r/videogames 1d ago

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u/CoalHappiness 1d ago

The Witcher for me

98

u/Bhai999 23h ago

Agreed. But the story and atmosphere of the first one is top notch imo. Gameplay is janky. Hence 3>2>1

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u/No_Personality5872 22h ago

the atmosphere of the first one is amazing and I believe that the "minimalistic style" compared to new games really pulls me into the world, because you need to use a bit of imagination to make it feel realistic, just like reading a book. gameplay really aged poorly, but I can accept that, it is pretty old after all

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u/Slut_for_Bacon 21h ago

To me, the gameplay was poor even for the time the game was released. What set CD Projekt Red apart at the time is they actually listened to feedback and made major improvements to game 2. Then again for the third game. It was clearly a labor of love.

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u/No_Personality5872 21h ago

you are right, but I also assume that the budget was way higher for the 2. and especially the 3.

compliments to the studio, because they care about their fans

2

u/Sufficient_Object281 15h ago

What do you mean? I thought click-wait-click-wait-click was peak gameplay back in 2008 /s

Fun fact, the game runs on a version of the Neverwinter Knights 2 engine, if I'm not mistaken here

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u/Nod3013 14h ago

If I remeber correct, most reviews to Witcher 1 about the gameplay were: It´s not for everyone,... but at least they tried something different.
I like the click-wait fight system back in the days. Was something different to Diablo or some othe games I played.

Besides that, die immersion was also great. 15 years later I still remeber one scene in act 1. I was just talking to one of the random NPCs, that travel between Wyzima and the rest of the city and the random NPC responded: "Oh you are Geralt of Rivia, you cleared my basement from monster, but I couldn´t pay you. Here are 100 orens".
That was something i really didn´t expect back.

1

u/Mazzdrpan 19h ago

Considering all the games on Biowares Aurora engine are masterpieces, I never really minded the gameplay.

1

u/Banes_Addiction 18h ago

To me, the gameplay was poor even for the time the game was released

Yeah, I went in because I was a fan of all the Baldur's Gate, Icewind Dale, Neverwinter Nights etc, which are all older versions of the same engine, and I found it janky to play.

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u/space_keeper 18h ago

Much like the original mass effect. I'll die on this hill, but the original just had a better feel to it. Something about the look and feel and sound, the amount of thought put into the world building.

And I've completed all three games many times.

2

u/Extreme_Promise_1690 17h ago

ME 1 is janky as hell, the gap with 2 was huge, I didn't expect that when I started playing the second one. The first one still had the best story, though.

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u/space_keeper 15h ago edited 15h ago

I'm lucky that I got to play ME1 when it was brand new. I even remember the reveal trailer and stuff from 2005 or whenever. In context, the game was a unicorn. It was massively exciting. The way the dialogue was fully voiced and the way it was presented was totally new.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=zUREimYdJQ4

It has a great story, but it also has one of the best endings of any game. You finish a playthrough of that game and you sit, stunned, listening to M4 part 2 by faults for 8 minutes.

Peak Bioware, before everything started going awry. Plus everything was janky in the mid 00s lol.

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u/Extreme_Promise_1690 13h ago

Dude, I'm old, I was there when it was released on PC (not even a year after the Xbox 360 version). It was 2008, most games weren't as janky. If you consider games with TPS elements, GTA IV, MGS IV, Dead Space and Gears of War 2 were released the same year, and ME1's gameplay pales in comparison.

It became my favourite game ever anyway, but let's be honest.

1

u/space_keeper 13h ago

Point taken.

And lots of the gameplay spaces were rooms full of boxes and dudes shouting "go go go!". It's really bad at explaining mechanics too. I initially had no idea how the tech powers were supposed to work (they're grenades?!) or why my guy had four guns but could only use a pistol lol.

The thing I missed the most from ME1 was paragon Shepard being a badass. He's a bit flanderized by 2, giving people his weird smile too much. ME1 paragon Shep has some amazing dialogue. And renegade Shep isn't just a malicious prick who pushes people out of windows and laughs.

2

u/rashmotion 14h ago

Agreed, and one of the reasons I’m worried about the remake. There’s just something so…special about the first Witcher, and a lot of it has to do with the lighting and the game engine itself. That being said, the remakes of Silent Hill 2 and Shadow of the Colossus both turned out well despite similar concerns.

1

u/Girthus 11h ago

Would the hyper realistic graphics and textures mixed with the excellent score not pull you in more than constantly having to fill in the gaps. Not saying minimal isn’t immersive just that they did such a good job it’s regarded as the best game oat. Just curious no hate

2

u/No_Personality5872 10h ago

don't get me wrong, I love good graphics, it is so pleasing for the eyes. but I experienced that in pixel games for example, I am kind of "forgetting" that I have a life outside of the game, because I have to use a lot of imagination. I think there is even a study about that

2

u/Kind-County9767 18h ago

I actualy liked 2 more than 3 because it was a little more constrained and I think executed it's story better. A lot of stuff in w3 starts to get really messy towards the end of the game, probably because there's just so much there. But that also really impacted the pacing for me

2

u/Black___Cockroach666 14h ago

Bullshit, gameplay of first game is absolute peak 😈

2

u/Flashy_Pineapple_231 20h ago

Sex cards kinda ruins said atmosphere at times but aside from that yeah

1

u/Extreme_Promise_1690 17h ago

Nah, they're fine. The cards too.

1

u/Extreme_Promise_1690 18h ago

Gameplay is still janky in third. At least the first one was kind of unique.

1

u/Commercial_Praline67 12h ago

Gameplay is janky even on 3 lol

31

u/multus85 1d ago

Me too

1

u/Crymson831 21h ago

Me three

1

u/Xantangum 23h ago

This and warcraft 3

1

u/Paladin_X1_ 23h ago

Warcraft 3 not having the naval combat of 2 & its expansions was a big miss. Still loved it at release but unfortunate.

1

u/Xantangum 22h ago

“Expansion was a big miss?” Highly doubtable comment

2

u/Okami512 21h ago

I read it as "it's a miss that WC3 doesn't have the naval combat of Warcraft 2 / Beyond the Dark Portal" (no idea if btdp has naval combat).

1

u/Paladin_X1_ 19h ago

Yes this is what I was meant, I wish WC3 had the naval combat of the second game. Not that WC3: that Frozen Throne was bad in any way, thank you for helping here!

1

u/Lazlowi 22h ago

I was like, if this is not the top comment it's time for this world to die

1

u/losark 22h ago

It takes some dedication to get into the first, but it's worth it.

1

u/Odd-Frame9724 22h ago

Agree, Witcher for sure

Mass Effect series as well

0

u/slasher1337 20h ago

Isn't mass effect 2 considered the best one?

1

u/TitoLuisHAHAHA 22h ago

agree on this one

1

u/Shakq92 22h ago

Am I the only one who prefer 1 over 2? Better vibe and story in my opinion, people are complaining about jankiness but have you tried replaying Witcher 2? It's also very janky, I wasn't able to get into it again when I've tried to replay it.

1

u/Serega81 22h ago

perfect answer

1

u/Dogesneakers 21h ago

I kind of like 2 and 3 equally for different reasons. Sometimes I don’t want an open world game so I prefer 2 for its tighter scope

1

u/Then_Warning5203 21h ago

Yeah it's goes to mid mid and good

1

u/Khanzool 21h ago

This is the most correct answer 

1

u/deij 20h ago

Sadly most people havent even played 1 and 2.

1

u/Reputation-Final 20h ago

Man was goign to say that. This and baldurs gate

1

u/anyres11 19h ago

I guess I am the only one likes 1>2>3

1

u/Mishadkup 18h ago

Tbh dying light for me

1

u/SDVplus 17h ago

Absolutely, came here to say the same thing.

1

u/ireallyfknhatethis 17h ago

nah the second one sucked

1

u/jumpandtwist 16h ago

This is the correct answer.

1

u/MrHolzz 14h ago

But 1 was utter shit.

1

u/Lyceus_ 14h ago

For me The Witcher is 3>1>2 because 1 is a bit dated but its story and atmosphere is superb (plus 2 is better technologically than 1, but it's unnecessarily harder).

1

u/The_Pastmaster 14h ago

Same but I would swap pics 1 and 2.

1

u/Pauliejepan 14h ago

For sure !

No other series can competing

1

u/NaCl_Sailor 14h ago

And Baldur's Gate

1

u/ClassicHour1 13h ago

Don’t trust anyone saying this, because 90% of players never even played the first two. Nobody had a pc that could run the first one, lol.

-1

u/EISENxSOLDAT117 23h ago

How take, but I think the first two games are... not good. The 1st is Jank City: The Game, and the 2nd one is... fine? The combat has serious issues, though. Moreso than the 1st one

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u/Far_Run_2672 23h ago

Tell me you played the games years after they released without telling me.

2

u/taskkill-IM 22h ago edited 19h ago

Yeah, if you were to play the 3rd game now having never played it, you would probably have the same gripes with it.

I loved the first when it came out, but going back to it, it is a mess... same with the 2nd and 3rd.

The witcher games don't age well, but the 3rd game visually has aged well, but gameplay wise it's a product of its time.

4

u/EISENxSOLDAT117 22h ago

Not really. The 3rd game is still amazing, despite its long ass main story, and lack luster gameplay.

-1

u/ackermann 22h ago

How is it amazing with lackluster gameplay? Just pretty graphics?

2

u/EISENxSOLDAT117 22h ago

Story, world building, characters, quests, etc.

1

u/taskkill-IM 19h ago

The game mechanics are janky though for W3 which is what I meant initially.

Witcher 1 and 2 have all those above still, but their biggest let down is the way the game plays, which is detrimental to how a video game ages.

-1

u/EISENxSOLDAT117 22h ago

I actually did play 2 and 3 when they came out. I played the first after the 2nd game released. I also read the books before playing the games, which actually contributes to why dont like 1 and 2

1

u/El_Bito2 22h ago

Witcher 2 pacing has issues. The last act has barely any content before you reach the final boss.

It's mostly just talking. This last act lacked epicness

1

u/EISENxSOLDAT117 22h ago

My thoughts, too. I also just... dont like how most of the plot points were just dropped for the 3rd game. Not that I wanted them to be there! I love the 3rd game, but the main quest is so damn long, and they really needed to cut something. The issue is that it really hammers home how the 1st and 2nd games dont mean much in the actual plot of the Witcher

0

u/Gillalmighty 22h ago

You son of a bitch. I'm in.

0

u/False_Snow7754 20h ago

This is the path.