The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

Our analysis

A deeply engrossing open-world RPG carried by superb writing, world-building, voice acting, and nuanced character animation, with rewarding detective-style witcher-vision investigation breaking up familiar quest structures. The fragmented, gated open world and the complex, slot-based leveling system are the main frustrations. On the Switch the port runs at a steady 30fps but with muddy sub-720p visuals and bugs, making it a worthwhile compromise only when no other platform is available.

Our analysis

Chosen as game of the decade for being the most immersive RPG around, thanks to a deeply written world, complex quests, and morally grey characters who all feel fleshed out. The controls are clunky and stiff, combat is merely serviceable, and factions like the Wild Hunt and Nilfgaard feel underdeveloped. Even so, the richness of the storytelling makes the flaws easy to forgive.

Our analysis

An exceptional open-world RPG whose side quests rival most other games' main stories, set in a massive, atmospheric world that feels genuinely alive. The reworked combat is sleek and responsive, the voice acting and writing are outstanding, and Gwent is a surprisingly robust diversion. Frame-rate dips, a temperamental sound-mixing bug, and assorted glitches are the main blemishes, but it remains a must-buy.

Our analysis

The big update brings the long-awaited next-gen features and a ton of DLC to the Switch version, including new quests, GOG cross-progression, quick sign casting, and many quality-of-life tweaks, alongside the senior-designer combat rebalance mod. The mature open world still holds up beautifully and rewards revisiting. The catch is performance, which dips to around 20fps and gets notably rough in cities, plus a sound bug currently stripping out ambient weather audio.

Our analysis

The free next-gen upgrade is a solid enhancement rather than a remake, adding performance and ray-tracing modes, better lighting and textures via the HD Rework mod, a cleaner UI and map, improved fall damage, more movement options, and a native photo mode. The new closer default camera angle is divisive but fully customizable. It makes an already great game of comfort-food adventuring even more playable and is well worth replaying.

Our analysis

A gorgeous, content-rich open world with a deep story and believable characters, undermined by shallow spam-attack-and-roll combat, imprecise controls and immersion-breaking loading screens. Story fans may enjoy it, but Mack says it is not worth £50.

Our analysis

One of the greatest RPGs ever made, with masterful storytelling, expertly crafted characters, and a vast engrossing world that holds up as a masterpiece. The combat shows its age with some unruly movement and occasional jank, and the visuals take a hit on Switch with blurry, muddy textures. Even so, fitting the full uncut experience onto a cartridge is a stunning achievement and a no-brainer for RPG fans.

Our analysis

The first Witcher game to genuinely pull the reviewer in, earning a recommendation on the strength of its storytelling and adept story crafting, with characters whose animations and choices land emotionally. Combat is more layered than it needs to be and mostly comes down to mashing quick attack and dodging, the omnipresent card-game side quests grate, and the PS4 version suffers frame-rate loss, long loads, and glitches. It also overstuffs itself with tutorials and side content.

Our analysis

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains a staggering achievement, improved by a free next-gen update with enhanced visuals, thoughtful camera and interface options, and quicker sign casting. Newcomers should give it a shot, while returning players will find enough to feel fresh.

Our analysis

A masterpiece and among the best RPGs ever made, delivering an enormous open world of interconnected zones packed with handcrafted quests that never feel like filler, even on the side. The writing, memorable characters, superb music and voice acting, rewarding mutagen progression, and the addictive Gwent mini-game all stand out. Flaws include awkward movement and horseback collisions, frustrating underwater controls, weak keyboard-and-mouse support, occasional crashes, and a poor crossbow, but none undercut the experience.