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10/10...
I might just as well get that out of the way now as, really, honestly, there just isn't any doubt about it. I'm not going to say anything bad about this game, simply because there isn't anything bad to say. It's not that the Witcher 3 is perfect (that would be too much of a claim), but nonetheless it displays a degree of passion, of love for the craft that is not just rare, not just obsessive, but literally downright ludicrous.
There have been plenty of games that have been made with care; Skyrim, with its huge map and vibrant ecosystem, Fallout 3 stands head and shoulders above similar post-apocalyptic epics due to exceptional scripting and fascinating locations, not to mention V.A.T.S., most of the Assassin's Creed games with their epic storyline and graceful combat system. All of these and more show glimmers of the authors' need to excel, but all are flawed to one degree or another, or are acquired tastes.
Of course, that's just my opinion, but then we all have favourites. Just think of those as you read this review, and you might see where I'm coming from.
Visually breath-taking
Dissecting this is hard. Every bit of the Witcher 3 works in perfect union with every other bit. Sunsets are glorious, but only because the foliage, weather system, lighting and textures are stunning. The rivers and waterways are beautiful, but only because the lighting and weather play with the water, and because the sky (which is epic; there really is no other word for it) is reflected in their rippling surface. The foliage, trees, grass, high fields of wheat, are awe inspiring, because of the way a light breeze makes them shiver and sway, or a storm rips leaves from branches.
It's all very believable, not because it looks real, in a lot of ways it's very much a fantasy landscape, but rather because it behaves real.
Talking of which...
Beards...
This has to be a first. Your character's hair and beard actually grow. Go to a barber and have a shave unless you want to look like a shaggy dog...
Open World
This phrase is bandied around a lot, generally used to indicate freedom to roam, to travel the map without restriction. Skyrim, for example, allows you freedom to go where you want when you want, but try to start a quest without speaking to the required NPC... well, you soon see that nothing is there until you meet the criteria.
So Geralt is wandering the map, going wherever he pleases, comes across a beastie footprint. Follow the trail, kill the beast, nick the treasure, and two days later he finds a faded notice in a village asking for help killing the self-same beastie. This changes things; you can still go to collect a reward, but you can't negotiate the price.
Traders and merchants have preferences, and their stock changes over time, as does their wealth. Factors such as the local economy will directly influence the merchants, as will bandits on the roads, uninhabitable villages and outposts, local crime and so on. Side quests will often afford you the opportunity to better the lot of said merchants, changing the stock they hold, giving you access to better weapons, potions and armour. You'll probably want to do these...
So, open world in Witcher 3 terms means not just free roaming, but freedom to interact. There is no "correct" path, just freedom to live.
Fluid Combat
Few games manage it, but when it's done right, it's a wonderful thing. Geralt will choose the most appropriate sword (steel or silver; he carries both) and will jump, dodge and parry with simple to learn clicks and key strokes, slicing and dicing multiple enemies with blistering speed. Timing is critical, but none of it is beyond the reach of any semi-competent gamer. The real fun stuff, the "thinking man's tactics", come in with signs (spells) and ranged weapons or bombs, and the application of potions and oils.
The correct oil for your sword, the right sign and combination of potions will greatly enhance your effectiveness against certain enemies. This can be critical, meaning that a level ten enemy can be completely unbeatable for a level fifteen witcher if you get it wrong. Your bestiary, expanded over time by reading the in-world books, is an essential tool to aid your survival. Or you could just "trial and error" it, but be prepared to die a few times.
A horse in combat can also be an advantage; ride full-pelt through a bunch of bandits, swing your sword just right and get an instant kill. Holding the attack key will slow time temporarily, allowing you a degree of accuracy otherwise unattainable at speed, but its still a tricky manoeuvre that requires some practice.
Ranged weapons, bombs and signs can be targeted or quick-fired, adding to the flexibility of combat, so take your pick, choose your style and wade in. You can even use your fists if you're feeling brave...
Character Development
Let's face it, character development either results in little or no difference in your character despite the route you take to get there, or it leaves you with a warrior who can sneak up on a dragon in broad daylight and kill it with a single arrow. Neither is very satisfying in the long run, but the journey to that level is where the fun is, there's just no "down-side" to the end result, no true effect.
Witcher 3 offers several development elements. Armour and weapons can be upgraded and improved with runes, enhancing certain aspects and skills, skills can be developed, falling into several "branches", and those can be combined with mutagens to further enhance skills, armour and weapon effectiveness. The combinations are endless, and these can radically affect your conversation, combat and detection skills. This in turn can alter your route through both the main and side quests, people's behaviour toward you and, ultimately, the ending of the game.
Add to this that if you've played and saved the previous two games your character is carried over intact with his own already developed traits, and you begin to see the sheer scale and vision of this game. Regardless of your chosen path, further options are always available to you in dealing with the locals, and I can confirm that those choices have an impact. A dozen people can play the Witcher 3, and all will have their own tale to tell.
Game Performance
This is clearly a point of some discussion. Some sites seem to be suggesting that the framerate is not great on ridiculously over-powered systems, others have found that the game will run more than adequately on a laptop at a steady 60 fps. I fall in the latter camp, with settings at Ultra, unlimited framerate and full post processing. I have no issues. Nvidia hairworks provides a mild graphical improvement in some instances, but honestly it's not worth losing sleep over if you can't run it. An AMD card with morphological filtering provides a better boost, with no hit on framerate, and hair and fur move just fine. I have tried with and without hairworks, and the 15 fps or so drop (taking me down to around 60 to 65) is quite frankly not worth the trouble.
What you might not like
Make no mistake, this is a heavily story driven game. The cut sequences are frequent and lengthy, conversations branch and expand, and to get the most out of them can take fifteen or twenty minutes. But then, this is not a game to be rushed through, it's paced at a steady walk rather than a gallop, and every word, every nuance is vital. This is no hack and slash, every choice counts, every move has weight in the world, so listen carefully. If that's not your style, then steer clear, you'll hate it.
It's also incredibly "adult-themed". The violence is graphic, the language ripe, and there's more than a smattering of sex and nudity. Do not buy this for your kids, or even play it in front of them.
Summary
So... 10/10...
Why?
Because "open world" means exactly that, not a half measure or an illusion. Because decisions truly change the course of your game, the path you take, the end game you see. Because character development really does alter your gameplay. And because visually it's the most impressive gaming world to date.
With over 200 hours of gameplay for a single run, there really isn't any down-side...
...unless you don't like weaving your own tales, that is...
I might just as well get that out of the way now as, really, honestly, there just isn't any doubt about it. I'm not going to say anything bad about this game, simply because there isn't anything bad to say. It's not that the Witcher 3 is perfect (that would be too much of a claim), but nonetheless it displays a degree of passion, of love for the craft that is not just rare, not just obsessive, but literally downright ludicrous.
There have been plenty of games that have been made with care; Skyrim, with its huge map and vibrant ecosystem, Fallout 3 stands head and shoulders above similar post-apocalyptic epics due to exceptional scripting and fascinating locations, not to mention V.A.T.S., most of the Assassin's Creed games with their epic storyline and graceful combat system. All of these and more show glimmers of the authors' need to excel, but all are flawed to one degree or another, or are acquired tastes.
Of course, that's just my opinion, but then we all have favourites. Just think of those as you read this review, and you might see where I'm coming from.
Visually breath-taking
Dissecting this is hard. Every bit of the Witcher 3 works in perfect union with every other bit. Sunsets are glorious, but only because the foliage, weather system, lighting and textures are stunning. The rivers and waterways are beautiful, but only because the lighting and weather play with the water, and because the sky (which is epic; there really is no other word for it) is reflected in their rippling surface. The foliage, trees, grass, high fields of wheat, are awe inspiring, because of the way a light breeze makes them shiver and sway, or a storm rips leaves from branches.
It's all very believable, not because it looks real, in a lot of ways it's very much a fantasy landscape, but rather because it behaves real.
Talking of which...
Beards...
This has to be a first. Your character's hair and beard actually grow. Go to a barber and have a shave unless you want to look like a shaggy dog...
Open World
This phrase is bandied around a lot, generally used to indicate freedom to roam, to travel the map without restriction. Skyrim, for example, allows you freedom to go where you want when you want, but try to start a quest without speaking to the required NPC... well, you soon see that nothing is there until you meet the criteria.
So Geralt is wandering the map, going wherever he pleases, comes across a beastie footprint. Follow the trail, kill the beast, nick the treasure, and two days later he finds a faded notice in a village asking for help killing the self-same beastie. This changes things; you can still go to collect a reward, but you can't negotiate the price.
Traders and merchants have preferences, and their stock changes over time, as does their wealth. Factors such as the local economy will directly influence the merchants, as will bandits on the roads, uninhabitable villages and outposts, local crime and so on. Side quests will often afford you the opportunity to better the lot of said merchants, changing the stock they hold, giving you access to better weapons, potions and armour. You'll probably want to do these...
So, open world in Witcher 3 terms means not just free roaming, but freedom to interact. There is no "correct" path, just freedom to live.
Fluid Combat
Few games manage it, but when it's done right, it's a wonderful thing. Geralt will choose the most appropriate sword (steel or silver; he carries both) and will jump, dodge and parry with simple to learn clicks and key strokes, slicing and dicing multiple enemies with blistering speed. Timing is critical, but none of it is beyond the reach of any semi-competent gamer. The real fun stuff, the "thinking man's tactics", come in with signs (spells) and ranged weapons or bombs, and the application of potions and oils.
The correct oil for your sword, the right sign and combination of potions will greatly enhance your effectiveness against certain enemies. This can be critical, meaning that a level ten enemy can be completely unbeatable for a level fifteen witcher if you get it wrong. Your bestiary, expanded over time by reading the in-world books, is an essential tool to aid your survival. Or you could just "trial and error" it, but be prepared to die a few times.
A horse in combat can also be an advantage; ride full-pelt through a bunch of bandits, swing your sword just right and get an instant kill. Holding the attack key will slow time temporarily, allowing you a degree of accuracy otherwise unattainable at speed, but its still a tricky manoeuvre that requires some practice.
Ranged weapons, bombs and signs can be targeted or quick-fired, adding to the flexibility of combat, so take your pick, choose your style and wade in. You can even use your fists if you're feeling brave...
Character Development
Let's face it, character development either results in little or no difference in your character despite the route you take to get there, or it leaves you with a warrior who can sneak up on a dragon in broad daylight and kill it with a single arrow. Neither is very satisfying in the long run, but the journey to that level is where the fun is, there's just no "down-side" to the end result, no true effect.
Witcher 3 offers several development elements. Armour and weapons can be upgraded and improved with runes, enhancing certain aspects and skills, skills can be developed, falling into several "branches", and those can be combined with mutagens to further enhance skills, armour and weapon effectiveness. The combinations are endless, and these can radically affect your conversation, combat and detection skills. This in turn can alter your route through both the main and side quests, people's behaviour toward you and, ultimately, the ending of the game.
Add to this that if you've played and saved the previous two games your character is carried over intact with his own already developed traits, and you begin to see the sheer scale and vision of this game. Regardless of your chosen path, further options are always available to you in dealing with the locals, and I can confirm that those choices have an impact. A dozen people can play the Witcher 3, and all will have their own tale to tell.
Game Performance
This is clearly a point of some discussion. Some sites seem to be suggesting that the framerate is not great on ridiculously over-powered systems, others have found that the game will run more than adequately on a laptop at a steady 60 fps. I fall in the latter camp, with settings at Ultra, unlimited framerate and full post processing. I have no issues. Nvidia hairworks provides a mild graphical improvement in some instances, but honestly it's not worth losing sleep over if you can't run it. An AMD card with morphological filtering provides a better boost, with no hit on framerate, and hair and fur move just fine. I have tried with and without hairworks, and the 15 fps or so drop (taking me down to around 60 to 65) is quite frankly not worth the trouble.
What you might not like
Make no mistake, this is a heavily story driven game. The cut sequences are frequent and lengthy, conversations branch and expand, and to get the most out of them can take fifteen or twenty minutes. But then, this is not a game to be rushed through, it's paced at a steady walk rather than a gallop, and every word, every nuance is vital. This is no hack and slash, every choice counts, every move has weight in the world, so listen carefully. If that's not your style, then steer clear, you'll hate it.
It's also incredibly "adult-themed". The violence is graphic, the language ripe, and there's more than a smattering of sex and nudity. Do not buy this for your kids, or even play it in front of them.
Summary
So... 10/10...
Why?
Because "open world" means exactly that, not a half measure or an illusion. Because decisions truly change the course of your game, the path you take, the end game you see. Because character development really does alter your gameplay. And because visually it's the most impressive gaming world to date.
With over 200 hours of gameplay for a single run, there really isn't any down-side...
...unless you don't like weaving your own tales, that is...
pb wrote:
Well, it sounds tempting. Do I need to have played the first 2 to get the most from this third installment, though?
Good review.
Thanks pb, and no, you don't necessarily need to have played the first two. You might want to though, all three are fine games...
Well, it sounds tempting. Do I need to have played the first 2 to get the most from this third installment, though?
Good review.
Thanks pb, and no, you don't necessarily need to have played the first two. You might want to though, all three are fine games...
Well, it sounds tempting. Do I need to have played the first 2 to get the most from this third installment, though?
Good review.
Good review.
10/10...
I might just as well get that out of the way now as, really, honestly, there just isn't any doubt about it. I'm not going to say anything bad about this game, simply because there isn't anything bad to say. It's not that the Witcher 3 is perfect (that would be too much of a claim), but nonetheless it displays a degree of passion, of love for the craft that is not just rare, not just obsessive, but literally downright ludicrous.
There have been plenty of games that have been made with care; Skyrim, with its huge map and vibrant ecosystem, Fallout 3 stands head and shoulders above similar post-apocalyptic epics due to exceptional scripting and fascinating locations, not to mention V.A.T.S., most of the Assassin's Creed games with their epic storyline and graceful combat system. All of these and more show glimmers of the authors' need to excel, but all are flawed to one degree or another, or are acquired tastes.
Of course, that's just my opinion, but then we all have favourites. Just think of those as you read this review, and you might see where I'm coming from.
Visually breath-taking
Dissecting this is hard. Every bit of the Witcher 3 works in perfect union with every other bit. Sunsets are glorious, but only because the foliage, weather system, lighting and textures are stunning. The rivers and waterways are beautiful, but only because the lighting and weather play with the water, and because the sky (which is epic; there really is no other word for it) is reflected in their rippling surface. The foliage, trees, grass, high fields of wheat, are awe inspiring, because of the way a light breeze makes them shiver and sway, or a storm rips leaves from branches.
It's all very believable, not because it looks real, in a lot of ways it's very much a fantasy landscape, but rather because it behaves real.
Talking of which...
Beards...
This has to be a first. Your character's hair and beard actually grow. Go to a barber and have a shave unless you want to look like a shaggy dog...
Open World
This phrase is bandied around a lot, generally used to indicate freedom to roam, to travel the map without restriction. Skyrim, for example, allows you freedom to go where you want when you want, but try to start a quest without speaking to the required NPC... well, you soon see that nothing is there until you meet the criteria.
So Geralt is wandering the map, going wherever he pleases, comes across a beastie footprint. Follow the trail, kill the beast, nick the treasure, and two days later he finds a faded notice in a village asking for help killing the self-same beastie. This changes things; you can still go to collect a reward, but you can't negotiate the price.
Traders and merchants have preferences, and their stock changes over time, as does their wealth. Factors such as the local economy will directly influence the merchants, as will bandits on the roads, uninhabitable villages and outposts, local crime and so on. Side quests will often afford you the opportunity to better the lot of said merchants, changing the stock they hold, giving you access to better weapons, potions and armour. You'll probably want to do these...
So, open world in Witcher 3 terms means not just free roaming, but freedom to interact. There is no "correct" path, just freedom to live.
Fluid Combat
Few games manage it, but when it's done right, it's a wonderful thing. Geralt will choose the most appropriate sword (steel or silver; he carries both) and will jump, dodge and parry with simple to learn clicks and key strokes, slicing and dicing multiple enemies with blistering speed. Timing is critical, but none of it is beyond the reach of any semi-competent gamer. The real fun stuff, the "thinking man's tactics", come in with signs (spells) and ranged weapons or bombs, and the application of potions and oils.
The correct oil for your sword, the right sign and combination of potions will greatly enhance your effectiveness against certain enemies. This can be critical, meaning that a level ten enemy can be completely unbeatable for a level fifteen witcher if you get it wrong. Your bestiary, expanded over time by reading the in-world books, is an essential tool to aid your survival. Or you could just "trial and error" it, but be prepared to die a few times.
A horse in combat can also be an advantage; ride full-pelt through a bunch of bandits, swing your sword just right and get an instant kill. Holding the attack key will slow time temporarily, allowing you a degree of accuracy otherwise unattainable at speed, but its still a tricky manoeuvre that requires some practice.
Ranged weapons, bombs and signs can be targeted or quick-fired, adding to the flexibility of combat, so take your pick, choose your style and wade in. You can even use your fists if you're feeling brave...
Character Development
Let's face it, character development either results in little or no difference in your character despite the route you take to get there, or it leaves you with a warrior who can sneak up on a dragon in broad daylight and kill it with a single arrow. Neither is very satisfying in the long run, but the journey to that level is where the fun is, there's just no "down-side" to the end result, no true effect.
Witcher 3 offers several development elements. Armour and weapons can be upgraded and improved with runes, enhancing certain aspects and skills, skills can be developed, falling into several "branches", and those can be combined with mutagens to further enhance skills, armour and weapon effectiveness. The combinations are endless, and these can radically affect your conversation, combat and detection skills. This in turn can alter your route through both the main and side quests, people's behaviour toward you and, ultimately, the ending of the game.
Add to this that if you've played and saved the previous two games your character is carried over intact with his own already developed traits, and you begin to see the sheer scale and vision of this game. Regardless of your chosen path, further options are always available to you in dealing with the locals, and I can confirm that those choices have an impact. A dozen people can play the Witcher 3, and all will have their own tale to tell.
Game Performance
This is clearly a point of some discussion. Some sites seem to be suggesting that the framerate is not great on ridiculously over-powered systems, others have found that the game will run more than adequately on a laptop at a steady 60 fps. I fall in the latter camp, with settings at Ultra, unlimited framerate and full post processing. I have no issues. Nvidia hairworks provides a mild graphical improvement in some instances, but honestly it's not worth losing sleep over if you can't run it. An AMD card with morphological filtering provides a better boost, with no hit on framerate, and hair and fur move just fine. I have tried with and without hairworks, and the 15 fps or so drop (taking me down to around 60 to 65) is quite frankly not worth the trouble.
What you might not like
Make no mistake, this is a heavily story driven game. The cut sequences are frequent and lengthy, conversations branch and expand, and to get the most out of them can take fifteen or twenty minutes. But then, this is not a game to be rushed through, it's paced at a steady walk rather than a gallop, and every word, every nuance is vital. This is no hack and slash, every choice counts, every move has weight in the world, so listen carefully. If that's not your style, then steer clear, you'll hate it.
It's also incredibly "adult-themed". The violence is graphic, the language ripe, and there's more than a smattering of sex and nudity. Do not buy this for your kids, or even play it in front of them.
Summary
So... 10/10...
Why?
Because "open world" means exactly that, not a half measure or an illusion. Because decisions truly change the course of your game, the path you take, the end game you see. Because character development really does alter your gameplay. And because visually it's the most impressive gaming world to date.
With over 200 hours of gameplay for a single run, there really isn't any down-side...
...unless you don't like weaving your own tales, that is...
I might just as well get that out of the way now as, really, honestly, there just isn't any doubt about it. I'm not going to say anything bad about this game, simply because there isn't anything bad to say. It's not that the Witcher 3 is perfect (that would be too much of a claim), but nonetheless it displays a degree of passion, of love for the craft that is not just rare, not just obsessive, but literally downright ludicrous.
There have been plenty of games that have been made with care; Skyrim, with its huge map and vibrant ecosystem, Fallout 3 stands head and shoulders above similar post-apocalyptic epics due to exceptional scripting and fascinating locations, not to mention V.A.T.S., most of the Assassin's Creed games with their epic storyline and graceful combat system. All of these and more show glimmers of the authors' need to excel, but all are flawed to one degree or another, or are acquired tastes.
Of course, that's just my opinion, but then we all have favourites. Just think of those as you read this review, and you might see where I'm coming from.
Visually breath-taking
Dissecting this is hard. Every bit of the Witcher 3 works in perfect union with every other bit. Sunsets are glorious, but only because the foliage, weather system, lighting and textures are stunning. The rivers and waterways are beautiful, but only because the lighting and weather play with the water, and because the sky (which is epic; there really is no other word for it) is reflected in their rippling surface. The foliage, trees, grass, high fields of wheat, are awe inspiring, because of the way a light breeze makes them shiver and sway, or a storm rips leaves from branches.
It's all very believable, not because it looks real, in a lot of ways it's very much a fantasy landscape, but rather because it behaves real.
Talking of which...
Beards...
This has to be a first. Your character's hair and beard actually grow. Go to a barber and have a shave unless you want to look like a shaggy dog...
Open World
This phrase is bandied around a lot, generally used to indicate freedom to roam, to travel the map without restriction. Skyrim, for example, allows you freedom to go where you want when you want, but try to start a quest without speaking to the required NPC... well, you soon see that nothing is there until you meet the criteria.
So Geralt is wandering the map, going wherever he pleases, comes across a beastie footprint. Follow the trail, kill the beast, nick the treasure, and two days later he finds a faded notice in a village asking for help killing the self-same beastie. This changes things; you can still go to collect a reward, but you can't negotiate the price.
Traders and merchants have preferences, and their stock changes over time, as does their wealth. Factors such as the local economy will directly influence the merchants, as will bandits on the roads, uninhabitable villages and outposts, local crime and so on. Side quests will often afford you the opportunity to better the lot of said merchants, changing the stock they hold, giving you access to better weapons, potions and armour. You'll probably want to do these...
So, open world in Witcher 3 terms means not just free roaming, but freedom to interact. There is no "correct" path, just freedom to live.
Fluid Combat
Few games manage it, but when it's done right, it's a wonderful thing. Geralt will choose the most appropriate sword (steel or silver; he carries both) and will jump, dodge and parry with simple to learn clicks and key strokes, slicing and dicing multiple enemies with blistering speed. Timing is critical, but none of it is beyond the reach of any semi-competent gamer. The real fun stuff, the "thinking man's tactics", come in with signs (spells) and ranged weapons or bombs, and the application of potions and oils.
The correct oil for your sword, the right sign and combination of potions will greatly enhance your effectiveness against certain enemies. This can be critical, meaning that a level ten enemy can be completely unbeatable for a level fifteen witcher if you get it wrong. Your bestiary, expanded over time by reading the in-world books, is an essential tool to aid your survival. Or you could just "trial and error" it, but be prepared to die a few times.
A horse in combat can also be an advantage; ride full-pelt through a bunch of bandits, swing your sword just right and get an instant kill. Holding the attack key will slow time temporarily, allowing you a degree of accuracy otherwise unattainable at speed, but its still a tricky manoeuvre that requires some practice.
Ranged weapons, bombs and signs can be targeted or quick-fired, adding to the flexibility of combat, so take your pick, choose your style and wade in. You can even use your fists if you're feeling brave...
Character Development
Let's face it, character development either results in little or no difference in your character despite the route you take to get there, or it leaves you with a warrior who can sneak up on a dragon in broad daylight and kill it with a single arrow. Neither is very satisfying in the long run, but the journey to that level is where the fun is, there's just no "down-side" to the end result, no true effect.
Witcher 3 offers several development elements. Armour and weapons can be upgraded and improved with runes, enhancing certain aspects and skills, skills can be developed, falling into several "branches", and those can be combined with mutagens to further enhance skills, armour and weapon effectiveness. The combinations are endless, and these can radically affect your conversation, combat and detection skills. This in turn can alter your route through both the main and side quests, people's behaviour toward you and, ultimately, the ending of the game.
Add to this that if you've played and saved the previous two games your character is carried over intact with his own already developed traits, and you begin to see the sheer scale and vision of this game. Regardless of your chosen path, further options are always available to you in dealing with the locals, and I can confirm that those choices have an impact. A dozen people can play the Witcher 3, and all will have their own tale to tell.
Game Performance
This is clearly a point of some discussion. Some sites seem to be suggesting that the framerate is not great on ridiculously over-powered systems, others have found that the game will run more than adequately on a laptop at a steady 60 fps. I fall in the latter camp, with settings at Ultra, unlimited framerate and full post processing. I have no issues. Nvidia hairworks provides a mild graphical improvement in some instances, but honestly it's not worth losing sleep over if you can't run it. An AMD card with morphological filtering provides a better boost, with no hit on framerate, and hair and fur move just fine. I have tried with and without hairworks, and the 15 fps or so drop (taking me down to around 60 to 65) is quite frankly not worth the trouble.
What you might not like
Make no mistake, this is a heavily story driven game. The cut sequences are frequent and lengthy, conversations branch and expand, and to get the most out of them can take fifteen or twenty minutes. But then, this is not a game to be rushed through, it's paced at a steady walk rather than a gallop, and every word, every nuance is vital. This is no hack and slash, every choice counts, every move has weight in the world, so listen carefully. If that's not your style, then steer clear, you'll hate it.
It's also incredibly "adult-themed". The violence is graphic, the language ripe, and there's more than a smattering of sex and nudity. Do not buy this for your kids, or even play it in front of them.
Summary
So... 10/10...
Why?
Because "open world" means exactly that, not a half measure or an illusion. Because decisions truly change the course of your game, the path you take, the end game you see. Because character development really does alter your gameplay. And because visually it's the most impressive gaming world to date.
With over 200 hours of gameplay for a single run, there really isn't any down-side...
...unless you don't like weaving your own tales, that is...