Ben-DutkaYou'll probably never hear anyone call The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim "casual." In fact, to most, it's the epitome of a hardcore title.
But that didn't stop developer CD Projekt RED from using the term when describing Bethesda's acclaimed RPG. In speaking to Gameranx , CD Projekt environmental designer Jonas Mattsson said their new game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt , isn't as similar to Skyrim as one might think. Wild Hunt is more "story-driven:"
"I am a fan of Skyim, a lot of us love Skyim. But while they are doing their thing, like open world, jumping and playing around quite casually, we are doing it a little bit differently. We are heavily story driven and open world. This hasn’t really been done before and we want to prove that it can be done."
The biggest issue facing the team was their decision to make The Witcher 3 open-world. After all, the second title was more linear, and they didn't want to lose "the intensity and quality" of that game. Added Mattsson:
"How do you bring the intensity and quality of The Witcher 2 into an open world? For us, it was not about making compromises; it was about having better tools. So for instance, say we create a mountain… now if we want to make a forest, we have a forest tool that calculates procedurally where it would rain, where the water would gather, and where the forest would grow out of that."
There's no doubt that role-playing fans everywhere are anxiously anticipating Wild Hunt , but it's interesting to hear about the inherent differences between CD Projekt RED's game and the popular Elder Scrolls franchise. We have yet to hear about a new entry in the latter series, by the way. It could be a ways off.
Related Game(s): The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Skyrim is god.
If God were created by people who don't know how to program.
Don't know anything about "Skyim" but whatever. If they make a good game and finally stop being lame about bringing it to a Sony console I might check it out.
it's confirmed for PS4, isn't it? Or are everyone just assuming?
I dunno
Pretty sure it is.
Which one? The Witcher 3 has been confirmed but only The Elder Scrolls Online has been announced so far for the PS4, not a Skyrim port.
Come on World, just get a gaming PC and embrace the love.
Witcher 3 is confirmed PS4.
Well, they are both great games. The Witcher has a certain charm due to Geralt. Elder Scrolls protagonist is lifeless and you don't connect with "IT" like you do with Geralt.
Elder Scrolls games are bigger no doubt. But I would have to say the Witcher games are more memorable. Granted this is coming from someone who has only played and beaten The Witcher twice. Once with the Normal Edition and again with the Enhanced Edition on PC when I used to be a PC player. I never played the Witcher 2 Assassin of Kings but I heard it was a better and longer game with improved combat. The Elder Scrolls combat leaves a lot to be desired. Hopefully the MMO or Elders Scrolls 6 will have better more enthralling combat.
But my Skyrim character IS me. I don't need to connect with him, I am auto-connected.
This took game of E3 for me can't wait to sink my teeth into this game I've must have of watched that trailer half a dozen times.
The witcher 2 is one of the best games I have ever played. So many amazing elements in this game, and everything comes together brilliantly. Choices that really matter, meaningful sidequests, a dark gray world, and a stellar storyline all make this my favourite RPG period.
If they can outdo themselves with The Witcher 3 then it just may be my favourite game ever.
@World, it is coming to the PS4 I'm 90% sure I heard that somewhere.
I never got to play it on a beautifully maxed out PC, but I did get that big special edition for the 360. Agree with you 100 percent. It's quite the experience.
Only played 'The Witcher' so far (which is excellent), but I'd agree that the Elder Scroll games are more casual. I'm very old-school when it comes to role-playing (I was big into pen-and-paper back in the day, then the text-based stuff before everything went glitzy), and while Skyrim is a 'core' game, I'd call it a casual RPG – it doesn't have a particularly deep story or storytelling, nor does it have particularly deep mechanics (it does have a lot of very broad mechanics). It makes up for this in amazingly broad and colourful worlds, of course, and is an excellent game (I've pumped over 150 hours into it).
The first Witcher was definitely more 'core' when it comes to the heritage of RPGs, can't comment on the second yet.
Either way, though, they're both excellent, excellent game series, and I think the fact that they're a bit different from each other is a huge plus, not a negative. The last thing we want is every RPG trying to be Skyrim, after the every-shooter-trying-to-be-CoD generation we've just had.
I don't know if you can call a game that easily provides 200+ hours of entertainment to be casual.
@ Akuma – it's the mechanics, as much as anything. Mechanics in the Witcher series have a bit more depth to them, and hearken a bit more back to the glory days of role-playing (although as choice finds its way more and more into WRPGs, we're getting some old-school vibe happening, even if it's often still pretty arbitrary).
It's only relatively, within its category. I also categorise CoD as a casual shooter, even though it's clearly a 'core' game – but within the shooter genre it's hardly hardcore, but rather arcadey and accessible (and excellent, p2p hosting notwithstanding). Skyrim's excellent, and I've played most of the quests and all the expansions in it, but it lacks a depth that was in the first Witcher, that is something I really enjoy about RPGs.
all ill say is if the witcher 2 is linear, than hot dam i cant wait to play the third!
i just hope they put a bit more emphasis on the main story quests though, its so easy to get side tracked and go off on allot of monotonous quests, than after 30 hours you look back and say what do i have to show for it?
I love both the Elder Scrolls series (Skyrim, Oblivion, Morrowind) and all the Witcher games (since the first one). I hope they don't screw the story since that (and the fan service) diferentiates them from the rest.