The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

⭐ 8.5/10

(Originally written by Joseph)

I am finally, finally done this game after like 200 hours. Finally! And I still don't really know if I even like it. I have been playing the Witcher 3 since I finished the book series in the summer of 2022. I have had a long time to develop my thoughts... And I just don't know.

So this is the final expansion of the game, and it's actually a common thing for people to say that this is the best DLC to ever exist. The best part of one of the best games ever made. It takes place in Toussaint, which was a setting a really liked in the books. It's like a fairytale Kingdom where everyone is super cheesy, and the Dutchess seems blissfully unaware about the evil things going on outside her boarders. She writes a *strongly worded* letter to tell the emperor to stop waging war on the rest of the world. It lends itself to a lot of humor, and this dlc is mostly aware of that, though I will say they could have leaned into it much more.

But the other thing is, this setting only takes up a few chapters in one of the books. But here, I had to play in this kingdom for some 30+ hours. I remember the start, where there are some creative, funny quests, but the joke kinda gets old and it's just not super cute by the end. The theme of this expansion, I'd say, is that these ignorant people have to face the evil realties surrounding them. I like this, but it's a little too much back and forth in this expansion by the end.

That said, it's easy to argue that some of the best writing and quest design exists in this expansion, and so if the game as a whole is an 8-9, this dlc has to be a 9 for sure. I think that's true, but after playing the main game and first dlc, I just didn't want this much more Witcher 3. The combat stopped being interesting 100 hours ago. The standing and talking was tiring. Even Gwent started to... You know what, scrap that, Gwent was perfect till the end. If I'm going to spend 200 hours with anyone, I'd like it to be with Geralt. But 200 hours is still a tough ask.

This dlc looked nice, had some nice voice work, and some new interesting enemies. But still, my preference in this series is always with the dark and twisted, talking to bog people and English peasants with funny accents. I loved the Crones, or the Wild Hunt, and the Bloody Baron from the main game. This was a little too light for my taste. I loved the vampire theme, and loved seeing the return of a beloved book character, but there was too much filler in between.

So yeah, I'd say this was a terrific 10-15 hour dlc that got way overstretched. I think I should have limited myself to the main stuff, but also some of my favorite moments were things I stumbled upon, so I don't know. I would say the biggest issue in this regard is sticking the landing. Much like the main game, things go crazy and you are expecting a breakneck action sequence until the end... except then you get a glorified 5 hour side quest in fairy land. And then a 90 minute side quest after the climax... And then another 15 minute one. What do games have against just ending!?

Which reminds me, I need to end this review. This game was a journey. It was mostly good, and maybe it's the ending that left a bad taste. I love this universe, and love that I could live in it for like 3 years. They made something very special, and I'm blessed to have this adaptation. I don't think it's a perfect game, but hell, with the amount of time it forces you to be in it, you have to call it perfect anyways or you might have to admit you just spent 200 hours playing a 7...