the painting depicts a young Ciri with a decidedly sour expression on her face (in my head, I imagine Ciri being cranky over being forced to wear a ridiculous dress and pose for the portrait).

3.) The White Wolf.  This painting is given to Geralt as a reward after completing the quest called Big Game Hunter.  As a side quest, I've always enjoyed Big Game Hunter--at first, it seems a little whacky that some rich guy wants Geralt to escort him around while he uses his magical photo box to snap pictures of wildlife. After you finish the quest line and agree to meet the Count to see the finished products from the expedition, you learn that his project is a very sweet mission to help his handicapped daughter experience the wider world.

4.) Hierarch Hemmelfart.  This painting is one that can be easy to lose due to the fact that you acquire it early in the game.  As part of the main storyline to track down Ciri, Geralt has to rescue Dandelion while he's being transported to jail.  After a brief chase, Dandelion hides out in a small, isolated cabin in the woods.  Once inside the cabin, Geralt runs across paint splatters and obvious signs of some sort of artistic endeavor.  After rescuing Dandelion, Geralt finds the occupants of the cabin waiting outside--a dwarf and a halfling who come clean about using the cabin to produce and sell illegal forgeries of paintings.  In exchange for Geralt's silence about their enterprise, they provide a copy of their bestselling work--the painting of Hierarch Hemmelfart.

5.) Portrait of the Witcher as an Old Man.  This painting is acquired after completing a quest line that can be randomly discovered while strolling through Beauclair.  Geralt is propositioned by a painter who tells him that he's the perfect subject for a painting--he then agrees to meet the painter so that they can find the ideal location and light for the creation of the work.  One of the fun parts of this quest is that Geralt can choose his pose--in the past, I've always opted to give Geralt a very heroic pose; atop a mount, brandishing a sword.  This time, I wanted to try something silly, so I chose to have Geralt reclining on the ground.  The quest involves the interruption of the painting session by a random griffin attack.  Once the griffin has been slain, Geralt can agree to have it painted into the portrait.  The end result of my new choice is this stunning portrait, which makes me giggle every time I look at it--it's absolutely ridiculous and perfect for the bedroom of Corvo Bianco.

One of the other goals of my numerous playthroughs is to find things that I've missed.  I recently stumbled across another piece of Corvo Bianco that I've missed ALL THESE TIMES!  If you pay attention to the doorway outside the entrance to the hidden alchemy lab, you will notice a small pedestal.  If you pay even closer attention, you will notice that the the "use" message will pop-up.  I has an idea what it was probably for...and I was right!  If you complete the side quest called Great Balls of Granite (which, like the painting mission I usually stumble upon while walking through Beauclair) you are rewarded with a smaller version of the statue that you are tasked with repairing.  Unfortunately for me, I had already sold the statue and it was long gone.  Here is a picture of the pedestal and its location:

Here is what the statue actually looks like when placed:

I hope you have as much fun decorating your new witcher pad as I always do :)

Skellige Magic

Unsurprisingly, I'm still guiding our trusty witcher, Geralt of Rivia, through his adventures in the world of The Witcher 3.  Every playthrough offers the opportunity to make different decisions and see exactly how they play out.  Since I've played through it so many times, I'm also on the prowl for anything that I missed previously.  The weird thing is that I can usually find something that I missed.  Dedicating my time to TW3 means I've had time to think about some of the different aspects of the game.

But first....some exciting non-TW3 news.  The spiritual successor to one of my favorite childhood games (Theme Hospital) has finally announced a release date!  Two Point Hospital will release on August 30th and can be pre-ordered from Steam for 10% off.  I know that pre-ordering is the devil...but I don't think I can resist on this one.  It's priced at $34.99, which is a nice change from the $59.99 of triple AAA titles.

Just look at all those ? in the water....ugh.

Back to TW3--I've progressed Geralt's story to the islands of Skellige.  Skellige is my favorite (and also least favorite...) zone in the game.  I like the story of the viking-inspired culture and clans that populate the islands.  Visually, it's also one of the prettiest zones in the game--tall mountains, dark forests, and lots of open water.  The part that I dislike the most about Skellige is the annoying enemies--namely the flying ones.  As much as I would love to have Geralt spend time sailing around the islands and unearthing all the treasures, I abhor trying to fight off all the stupid sirens.  You can try to fight them on your boat, but it's nearly impossible, or you can opt to dive into the water and pick them off with your crossbow.  Either way, there's a lot of question marks on that dang Skellige map and I don't have the patience to fight off the hordes of flying terrors.  Sadly, the smugglers caches tend to have some very decent loot in them--especially the greater runes.

As I've progressed through the Skellige story line I was faced with one of the major decisions that takes place in that particular zone--who should lead Skellige after the death of King Bran?  The two candidates, Cerys and Hjalmar an Craite, present the possibility of very different styles of rule.  Hjalmar is the kind of hero that they love on Skellige--bold, impulsive, and always looking for another fight or adventure.  His quest line sees Geralt travelling to the island of Undvik which has been deserted due to the fact that a very fierce ice giant appeared and started slaying the residents.  As you search the island to find Hjalmar (and eventually the giant), the story if the expedition unfolds.  Hjalmar's crew has gradually been whittled down by the monstrous hazards of the island--sirens mostly--and by his poor leadership.  By the time you reach the village of Dorve and find Hjalmar, his crew is completely gone (depending on your exploration and choices you could have possibly rescued the archer, Folan, from the clutches of some trolls who love making human soup).  You help Hjalmar fight off the remaining sirens and he leads you to the cave with the giant.  It's here that you find another member of his crew who has been captured by the giant--Vigi the Loon--and can choose to free him or let him stay in his cage (and die...).  You help Hjalmar slay the giant and complete his goal of completing a feat worthy of becoming king.  After it was finished, I started thinking on Hjalmar's quest and his ability to lead.

Team Cerys!

I rarely pick Hjalmar to lead Skellige--of all the times that I've played through TW3 I think I've picked him once.  I've always thought that his style of leadership seems reckless.  On Undvik he blindly charges ahead time after time and leaves the bodies of his own crew in his wake.  It's true that he slays the ice giant and accomplishes what he set out to, but at a too high cost--he gets almost his entire crew killed.  But, when I really think about it, isn't that exactly what the culture and people of Skellige would want?  Every part of their culture revolves around acts of bravery, sacrifice, and battle--so, in a way, Hjalmar is perfect.  They are more than willing to die in a bloodbath as long as they're having another great adventure.

Cerys, on the other hand, is nothing like Hjalmar in her actions.  Rather than being impulsive, she prefers to think about her actions and plan for the best course.  In dealing with Udalryk on Spikeroog, she comes up with a plan to deal with the creature that is terrorizing him.  Her plan is completely devious and shocked me the first time I saw it--but it's also a genius way to resolve the matter of the Hym.  Cerys is the non-traditional choice for Skellige in ways other than her gender and that's why I usually pick her.  Rather than charge blindly ahead, she is the type of leader who wants to plan for the future and see Skellige united into one powerful political unit.  I've always thought she would be the preferable choice when dealing with the threat of Nilfgaard.

Another of the daunting choices I've had to make is the type of armor that I should pursue.  I prefer medium armor for its range of utility--it provides moderate protection and also allows for stamina regeneration.  There happens to be two sets of medium armor in the game--wolven and griffin armors.  The two sets are geared toward slightly different playstyles--griffin armor has stats that support using signs and the wolven set gives a boost to attack power.  Aesthetically, I tend to find the wolven set to be more attractive (even though the short jacket bothers me).  Statistically I've opted for the griffin armor--I think the boost to signs is more important than the boost to attack power.  As I was gathering the diagrams to upgrade the griffin set I (think?) noticed that the superior set has been altered and actually looks pretty awesome.

So pretty!

I like the new look of the superior Griffin set.

Last week I wrote about my indecisiveness regarding Geralt's romantic options--something which always seems very silly, but which I inevitable end up thinking way too hard about--and decided to opt for Yennefer.  I also stumbled across another detailed debate about which sorceress Geralt should woo.  Readers of the short stories (which I would recommend fans of the series should read--but I would forewarn that they aren't easy to read--they tend to have long plodding political plots that are intermittently woven with the more interesting stories of Geralt & Co.) should realize that there really isn't a "perfect" choice for poor Geralt.  Yennefer is prickly, demanding, and seems to mostly see Geralt as a tool to accomplish her own goals.  It's funny to me that several characters in the game bring this point up (Cerys does it very pointedly) and Geralt seems to shake them all off and retain his (seemingly) blind allegiance to Yen.  Triss, on the other hand, is a much more likeable character in the games.  I've always found it interesting the way that her character changed over the course of the three games.  In the first game she's much more...pushy--almost to the point of being overbearing.  I guess that in TW2 they decided to soften her up and make her a more desirable option for Geralt.  In the short stories Triss is almost obsessed with Geralt--she pursues him despite the fact that she's made it completely clear that he's not interested and that he's obviously tied to Yen.  She does take advantage of his amnesia to cultivate a relationship--something that is dealt with in an offhanded way throughout the games.

I think the sorceress dilemma is another example of how the world of The Witcher is filled with flawed and intriguing characters.  No one is perfect and there are no perfect choices.  This dynamic works amazingly to create and engrossing game world.