How Witcher Took Over the World of PC Gaming

witcher

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still one of the best computer games to play despite being released years ago. Its design captures your attention with invigorating graphics and an exemplary storyline. The game is a sequel to The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, a 2011 open-world computer game that sold over 8 million copies in less than 3 years. Initially, The Witcher 3 was set to launch in 2014, but the release date was pushed back to 19th May 2015.

Within the first two weeks of its launch, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt sold over 4 million copies worldwide. It later became one of the best multi-region open-world PC games ever created. The Witcher 3 entails more than 100 hours of captivating content with incredible scenes. It also features familiar characters and new locations that are well-executed. So what has enabled The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to stand the test of time and maintain an incredible reputation?

Powerful Visuals and Graphics

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt comes with powerful visuals and graphics that make the game realistic. It is available in full HD, an irresistible resolution that enhances the gaming experience. To generate an exhilarating atmosphere and superior ambiance, the developers added light and shadow effects which are seen throughout your quest. Each location displays intricate details and textures, altogether breathtaking to behold. For instance, you can see the grass texture vividly. The Witcher 3 has also undergone substantial graphics and visual modifications over the years, making it more interactive even to new players. Each graphic update aims at enhancing the entire gaming scene by making the environment more real.

World-class Expansions

CD Projekt RED, the company behind the title, has been making constant expansions by adding new maps to the game. These expansions have helped ensure the game remains current and attractive to players. One of the notable expansions is the inclusion of the Hearts of Stone location on the map which happened in October 2015. As a result, with it came more than 10 hours of content. Heart of Stone tasks Geralt of Rivia with a mission which he must complete and emerge unharmed. The expansion introduced No Man’s Land and Oxenfurt.

Blood and Wine is yet another expansion made on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. It came out in May 2016 and proved to be very exciting. Blood and Wine added approximately 20 hours of content. The expansion introduced a new region called Toussaint. These world-class expansions added new enemies to the game and presented new gear for Geralt of Rivia. They also came with unique characters and re-united gamers with some of the old players. As you play the game, you will realize these expansions were necessary and plaid a massive role in making The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt much more entertaining.

A Realistic Open World

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt entails a dynamic and realistic world which you will adapt to effortlessly. Your decisions and movements mold your immediate environment in the game. The Witcher 3 has the usual day and night sequence with varying weather patterns to prevent boredom. You will also love the living economy where goods’ prices change depending on the environmental conditions and their source. Furthermore, the system helps formulate the chain of events. It also allows you to enjoy the expansive world as you try to complete your contracts.
Unlike The Witcher 2, Wild Hunt has a larger world with many ecosystems. You are free to move and explore the open world without any restrictions. Regions have different cultures and structures emulating the real world with profound landscapes. Even though the world in The Witcher 3 is huge, you don’t have to worry about loading times. The system used is powerful enough to ensure cinematic gaming without pauses.

Unforgettable Combats

Combats in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are memorable. The game allows you to execute different actions and use any tool to complete the mission. You will find the Witcher Senses system to be useful in complex combats. Witcher Senses also come in handy when tracking a monster or searching for clues. Every monster you encounter is designed to display unique characteristics and have distinct qualities, making it hard to hunt. Monsters also respond differently to environmental changes, posing a challenge during combat. That makes the PC game more entertaining to players.
These features and facts explain why The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the best open-world PC game ever created. It keeps evolving, making the adventure wonderful and combats epic. You can use the in-game tutorial to familiarize yourself with the game so that you can have a smooth start. The exquisite title always feels new, and every contract comes with challenges that make The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt stunning.

Top 4 PC Games That Were Inspired by Novels

pc games

Like films without pictures, books are a source of inspiration to many and PC games are no different. Check out our list of high-ranking PC games that no one knew were inspired by existing literature.

PC Games Based on Books

The PC gaming scene is becoming increasingly competitive, with developers striving to stun players by designing the best games. While some companies conceive original ideas, others use their skills to bring to life stories written in books. A good example is The Witcher franchise, an adaptation of a book by the Polish fantasy writer Andrzej Sapkowski. However, that is not the only game based on a book. Below are some of the top games no one would have guessed were digital renditions of novels.

STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl

STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl is a chilling first-person survival PC game developed by GSC Game World. The game was released in 2007 and immediately became a worldwide success. This led to a sequel released a year later. STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl is set up in Zone, emulating the actual Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Players take the role of the Marked One, whose task is to find and sell valuable artifacts abandoned by Aliens. However, the Zone is creeping with dangerous supernatural elements, which the player must fight to get the artifacts.
You should know that the STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl video game is an adaptation of Roadside Picnic. The novel was written by two brothers, Arkady and Boris Strugatsky, published in 1972. The story also borrows some features from the film Roadside Picnic, directed by the Russian film director Andrei Tarkovsky.

METRO 2033

METRO 2033 is another exciting game that you would never have guessed was a book adaptation. The first-person shooter PC game was developed by 4A Games and published by Deep Silver and THQ. METRO 2033 is set up 20 years after World War III in a Post-Apocalyptic Metro System. The video game revolves around the main character Artyom who must overcome paranormal militant dangers to protect his home station from an impending mutant attack. Throughout the game, you will participate in close-range combat using different artillery.

The entire storyline is captivating and closely emulates the book Metro 2033, which is a post-apocalyptic fantasy novel written by Dmitry Glukhovsky, a renowned Russian author. Dmitry Glukhovsky published the novel in 2002. The original book was in the Russian language and later translated to English in 2010. The Metro 2033 novel was followed by the sequels Metro 2034 and Metro 2035.

Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas

There is no doubt that Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas is one of the best PC games out there. The video game is set up in Las Vegas, where a team of special operatives is tasked to neutralize Irena Morales, an international terrorist. To do so, the team of military personnel must engage in a fierce battle with Irena Morales’ rogue army. The game features stunning graphics and amazing surroundings uniquely designed to achieve a realistic feel. It is so far one of the best PC games ever developed by Ubisoft.
Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six: Vegas is a digital rendition of Tom Clancy’s Rainbow Six novel by author Tom Clancy. The techno-thriller 740-page novel was published in 1998. Throughout the novel, Tom Clancy narrates the story of John Clarke and his military team as they take down notorious terrorists. The fiction novel also narrates the adventures of an international counter-terrorist with the codename Rainbow.

Assassin’s Creed Video Game Series

Assassin’s Creed video game series are famous globally for their impressive storylines and state-of-the-art features. The action-adventure video game series started rolling out in 2007. However, it was not until 2008 that the developers released the first PC version called Assassin’s Creed: Director’s Cut Edition. Even though the video game series has a fictional setup, it depicts real-life events. The game requires a player to execute a series of assassins. To do so, the player must journey to a destination where they will receive clues about the target. Players must also participate in numerous secondary tasks like climbing walls.
The video game’s storyline emulates Alamut, a Slovenian novel written by Vladimir Bartol and published in 1938. The novel takes the reader through a story of a master who continually orders a series of killings. Like the PC game, the novel features rich culture and thrilling happenings. The catchphrase ‘nothing is real, everything is permitted’ is used to guide the entire principle of the Assassin’s Creed games.

Conclusion

PC games often contain exciting content and memorable features that capture players’ attention. However, not all PC games have original storylines. Like the ones described above, a select number of PC games are inspired by books no one knew existed. Others go a step further to capture the setup and main characters as described in the novels leading to an irresistible game.

Rockstar Heavily Hint Towards Another “Red Dead” Game

rockstar red dead teaserWhen Rockstar San Diego released “Red Dead Redemption” – the second instalment of the “Red Dead” franchise – in 2010, nobody expected it to be a hit. The intention behind the game’s development was never to make it a broad commercial success like Rockstar North’s “Grand Theft Auto” series. After all, it was a niche game in a niche genre telling a story not about glorious destruction enveloped in a satire of the American dream, but one of the death of the Old West and the heroes and villains that once made it what it was. John Marston wasn’t your typical Rockstar protagonist. He didn’t set out to get rich, or to become some kind of kingpin or crime – all he wanted was to complete that one last job he was forced into by the government before retiring on a farm with his family and just fading out of existence alongside the world he represented. No, this was not a game ever meant to spawn a franchise. It was a game meant to prove that Rockstar San Diego, much like their Northern big brothers, were capable of crafting a masterpiece. And boy, did they prove it! “Red Dead Redemption” won over 30 awards from various publications and was nominated for just as many, and while I don’t have the sales numbers for it, I’m willing to bet it sold extremely well, especially after it was made playable on the Xbox One, which saw an increase in sales by over 6000%.

It was, without a doubt, the best Wild West game ever made, with a meticulous amount of detail being put into every aspect of it. Anything that you’d want to do on the Frontier is there! Want to engage in duels and shootouts? Obviously, that’s a big part of it. Want to tame wild stallions? Go for it! Hunting and taming animals? Yep! Getting into a bar and ordering a cheap whiskey? Uh-huh! Hunting bounties based on Wanted posters? Yes! Hell, you can even be a dastardly villain and tie a damsel to the train tracks if you so desire, the world’s your oyster! One of my favorite activities in the game was definitely playing card games like poker and blackjack, which was awesomely realized and very satisfying! Most people believe that online blackjack is only fun when played for real money, and while I do agree with that to some extent, I think that betting your online currency (which you had to work hard for and could spend on other stuff, like in real life) on a game of cards still made things pretty tense!

Fans have been clamoring for a new “Red Dead” for more than six years now, and it seems like their wish will finally come true, if some cryptic tweets by Rockstar’s Twitter account are to be believed! It all started with the surprise, out-of-nowhere release of “Red Dead Revolver” (the first game in the “Red Dead” franchise) on PS4, and just a few days later, we got a picture with Rockstar’s logo on a red background. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out what that was hinting at (clue’s in the name, people), but in case you were wondering, not long afterwards Rockstar released another image – one of several cowboys walking in front of a Western sunset. Now, it’s all but confirmed – “Red Dead Revengeance”, or however the hell the new game is going to be called, is coming out soon! My personal guess is that it’s going to be a prequel (I mean, “Redemption” was all about the end of the Old West in the early 20th century, so there’s really no place to go from there), but in any case, we’re probably going to learn more at the next gaming event. My guess would be December’s PSX, but don’t quote me on that.

3 Upcoming 2016 Videogames I Can’t Wait To Play

VideogamesBoy, 2016 sure was eventful, wasn’t it? We’re talking political drama (too many examples to count, most of which belong to a certain D. Trump, whoever that is), celebrity drama (whatever happened to Taylor Swift dating Tom Hiddleston, anyway?), movie drama (also known as Jared Leto’s intense desire to be Heath Ledger) and, of course, how can we forget one of the most heartwrenching tragedies that have befallen Western society? I am, of course, talking about the untimely death of Harambe, may he rest in peace. But anyway, it’s crazy to think that despite all that, the year still isn’t over, and we’ve got so much more to look forward to, in both the casino world and the videogame world (and presumably all the other areas of life – something about an Olympics happening? I don’t know, I don’t leave the house). Can you believe the fact that despite the newest casinos of 2022 already dominating the charts in terms of profits and players, we’re still getting more launches in Europe by year’s end? That’s crazy! The same could be said for the world of videogames, which has enjoyed similar success with games like “No Man’s Sky” and “Overwatch” despite the fact that some of the most anticipated releases have yet to grace us with their presence! Here are three games that are coming out before this year’s end that I can’t WAIT to get my dirty paws on!

1. Final Fantasy XV

How could I not start out with this one? We haven’t had a truly phenomenally great “Final Fantasy” game since, eh… Well, since 1997 and “Final Fantasy VII”! Afterwards VIII was garbage, IX and X were good, but not spectacular, and the series has been on a steady decline ever since, culminating with the absolute barf-show that was the “Final Fantasy XIII” trilogy, and I only use “barf” because I’m not allowed to use the s word on my family friendly blog that also happens to be talking about gambling. “Final Fantasy XV” has been in development for over 10 years now, originally starting life as another XIII spinoff known as “Final Fantasy Versus-XIII” before the developers decided to spin it off into its own thing. Thus far, we’ve received two demos of the game, as well as numerous trailers and animated shorts, and honestly? It’s looking great! Like, really, really good! The world building is impeccable, the characters are fun (even if it’s a bit of a sausage party), the battle system is AMAZING, and best of all, it looks and feels like a “Final Fantasy” game released in 2016 ought to feel! So I’m optimistic, despite the fact that the game was recently delayed all the way into November. Who knows, the extra months might make it even better? And besides, it’s not like I’m complaining – I’ll instead simply save up my money for…

2. Robinson

Alright, alright, I admit it – I wasn’t entirely on board with the whole “VR revolution” thing. I mean, sure, it was a novel concept at the time, but I – as a mostly console gamer – didn’t really feel comfortable buying a $700 PC (that is assuming that I build it myself – double that if it’s pre-built) and an $800 VR headset just to experience VR. However, a $400 headset that I can hook up to my PS4 sounds like an awesome idea, even if the picture quality won’t be as good as it will be on Oculus or Vive. Honestly, I was never a real sucker for quality. I mean, hell, I can’t even tell the difference between 720p and 1080p in most cases, so the PSVR being slightly worse than the Vive, but also being twice as cheap, isn’t bothering me. And besides, the PSVR has Oculus as an exclusive, and that’s what ultimately sold me! I mean, come on, it’s a game by Crytek (the guys who made the Crysis, “Ryse” and the first “Far Cry”, and it’s a real wonder Robinson isn’t named Robincry or something) that sets you on an island full of dinosaurs, with a robot companion that helps you navigate and a gravity gun like the one from “Half-Life 2”, but better. And it’s in VR. I don’t know about you, but I was sold numerous times over the course of this sentence!

3. South Park: The Shattered But Whole

It’s truly quite surprising that, until 2014, the best “South Park” game that existed was a slot machine, isn’t it? I mean, it’s not like the games that came before that were bad, but… Yeah, no, they were… They were pretty terrible, overall. And trust me, I played, like, all of them, I was hardcore into “South Park” at the time. But then “The Stick of Truth” came out, and all of a sudden we learned two things – one, that a good “South Park” game was not only possible, but fully achievable and within our grasp; and two, that we no longer need a new “South Park” movie because what we got is better. “The Stick of Truth” was about as perfect as a videogame could possibly get, and I have no idea how they did it, Matt, Trey, Obsidian and Ubisoft somehow made it even better. How? Well, they added more character classes, more customization options (you can play as a girl, for example), more sidequests, oh, and yes – SUPERHEROES! Naturally, throughout the entire thing that wonderful brand of “South Park” humor is right there, as shown in the trailers that reveal your character’s tragic superhero backstory (spoiler: he/she caught his parents having sex one night). Oh, and the game gives you the mother of all pre-order bonuses by bundling in a free copy of “The Stick of Truth” with every pre-order of “The Shattered But Whole”, which I personally take as an apology from Ubisoft for “Assassin’s Creed Unity” and the pre-order pants.

3 Innovative Online Slots that Should Not be Missed!

Innovative Online SlotsThere are literally thousands of slot machines that can be played on the internet nowadays. Yet what you may discover is that many of these are incredibly similar, in terms of the configuration, the types of bonus round available etc. In many cases, it is only the theme of a slot that differentiates it from others, rather than the gameplay. Yet this is not true in all cases. There are some online slots that are truly unique and push the boundaries in terms of entertainment, with innovative and exciting features included. But how do you find such games, you may be wondering? Well, there are useful resources such as this online casino website that can guide you in identifying the best places to play top casino games. Plus, here is a rundown of 3 outstanding slots that you should definitely try at least once:

Reel Rush

This is a truly unique slot with a configuration that cannot be found in other games. At first glance, Reel Rush may appear to have the same, conventional layout as many other slots, with 5 reels and 5 rows. However, when you start to play, you will see that several of the positions on the reels are not active. Every time you get a winning combination, you are awarded a re-spin, plus, 2 of the inactive reel positions are opened. Therefore, the number of ways to win increases with every line win you get. The ultimate thrill comes when you get another win after 5 consecutive re-spins. At this point, you are awarded 8 free spins, plus all positions on the reels are activated. This creates an enormous 3125 ways to win. As you can imagine, this provides the potential for some huge payouts.

Gonzo’s Quest

This game is referred to as a Tetris slot, thanks to the unique way in which the symbols fall into position on the reels, rather than spinning. When a winning combination is made, the symbols explode, triggering an avalanche of new symbols which fall down to fill the empty spaces. This feature means that you can get several wins from just one spin. What’s more, with each avalanche, the win multiplier is increased. If you line up 3 Golden Face symbols, then 10 free falls are awarded. These are free spins, which again include the possibility of multiple payouts from each one. Plus, during the free falls, the win multiplier can reach up to a massive 15x. On top of this unique and rewarding gameplay, Gonzo himself provides a running commentary and some funky dance moves, making the game even more engaging and entertaining.

South Park: Reel Chaos

Based on the hit American TV show, South Park: Reel Chaos is jam packed full of thrilling features and boasts a unique bonus round unlike any other. For starters, there are four special mini features which can be triggered at any time. These include Kyle’s Overlay Wilds, Stan’s Multiplying Re-Spins, Kenny’s Multiplier and Cartman’s Stacked Wilds. Undoubtedly the highlight of the game is the Mintberry Crunch Epic Bonus Spins round. The bonus game has 4 different levels, and at each one, you do battle with various enemies, in a style much like the arcade classic Street Fighter. With each enemy you defeat, the win multiplier is increased and you progress to the next level. The final baddie you face is Anime Professor Chaos. Wipe the floor with him and you’ll walk away with a victory bonus prize

Disney Cancels “Disney Infinity”

micky mouseThis is a very sad day for fans of the “Toys to Life” genre. “Disney Infinity” has always been, without a doubt, the best example of it I’ve ever played, far outshining the original “Skylanders” and the so-okay-it’s-average “Lego Dimensions”. I mean, which game allows you to play as characters from Disney, Pixar, Marvel AND Star Wars while also owning their likenesses in awesome, detailed figurines? Featuring worlds such as “Inside Out”, “Pirates of the Caribbean”, “The Force Awakens” and “Guardians of the Galaxy”, alongside their respective characters, “Disney Infinity” is truly the dream of any kid who’s a Disney fan, and honestly, their parents would find a lot to love, too. Sadly, the dream was not meant to last – recently, Disney announced that “Infinity” is, well… Surprisingly finite.

“Disney Infinity” had three versions so far – the original, which showcased Disney and Pixar levels and characters, 2.0, which featured Marvel characters, and 3.0, which was all about Star Wars. It’s unknown what the theme of 4.0 was supposed to be, but either way, it’s not going to be happening, as no more versions of the game will ever be released. “Disney Infinity 3.0” will see two more levels released alongside their respective characters, based on “Finding Dory” and “Alice Through The Looking Glass”, and after that the game won’t receive any more support whatsoever. It’s currently unknown whether the currently available characters and levels (which are sold in the form of toys) will continue to be manufactured, but it’s unlikely.

The decision from Disney to pull the plug of “Infinity” may be shocking to some, especially to those who know that the game is currently at the top of the “Toys to Life” genre, but honestly, it wasn’t hard to see it coming. When “Infinity 1.0” came out, demand for the toys far outmatched the supply from the manufacturer, and while that’s usually a good thing, in this case it led to mad sales, as every parent was worried that supplies wouldn’t last and that their child would be disappointed, which in turn led to even more sales. As a result, when “Infinity 2.0” launched, Disney vastly overestimated their demand and that resulted in hundreds of thousands of unsold copies of each figurine. Compare this with Nintendo’s approach to the “Toys to Life” model – their Amiibo figures are always in short supply in North America precisely to exploit this loophole in the consumer’s mind. When a product’s in high demand, it’ll always sell even more. And while creating an artificial shortage does sound like a murky business practice, it’s better than the alternative, namely – ending your game and packing up store with millions of unsold toys.

Honestly, I’m kind of hoping that now Disney will release some kind of Collector’s Edition which offers all three versions of Disney Infinity alongside all levels and characters without requiring the figurines in order to play them, but who knows if that’ll ever happen. It’d be practically like free money for them, but hey, I’m not exactly their business adviser!

Welcome to VNGame8!

diceHey, everyone, and thanks for stopping by to check out my blog! It really means a lot, considering just how oversaturated the Internet is with gaming stuff. With giants like Kotaku, Polygon, IGN and so on and so forth, it’s easy to ask yourself why anyone could possibly have a need for a smaller blog ran by a single person who hasn’t studied journalism, doesn’t have a press pass, hasn’t been to E3 and doesn’t have hundreds of thousands of subscribers on YouTube. And the reason why is because my opinion matters. It doesn’t matter more than the opinion of, say, Kirk Hamilton, nor does it matter less. Just because I’m not what some may call a “qualified journalist” doesn’t mean I should be looked down upon.

Of course, I’m not the only special schmuck with an opinion, very far from it! Opinions are like bum holes, everyone’s got one – but while most people are satisfied with expressing theirs in a Tweet, I found that this no longer really worked for me. As a matter of fact, it’s a common joke among my Facebook friends about how I constantly write out 500+ word long blog posts, which at the end of the day go on to be ignored because, well, that’s Facebook for you. So my reasoning was that maybe a blog would be a better place for my rants, opinions and trivia than social media could ever be. And maybe this place will remain completely ignored, or maybe it’ll generate a small group of followers over time. Either way, I’m sure I’ll have fun! If you’re here – thanks for your support, and I’ll see you on the other side!