The Witcher - Graphics Comparison

Couch also spotted a video that shows the graphics evolution between The Witcher EE and The Witcher 3.



More information.

For a game built on the NWN Aurora Engine, Witcher 1 never looked that bad (and still doesn't really). There's no denying the latter titles look better (as they should), but I wish they had not employed such twitchy combat.

I'm not even sure why are they comparing graphics in games and not graphics in engines.

I mean, Aurora. Peh.
Not once I said it's possibly the worst game engine that existed.
That video up there is like comparing NWN graphics with SW:Battlefront which uses latest Frostbite.

Respect to CDPR for creating three graphically impressive games for the times, especially with Witcher 3, which is such a beautiful game both technically and artistically. I'm finally just about to complete Witcher 3, and it never stops impressing, despite the gameplay flaws.

Honestly, the graphical improvements don't strike me as that significant. Sure, it's simple to see that there are many, many improvements and that the series graphics has evolved but...how much does it really matter?

I still think the first game is pleasant enough to look at and I wouldn't be adverse to playing a brand new crpg that held exactly the same level of graphical advancement/sophistication.

Drithius said:

For a game built on the NWN Aurora Engine, Witcher 1 never looked that bad (and still doesn't really). There's no denying the latter titles look better (as they should), but I wish they had not employed such twitchy combat.

Click to expand...

For a game running on Aurora engine, albeit heavily modified one, Wither 1 looked out-of-this-world good. Then Witcher 2 came out and basically said "you don't need to compromise your game visually just because it's an RPG". Finally, Witcher 3 was upon us and its improvements were more along the lines of rewriting the engine to facilitate streaming for open world and things like better animations, specifically facial animations and emoting which make a world of difference between characters looking like dolls and actual living beings, for example.

Pretty damn impressive in it's day, even if they ended up modifying three quarters of Aurora engine.





No surprise they climbed so quickly through the ranks.
Plus the game had the best sex cards I've seen in a video game.

BoboTheMighty said:

Pretty damn impressive in it's day, even if they ended up modifying three quarters of Aurora engine.

Click to expand...

It also doesn't hurt that is has some of the most memorable BGM I've ever heard in a game.

Bgm ?

Steinawarjar said:

Bgm ?

Click to expand...

Background music

JDR13 said:

Background music

Click to expand...

Hahah alright! Thanks

JDR is referring to "Bold and Gallant Men" you'll find in Witcher I.

Witcher 1 had, above all, great writing. I laughed my ass off too many times to count. And, despite not having massive sales, they released an enhanced edition for it. I became an absolute devotee of CDP after that.

Feist said:

Honestly, the graphical improvements don't strike me as that significant.

Click to expand...

I may have to pull out my 3D modeling/animator/artist card here because the graphical improvements are HUGE. They massively increased the technical capabilities including important immersion factors like believable lip-syncing. They also made huge leaps in realistic lighting, which also makes the scenes feel so much more alive.

Screenshots don't do it justice, but Witcher 3 compared to Witcher 1 is a massive, enormous leap forward. The facial realism and lip-syncing alone was a large reason many found Witcher 3 so compelling. You felt like you were actually talking to real people with real problems.

Constast this with Fallout 4, which has utterly dismal facial/lip-syncing, and sure enough many players find Fallout 4's characters hollow, boring, and fake. But I digress.

The Witcher 1 engine was complete garbage. It wasn't even true 3D and Geralt couldn't have jumped over an earthworm even if he wanted to. I'm very glad they ditched it in favor of their own RedEngine. The Witcher 2 looked absolutely spectacular compared to the rather bland Witcher 1, especially with the -back then- barely playable übersampling enabled.

So I would definitely say that The Witcher 1 to Witcher 2 was a pretty huge leap. I haven't played TW3 myself yet but from gameplay videos I would call the leap from TW2 to TW3 a much more minor hop in visual quality.

Above all, W1 got the most jaw dropping ending, I have seen in any game.

Phonix said:

Above all, W1 got the most jaw dropping ending, I have seen in any game.

Click to expand...

Really? I forgot how it ended can you remind me in a spoiler? If it was great I guess I would remember it but it might be one of those ooo yeah that was great kind of thing

There is an assassin (creed?) attempt.
While in my case the game intro, which is 5 minutes long "cartoon", was jawdropping, the end wasn't really, it just made me want for more "witchering".

It's again a matter of taste. I'll get blown up if ending turns things I've learned through the story upside down in an unpredictable manner but still fitting. The best recent example I can think of is "How to get away with murder" where the story gets build up and every time you think all pieces of the puzzle are there and the thing is clear, it combines things differently and all what you know is again on test (first season, the second is still not available here).
I guess not everyone watched that show, so when it comes to games, my jawdropping example would be finding out your true "self" in Kotor. Another one would be AC:Brotherhood where one of your most trusted sidekicks you expect to see in the sequel - dies (won't reveal how). There is also an example of a stinker, an ending that was supposed to be shocking as Evangelion, but failed miserably and is commonly known as red_green_blue ending (ME3).

In the case of TW1 while the ending was still great, it's aim was to be an intro to another, upcoming, story.

joxer said:

There is an assassin (creed?) attempt.

Click to expand...

I think he's talking about the boy and grand master case of identity in the end.
That vid was more an appetizer for the second one.

BoboTheMighty said:

Pretty damn impressive in it's day, even if they ended up modifying three quarters of Aurora engine.

Click to expand...

I agree, Witcher 1 may be an old game, but it is still pleasing to look at. The engine is kind of glitchy, but I really like the art style. Some of the sceneries are quite picturesque.

A really beautifull scene from witcher 1 which is like from a fairytale (great bgm too!): Geralt receives Aerondight from Lady of the Lake