The Witcher 3 is getting its first DLC pack, Hearts of Stone, in less than two weeks on Oct. 13. By most accounts, it looks pretty exciting, although it’s worth repeating that this is the smaller of the two DLC packs that the game is confirmed to be getting. This is the quest and storyline-driven expansion; the second one will actually introduce a major new area to the map. And I’ll be buying it on day one. But I won’t be playing it. No, not yet. No Hearts of Stone for me.
Why I Won’t Play Hearts of Stone Right Away
The Witcher 3 is a tremendously large game. It may, in fact, be the largest, longest RPG of the modern era, at least as far as a triple A title goes. What’s the last game that was this long and complicated and also had modern graphics at the time of its release? Neverwinter Nights? It’s been quite a long time since we’ve had such a long, complicated game… and that’s why I won’t be playing Hearts of Stone when it launches.
Alright, I’ll fess up: What I’m trying to say here is, I’m not done with Witcher 3 yet, almost six months after it first came out. I’m not even close to being done, and I’ve logged dozens of hours in it already (to be fair, I got hung up in Novigrad for a long time). I’m only just barely done with the main quest in Skellige, but still have tons to do there before I return to Velen. And I’m told I’m a third of the way through the game, at best. Which is crazy, since it took so long to get this far. It’s crazy and amazing.
I’m not saying The Witcher 3 is too long: I don’t think that at all. I think it’s a great and impressive length. But it’s a length that takes a long time to get through, at least for some of us. With lots of other commitments (Minecraft) and game time limited (because of Minecraft), not to mention work and real life, games like Witcher 3 can take a long time to finish nowadays.
And you know what? That’s okay. I will finish Witcher 3, probably in 2015, maybe early in the winter of next year. And then I’ll play Hearts of Stone, which requires you to be level 30 anyway. I’m not even close. Because when I do get there… well, the DLC will still be there. It isn’t going anywhere.
It’s okay to take your time with a game. I’m doing that with Witcher 3, my favorite game in years. I will play it entirely through. However long it takes.
