Idyllic scenery and uncompromising cruelty. The Witcher 3: Of Blood and Wine review
If I had to describe the expansion of On Wine and Blood in two words, two expressions come to mind: "uncompromising" and "surprise." In general, game expansions in the overwhelming majority represent their exact opposite.
Polish developers from CD Projekt are, it seems, incorrigible rebels, and although they managed to serve a wide audience an act worthy of troubadour songs last year, as if it still wasn't enough for them. The second expansion pushes the saw in just about every possible direction. Not only does it add tons of new, meaningful content to the game, it also improves the gameplay itself. And it's a fantastic experience.
The Witcher 3: Of Wine and Blood
Welcome to Toussaint, land of contrasts
It is recommended to be level thirty-five to play the bonus. It can be started either directly from your saved position, or you can choose to start a new game with a character at the required level. The witcher Geralt receives a contract for the head of a beast plaguing the picturesque landscape of Toussaint. He is not unknown to fans of the original book.
The sun-drenched hilly landscape, through which the Sansretour river winds, is dominated by the town of Beauclair, known for its exaggerated courtly etiquette. Knights in shining armor march through narrow streets with beautifully decorated, brightly colored architecture, residents of different social classes argue in markets or castle gardens. The city as a whole is reminiscent of Minas Tirith from Return of the King with its tiered arrangement. It's beautiful, but it's still somewhat sparsely populated. However, hardware limitations that do not allow unadulterated crowd scenes are more to blame than a lack of will on the part of the authors.
The Witcher 3: Of Wine and Blood
On the other hand, in the open countryside, you visit small villages, manor houses tending local vineyards or climb hills, from the tops of which you stare in disbelief at the wonderful rustling forests and paradisiacal landscape bathed in the sun. And the first time you see the azure blue water surface of the local lake, you almost instinctively tap into it. The game's map is quite large, covering the same area as the mainland of the Skellige Islands from the base game. And the music! Free talk, you have to let it go.
I don't want to go into too much detail about the story itself, because the authors obviously tried to keep a lot under wraps and surprise the fans. At least very generally and broadly: Of Wine and Blood offers a story and an atmosphere full of contrasts. One moment you're enjoying the beautiful, idyllic landscape all around you, laughing at the mannerisms of court culture, investigating the loss of a sacred testicle, or helping a sensationalist troubadour hoping for the most brutal possible demise of a missing barber.
But then it gets dark and the woods and ruins become menacing, ominously lonely places. Playing the main line will chill you to the core. Vampires are what the whole story revolves around, and CD Projekt is not afraid to break certain taboos that other studios don't dare to do. The brutality and uncompromising cruelty of the game is sometimes really strong coffee even for the more hardened. A wild frolic turns into a sultry horror with an atmosphere that could be cut.
The Witcher 3: Of Wine and Blood
Book fans, rejoice
And that brings me back to the non-existent compromises and surprises that CD Projekt persistently supplies its fans with. Do you think that thanks to the fame and the flood of new fans, the authors have forgotten the book templates and the roots of their work? Bridge error. About wine and blood is full of allusions to Andrzej Sapkowski's books, which, however, will not limit the uninitiated. Very soon, the authors will drop a ready-made bomb on you, which will force the delighted lovers of the book to open a bottle of wine.
Non-linearity and difficult choices were one of the main draws of the original game, and it's no different here. This applies not only to the main line, but also to a number of side quests that maintain high quality, interest and narrative. At some you will laugh, at others you will fall into depression and regret.
At the same time, the main story has a more pleasant pace than the previous Heart of Stone expansion. In addition to battles, conversations and exploration, the use of witchcraft signs in combination with the environment will come, which is one of the points for which I interceded for the data disc, and certainly not the only one with which CD Projekt pleased me.
The Witcher 3: Of Wine and Blood
Originally, I had planned to criticize them for the not-quite-successful "negative" characters of the game. It seems to me that although the creators tried to achieve that grayness when illuminating the motivations of the villains, this time it was not very successful. You may feel sorry for them, but not so much considering their actions. But the world of The Witcher is simply not fair, and predicting the development of the following events is practically impossible. And that's actually good.
Lots of improvements
So far I've mainly covered the story and the world the expansion takes place in, but there's a lot more to praise. The entire game inventory has received a huge improvement. Books are now uploaded to the glossary after reading, items are sorted much more clearly and the map is much easier to navigate. The superstructure related to character development is also a big improver.
There are special skills available, for the activation of which it is necessary to invest in them several skill points and an infusion of multiple powerful mutagens. Unlocking them will then give you access to up to four extra skill slots from the classic skill tree. I appreciated the novelty while playing the expansion itself, but it will stand out more when playing New Game Plus.
An excellent element is also the possibility of investing in the renovation of your Corvo Bianco residence. Not only is it nice to look at, it can be decorated with armor, paintings and other discoveries from your travels. Renovating the stables increases your horse's stamina, a better bed gives you a health bonus, and the greenhouse and alchemy lab come in handy when hunting down so many important mutagens at once.
The Witcher 3: Of Wine and Blood
New difficulty style
The creators served us another surprise in the form of the option to set so that the opponents do not have a permanently locked level. Instead, their power can increase with yours. The unobtrusive slider hidden in the game menu greatly improves the game experience, and I highly recommend at least trying it in combination with the hardest difficulty. The game then forces you to use alchemy and study monsters' weaknesses, movement, and attacks. You'll find tremendously intense fights even where you wouldn't expect them. And that such fights on harder difficulty are worth it, take poison for that.
Photo galleryView photo gallery | > but it's worth the nerves. At the same time, there are several new monsters. The most memorable are probably poisonous plants and centipedes attacking from underground, or exploding monsters, from which it is advisable to stay away when they exit. The vampiric enemy models, in particular, are appropriately hideous, and their screeching will make your blood run cold.
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