The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a landmark in open-world RPG design, and its influence on the genre remains visible a decade after release. CD Projekt Red's achievement is most evident in its writing -- side quests that would be throwaway content in other games feature branching narratives, moral complexity, and memorable characters that rival many games' main storylines. The Bloody Baron questline alone is better written than most complete RPGs. Geralt is a fantastic protagonist, and the world of the Continent feels lived-in and consequential. Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are arguably the best expansions ever produced, with the latter adding an entirely new region that surpasses many standalone games. The next-gen update brought welcome visual improvements and ray tracing. Combat is the weakest element -- functional but lacking the depth and responsiveness that the rest of the game achieves. The open world, while beautifully crafted, follows some formulaic design patterns with question marks dotting the map. Movement and inventory management can feel clunky. But The Witcher 3's narrative ambition and the quality of its writing set a standard that open-world RPGs continue to chase.