Homecoming is if not the best one out of both the Gwent and Witcher series. The ones that pretty much match it are 'After the Storm' and 'The Slopes of the Blessure'. They completely feel like the most desired rest after a long-long journey.
Especially after combined with the narrated intro to the chapter and visuals. After the burning fields of Aederin, the freezing mountains of Mahakam, and Angern's twisting bogs, the Queen returns adorned with laurels of victory and glory. The cutscene has the queen in the background while at the front an old man holds his grandson's head and points, as if saying "Look, our Queen has returned!". The drums, flutes and violins give a resplendent feeling of rebirth, spring and freedom.
@@yochaiwyss3843 The Rivia chapter feels so special. On Bonebreaker it's definitely the most challenging segment with your build, especially as resources are still so scarce, and the armour on Nilfgaardian units is so high (if you haven't planned your endgame build, you're definitely in trouble unless you rely on a cheese strategy) - but the entire chapter really gives that feeling of being on the home stretch, that mix of relief and familiarity mixed in with weariness and the futility of still needing to fight for every step, even here. Triumphant, yet measured, with the urge not to play the hero and take losses coming from every character, even with the stakes so high as these are Meve's own people being liberated. Even small fights like Willowhain or the Quarry stick out as story moments where in Mahakam, Angren or Aedirn they were just another fight
@@karstenmadsen14 Very true! I'll note that parts which Aederin, Mahakam and Agren battles have their own tones. Aederin being the Highest Intensity of Nilfgaard's Warmachine and atrocities - of clutching a victory out of the jaws of defeat (culminating in the Battle for Old Town, symbolically holding out for the sake of childbirth) Mahakam being a "Struggle Uphill" regarding the environment with some story sprinkled in. And Angren starting out as a partisan campaign devolving into attrition of one monster fight after another, with the notable endings of the Garnicora and the Battle for the Bridge. Rivia really is the jewel of the crown. You can see it in the Map Art of Meve's army charging with renewed vigor facing the manifestation of black hellfire of the Nilfgaardian armor, whose banner yet engulfs the scene; the quarry where Meve's own people are enslaved and set against her. The Rightful Sovereign has returned, and she will set her nation free! The Speech at Rivia Castle encapsulates everything we discussed above. "Now's not the time to Mourn. Now's the time for War, for Slaughter, Revenge. With victory today we'll recover our home, return to our kin and set aside our blades at last. Yet until victory is ours, they must drink, drink greedily, of Nilfgaardian Blood!" The voice acting is so perfect. I'd follow her into fire were I among her men.
@@yochaiwyss3843 I wish I could replay Thronebreaker for the first time. It hits so many story points just right. Rivia Castle as you mentioned is such a perfect ending point tonally, but the Battle for the Bridge in Angren too hits just right. For a game with a fairly repetitive gameplay loop, none of the fights feel like rehashes. The Moulderwood and Aedirn, Angren, Ysgith, Lyria, and Rivia all feel so distinct that you constantly feel like you're making progress and experiencing the battles differently. The only area that feels like it drags a little tonally is Mahakam, which is entirely forgiven as no other Witcher media explores that area directly, so going through it you still feel like you're touching new ground, and it's still punctuated by high moments like Davor's Abyss and the Keltullis fight among others, and it still brings personal stakes through the interactions with the Nilfgaardians, especially the Avalanche
Homecoming is if not the best one out of both the Gwent and Witcher series. The ones that pretty much match it are 'After the Storm' and 'The Slopes of the Blessure'. They completely feel like the most desired rest after a long-long journey.
Especially after combined with the narrated intro to the chapter and visuals. After the burning fields of Aederin, the freezing mountains of Mahakam, and Angern's twisting bogs, the Queen returns adorned with laurels of victory and glory.
The cutscene has the queen in the background while at the front an old man holds his grandson's head and points, as if saying "Look, our Queen has returned!".
The drums, flutes and violins give a resplendent feeling of rebirth, spring and freedom.
@@yochaiwyss3843 The Rivia chapter feels so special. On Bonebreaker it's definitely the most challenging segment with your build, especially as resources are still so scarce, and the armour on Nilfgaardian units is so high (if you haven't planned your endgame build, you're definitely in trouble unless you rely on a cheese strategy) - but the entire chapter really gives that feeling of being on the home stretch, that mix of relief and familiarity mixed in with weariness and the futility of still needing to fight for every step, even here. Triumphant, yet measured, with the urge not to play the hero and take losses coming from every character, even with the stakes so high as these are Meve's own people being liberated. Even small fights like Willowhain or the Quarry stick out as story moments where in Mahakam, Angren or Aedirn they were just another fight
@@karstenmadsen14 Very true! I'll note that parts which Aederin, Mahakam and Agren battles have their own tones.
Aederin being the Highest Intensity of Nilfgaard's Warmachine and atrocities - of clutching a victory out of the jaws of defeat (culminating in the Battle for Old Town, symbolically holding out for the sake of childbirth)
Mahakam being a "Struggle Uphill" regarding the environment with some story sprinkled in.
And Angren starting out as a partisan campaign devolving into attrition of one monster fight after another, with the notable endings of the Garnicora and the Battle for the Bridge.
Rivia really is the jewel of the crown. You can see it in the Map Art of Meve's army charging with renewed vigor facing the manifestation of black hellfire of the Nilfgaardian armor, whose banner yet engulfs the scene; the quarry where Meve's own people are enslaved and set against her. The Rightful Sovereign has returned, and she will set her nation free! The Speech at Rivia Castle encapsulates everything we discussed above.
"Now's not the time to Mourn. Now's the time for War, for Slaughter, Revenge. With victory today we'll recover our home, return to our kin and set aside our blades at last. Yet until victory is ours, they must drink, drink greedily, of Nilfgaardian Blood!"
The voice acting is so perfect. I'd follow her into fire were I among her men.
@@yochaiwyss3843 I wish I could replay Thronebreaker for the first time. It hits so many story points just right. Rivia Castle as you mentioned is such a perfect ending point tonally, but the Battle for the Bridge in Angren too hits just right. For a game with a fairly repetitive gameplay loop, none of the fights feel like rehashes. The Moulderwood and Aedirn, Angren, Ysgith, Lyria, and Rivia all feel so distinct that you constantly feel like you're making progress and experiencing the battles differently. The only area that feels like it drags a little tonally is Mahakam, which is entirely forgiven as no other Witcher media explores that area directly, so going through it you still feel like you're touching new ground, and it's still punctuated by high moments like Davor's Abyss and the Keltullis fight among others, and it still brings personal stakes through the interactions with the Nilfgaardians, especially the Avalanche