What's cooler: Skyrim or The Witcher 3. Geralt vs Dovahkiin
The company announced sales figures for the game two weeks after release. The number of copies sold was more than 4 million.
According to the site, with the release in 2011, the company stated that following the results of the first week of sales, 7 million copies of the game were delivered to stores, more than half of which were sold out. Thus, CD Projekt was unable to beat the record of its main competitor in the genre. Be that as it may, the Polish team came very close to this mark, which they were very pleased with.
"1 May 9th was an important date for all of us at CD Projekt - we released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, our role-playing game with open world, which we have been working on for more than 3 years. From the very first day after release we received a lot of positive feedback and support from our fans.“, studio founder Marcin Iwinski addressed in an open letter to gamers.
« We are very humbled by the positive reception the game received from the press and the high praise from critics around the world. With an average game score above 90 on every platform, Wild Hunt is a dream come true. I'd like to take this opportunity to thank our 4 million gamers around the world who bought The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt within the first two weeks of release.».
Fantasy role-playing games are a staple gaming industry, something of a hangover from the days of the popular tabletop game Dungeons & Dragons. No matter what genres emerge from the waters of the gaming industry and hide in them, no matter what genres become popular and lose their popularity (dusty military shooters, we’re talking about you), fantasy RPGs are unshakable, like rocks - and still the same popular.
We live in post-Skyrim times, so today only the lazy do not resort to comparing the two mentioned games. But both games define the genre differently...
Today Skyrim side by side with CD Projekt RED's The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt dominates all RPG discussions. We live in post-Skyrim times, so today only the lazy do not resort to comparing the two mentioned games. Mystical main character- There is. Sword fencing - yes. The use of terrifying magic - yes. An extremely inexperienced player, at first glance, and even at second and third glance, may mistake these games for one and the same game. We're not talking about one game being better than another (we're beyond that, aren't we?) - Skyrim and The Witcher 3 are both magnificent works of gaming art, and if you haven't played either of them yet, now is the time upgrade your Commodore 64 and dive into the game.
But both games define the genre differently (in games, at least)…
Skyrim vs Nilfgaard
Do you remember the first time you set foot in Skyrim? How did your breath catch and your heart race as your imagination played? And you swore that the day would come when you would storm that remote peak covered in snow, even if it meant jumping for two hours on ledges completely unsuitable for Nords.
In Nilfgaard, on the contrary, you do not feel such space, despite the fact that the size of Nilfgaard is 20 percent larger than the size of Skyrim. What we mean by this is that city layouts look much more realistic and recognizable. A Polish colleague once said that he felt at home in the world of The Witcher 3 - apparently, here he means stunning landscapes, and not wooden houses and a population dressed in rags. Everything in the world of the third Witcher is filled with a delightful medieval atmosphere of a colorful tapestry, from flora and fauna to fortresses. Which, most likely, makes the atmosphere much more lively when compared with the hub cities in Skyrim that are almost completely isolated from the outside world.
These worlds give us our first glimpse of the different ways in which these games explore genres - where The Witcher 3 meekly sticks to reality real world, Skyrim provides pure artistic fantasy.
Plot and narration
You can sum up the plot of both games in a few words: dragon hunting versus demon hunting. Add to this a flaring civil war and a merciless invading army and you're all set. The narrative in Skyrim, like the plot itself, is simple, like a fairy tale. This, of course, is far from bad - you can explore the world for hundreds of hours before you take on the next one story quest, and at the same time you will not forget about what is happening.
The Witcher, on the other hand, plays a different card - a deep plot and a precise narrative interspersed with pseudo-adult themes, all of which dates back to the release of the original game in 2007. But, of course, this is expected, because The Witcher is based on the works of the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. And yet, The Witcher breaks the unspoken rule of all video games - the game takes control away from the player during descriptive cutscenes. Ugh.
This all ties back to the game's literary roots, which is why The Witcher 3 plays like an epic fantasy novel, while Skyrim can be seen as a video game version of Dungeons & Dragons - the player creates the story for himself and for himself.
Dragonborn vs Geralt
So who are you? Look in the mirror and tell me who you are. Well, you are either the incredibly attractive and angular Geralt of Rivia, or... anyone your imagination can produce. If you want to be a fat Agronian thief, go ahead.
Due to the fact that Geralt is a character that the player cannot change, he is naturally stronger in this case (for example, regardless of your choice in the game, you can almost always guess his reaction to a given situation , based on the original source). Skyrim allows you to create a unique personality for your wild-haired, half-naked Dunmer freak. The game provides two sides to explore the fantasy world: peacefully unwinding the spinning epic spindle or completely escaping into exciting escapism.
So Skyrim provides the opportunity to fulfill the player's desire, because you are the story. The Witcher 3 is more focused on the story of the adventures of the legendary hero.
Combat system and gameplay
And although both games are quite similar in their fantasy style, their presentation of gameplay, narrative and setting is different. This gives the player extremely different opportunities to create a world and carve their own path within it in a way that no other form of art can provide...
Both games provide the player with some of the most detailed gameplay to be seen this side of Mundus. There is courtship, and choice, and battles for a just cause (depending on which cause you consider to be right). And despite this, the combat systems in both games are lacking something.
In Skyrim, your gear can feel a little unwieldy - unless, of course, you're just using Fus Ro Da to scare away mountain goats. Okay, the controls aren't as clunky as anything from, say, Assassins' Creed: Brotherhood, but they're not as smooth as Batman: Arkham Asylum either. And that's not to say that The Witcher 3 is at its best here - the controls aren't as precise as they make out to be (we were able to slash the air more often than we did enemies, and we died a lot more in The Witcher due to the amazing air slashing).
Skyrim's quest display looks completely out of place, with depressingly long lists of tasks that you'll never fully complete. Just look at the terrifying crafting options in every game. This in no way stops the player from collecting any things that come into view, in the hope that the player will need this particular stolen plate to save the world (no, he won’t). But what makes the game a game are the choices you make as you progress. Skyrim focuses on creating the hero you've always wanted to be (even if you failed in math at school). The Third Witcher, on the other hand, is centered around shaping the story during the time you're not spending playing Gwent in the tavern.
Freedom vs Choice
And this brings us to the biggest difference in how the games present the genre - where one game offers freedom, the other is laser-focused on choice. Listen to us if you disagree, because in this moment you're probably rolling your eyes and thinking, "but both games provide freedom and choice." There is a subtle difference here.
In Skyrim the player is driven by freedom, while The Witcher 3 is based on choice. Of course, in Skyrim there is room for choice - the character himself, dialogues, guilds, whether to kill all the non-playable characters in the area or not, but the basis of the game is the ability to go anywhere and do anything, which the modding community will very skillfully help with. Freedom is exactly what makes it possible to spend 500 hours in this sandbox - and continue to spend time in it after. Since the focus of The Witcher 3 is on storytelling, the emphasis shifts to choices - how you would like Geralt's story to develop, as well as how you would like the world around you to change.
Skyrim vs The Witcher 3: which RPG is the best?
Fantasy has always been about creating, exploring, and discovering new worlds—and going into them. And although both games are quite similar in their fantasy style, their presentation of gameplay, narrative and setting is different. This gives the player extremely different opportunities to create a world and carve their own path within it in a way that no other art form can provide.
Okay, let's imagine that colonial troops put a sharpened sword to your throat and told you that you can only play one of the games: you need to choose the best one. And this is difficult. Both Skyrim and The Witcher make you feel at the center fantastic adventures that fascinate and captivate.
But Skyrim is a game dedicated to exploring a fantasy world in a way that only a game can provide. And it completely covers this method - from creating your own own character before writing my own story - like this Huge experience no literary work can provide (and other games simply cannot compare to it).
So let's drink to that - anyone join us for a glass of mead?
These are two great games and none of them is wretched, on the contrary, each of them is magnificent to the highest degree, it’s just a matter of taste.
Chapter 1
"Consolation"
Less than a few years later, in the once most famous computer games, which were distinguished by the fact that they were designed specifically for keyboard and mouse, the gamepad intervened, no matter how bad it was. If Mass Effect can be forgiven for this, since the game was originally developed on xbox, then the series The Elder Scroll and The Witcher are hard to forgive.
And this despite the fact that The Witcher 2 has not been released on consoles and even while development of the console version has not begun. But what do we see when playing The Witcher 2? Initially, it is possible to play with a gamepad. The animation of throws and spells has completely migrated from the known console games. The game world is a corridor. Even though there are quite a few locations in the game and they are not the smallest, this does not eliminate the feeling of corridors.
The combat system in reality is continuous rolling from side to side. Moreover, this is implemented so that through a roll you rest your head against a wall, bushes or tree. It also gives off the scripted feel of the game. The same jumps, movement and battles with bosses never cease to remind us of the console look of the game. Remember the same boss fights in The Witcher where any boss can be destroyed in hand-to-hand combat.
Skyrim also disappointed me with its console nature. From part 5 The series Elder Scrolls, few expected this. Consolidation affected inventory, leveling, and peace between cities. Everything is clear with the inventory.
Comparison of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 2
Comparison of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 2
One button is responsible for putting on the item and the other for throwing it away. Nothing extra. But we lost our hotkeys. Instead, we are offered an inconvenient system of favorite items and spells.
Leveling up is now somewhat reminiscent of shooters. Every 5 minutes, messages appear on the screen indicating that one or another perk has been automatically upgraded. On the one hand, this is convenient, but on the other, it is a banal simplification of the ingenious leveling system known since Oblivion.
Also, travel between cities has become somewhat empty. You turn off the path and immediately come across either a mountain range or a river. In essence, we are being offered a corridor run between cities.
Chapter 2
"Gameplay"
The Witcher 2 boasts interesting quests, gorgeous dialogues, well-written characters (the characters are conveyed very well) and its own plot. But this is also its disadvantage. There are very few additional quests. The game goes through relatively quickly and the huge number of different endings does not save it. Very few interesting characters. But I repeat, those that exist are elegantly and interestingly written.
The game is very controversial combat system. It is more spectacular than in Skyrim, but at the same time it is incredibly simple and further killings in the game become commonplace. It is unlikely that you will have to save several times in the game to kill this or that monster or person. As mentioned, the locations are linear. But they are beautiful. The brightness of the colors in the game is unusual, which repels some players and attracts others.
Comparison of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 2
Comparison of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 2
Also, the game is simply imbued with the world of Andrzej Sapkowski, thousands of references, local humor, satire, philosophy, characters, literally everything fits perfectly with the book. It’s hard to imagine how much pleasure people lost by completing The Witcher without reading the original.
It is still impossible not to pay attention to the weak role-playing component. In The Witcher we play...SUDDENLY!...a witcher and only a witcher. HE can be “for those”, maybe “for these”, or save the world alone. And there are only three wagering options. And three development options - an alchemist, a warrior of signs and a swordsman. In my opinion, this is not enough for a large-scale role-playing game.
Now a little about the world of Skyrim. He is hugely beautiful and stylish. The northern lights and snowstorms create a wonderful winter atmosphere that is pleasant to immerse yourself in. And when you enter some tavern, you really feel the warmth of the fire and the smell of food. And in the frosty tundra, you yourself feel a little chilly.
The plot is interesting. Here you have betrayals and huge battles and dragons, etc., etc. Until you have completed the game, it is difficult to make any final conclusions about the plot.
Comparison of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 2
Comparison of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 2
The role-playing component is excellent. Allows you to play any class. Many different perks and variations for leveling up your character.
Back in Skyrim, it really became interesting to collect
ingredients for potions and crawl through mines in search of ore to make yourself new armor. Enchant them, sacrificing several Dwemer “artifacts” for strong effects, and go explore the ancient Altmer ruins for valuable “goodies” and treasures.
The undeniable advantage of Skyrim is that it is an OPEN WORLD RPG. In The Witcher 2 we move along plot rails, the revelation of the world and character development are carried out in accordance with the movement of the plot. Flotsam - Camp (vergen) - lok muine. We do not have the opportunity to abstract ourselves from this line and live our lives in the game - because then the further world will simply not be opened to us. Skyrim has no plot! Eat storylines, which have nothing to do with the discovery and exploration of the world. In this regard, Skyrim is very close to the spirit of Morrowind.
Chapter 3
"Graphic arts"
This point is quite controversial. More technologically advanced, The Witcher 2 still looks better. The game was created on a new engine that copes with its responsibilities perfectly. But, damn it, the color palette personally gives me unpleasant emotions.
Comparison of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 2
Comparison of The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim and The Witcher 2
Again, this is a subjective opinion. Graphically, it seems that all the conditions for immersion in the world have been created. But there is not that puppy joy that you feel while walking through the snowy locations of Skyrim.
