10 Brilliant Video Games That Surprised Everyone - Commenter Edition

1. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3 blood and wine
CD Projekt RED

"How could you say The Witcher 3 was a surprise," I hear you yell. "The first 2 games were flawless masterpieces, and PC gamers have known that for years!"

Therein lies the point.

The original 2 Witcher titles, released exclusively for PC (save for a later Xbox 360 port of The Witcher 2), are hugely influential games but remain very much geared towards a niche audience. PC gamers were rightly excited for the conclusion to the trilogy, but a great deal of console gamers, myself included, had very little to go on.

As we all know by now, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is considered one of the greatest video games of all time - and for good reason. Its world is expansive and gorgeous to behold, and its mechanics are refined and streamlined, yet still have enough depth not to feel watered down.

Most noteworthy, however, is its story and characterisation. Very rarely does a game come along with such nuance in every facet of its storytelling, and such engaging characters inhabiting the entire moral spectrum. Its drama is devastating, its moments of levity all the more effective.

Standing ovation, CD Projekt Red.

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A self-taught video editor with nearly 25 years of experience, Joe worked in freelance videography for many years before joining WhatCulture in 2018. During that time, he has expanded his work to include both writing and presenting, and has been at the forefront of several new channel launches including WhatCulture Horror and WhatCulture Star Wars, largely defining their visual identity through the design and curation of their bespoke assets. As a dedicated WhatCulture Gaming staff member, he has spearheaded numerous new content strategies and formats, and has taken the lead on various charitable projects that have raised large sums of money for charities close to his heart. Bluesky and Instagram: @jjpinwheel