The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Interview

CD Projekt RED has been sharing quite a few details about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt lately, and this interview on Examiner featuring commentary from gameplay designer Andrzej Kwiatkowski is the latest source to get our information fix. On to the excerpt:

With this constant focus on expansion, even with better hardware, surely there has to be areas where the game needs to shrink? (No), asserts Kwiatkowski, (We're totally focused on expanding everything rather than slimming things down. Aside from quick-time events, we've tried to iterate and enhance almost everything to make it better than in the previous parts. Be it the combat mechanics, methods of travel or the gigantic world the game is set in.)

Part of the next generation experience is the inclusion of features such as the PlayStation 4's touchpad and the Xbox One's Cloud Computing. When pressed for answers as to if Wild Hunt will take advantage of such peripherals, Kwiatkowski offers very little with development still under way. (We're still exploring various possibilities of utilizing the great features that next-gen consoles offer but, sadly, I can't go into details at this moment.)

He did however, educate us on some of the things the studio has learned since the launch of The Witcher 2. (Oh, we've learned a lot and it would be really hard to name a particular thing that would answer the question. Being a game developer is like any other job (except it's way better) - each day you learn something new that allows you to be better at what you do.

(We create something, then we look at it, then we optimize and think: '˜Damn, I could have done it like that from the start.')

What CD Projekt RED has begun to master is the ability to write a story in such a way that those unfamiliar with the series are able to just pick up and play the title, while also providing enough references to the previous title for hardcore fans.

(Regarding [references to The Witcher 2], well, I'd have to go into the plot to give you a few examples and, sadly, I can't right now.) Kwiatkowski continues, (For now, I can assure you that old-time fans will see a lot of winks in their direction.