Presenting Exhibit A In The Witcher 3 Trial

There were so many great games in Cologne this year and yet I decided that the first thing I'd write about from the show would be the one disappointment. Maybe disappointment comes more naturally to me or maybe I just wanted to get it out of the way - whatever the case, later that evening, I was slightly annoyed with myself for sending a grumpy dispatch rather than a chronicle of the good times. The Witcher 3 presentation that I watched is now online, so you can watch it for yourself below, and then use the comments section to solemnly agree with my judgement, or to thank me. Because if you do enjoy the video, it's thanks to the expectations that I so graciously lowered.

There's an interesting contrast with the more intimate Pillars of Eternity presentation I attended (Witcher, like a small cinema full of journos - Pillars, two devs, two spectators). Obsidian's game doesn't have enormous vistas or anything near the scale of The Witcher, in visual terms at least. It won't have a city as convincingly populated and staying from the beaten path in wilderness areas probably won't carry the same immediate sense of mystery.

But for all its tighter focus, in design and visual perspective, Pillars is built on spaces where the unexpected can happen. Spaces in which designers can be unexpectedly undone by their own creations during a thirty minute demo. What a wonderful feeling that is. More on Pillars later today.

For now, leave your thanks, agreement and fistbumps below. Naturally, you're actively encouraged to enjoy the ludicrously attractive skyboxes.