5/5 ★ – phillipthemale's review of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

There is a very strong argument that this is the greatest game of all time. From the very moment you take control of Geralt in White Orchard, you get the sense this is very special game. But the beauty of exploring White Orchard with Vesemir is only the tutorial, and as far as tutorials go it’s incredible, but it’s only better from here. The game opens up as you reach Velen and everything becomes available to you at once; it’s a little overwhelming. I could go on and on about how good the main story gets from here, but this review would never end. The gameplay is incredibly refined and offers so many different styles. Besides melee combat, there is a gigantic array of potions, decoctions, oils and bombs that accomodate every single play style, as well as the signs that can be upgraded, and the crossbow for ranged players. The incredible gameplay is complimented by its brilliant enemy design. Every monster is unique and has its own strengths and weaknesses, and hunting them in contracts adds an extra flair to this. Even human enemies are varied, as you fight through different factions each with their own combat style. The open world is beautiful, both design wise and graphically, and truly feels alive. Whether that’s the serene White Orchard, the many different biomes of Velen, the bustling streets of Novigrad, or the imposing snowy mountains of Skellige, every region feels unique. Every character is memorable and likeable, with Geralt being a brilliant protagonist. Every region has its own side characters, such as the Baron, Dijkstra, Vesemir, Yennefer and Triss who are big standouts. Even Ciri who only appears late in the game makes her impact, and has me so hyped for her as the protagonist in Witcher 4. I could keep praising this game all day. Not only is it one of the most influential and important games of all time, it’s without a doubt one of the greatest. Not only did it live up to the hype, it exceeded it.