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!
I've finally reached my favorite part of The Witcher 3, the sunny, storybook-esque kingdom of Toussaint. To me, the Blood and Wine DLC is The Witcher's equivalent of the Mass Effect 3 Citadel DLC--it's a nice opportunity to have a happy ending for our favorite heroes. Plus, maybe there's just something in the fact that it's the first day of spring and I just want to play something bright and happy (also, probably depressing pandemic related). What do I love best about Toussaint? Where should I start...
My number one favorite thing about Blood and Wine is Corvo Bianco. There's just something very comforting about fictional heroes having a place to call home. I love the fact that you can add some small levels of personalization to Geralt's new witcherly home--displaying your favorite weapons and armor as well as various paintings (don't sell them!). If you're a completionist like me, at this point in the game Geralt's no longer the penniless, scruffy witcher wandering the countryside. He has plenty of money to fully fund all the renovations to restore Corvo Bianco to its former glory (and to give it a nice witcher friendly feel). I also made sure to save my Reginald d'Aubry statue for its glorious place on the plinth outside of the wine cellar (something that I've managed to miss in every previous playthrough). At the end of the DLC story it's nice to see all of Geralt's friends dropping by for a visit.
A beautiful Toussaint sunrise.
Another feature of Blood and Wine that I enjoy is the fact that Geralt gets to be fully immersed in the knight errant culture of Toussaint. It's kind of silly, but a fun break from the seriousness of the rest of the game. The chance to have Geralt compete as a knight in the royal tournament is highly enjoyable.
As I've been spending time wandering the countryside trying to eliminate all the pesky question marks on the map, I've realized that I also like the random tasks in Toussaint. I like helping the vintners clear out caves so that they can store their wine; I like clearing out the abandoned locations and seeing the grateful population return; and I like eliminating all the hanses sprinkled around the map. In Toussaint you get the opportunity to feel like the good guy and it's quite nice.
Even though I do enjoy the fact that there are many "lesser of two evils" type of situations in the base game, I like that there are fewer of those in Toussaint--you get more happy endings. One example that springs to my mind is a quest chain where two competing vineyard owners hire Geralt to eliminate a strange number of monster related complications. As Geralt clears out the monster infestations he discovers that the owner of a different vineyard was actually plotting against both competing vineyards! Geralt informs both owners of this fact and two people who were previously enemies come up with an option C...what if they joined forces? It's a very satisfactory ending.
The main storyline in Blood and Wine also gives Geralt the opportunity to revisit an old friend, the higher vampire Regis (of the many surnames). Regis is one or my favorite side characters in the series (and from the books). He's a reformed vampire recovering from his brutal past as a blood addict (something akin to a drug or alcohol addiction) and even though he's a powerful being who could decimate the human population, he's actually a loyal, good friend. In the novels he helps Geralt search for Ciri even though he's basically a stranger. He also is killed (*but not really, as we find out in Blood and Wine) by the evil mage Vilgefortz while assisting Geralt. It's nice to see a favorite character in the game.
Happy spring and happy adventuring in sunny places with friends (real and imagined)!
I haven't had a ton of time to play this week, so I'm still trying to finish up my most recent revisit of The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine DLC. I would highly recommend Blood and Wine to anyone (is there really anyone who hasn't played Blood and Wine? I certainly hope not, but if that person is you, BUY IT!) who maybe bought a copy of TW3 and didn't grab the DLC. I'm currently facing one of the biggest dilemmas of the DLC--what to do about Syanna? (There will be definite spoilers. The three of you who haven't played it yet--don't read ahead!)
First, I wanted to talk about some other exciting non-Witcher related news. A few weeks ago it was announced that some new DLC was on the way for Two Point Hospital! The Pebberley Island DLC looks to add three new hospital scenarios in tropical locales. There are a bunch of whacky new diseases to treat and some unique settings (ancient ruins and unwalled hospital areas). I, for one, did the naughty and pre-ordered it almost the second it appeared on Steam. It releases on Monday (3/18) and I'm very excited to spend even more time managing hospitals. If you've been on the fence about Two Point Hospital or simply would like to check it out, now is the perfect time! It is currently having a free weekend on Steam and even features a unique infestation of headcrabs from the classic Half-Life series. Here is the trailer for Pebberley Island:
Back to TW3: Blood and Wine!
One of the toughest decisions of Blood and Wine surrounds duchess Anna Henrietta's estranged sister, Syanna. Throughout the early part of the DLC, Geralt spends much of his time tracking down the monstrous murdered known as "The Beast," and learns that he is, in fact, a higher vampire. Geralt's vampiric buddy Regis shows up and sheds some light on the issue of Detlaff van der Eretain. Part of the puzzle is figuring out why he would commit the murders in the first place. As Geralt progresses through the main storyline, it is revealed that someone has blackmailed Detlaff by kidnapping a human woman who he has fallen in love with and is using him to kill high-ranking members of the duchess's court. A different thread of the main storyline reveals that Annarietta has an estranged sister who could possibly be back in Touissant...for some reason. Geralt slowly unravels the mystery and it is revealed that the blackmailer is none other than Syanna herself.
Syanna is one of the more interesting characters in Blood and Wine. According to what Annarietta tells Geralt, Syanna was born with the "curse of the black sun"--essentially she was born during an unfavorable lunar (solar? eclipse, maybe?) phase. Witcher lore holds that people born during that phase are cruel, horrible people. Syanna, it appears, has many of the characteristics of the curse. The fact that she cruelly used Detlaff to brutally murder members of the royal court who had mistreated her, doesn't paint her in a favorable light.
The issue of Syanna might seem fairly straightforward, but it's really not. Geralt informs Anarietta that Syanna was behind the blackmailing of "the beast," but the duchess will have none of it. She demands that Geralt kill Detlaff and bring her his head. She also demands that Syanna not be harmed--after all, she is still her sister. Basically, you have a situation where Detlaff is the injured party and Syanna, the cruel abuser of his feelings, isn't to be harmed. It's at this point that Detlaff loses patience and uses his power over lesser vampires to launch a brutal attack on the city of Beauclair. Geralt has to choose exactly how he wants to deal with Detlaff--find Syanna and bring her to him so that they can hopefully work out their differences? Or, find a more powerful vampire, known as a "hidden one," who can force Detlaff to stop his attack? The second scenario means that Detlaff isn't going to be happy with the fact that he didn't get to confront Syanna. A fight seems highly likely. I decided to opt for finding Syanna (I know how both scenarios work out...).
One of the best parts of the main storyline in Blood and Wine is entering the "Land of a Thousand Fables;" an amazing illusion created by a powerful mage for the young duchesses. The storybook inspired land features characters from classic children's stories--the wicked witch, Jack and the Beanstalk, the Three Little Pigs, and more! In true Witcher style, the illusion has started to degrade and the denizens aren't very friendly towards Geralt. He manages to track Syanna down inside the illusion and fight off attacks from various characters who aren't thrilled about his appearance. Syanna reveals that the only way to escape the illusion is by finding the magical beans (which Annarietta has ordered scattered and hidden through the illusion) to create a beanstalk that will lead to the exit.
There are many opportunities to allow Syanna to tell her story throughout the time Geralt spends tracking down the beans. Her story reveals the complicated nature of her relationship with the royal family of Toussaint; she was treated as an outcast from the moment she was born. She was abandoned by her own family--forcibly rounded up and abused by the group of knights ordered to take her by force and abandon her in a neighboring realm...as a child (and yes, the very knights who she had Detlaff hunt down and kill). Her biggest crime is simply being born.
Syanna's story is very sad and you can't help but feel sorry for her...and yet, there's a definite streak of cruelty within her. There's the fact that she has cruelly blackmailed Detlaff and used his feelings for her own purposes; the way that she deals with the characters in the Land of a Thousand Fables is none too gentle and they appear to be genuinely frightened of her; she reveals that she was rescued by a group of bloodthirsty, robbing bandits in Nazair and rose through the ranks to become their leader.
If you've played through the scenario several times, you know that your choices around Syanna determine whether she lives or dies at the hands of Detlaff. In the Land of a Thousand Fables, Geralt can purchase (or win a game of Gwent) a magical hair ribbon from Flint, the vendor. Unbeknownst to Geralt, this hair ribbon provides magical protection for Syanna and can prevent her from being harmed by Detlaff. Regardless of which you choose, you will be forced to face down Detlaff. Within that fight there's another option--do you kill Detlaff or let him go? Either option has potentially favorable or unfavorable outcomes (you just can't win! It's one of the best parts of The Witcher 3).
The happiest ending. It's not without its shortcomings though.
In letting Syanna live, Geralt learns that her murderous plans still seem to be in motion...and that they are particularly devious--she is targeting her own sister! Saving her appears to have been a huge mistake. With some skillful maneuvering involving dialogue, Geralt can convince Syanna to forgive Annarietta. Both sisters live...granted, they aren't on the best terms and their relationship is now completely ruined for good.
In choosing to let Detlaff kill Syanna there are also multiple outcomes. The best outcome is that Geralt can choose to let Detlaff flee (after all, he was used). Annarietta is furious that you allowed her sister to be killed and that you let Detlaff flee. She orders Geralt to be imprisoned for treason (luckily, Geralt is too skilled to wind up there for long. He's definitely not going to be able to stay in Toussaint though).
There's also a scenario where Geralt can let Syanna live AND let her carry out her murder of Annarietta. Syanna gets her sweet revenge, but winds up being killed by Damien and the guards. This option seems particularly brutal.
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 :)
With the holidays firmly under our belts and stacks of cash/gift cards now waiting to be spent, what better way to celebrate than picking up some fantastic new games? Oh and the holiday Steam sale is currently plugging along at full....well, Steam! It's a great opportunity, in the words of the twentieth century poet Snoop Dogg, to "Drop it like it's Hot!" Oddly enough, I'm having a difficult time doing exactly that, which serves as an accurate reflection of how I've felt about gaming in 2016--conflicted.
Where does this confliction come from? Mostly from the fact that it has become an acceptable trend to release broken, buggy, poorly optimized, or unfinished games to paying consumers. As I look at my Steam wishlist and see that almost every game on it is currently on sale, I still can't pony up the cash. Dishonored 2 is a game that I've been looking forward to for quite awhile. The trailers looked awesome (but that's the entire point of trailers) and I greatly enjoyed the first game. Unfortunately, there have been numerous complaints about the game running very poorly and that it was released in an extremely poorly optimized state. There have been patches to address the issues but until I start reading glowing reviews...I think it'll have to wait until a different sale.
Another game on my list is a whopping 67% off and I still can't bring myself to buy it. Deus Ex: Mankind Divided was released fairly recently and didn't have the performance issues that Dishonored 2 reportedly did, but did have a very clear aim--to leech as much money from gamers as possible. According to reviews the main story was short and the only way to finish it up was to purchase day one DLC. To pay extra...on the first release day! Ridiculous! The DLC season pass also featured a number of items that were only usable once. Plus, there are microtransactions in a single player game. No, just no. They can keep their 67% off because I refuse to be treated like an ATM for the big developers to pump money out of. It's a huge disappointment. What ever happened to treating customers fairly?
But I don't want to be a total downer; I played some great games in 2016. Here is a list of some 2016 games that are worthy of celebration:
1.) Stardew Valley. Never in a million years would I have imagined playing a game about making friends and farming. I also have very deep seated skepticism about pixelated retro-feeling games. Luckily I put that skepticism aside and discovered a game with a heart of gold. This world needs more Stardew Valley's and the enjoyment of being kind, even to pixelated video game people.
My early Stardew Valley farm.
2.) RimWorld. Although it is an early access game, I have already sunk many, many hours into this enjoyable and quirky survival game. It has been my permadeath frustrator and has ended in so many ridiculous situations, but I still want to play it.
One of my RimWorld colonies that made it.
3.) Halcyon 6: Starbase Commander. I have to admit that I haven't finished this game yet, but I had a blast even getting to the point where I stopped playing. Managing a starbase and defending the galaxy from a catastrophic alien invasion is the basis of Halcyon 6. The combat seems to draw from games like Final Fantasy and is a turn-based strategy funfest. This is another one of those pixelated indie games, but it panned out.
4.) XCOM 2. Yes, it definitely falls into the category of "games released in a buggy state," but after those bugs were fixed this game turned into an intense followup to Enemy Unknown. Basic features were improved and new, punishing timers were added to force players into thinking quickly rather than thinking brutally (the "kill em' all" mentality doesn't work well). If you're a fan of turn-based strategy and don't mind being pushed, this is one you want to play.
5.) The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine. I cannot write enough about The Witcher 3, it has quickly become one of my absolute favorites. The Blood and Wine DLC saw Geralt travelling to the beautiful, sunny region of Touissant to solve a series of murders. The DLC added a huge new region filled with new monsters, characters, quests, cards, and an interesting storyline. This is how DLC should be done--a full expansion rather than some half-assed minor features. If you tried to complete every quest and map feature you could easily sink another 40+ hours into it.
The final shot in Blood and Wine. Geralt and Yennefer at Corvo Bianco.
Blood and Wine also features something that I've always wanted in my massive RPG's--the perfect happy ending for my hero. It's very satisfying to see Geralt return to Corvo Bianco, his new home base, to find either one of his sorceress lovers or a cherished friend waiting for him (if you opt out of romancing a sorceress it will be either Dandelion or Ciri). It's nice to imagine the "happily ever after" scenario.
Even though there were some clear disappointments this year these five games (or DLC's) would make great additions to any library.
Summer is almost upon us. For me, and the millions of teachers out there, this is a magical time. The long awaited break from the chaos is now within reach (and possibly already here for many). On a gaming front, this is a time where I try to figure out where I want to spend my time adventuring. I've been restlessly hopping from one game to the next and haven't really been able to settle on one. Fortunately the last expansion for The Witcher 3, was released this week and has sucked me right back into the world of monster slaying and Gwent playing. Blood and Wine looks to be the solution to my gaming unease and I'm enjoying being back in the gorgeous world of The Witcher.
Toussaint is a nice visual change from the other zones.
Blood and Wine adds a brand new zone to the already massive world of The Witcher 3. Toussaint is a region that seems to be inspired by a combination of Italy and France. Vineyards filled with laboring peasants dot the landscape and knights errant wander the countryside searching for noble quests to undertake. There's a hint of humor at the concept of these almost cheesy knights with their overly flowery speech and damsel saving. Toussaint is a fairy tale kingdom nestled into the corner of a dreary, war-torn world...it's a huge change from the familiar zones. Geralt meets two puffed up knights in Velen who are "saving" some peasants from a gang of bandits. After fighting off the rabble and listening to an extremely drawn out formal request for help, the knights set off for Toussaint. As the small party rides into this new zone I was immediately impressed by the blue skies and verdant, green landscape. No depressing, creepy swamps to trek through! Yes!
Unfortunately, I haven't really had a lot of time to dedicate to Blood and Wine. I've barely dipped my toes into the new world but am extremely excited to be playing one of my favorite games. Even without fully experiencing everything that Blood and Wine has to offer I can tell you that spending the cash for this expansion will be worth it. This isn't your traditional "2 hours of extra gameplay! Some new outfits!" DLC.... Toussaint is filled with new locations to explore and old pastimes to take up--namely lots of monster slaying and gwent playing.
Here are some of the highlights that I have experienced so far. I will try to avoid any major spoilers!
New Monsters--Alright, some of them aren't totally new. Players of the earlier games in the series will recognize some familiar fangs and feelers.... Remember those devilish plants, the archespores, from The Witcher? They're back and they are some tricky little buggers. Beside shooting projectiles at you, now they also sprout blooms that blow up if you move too close to them. I would advise maneuvering carefully and hacking down the blooms whenever possible. Players will also recognize the familiar demon hounds, barghests, which we gleefully slew in droves while freeing the outskirts of Vizimia from the clutches of the infamous Beast (or the evil of man). There are also some rightly new monsters like scurvers which seem to be the new and improved version of rotfiends.
Old Friends--No expansion would be complete without the reappearance of a favorite from a previous game or, in this case, novel. Fans of the novel will recognize one of the major characters from the books as one of the central characters of the main questline that is part of the DLC. I won't give it away, but let's just say that this person's reappearance will come as a bit of a shock to anyone who has read all the books in the series (which, sadly, I have not. The last book still has to be translated into English.). Needless to say, this character is a good one regardless of your knowledge of the novels.
New Gwent! Because you can never get enough gwent. One of the very first quests I stumbled upon was an introduction to a brand new gwent deck--Skellige. The Skellige deck is fun to play and depending on your draw, can be really overpowering. One of the most powerful cards in the deck is Cerys an Craite. Cerys is a hero card with the muster ability. The best part is that her muster ability calls forth cards that have a cooperative bonus and their attack power is tripled (once you've won all the shield maiden cards that is). Another unique ability of the deck is the ability to play berserkers which, on their own, are pretty weak. However, players can play a Mardroeme card which will morph those berserkers into powerful bears which greatly increases their attack power. The deck also adds a powerful new weather card, Skellige Storm, that combines both the ranged and siege blocking abilities of impenetrable fog and torrential rain. While playing this deck is a joy, countering it is a pain. I would recommend scorch and cards like Villentretenmeth to counter Cerys's OP-ness. There's also another gwent tournament to enter and win.
Player Housing--This is a bit of a spoiler...sorry. After completing a few early quests in the main questline you will earn the deed to Geralt's very own estate and vineyard. It's a little ramshackle, but with lots of coin and some TLC players can re-hab this broken down house into a gorgeous villa and farm with a myriad of items to give it that special witcher-y touch. Have you always wanted a special place to display your beautiful armors and weapons? Well, now you have that. There's something fun about imagining your character settling down into the home you've made for them. I can fully imagine Geralt and Triss settling down into this happy little home.
Even if you don't invest in the Blood and Wine expansion there have been some great changes to the UI for the base game. I immediately noticed the much more organized inventory screen that breaks items into much easier to find categories. Attacking on horseback has also gotten much easier with the addition of slow motion attacks--no more whiffing while on horseback.
I'm going to be investing much more time into Geralt's adventures in Toussaint and fully enjoy it. The Witcher 3 looks to be the final entry in the Witcher series and I am saddened that I won't get to have any more adventures with Geralt, Ciri, Dandelion, Zoltan, Triss, Yen, and the rest of the cast of unique characters of that world.
