Such feelings, similar to Song Ren's, were arguably shared by every player of The Witcher: Wild Hunt.
Online discussions about The Witcher: Wild Hunt quickly erupted, with overwhelming popularity.
Everyone felt as if they had experienced an entirely new life. Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf, Ciri, the Lion Cub of Cintra, and every supporting character in the game seemed like flesh-and-blood people, vividly presented before the players.
More and more details about The Witcher: Wild Hunt were unearthed.
During quests, both sides claimed the other was evil; whom should you trust?
Sacrificing some to save others, or vice versa.
If not for accidentally stumbling into the manor's basement, players might never have known that decades ago, the manor lord had been bricked into the wall by his brother-in-law.
The three old crones appearing in the Bloody Baron's main quest corresponded to Baba Yaga, the man-eating monster from dark fairy tales.
There was also the Leshen, derived from Slavic folklore.
And the Botchling, from Scandinavian folklore.
In the game, you might kill an ordinary bandit, but in a ruined room somewhere in the wilderness, you could discover a letter. This letter would be from the bandit to their child, explaining how war forced them into banditry.
However, this wasn't meant to evoke players' sympathy, but rather to showcase the cruelty of turbulent times of war.
These people were hateful for persecuting others, yet before that, they were pitiable themselves.
And would those who were persecuted eventually become like them?
These seemingly insignificant puzzles and details permeated the entire game, and players could always find many interesting trinkets in every nook and cranny.
Perhaps a letter, a conversation with a street alley NPC, or an entry in a book.
And these small details made the world of The Witcher: Wild Hunt more complete and realistic.
On gaming websites and forums, both domestic and international, players were discussing the differences between Chen Xu's new game and his previous ones.
'The Witcher: Wild Hunt is simply the biggest surprise of the year! Nebula Games has showcased a massive and ambitious world-building, featuring the Northern Kingdoms and Nilfgaard, with all their diverse landscapes, customs and local conditions. I actually thought The Witcher: Wild Hunt was a real world!'
'Yes, I was also very surprised. The no-man's-land Velen, the free port city Novigrad, and the Skellige Isles – each place has distinct characteristics.'
'Completely different from the open-world nature of Red Dead Redemption and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, The Witcher: Wild Hunt is strictly speaking a pure RPG game and not open in terms of gameplay. However, its massive storyline and branching paths, which embody the Butterfly Effect, create a feeling that Geralt's ending should be exactly this way. It's truly astonishing!'
'There are so many unforgettable scenes in the game. To this day, I still remember the moment Old Man Vesemir sacrificed himself in Kaer Morhen; that line 'Soar' still echoes in my ears.'
'And Yennefer and Geralt, when they looked at the rising sun after lifting the spell, I was completely moved by that pair!'
'Shamefully, I was initially drawn in by the crude sexual encounters in the game, but playing further, I have to admit, that part of the content is essential. It allowed me to understand Geralt and the other characters' deep emotions more clearly.'
'And Priscilla, her appearance in the tavern was stunning, but unfortunately, Priscilla was gone in my ending!'
'Finally, the scene where Geralt sees Ciri feigned death in the cabin is absolutely the most classic moment in the game!'
'It's simply fantastic! I wonder if there will be more stories later. If so, I'll buy it like crazy!'
………………
It wasn't just players; major media outlets also gave The Witcher: Wild Hunt extremely high ratings upon its release.
Just like with Red Dead Redemption and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild before it, a clean sweep of perfect scores appeared once again, starting from the very first review.
'Another benchmark for open-world games. If there's one game company in the industry that excels at making open-world games, then one name is undoubtedly inescapable.'
'Yes, that's right, it's Nebula Games! After Red Dead Redemption and The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, Chen Xu has delivered another The Witcher: Wild Hunt. Compared to the former two, as an RPG, its gameplay isn't actually very free.'
'The game features a fixed character, Geralt the White Wolf, who has his own story, coupled with RPG gameplay. This might seem restrictive and not very open.'
'After all, we are experiencing Geralt's life. But as the game content progressed, all the reviewers in the editorial department quickly changed their minds.'
'The game's side quests play an even more pivotal role. One could say that the main quest's purpose is to introduce you to a person, while the side quests' purpose is to help you understand a person.'
'From understanding local customs to telling love stories and folklore, it has everything. The living world of The Witcher: Wild Hunt is built upon these small stories.'
'Each story contains the emotions of many people, and what draws players in is not only the rich character emotions but also the cause and effect choices.'
'Because in the game, we will be able to experience the impact of our choices in a more direct and intense way.'
'Telling someone a piece of news might just require a few words, but watching those who die because of your news suffer a brutal execution is another matter. In the game, every choice comes at a price, and that is what makes The Witcher: Wild Hunt so captivating.'
'Your actions will influence the future, whether the Northern Kingdoms are victorious, or Emperor Emhyr rules all.'
'All of this is closely related to the player's choices; no game has ever so completely embodied the Butterfly Effect.'
'Without a doubt, The Witcher: Wild Hunt has achieved it.'
The dazzling array of perfect scores was enough to prove one thing: The Witcher: Wild Hunt is a masterpiece, an undeniable fact.
All players who had genuinely played the game raved about it, and even the most demanding game review media found it hard to pick out flaws.
Countless players celebrated, eagerly sharing every high-scoring review on forums, Tieba, and Weibo.
However, compared to the ordinary players' jubilation, Alex from FOW looked bewildered.
He still hadn't figured out what was happening.
In just one week, how could things have changed so drastically?
(End of Chapter)
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