Witcher 3
While the first two Witcher video games were well-received, they were under-the-radar RPGs that many in the mainstream gaming community had not played. The game franchise, based on work of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, was a bit of a niche product.
That is, until The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt came around. There was definite interest in the game before its May 2015 release, as it was only being released on PC and the next-gen PS4 and Xbox One consoles and looked stellar. But the game’s impact and success went beyond everyone’s wildest expectations. The flagship PC version of The Witcher 3 has a stellar 93 rating on Metacritic, representing “universal acclaim.” The game won Game of the Year honors at a variety of outlets, and its expansions were equally well-received. Twinfinite called The Witcher 3 “a shining example of what RPGs should be: an experience that makes you believe that you’re truly part of a game’s world and that you have a very real stake in it.”
Developer CD Projekt Red created a modern classic that resonated with fans, with an active community and fantastic cosplay. But most of all, The Witcher 3’s open world design choices have begun to resonate throughout the gaming world, influencing other developers, including titans like Nintendo and BioWare. And it is because of the great success of The Witcher 3 that Netflix picked up the rights for a TV adaption of the series.
The craziest part? The Witcher 3 remains one of the best-selling games on Steam nearly three years after its release.
