STACK #126 Apr 2016

GAMES

INTERVIEW

visit www.stack.net.au

The Countdown Continues...

There's not long to go now until The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt lands at JB.We caught up with senior level designer Peter Gelencser on his recent trip Down Under.

stance – how he's standing, what kind of terrain, what kind of elevation, what kind of posture he's in when he acts to things coming from front, left, right, what kind of attack you unleash from which position. It looks better and feels better, and it's very responsive and very tactical. You can react to a lot of things differently, you can use a lot of things very fluently. All the signs, the dodges, the parries, the tools you can use from your inventory. Everyone will be able to find their own style very quickly. What is the actual objective of the game? The Wild Hunt has appeared and had a major impact on the world, and they're basically Geralt's nemesis, and he needs to track them down because he's looking for Ciri, who's not only a person of interest to him but also a living weapon, if you want to put it that way. Basically he has to track her down as well.

How long have you been involved with the project? I started in 2013, early Feb. I've just celebrated my two year

slightly break or become a nuisance that we have to fix. We learned a lot from the current events and fan feedback. I think it was Miyamoto who made a very smart and strong statement – a delayed game can be a good game, but a rushed game will forever be a bad game. I think that stands and will stand the test of time. We want to release a game that will stand the test of time. Tell us about the 'Wild Hunt' The Wild Hunt is actually rooted in ancient German and Celtic legends. It's always been a part of the Witcher lore, at least in the books, and is mentioned often. As a main influence, it has only become a part of the video game lore in this game. It was already mentioned and I think a part of the first game, but not as important or massive in impact as it is right now. So what exactly is it? It's a cavalcade of ghostly spectres who abduct people and put them to their own use, and Geralt has something very important to do with them that we don't like to spoil. So it's a vital part of his character development as well – their destiny always intertwines. Has the combat changed much at all? We made it far more fluid; that was the most important feedback from fans. You cannot get lost in lengthy combos any more. It's very responsive – you press something on the controller and something happens. We've recorded an incredible amount of animation so there's always an adaptation to Geralt's

anniversary.

Fan of the series before that? Yes! I played both the games but unfortunately I wasn't part of their development.

Did you always have an idea of what you'd like to bring to the series? When I applied, I had a few ideas I really wanted to carry through. Of course, when I became truly familiar with the role and the vision the company held for the game, they were adjusted accordingly, but some of them I could implement. It was really really interesting having a good, strong impression before I came to the company and having that refined and polished during development. I learned a lot! The game's release was pushed back a few months – what's the company's ethos on release? How does it compare in the market at this time? Well we wanted quality for our game, and we wanted to deliver it in a better state, in a polished state that people will not have to bother about annoying bugs and glitches so they can just enjoy the story. That's so important to us, because it's such a large project. Incredible amounts of exploration and adventure to be done. And of course, a lot of things need to be paid attention to that can

• The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is out May 19

072