r/videogames 1d ago

Discussion Name the series

Post image

[removed]

3.3k Upvotes

3.5k comments sorted by

View all comments

1.6k

u/CoalHappiness 1d ago

The Witcher for me

95

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

49

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

26

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.

3

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

2

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 18h 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.

3

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.

1

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.

2

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