Witcher 3 fans, we are cursed with a great blessing. The game’s first DLC came out on Oct. 13, with much more substantial DLC to follow in the spring, and I have a terrible confession to make: I haven’t played it yet, I haven’t bought it yet, and I don’t know when I will play it. And yet Witcher 3 is my favorite game in years. What gives, iDigitalTimes staff reporter, you say? Ah, it’s that old and dreadful force: Time. Because this fall is a golden year for gaming, and I must get out there and chase fresh excitements.
The Witcher 3 DLC Illustrates The Trouble With Golden Ages Of Gaming
Are we in a new Golden Age of gaming? Maybe so, maybe not, but one thing’s for sure: This year’s fall lineup is the strongest in years, and it was a good year even before that. There is just too much to play. And that brings us to the one and sole peril of truly great times for gaming: Time and money are finite resources.
The Witcher 3 is a truly incredible game, and it elevates the entire medium as an art form. It is also very long. I have dozens of hours in it, and I’m not even done yet (Minecraft beckons… Minecraft beckons). I haven’t played Hearts of Stone yet and of course I haven’t played the spring 2016 DLC, Blood and Wine, set in the more peaceful realm of Toussaint. And both have and will have amazing surprises, great moments that will remind me why I love Witcher 3 so much.
But I also crave new experiences—even though I know they won’t be as good as the ones in Witcher 3, mostly. I crave Battlefield: Star Wars. I yearn for Divinity. And I offer my life for Aiur. And of course there’s Fallout 4, about which I can only speak with sheer reverence, though its gift has not yet been bestowed upon me. Besides perhaps for Fallout, I won’t like any of these games as much as Witcher 3, but they’ll be different. They’ll be new and exciting gaming experiences (and more StarCraft).
Your list of games may be different from mine—maybe you are still knee-deep in Cities: Skylines, but need to set it aside for Halo 5 and Ass. Creed: Syndicate. But my point stands. There are too many great games coming out this year to actually play this fall, unless you’re still in college or younger (in which case, PLAY UP while you can!). And of course you can catch up later—just like I will with Witcher 3 over the deep, dark winter. But you must prioritize. There is no alternative. You can dive deep into one game, stay there, live there forever—play Minecraft or Europa Universalis IV or Cities: Skylines or Destiny or No Man’s Sky until the world ends. And that is your prerogative.
But even then you have to choose… choose your game. And if you want to cast a wider net, it’s tough. So I will get back to Witcher 3, the greatest game in years. But there is much to play in the meantime. It’s a tough life, having more games than you can play. Cherish this rare opportunity. Or wait til the games are $20 and buy ‘em then, but that’s just crazy talk!
