<P> Its narrative also received critical acclaim . Carter praised the game's cast of characters, which he called unique and interesting . He considered the narrative more involving, with players witnessing key events and making consequential choices . Wallace praised the game's dialogue and its side - quests; each was similar to a short story, and player decisions in the quests would influence the state of the world . She liked the game's main quest, which added more character to Geralt, and said that the romance options were a significant improvement over its predecessors . However, she was disappointed with the quality of the game's endings . Kevin Van Ord of GameSpot echoed Wallace, noting that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's story had more characterisation for Geralt than the previous games . He welcomed the change, since it gave players emotional connections to the in - game characters . Senior enjoyed the game's side - quests, calling them "a compilation of dark fantasy short stories" which overshadowed the main quests . Ingenito was disappointed with the game's main story, saying that there were too much padding and dull quests . PC Gamer's Shaun Prescott agreed, saying that the narrative would have felt rote if the side content was not engaging . Van Ord, Wallace and Brett Phipps of VideoGamer.com praised the voice acting, with Wallace calling it the series' best . Arthur Gies from Polygon criticized that some of the female characters are overly sexualized and that there are no people of colour in the main game . </P> <P> The game's combat had a generally - positive reception . Bloodworth found Geralt more mobile and agile with the new climbing and swimming mechanic . Carter said that it was significantly streamlined and its predecessors' strategic elements removed, but appreciated its action . Wallace wrote that with a simplified alchemy system, a decent user interface and diverse difficulty settings the combat was more accessible, although she disliked the disruptive weapon - degradation system and unrefined crossbow shooting mechanic . Leack thought the system lacked complexity and criticised its lack of polish, caused by the unreliable lock - on system, camera issues and excessively - long combat animation . Senior noted that some gameplay mechanics, such as rolling and dodging, were inconsistent and made the system feel unfair . Ingenito praised the combat, describing its fluidity as a significant improvement over its predecessors . </P> <P> Other gameplay aspects received mixed reviews . Van Ord praised the game's customisation and upgrade system (which offered players a sense of progression), since it hardened as the story unfolded . Ingenito called its upgrade system deep and flexible, since players have considerable freedom when customising Geralt's skills . Leack disliked the upgrade system, calling it "unexciting". Carter was disappointed with the Witcher Senses (which he found repetitive), but Senior considered them superior to objective markers--the norm for role - playing games . Prescott disliked the user interface for its clumsiness and tedium . Senior found the Gwent card game an addictive minigame . </P> <P> The game was criticised for its technical issues . Carter called its climbing animations stiff, noting that some gameplay bugs would hinder player progress . According to Wallace, the game's load times were too long . Leack noted that the game had a graphic downgrade, and the actual game did not look as good as the 2013 demonstration . Senior, Phipps and Ingenito noted frame rate issues; although Ingenito thought it did not impact the gameplay, Phipps called it a persistent problem which overshadowed many of the game's achievements . </P>

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