I actually bought this on Steam on a deep discount back in 2017 and bounced off it hard because the combat felt clunky and overwhelming. Gave it a second chance on Switch years later and it completely consumed me for 80 hours. Being able to play handheld made all the difference. Easy to pick up for a quest or two then put down.
The Switch version is definitely muddy looking. Resolution is low and the world looks blurry most of the time. But during cutscenes and dialogue it scales up and looks decent. I know I missed out on those gorgeous vistas and high fidelity graphics that PC players got but honestly once I got into the story I stopped caring. The portability was worth the visual sacrifice.
Combat finally clicked for me this time around. Once I understood the rhythm of dodging and using signs and preparing oils and potions it all came together. What felt clunky before became tactical and satisfying. Still not the best combat system but it works well enough to not get in the way of everything else that’s amazing.
The story is what makes this game special. Every quest feels important and well written. The Bloody Baron questline alone is better than most full games’ stories. Complex characters making difficult choices in a world where there’s rarely a clear right answer. Geralt searching for Ciri while navigating political intrigue and monster contracts creates this perfect framework for storytelling.
Side quests are just as good as the main story. Random contracts turn into moral dilemmas. Simple fetch quests reveal tragic backstories. Characters you meet briefly leave lasting impressions. The writing quality stays consistent whether you’re on the critical path or just exploring some random village. I did everything I could find because I didn’t want to miss any of these stories.
Both DLCs are incredible. Hearts of Stone has a memorable villain and great story while Blood and Wine is basically a full sequel set in a gorgeous new region. The amount of quality content here is staggering. These expansions would be full price games from other developers.
Characters stick with you long after finishing. The relationships feel complex and real. Even minor NPCs feel like actual people with real problems rather than quest dispensers. The writing stays consistently strong throughout.
The world feels lived in and authentic. War torn villages and bustling cities and dangerous swamps all have their own atmosphere. Weather changes everything from sunny meadows to storms that make you want to find shelter. NPCs go about their daily routines. It all adds up to make you believe this world exists beyond your interactions with it.
80 hours flew by once everything clicked. The combination of incredible storytelling and interesting quests and memorable characters creates something special. Even with the compromised Switch graphics this is one of the best RPGs ever made. Sometimes a second chance is all a game needs to show you what you were missing.