@mrfluke said:

forgive the newbish questions here as i have only played a few hours of the witcher 2 and really liked what i played and really liked that hard fantasy world.

but this wild hunt story? would i need to have played witcher 1 then since according to this quote chain, its a story thread from the first game?

The Wild Hunt is more or less explained in the second game, but along with many of the other plot/character elements, is actually something that carries on from the novels. If you haven't read them, a lot of what's happening can be rather confusing.. To make that even more fun, most of the novels have never been translated into English.

On the flip side though, it means there's a lot of mystery and intrigue to what's going on and you can piece together what happened in the past based on what you learn in the two games, which I imagine is why they went with an "oh no, I have amnesia!" plot.

It's really weird; the Witcher franchise should be right up my alley, but for some reason the first game is sitting in my Steam account unplayed, and the second game is sitting on my X360 shelf unplayed. Tried playing them both, but neither 'clicked' with me. However, this third game sounds even more up my alley, and I'm excited to see the final product which will hopefully not gather dust somewhere in my apartment. 20% bigger world than Skyrim? Potentially next-gen consoles? Cool!

@Oldirtybearon said:

@dr_mantas said:

YES, the Wild Hunt! The most interesting story thread in the first game.

And it's completely open world? (not separate areas?) Sounds cool.

They've clearly been saving the most interesting (and let's face it, Witcher-ending) story for last. The Wild Hunt should be a fucking awesome climax to what has been the most underrated (and yet best) RPG series. Here's hoping CDP Red delivers.

I love the way you brain, guys. Everything you're saying makes me feel good. Can we be boyfriends?

@ArtisanBreads said:

- In contrast to the last game, Geralt encounters communities and individuals with monster-related problems that need solving

Sold.

@OfficeGamer said:

@ArtisanBreads said:

- In contrast to the last game, Geralt encounters communities and individuals with monster-related problems that need solving

Sold.

Stuff like the CG intro to Witcher 1 in game?

Ughhh

OH GOD NOW I HAVE TO PLAY THROUGH BOTH GAMES AGAIN.

Also, I totally fucking called the beard a few days ago when talking to some friends. I hope it has procedural beard technology so Zoltan and I can arm wrestle with our mighty beards. Oh, and my favorite plot thread in the whole series is being addressed here.

BEARDED GERALT!

YES!

Also yes to everything else that sounds rad.

@SirOptimusPrime said:

I hope it has procedural beard technology so Zoltan and I can arm wrestle with our mighty beards.

You mean like the real time beard tech in Deadly Premonition? THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

@MooseyMcMan said:

@SirOptimusPrime said:

I hope it has procedural beard technology so Zoltan and I can arm wrestle with our mighty beards.

You mean like the real time beard tech in Deadly Premonition? THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

EXACTLY. No, really that was the first thing that came to mind.

Except on the RED Engine. Just think about it for a moment. Think of the realistic shadows that The Beard can now produce, or the light shafts interacting with The Beard. The Beard will blot out the sun.

@SirOptimusPrime said:

@MooseyMcMan said:

@SirOptimusPrime said:

I hope it has procedural beard technology so Zoltan and I can arm wrestle with our mighty beards.

You mean like the real time beard tech in Deadly Premonition? THAT WOULD BE FANTASTIC.

EXACTLY. No, really that was the first thing that came to mind.

Except on the RED Engine. Just think about it for a moment. Think of the realistic shadows that The Beard can now produce, or the light shafts interacting with The Beard. The Beard will blot out the sun.

Is that how Geralt will defeat the Wild Hunt? Just create a beard so massive that it can destroy anything in its path?

Does the game end with the beard consuming even Geralt himself!?

But yes, beard tech in a game that looks good sounds great. I hope that is actually a thing they are doing with the game.

I will be upgrading my PC when this comes out. I thought Witcher ED was one of the best RPGs "last gen" (I know it didn't come out on consoles but you know what I mean) and I though Witcher 2 was one of the best games this gen. Super excited for what they're going to do.

Will they have a decent fighting system or at least a tutorial that doesn't suck?

Are they E3 mysteries?

Nice stuff; looking forward to it (though I think the storyline will suffer due to non linearity).

@ArtisanBreads: When the enhanced version came out for the Witcher 2, it was free...

@Sackmanjones: Not very, it's quite a long game to be fair... :P

Getting my new computer in a few months, with a 670 in it. Looks like i'm gonna have to SLI em, or get a 700 series card if they're out by then. On another note, The Witcher 2 was like 15GB, and this game is open world...NEW HARD DRIVE HERE I COME!!!

@Dacnomaniac said:

@ArtisanBreads: When the enhanced version came out for the Witcher 2, it was free...

Well thanks dude I know that.

On consoles the Witcher 2 that came out was already EE. And you never know about big free DLC on consoles.

@ArtisanBreads: Ah, see your point now. Well, never know. They might go the Skyrim route and do multiple DLC instead. And on another note this I have a feeling this will do really well. As long as Bethesda don't announce another Elder Scrolls game, which i'm skeptical about seeing as the MMO is coming out.

@Dacnomaniac said:

@ArtisanBreads: Ah, see your point now. Well, never know. They might go the Skyrim route and do multiple DLC instead. And on another note this I have a feeling this will do really well. As long as Bethesda don't announce another Elder Scrolls game, which i'm skeptical about seeing as the MMO is coming out.

I hope the console makers just get their shit together and allow them to do it just like they did EE. I think that has been perfect.

I think it the game has a pretty good chance to do way better on consoles than Witcher 2 did.

The next gen install base won't be as big, sure, but I doubt there will be another open world RPG coming out early on the next gen consoles to compete with it. Maybe Dragon Age III? That's the only RPG I can think of that will probably be coming out around then.

Of course I'm kind of assuming early 2014 here.. maybe I'm wrong about that. And for all I know Fallout 4 gets announced at E3 or something. I really hope it does very well because CDPR deserves it.

@Dacnomaniac said:

@ArtisanBreads: Ah, see your point now. Well, never know. They might go the Skyrim route and do multiple DLC instead. And on another note this I have a feeling this will do really well. As long as Bethesda don't announce another Elder Scrolls game, which i'm skeptical about seeing as the MMO is coming out.

I think Bethesda's next big move has to be Fallout 4 right? Right? Also Zenimax is doing Elder Scrolls online not Bethesda. So that leaves them free to develop other games. Which again... kinda has to be Fallout 4. At least I'd hope.

CD Projekt RED has officially announced the title of their next upcoming game: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (VIDEO). Further, they've announced that this, the ultimate game in the series, will also be the final Witcher game from the studio. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt combines CD Projekt RED’s trademark decision-based storytelling flair with a living open world larger than any other in modern RPG history.

“The captivating and nonlinear story of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt takes place in a rich, truly open world environment. A world which is thrilling to explore, full of daring adventures, momentous quests, memorable characters, and unique monsters. Players will freely travel through woods, lakes, mountains, cities, and villages. Each region is inhabited by distinct populations with their own customs, legends and problems. The world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is 30 times bigger than The Witcher 2," said Adam Badowski, head of the studio.

“Imagine playing a dark fantasy game with the same great nonlinear story as in the previous Witcher titles, but now told in a world you can explore freely with no artificial boundaries. The war-ravaged world is so huge that to reach further places you will need to ride a horse or sail a boat to get there. A world where your choices have truly epic consequences. From the development side, this goal is extremely demanding. Our team had to make significant design changes and our tech had to be rebuilt. But we believe that this will lead to a completely new level of nonlinearity and a whole new, richer gaming experience. As a gamer, I would love to play this kind of RPG and I think this is what many players are waiting for. This is our dream come true at CD Projekt RED, and we hope it will be the same for you!” adds Badowski.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the final episode of the award-winning RPG series and the last part of the legend of Geralt of Rivia. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the most robust and breathtaking game ever created by CD Projekt RED. Open world free-roaming exploration is an adventure in itself as the player will gallop through war-ravaged lands, sail misty waters and track down dangerous beasts for money. An improved combat system will allow players to feel like a real monster-hunter, a witcher who uses his superior senses and fighting skills to survive in a dark fantasy world--while he embarks on a quest to save his loved ones. The new core mechanics of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt immerse the player in the experience completely, with no Quick Time Events, only intuitive RPG gameplay.

Badowski continued, "People may ask if this is really going to be the last Witcher game. Yes, it is. Why? Because we believe that we should end the series on a high note. Technology has progressed to where we can finally tell the story the way we want, with the visuals we want, in the world we imagined. This will be the ultimate fantasy RPG experience, and while we're hardly out of stories to tell, we believe it's time for us to look to new worlds and new horizons to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can create."

For all of those who have never experienced the adventures of Geralt before, this will be their last chance. The game will be accessible all players--those who are fans of the series and those who just love RPGs--thanks to availability on all major high-end platforms and an introduction designed to smoothly introduce all those who visit the world of the Witcher for the first time."

The game will be released in 2014 simultaneously on all high-end platforms. Making use of the same remarkable art direction from The Witcher 2 combined with the support of in-house technology--the recently-announced RPG-oriented REDengine 3--The Witcher 3 will take full advantage of the technical capabilities of modern hardware and will set a new standard for RPG visuals.

CD Projekt RED has added a whole new section to their website. If you want to find more information, please go to www.thewitcher.com

For more details check out the latest issue of Game Informer, available for online subscribers starting from today. There you will find exclusive materials in a 14 page cover story, including early screenshots and concept artwork.

To celebrate this momentous announcement, the developers of the award-winning Witcher franchise are putting The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director's Cut and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition on a 50% off sale on GOG.com and Steam for the next 72 hours. And for console gamers, the price of The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition on Microsoft's Xbox 360 is permanently decreased to only USD/EUR 29.99 USD/EUR or GBP 19,99.

To be informed about the start of official CD Projekt RED pre-orders for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and to receive the latest Witcher news please subscribe here:thewitcher.com/preorder

Sounds awesome. Sad this will be the last game in the series though. Also no quicktime events!

@dr_mantas said:

YES, the Wild Hunt! The most interesting story thread in the first game.

And it's completely open world? (not separate areas?) Sounds cool.

Yeah, I'm pretty stoked about that. The Wild Hunt is pretty awesome.

Also I'm curious if the game will take place in Nilgaard? The end of Witcher II at least suggested it, right?

Edit: While I'm kinda sad that this will be the last Witcher game, I also think it's a good idea to properly end Geralts story instead of dragging it on and on. And you can't make a Witcher game without Geralt, you just......can't

Man. Awesome. So, ng consoles then? Makes sense. Hopefully the console crowd will finally realize how masterful this series is.

Also remember the games don't follow the novels 100%, so they can and will make changes.

Just wanted to post this here too:

Via NeoGAF

So there was some sort of press interview in Poland about the game and the CEO of CDPR said:

Some more info from CEO of CD Projekt for PAP (Polish Press Agency) Business.
http://stooq.pl/n/?f=700022
"Jest to także ostatnia część trylogii, w której będzie miał miejsce wielki finał fabuły. Nie jest to jednak jednoznaczne z końcem franczyzy. Franczyza będzie kontynuowana""
"This is the last part of the trilogy with a grand finale of the story. But it does not mean the end of the franchise. Franchise will continue"

http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showthread.php?t=511781&page=5

So that's pretty cool. The end of Geralt but the franchise will continue, sounds like.

@ArtisanBreads: it's not like there are a lot of witchers left though... I wonder if we pick up with Ciri or we pick up with one of the dudes from the school of the Viper that Letho was part of.

@Animasta said:

@ArtisanBreads: it's not like there are a lot of witchers left though... I wonder if we pick up with Ciri or we pick up with one of the dudes from the school of the Viper that Letho was part of.

Sure.

Also could stretch it to just be the universe. I wouldn't be surprised if CDPR felt confident enough and wanted to free themselves of any ties to the previous fiction if that's something they could do as well.

Screenshots on Eurogamer of the game are out.