The sad ending made me sad - spoilers, ofc

[Eyestabber]

Seriously, I was curious about what Phillipa had to say to Ciri, I REALLY wanted Emyr's money and I thought wrecking Avallach's lab was a bad idea. And it bit me in the ass. REALLY hard.

I honestly can't remember the last time a "bad ending" on a Vidya Game actually made me feel bad, but Witcher 3 managed to do it. I cared about Geralt and Ciri and that ending felt like the game kicked my stomach or something. When that Crone managed to flee Ciri's wrath I thought to myself "gotta kill her at some point". Never thought killing the last Crone would be the saddest and most unfulfilling moment in my gaming career.

Well played CDPR, well played.

Spoiler

WHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY MOTHERFUCKERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!111111111111111

Spoiler

But Ciri could still be alive, right? The ending said so, right? RIGHT?!

 

[RK47]

It was well done.
Absolutely well done.
I have no regrets in seeing it.
It was darkly beautiful and fitting for a dark RPG.
Except the circumstances leading to this is pretty badly done.
But seeing the legendary witcher ending the trilogy like that is powerful.
More games need to see failure as more than a game over screen.

 

[Jools]

I was so happy to have Ciri walk to her death. Her insufferable presence ruined both the books and the game.

 

[RK47]

It needs more, like player Geralt, having been so protective and controlling of Ciri decides to step into the Frost portal himself, arrive there, only to distract Ciri - indirectly killing her before she gave a final push to send him back to his own world, with the knowledge he just fucked over the world's savior and his own treasured thing.

If that had happened, the transition to the dark ending wouldn't feel so abrupt.

 

[Carrion]

I thought wrecking Avallach's lab was a bad idea

By all intents and purposes, it probably should've been a bad idea, though. The Lodge meeting is another thing that could've been interpreted in a couple of different ways, although it does at least follow a certain logic of allowing Ciri to become more independent.

I did love the epilogue itself, especially that last shot.

 

[Eyestabber]

In case my OP wasn't clear enough: the ending was perfect, and I'm not complaining about it. I'm simplying venting my sadness and butthurt over Ciri's fate. But I CDPR for providing an ending that can't be changed during the last 3-5 minutes of the game, like some other games (I'm looking at you, Deus EX: HR).
"You made your choices, now live with them" <---

It's been a REALLY LONG TIME since last I saw such an amazingly well done ending. TW3 is my favorite Witcher game and one of the best games I ever played.

Also, you guys noticed how the sad ending has NO Geralt epilogue? I found this to be pretty interesting, since I did Triss' romance and was expecting an epilogue anyway (because reactivity isn't the game strong suit). However, there was NO Geralt epilogue, because his fate is tied with Ciri's. Simply put: Geralt CANNOT live happily forever after with his Waifu if Ciri is dead. Also, the epilogue is the very first time I heard Geralt call Ciri "my daughter". The Crone going "Do you seek death, white one?" hit me right in the FEELZ. Small details, big , IMO.


Looking forward to playing the expansions.

Spoiler

And doing a second playtrough that manages to actually SAVE Ciri

 

[Eirikur]

I think there was a big plot hole during the "Ugly Baby" quest.

Geralt, Vesemir, and Yennefer all suspect that Uma might be Ciri. Yet at that point in the story, Geralt should know enough to conclude that it's almost certainly the masked mage. He knows that Ciri and the masked mage journeyed together in Skellige (where a curse was triggered in the forest), he knows that they teleported to Velen and became seperated, he knows that Ciri went to Novigrad instead of going to the masked mage's hideout (where Geralt had gone with Keira), and most importantly, he knows that Ciri (while normal and healthy) worked with Dandelion to seek a way to lift someone's curse (while there was no further trace of the masked mage). He also knows that Uma is unlikely to be someone else, since he was seen returning in the rowboat the masked mage had paddled away in. Plus there's the whole gender thing, and the fact that ugliness was part of the curse and the masked mage was wearing a... mask.

Ultimately it seemed as though the game was trying to make Uma's identitiy very mysterious and suspenseful, while we could just assume it was the masked mage all along. Geralt seemed 'not-so-bright'.

There's also a bit of a flawed timeline in regards to the Bloody Baron. When describing how he obtained Uma, he says he 'went to Novigrad once, to indulge in the city's pleasures', making it sound as though it was long ago in happier times. Yet he can't have obtained Uma before Ciri stayed with him, and when she stayed with him he had already lost his wife and daughter (hence unlikely to take a happy pleasure trip to Novigrad afterwards).

I may be overthinking these things...

 

[Eyestabber]

Skjal/Craven is another big hole.

 

[rezaf]

I think there was a big plot hole during the "Ugly Baby" quest.

(...)
I may be overthinking these things...

If you go to Novigrad first (which I did in my playthrough), it isn't quite as obvious as you make it look.

That said, the quest line definately has some weak spots - I'd guess it was redesigned several times and thus they had to do some "handwaving".

As for the ending itself, I got the one where Ciri became a Witcher, which I was fine with - even though I'd have been fine with Empress Ciri as well.
I'm not sure about the bad ending, I haven't youtubed it yet.

Anyway, the game could have benefited from an option like the one in PoE where you could tell from smallprint or a tooltip that a choice would have longterm implications (and on the highest setting see what consequences the choice will have precisely).
I probably wouldn't have enabled such mode, but there are people offended by it being there to begin with, so maybe it's all for the best as it is?
Dunno.

 

[Carrion]

If you go to Novigrad first (which I did in my playthrough), it isn't quite as obvious as you make it look.

Yeah, the chance of Uma being Ciri is always considered slim but still real. In Novigrad Ciri's looking to lift a curse but it's not completely clear whether it's for her or someone else, as IIRC the only indication towards the latter is that Dandelion tells you that Ciri "didn't look cursed". The Baron/Uma timeline is pretty weird indeed, though.

Anyway, the game could have benefited from an option like the one in PoE where you could tell from smallprint or a tooltip that a choice would have longterm implications (and on the highest setting see what consequences the choice will have precisely).

I have no idea why anyone would want anything like that, as the interesting thing about making choices is precisely that you can't be certain what the long-term consequences will be or whether there will even be any.

 

[TheHeroOfTime]

I don't think that is a plot hole. In fact, Uma being the mage was a possibility, but the game shows to the player that Uma have white hair, same eye color as Ciri and very similar clothes, and the last thing about Ciri's story is Avallac'h and her traveling to the Isle of mists, and only Uma returning in the boat. What if the person cursed in the forest was Ciri, and the seaking of the cure was for herself?

Spoiler

Several months later Ciri along with an elf called Avallac'h returned from another world ending up in Skellige where theWild Hunt found and attacked them cursing Avallac'h and forcing Ciri to teleport away. This lead her to appear in Crookback Bog where she collapsed and was found by the Crones. The Crones intended to give her to the Wild Hunthowever knew that she possessed Elder blood and could not decide whether to cut her up for her blood or not. Ciri realising this escaped and fled into the nearby forest, narrowly evading Imlerith. Traveling west into Velen, she encountered a young girl who was lost and rescued her as well as a local man from a werewolf. She was then taken toCrow's Perch and taken in by Philip Strenger (known as the Bloody Baron) who alongside with his men she befriended. During a race with Philip the two are attacked by a monster and Ciri was forced to use her powers to save him. However, Ciri realised that Wild Hunt would sense her powers so she left Crow's Perch and headed to Novigrad.

Ciri tracked down Dandelion to enlist his help in repairing a phylactery to lift the curse on Avallac'h, though she excluded the identity of her friend. Dandelion suggested going to Cyprian "Whoreson Junior" Willy. Willy later turned on them, capturing and torturing their friend Dudu. Ciri managed to rescue Dudu but her activities got the attention of the Temple Guard, who chased her towards Temple Isle. Just as an crossbowman took a shot at her, Ciri teleported herself to safety.

Ciri teleported all the way to Skellige, where she fell unconscious, dropping into a lake. Avallac'h found her and gave her to the safety of a native Skelliger, Skjall, and his family. When she came to, Ciri accepted the invitation to heal at the local sauna. But soon as she prepared to depart, the Wild Hunt descended on the village, forcing Ciri to flee once more. She found her way to Avallac'h, who was waiting with a boat. But upon seeing Skjall being cut down by a Red Rider, she attempted to turn back to help him, but Avallac'h stunned her with a sleeping spell and took her to the Isle of Mists to hide her from the Hunt.

Ciri was taken in by a company of seven dwarves, who were also stranded on the Isle. She is later found by Geralt, who had managed to lift the curse on Avallac'h, who gave him a magical firefly to lead him to the Isle.

The only weird thing in the story is when the Baron got Uma.

 

[Eyestabber]

I don't think that is a plot hole. In fact, Uma being the mage was a possibility, but the game shows to the player that Uma have white hair, same eye color as Ciri and very similar clothes, and the last thing about Ciri's story is Avallac'h and her traveling to the Isle of mists, and only Uma returning in the boat. What if the person cursed in the forest was Ciri, and the seaking of the cure was for herself?

Spoiler

Several months later Ciri along with an elf called Avallac'h returned from another world ending up in Skellige where theWild Hunt found and attacked them cursing Avallac'h and forcing Ciri to teleport away. This lead her to appear in Crookback Bog where she collapsed and was found by the Crones. The Crones intended to give her to the Wild Hunthowever knew that she possessed Elder blood and could not decide whether to cut her up for her blood or not. Ciri realising this escaped and fled into the nearby forest, narrowly evading Imlerith. Traveling west into Velen, she encountered a young girl who was lost and rescued her as well as a local man from a werewolf. She was then taken toCrow's Perch and taken in by Philip Strenger (known as the Bloody Baron) who alongside with his men she befriended. During a race with Philip the two are attacked by a monster and Ciri was forced to use her powers to save him. However, Ciri realised that Wild Hunt would sense her powers so she left Crow's Perch and headed to Novigrad.

Ciri tracked down Dandelion to enlist his help in repairing a phylactery to lift the curse on Avallac'h, though she excluded the identity of her friend. Dandelion suggested going to Cyprian "Whoreson Junior" Willy. Willy later turned on them, capturing and torturing their friend Dudu. Ciri managed to rescue Dudu but her activities got the attention of the Temple Guard, who chased her towards Temple Isle. Just as an crossbowman took a shot at her, Ciri teleported herself to safety.

Ciri teleported all the way to Skellige, where she fell unconscious, dropping into a lake. Avallac'h found her and gave her to the safety of a native Skelliger, Skjall, and his family. When she came to, Ciri accepted the invitation to heal at the local sauna. But soon as she prepared to depart, the Wild Hunt descended on the village, forcing Ciri to flee once more. She found her way to Avallac'h, who was waiting with a boat. But upon seeing Skjall being cut down by a Red Rider, she attempted to turn back to help him, but Avallac'h stunned her with a sleeping spell and took her to the Isle of Mists to hide her from the Hunt.

Ciri was taken in by a company of seven dwarves, who were also stranded on the Isle. She is later found by Geralt, who had managed to lift the curse on Avallac'h, who gave him a magical firefly to lead him to the Isle.

The only weird thing in the story is when the Baron got Uma.

Notice how this story has no mention of Sigi Reuven?

 

[Eirikur]

I don't think that is a plot hole. In fact, Uma being the mage was a possibility, but the game shows to the player that Uma have white hair, same eye color as Ciri and very similar clothes, and the last thing about Ciri's story is Avallac'h and her traveling to the Isle of mists, and only Uma returning in the boat. What if the person cursed in the forest was Ciri, and the seaking of the cure was for herself?

True, but still, Geralt knew that Ciri traveled with a masked elf who had asked Keira for a potion that staves off tissue degredation. That last one was a pretty damn big hint, almost a reveal (in hindsight), so it seemed off to me that Geralt kept saying it might be Ciri without ever mentioning the masked mage. The writers might count on the players not remembering that clue though, since Keira casually mentions it to Geralt while they're inspecting the hideout in Velen, much earlier in the game.

 

[Carrion]

I think Geralt doesn't mention the masked mage simply because they didn't want to ruin the joy for people who managed to figure it out by themselves, and because they didn't want to spoil the outcome for those that didn't. It's also pretty clear that many of the hints are meant to be something that you'll only really pick up on your second playthrough, after you already know every part of Ciri's journey as well as their chronology.

 

[TheHeroOfTime]

I don't think that is a plot hole. In fact, Uma being the mage was a possibility, but the game shows to the player that Uma have white hair, same eye color as Ciri and very similar clothes, and the last thing about Ciri's story is Avallac'h and her traveling to the Isle of mists, and only Uma returning in the boat. What if the person cursed in the forest was Ciri, and the seaking of the cure was for herself?

Spoiler

Several months later Ciri along with an elf called Avallac'h returned from another world ending up in Skellige where theWild Hunt found and attacked them cursing Avallac'h and forcing Ciri to teleport away. This lead her to appear in Crookback Bog where she collapsed and was found by the Crones. The Crones intended to give her to the Wild Hunthowever knew that she possessed Elder blood and could not decide whether to cut her up for her blood or not. Ciri realising this escaped and fled into the nearby forest, narrowly evading Imlerith. Traveling west into Velen, she encountered a young girl who was lost and rescued her as well as a local man from a werewolf. She was then taken toCrow's Perch and taken in by Philip Strenger (known as the Bloody Baron) who alongside with his men she befriended. During a race with Philip the two are attacked by a monster and Ciri was forced to use her powers to save him. However, Ciri realised that Wild Hunt would sense her powers so she left Crow's Perch and headed to Novigrad.

Ciri tracked down Dandelion to enlist his help in repairing a phylactery to lift the curse on Avallac'h, though she excluded the identity of her friend. Dandelion suggested going to Cyprian "Whoreson Junior" Willy. Willy later turned on them, capturing and torturing their friend Dudu. Ciri managed to rescue Dudu but her activities got the attention of the Temple Guard, who chased her towards Temple Isle. Just as an crossbowman took a shot at her, Ciri teleported herself to safety.

Ciri teleported all the way to Skellige, where she fell unconscious, dropping into a lake. Avallac'h found her and gave her to the safety of a native Skelliger, Skjall, and his family. When she came to, Ciri accepted the invitation to heal at the local sauna. But soon as she prepared to depart, the Wild Hunt descended on the village, forcing Ciri to flee once more. She found her way to Avallac'h, who was waiting with a boat. But upon seeing Skjall being cut down by a Red Rider, she attempted to turn back to help him, but Avallac'h stunned her with a sleeping spell and took her to the Isle of Mists to hide her from the Hunt.

Ciri was taken in by a company of seven dwarves, who were also stranded on the Isle. She is later found by Geralt, who had managed to lift the curse on Avallac'h, who gave him a magical firefly to lead him to the Isle.

The only weird thing in the story is when the Baron got Uma.

Notice how this story has no mention of Sigi Reuven?

I'ts a summary taken of the wiki.

I don't think that is a plot hole. In fact, Uma being the mage was a possibility, but the game shows to the player that Uma have white hair, same eye color as Ciri and very similar clothes, and the last thing about Ciri's story is Avallac'h and her traveling to the Isle of mists, and only Uma returning in the boat. What if the person cursed in the forest was Ciri, and the seaking of the cure was for herself?

True, but still, Geralt knew that Ciri traveled with a masked elf who had asked Keira for a potion that staves off tissue degredation. That last one was a pretty damn big hint, almost a reveal (in hindsight), so it seemed off to me that Geralt kept saying it might be Ciri without ever mentioning the masked mage. The writers might count on the players not remembering that clue though, since Keira casually mentions it to Geralt while they're inspecting the hideout in Velen, much earlier in the game.

It's a hint, there is no doubt. But think from the perspective of Geralt for a moment: The mage has tissue degradation. Could be that the curse that Ciri wants to break? Maybe a disease? It is risky to decide. The funny thing is that Geralt recognises Avallac'h when he recovers his original form.

 

[rezaf]

I have no idea why anyone would want anything like that, as the interesting thing about making choices is precisely that you can't be certain what the long-term consequences will be or whether there will even be any.

I agree for the most part, which is why I wrote that it's unlikely I'd have used such mode - but the same applies to PoE, where many folks used said mode.
There are gamers with a certain mindset for which such "advanced information" is a useful tool to shape their experience, and if it doesn't affect "the others" (since the mode is disabled by default, for example) ... why not include it?

 

[hivemind]

I both went to the lodge meeting and told her not to destroy the lab.

I think the only thing that prevented me from getting the bad ending was not going to see the Emprah before going to the Crone festival.(I thought it was one or the other for some reason)

So close.

 

[Carrion]

I both went to the lodge meeting and told her not to destroy the lab.

I think the only thing that prevented me from getting the bad ending was not going to see the Emprah before going to the Crone festival.(I thought it was one or the other for some reason)

So close.

Same here.

One scene I expected to affect the ending more than any of the ones that actually did was the circus troupe scene in Novigrad. You could have a chat with Ciri about her future, whether she should go for a normal life or aim for greatness, and you could also decide whether you'd help out her friends or not. It was one scene where you really felt you could help shape's Ciri's beliefs as well as her relationship with Geralt, either strengthening your bond or somewhat estranging her, much more so than some other scenes. It also had a nice little moral dilemma between choosing to help Ciri or staying true to Geralt's principles. On my second playthrough I beat up one of her friends, which was kind of a shitty thing to do and made me feel like a real asshole, much more so than not visiting Skjall's grave for example, yet it amounted to pretty much nothing in the end. Wonder what the thought process behind that was.

 

[Neanderthal]

Gonna have to replay to see this ending, there's been an air of tragedy in the Witcher series that I think would make this ending more...valid? As someone who didn't particularly like Ciri in the novels (felt she was far too much of a magical girl Mary Sue,) I thought that the third game managed to pull off her introduction in a quite believable manner. In the end I found her quite likeable.

Honestly thought that Eredin would be serving the White Frost though, with the cold the Wild Hunt brought to the Witcher world, and that he'd made some kind of deal with it to spare his own world, seemed especially likely after travelling to his realm. Which would mean that there was some form of sentience or sapience behind the Ice Ages overcoming worlds, which could be hinted at by Ciri's ending. I quite liked how she dismissed you in the end, it was not your story, you couldn't do anything about the White Frost, and you were just a Witcher. Found this satisfying as i'm a bit sick of the far too blatant power fantasy, where only you can solve everything because evryone else is an unmotivated idiot.

Like that Ciri just abandoned the Hunt, dismissed them and went to confront the real issue, unfortunately that issue was not really spotlighted enough I think. I mean it was always there from the beginning, in the books and games, and serves as a background to the setting, but it might have been nice to have a little more time spent seeing the effects of the White Frost. Perhaps an earlier time spent travelling worlds as Ciri where civilisations had vanished and been swept away by Ice Ages, and far too many worlds were now frozen and dead, something to hint at her final actions. Though this might be too casual and idiot marked, I mean we had Ithlinne's prophecy shoved down our throat from the beginning.

It would have been interesting to hear Vesemir, centuries old as he is, describing how much colder the world had become since his youth.

 

[Serious_Business]

No shit, yeah. That ending was fucking depressing. Geralt in the cabin was the worst. I didn't get that ending myself - I think I pretty much made all the good picks - but I did see it on youtube. I couldn't have fucking handled it, would have cried, man. I mean, jesus. You spend three games and I don't know how many hours with this guy, and it's how it ends for him. Fuck that. The whole plot in itself wasn't that interesting, but the characters, including Geralt, gave it substance. I'm not sure if I care that much for Ciri beyond what she represented for Geralt - but that's enough. The good ending was cute, a bit too easy perhaps, but I still prefered it.

 

[Eyestabber]

What got me butthurt was the fact that aside from taking Emhyr's money, all the other choices have absolutely no indication that they are wrong. In fact, wrecking Avallach's lab seems like a pretty retarded thing to do. It seems like "who got the good ending X who got the bad ending" is a matter of luck, rather than anything else. Choices with unpredictable consequences all the way.

 

[Deleted member 7219]

What got me butthurt was the fact that aside from taking Emhyr's money, all the other choices have absolutely no indication that they are wrong. In fact, wrecking Avallach's lab seems like a pretty retarded thing to do. It seems like "who got the good ending X who got the bad ending" is a matter of luck, rather than anything else. Choices with unpredictable consequences all the way.

I can't remember what I did with the lab, but honestly, if you got the bad ending and were upset with it, you deserved what you got. It is pretty fucking obvious when you are being a dick to Ciri. Even the sorceress scene, she is pretty clear how important it is to her that she go in ALONE and if you force your way in, you are really, deliberately, assholishly going against her wishes.

I got the Witcher ending and I fucking loved it, and consider it the canon ending. Because fuck Emhyr. He got to rule the North (a sane Nilfgaard is so much better than an insane Redania), but fuck him, he doesn't get to control Ciri.

 

[Carrion]

I can't remember what I did with the lab, but honestly, if you got the bad ending and were upset with it, you deserved what you got. It is pretty fucking obvious when you are being a dick to Ciri. Even the sorceress scene, she is pretty clear how important it is to her that she go in ALONE and if you force your way in, you are really, deliberately, assholishly going against her wishes.

It shouldn't really be about whether you're being nice to Ciri or a dick, though, as good parents know how to say no. I'm not sure about the Lodge scene, as I at least don't remember it being as clear-cut as you're saying, but I might be wrong.

I think the consequences of the lab scene could or should be inverted, really. On my first playthrough I also assumed that Ciri would just use her powers Kaer Morhen style to fucking destroy the whole place, which seemed like a terrible idea. Even as it is, teachning her some self-discipline would seem preferable to letting her act like a five-year-old. Some other scenes are kind of clever, though, like the one after the battle of Kaer Morhen — the bad choice is telling her that she doesn't have to be good at everything (meaning that she can neglect some of her training), whereas the good one comes down to lifting her spirits a bit (so that she can continue her training with increased energy).

Then again, it's also a matter of interpretation — does Ciri die because she didn't have the ability to survive her mission, does she die because she lost some of her determination because of her and Geralt's relationship breaking down, or does she simply choose to not come back because Geralt is a dick? The first one would seem by far the most sensible route to me, but the "correct" choices support the latter two view points more.

 

[Eirikur]

It is pretty fucking obvious when you are being a dick to Ciri. Even the sorceress scene, she is pretty clear how important it is to her that she go in ALONE and if you force your way in, you are really, deliberately, assholishly going against her wishes.

Is it really though? I don't get that impression at all.

 

[toro]

Is it really though? I don't get that impression at all.

You have to use your SJW mind: Ciri is a strong independent woman therefore she doesn't need your pathetic fatherly protection (even if she directly asks for it in this case).

It doesn't make much sense ... but then most of the "choices" don't make sense.

Ciri's Choices:
Choice 1: You can either drink with Ciri or throw snowballs. The negative choice happens if you say you don't have to be good at anything which is you drinking. The positive choice is to say that you know what will cheer her up.
Choice 2: Accepting the coin if you visit Emhyr leads to a bad choice.
Choice 3: Accompanying Ciri with the lodge leads to a bad choice.
Choice 4: Not letting Ciri ransack Avallac'h's lab leads to a bad choice.
Choice 5: Don't let Ciri visit Skjall's grave is the bad choice.

Choice 2 is the only clear bad choice in the context of the game. The rest not so much.

Matt7895 is just shit posting.