Some people tend to buy games when they first come out, while others prefer to wait for sales or GOTY editions. The latter approach makes sense considering the volume of releases each year and the onslaught of DLC for a lot of high profile games. At the same time, it removes the fervor and hype that surrounds a game release and the ensuing discussion that results from the attention. It can be easy to forget just how much fun the initial zeitgeist provides.
The topic comes to mind because I've been playing a lot of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt lately. I put a handful of hours into the game when it first came out before I got sidetracked with other games and work. While everyone else freaked out about how good The Witcher 3 is, I simply read the reactions as I had nothing to contribute to the conversation. In fact, I wasn't quite enamored with the game after my initial time with it. I enjoyed the world it presented, but the combat and character progression left something to be desired.
I decided to return to The Witcher 3 last month, and now I can't stop playing it. I just want to talk to people about how gut-wrenching the Bloody Baron questline is, or how Ciri is a total badass, or a number of other standout moments in the game. I still find myself underwhelmed by the combat and leveling system, but the characters, quest structure, and overall narrative make it one of the most memorable game experiences of 2015. Unfortunately, everyone else came to that realization months ago.
The initial discussion that surrounded the release of the game has slowly dissipated. There are still plenty of people playing The Witcher 3 – let's not forget the size and scope of the game. Also, the first big expansion comes out this month, so that may create a new spark for the game. Nevertheless, I can't help but feel a tinge of disappointment at the fact that I'm not experiencing the game on the same widespread scale as everyone else.
Then again, the wait and see approach has also worked in my favor. Developer CD Projekt RED continues to support The Witcher 3 with extensive patches and updates, to the point that the game is quite different today than it was in its first couple of months. When I returned to the game a few weeks ago, I was treated to new sorting options, a universal stash to store old items, and an alternate movement mode that addresses one of the biggest complaints about the game. Ultimately I'm playing a better version of The Witcher 3 because I got sidetracked, and thus it validates the decision to wait on a game. As the saying goes, patience is a virtue.
This dichotomy also brings to mind Destiny, a game I played at launch. Despite my many problems with Bungie's sci-fi shooter, I spent 50+ hours with friends and repeated the same strikes over and over again. Destiny is a much better game now with the introduction of The Taken King expansion, but there's a certain satisfaction to being there since the beginning. Some people will argue that I was a glorified beta tester, and I understand the thought process, but I still enjoyed experiencing Destiny with so many other people in the first few months.
At the end of the day, it boils down to personal preference. Perhaps the nature of my job instills a subconscious desire to play everything immediately, while others have less time for games and must focus on one or two releases every few months. In that case, waiting for patches or looking for great deals seem like logical choices. Sadly for me, I don't have that kind of willpower.
