Gerin: ...but Ch 2 almost killed me with boredom and wondering what to do next. Running around Vizima, running around the swamp, repeat, repeat.

Gerin: If I do finish the game I'm not likely to play through again bevause I don't want to repeat it.

bhrigu: The Post contains *minor SPOILERS*
Greetings!

I enjoyed running around Vizima and the swamps. The atmosphere felt great, much better than The Witcher 2. However, I used to level up a bit at the beginning of chapters and that took care of the battles, which were the least engaging part of the game. For me the 3rd chapter (which opens up hitherto closed areas of Vizima) and chapter 4 (more running around in a countryside) were also good.

So if you aren't enjoying the narrative and atmosphere (these are the things I enjoyed most) by now, chances are thin that you will like it later. But I would suggest to try it a little more and decide for yourself. And levelling up always helps.

Gerin: Thanks for the reply. When you say "level up a bit at the beginning of chapters" that sounds great to me. Is there a good way to grind a level or two? I'm afraid I didn't spend my points right at first and am catching up on my sword styles.

There's a lot of good stuff here and I want to enjoy it and see it through.

bhrigu: Feel free to ask any further questions.

Lebesgue: I personally liked Chapter 2 and 3 the most. As other said, I did not find running around boring as I found the atmosphere felt great.

I am also curious if this is your first (or one of the first) encounters from cRPGs? The gameplay in many RPGs revolves about "running around."

Gerin: Thanks for your input. This is nowhere near my first crpg. The running around is not my favorite part of any game, but I can deal with it if it isn't too much of my game time and if I know where I need to go. In both those areas I felt this game was pushing my limit, but it's possible I overreacted.

Waltorious: For what it's worth, I liked Chapter 1 the least, I enjoyed both Chapter 2 and Chapter 3, and Chapter 4 was my favorite. I liked Chapters 2 and 3 because the focus on one city with a small range of characters who were far more detailed than typical NPCs was quite unusual compared to other RPGs I played. It also feels similar to the original short stories, which often had Geralt hanging around a city with some friends. There are even sidequests related entirely to socializing with people, which I thought was cool.

Chapter 4 was my favorite though because it has the greatest focus on the folklore inspirations for the Witcher world.

So I'm tempted to tell you to stick with it so you can experience Chapter 4, but I worry that if you're not enjoying the sections in Vizima, then you may not enjoy the game overall. Every chapter involves wandering around small locations and interacting with the characters there. But Chapter 4 is closer to Chapter 1 in that it's set more in the countryside, so if you liked Chapter 1 you may like Chapter 4.

Gerin: Thanks for your input. This is nowhere near my first crpg. The running around is not my favorite part of any game, but I can deal with it if it isn't too much of my game time and if I know where I need to go. In both those areas I felt this game was pushing my limit, but it's possible I overreacted.

bhrigu: Well said.
However, while the setting of chapters 1 and 4 are similar, story-wise and ambience-wise ch 4 is much superior. Chapter 4 had a few missions, even side quests which included such well-drawn characters and backstory that I still remember them.

My advice would be to stick with the game. Even if you don't admire some aspects of the game, overall it will hopefully be a good experience. :)