20 Beloved Video Games No One Admits They Hated

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is nothing short of RPG royalty. Despite now being over a decade old, it still regularly comes up in the conversation of the greatest RPG ever made, and is culturally more relevant than ever thanks to a TV series focusing on the game's protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, and the upcoming sequel, The Witcher 4.

The bustling world of The Witcher 3 is often cited as one of the best examples of world building within an RPG, and even some of the game's quests are singled out for their excellence. The world feels lived-in, and this seeps through into every facet of the game. Gerlalt himself is one of the most fleshed-out, interesting protagonists of recent years, and he quickly cemented himself as one of gaming's cult icons even before Henry Cavill took up the role for the Netflix series.

Players who are discovering the game for the first time after the Netflix show, or after hearing about its legendary reputation, could've been forgiven for expecting a flawless RPG with no obvious weak points right from the get-go.  Unfortunately, these guys anticipating perfection likely found themselves wanting. The combat can feel incredibly functional at first, with players needing time to learn the game's systems and mechanics which add vital layers to combat encounters. It isn't necessarily as accessible as combat in other open world games like Ghost of Tsushima or Horizon: Zero Dawn.

Combined with the fact that the game's opening hours crawl by at a snail's pace, many new players may ultimately not even stick around long enough to get comfortable with the systems and mechanics on offer. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is absolutely loved by many, but it demands time, and its only after a dozen or so hours that players can truly appreciate what a masterpiece it really is.