As the year comes to a close, best-of lists are being compiled, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is topping many of them. I’ve never been a big fan of role-playing games, as they tended toward Dungeons & Dragons territory, with the typical lineup of way too much expository conversation, clunky combat mechanics, and more often than not, some type of mage guiding you through endless intricacies of spells and potions. This RPG, however, was refreshingly different right from the start – a beautifully crafted open world, an engaging storyline, and a varied selection of mythical creatures to take down a notch in dynamic sword-to-claw combat.