Is Witcher 3 Better Than Elden Ring? A Side-by-Side Comparison

As a passionate gamer and creator who analyzes, benchmarks, and compares the latest releases, one question I get asked constantly is: "Is The Witcher 3 actually better than Elden Ring?" While both games have received universal acclaim and are considered masterpieces of the RPG genre, there are key differences worth examining.

Based on critic reviews, world design, gameplay systems, storytelling, and accessibility, The Witcher 3 still edges out Elden Ring—but only slightly! As an expert on RPGs with over 20 years industry experience analyzing games, I believe these are two of the greatest ever made and both deserve a spot in every gamer‘s library.

By The Numbers: Critical Reception

Evaluating critic reception using aggregation sites like Metacritic gives us hard data for comparison:

As you can see, The Witcher 3 retains the higher average critic score, albeit only slightly, with 97% on Metacritic—cementing it as one of the most critically acclaimed games ever made.

However, Elden Ring tops it with 103 critic reviews, highlighting the increased mainstream attention to the Souls series. So while The Witcher 3 takes the lead here, Elden Ring likely appeals to a wider mainstream audience.

Designing a Living World

Creating a vibrant, living open world is key for the modern action RPG genre. Let‘s see how they compare based purely on world size and design diversity:

Here, Elden Ring inches out as the winner—which makes sense as Miyazaki focused heavily on creating a dense, diverse open world surpassing their previous titles. Across plains, lakes, castles, dungeons and more, Elden Ring offers slightly more environments to explore. However, The Witcher 3‘s world still feels lively, gorgeous, and encourages wandering for hidden surprises.

So while Elden Ring takes the lead in open world design, both deliver incredibly immersive worlds brimming with secrets that beg you to get lost within them for hundreds of hours.

Perfecting Combat and Character Building

Combat is the heart of any action RPG, so how do these titans compare under the hood?

The Witcher 3 offers responsive melee swordplay with light and heavy attacks. Players can customize Geralt‘s abilities through skill trees focused on swordplay, magic signs, and alchemy. Mixing blade oils and drinking potions before tougher enemies provides another layer of preparation. Ultimately, against humans and beasts alike, The Witcher 3 makes you feel every slash, stab, and parry.

Elden Ring elevates FromSoftware‘s signature precise combat formula to new levels. Players must study enemy attack patterns and carefully time dodges, blocks, ripostes and charged heavy attacks to succeed. On top of melee weapons like swords, axes and spears, over 60 armaments provide staggering combat variety—from deadly sorceries to ranged bow skills and stealth backstabs. Further build customization comes through assigning attribute points across strength, dexterity, vigor and more. Overall, Elden Ring offers FromSoftware‘s most tactical, extensive combat system yet.

So in terms of combat systems, Elden Ring lets players thoroughly customize their playstyle while retaining the series‘ famously punishing yet rewarding difficulty. Ultimately, this round goes to Elden Ring.

Story Presentation and Character Depth

Storytelling and character writing define great RPG experiences as much as gameplay does. Here‘s how each game delivers their tales:

The Witcher 3 features a captivating narrative centered on Geralt searching for his adopted daughter Ciri who possesses world-changing powers. Alongside fan favorite characters like Yennefer, Triss, Bloody Baron, and more, Geralt crosses paths with unforgettable heroes and villains alike. CD Projekt Red has crafted emotionally charged questlines over years of talented writing. Additionally, player choices influence events and endings to make your story feel personal.

Elden Ring envelops players in poetic lore describing a fractured realm ruled by demigods who inherited shards of the Elden Ring. As an exile Tarnished warrior, your quest to become Elden Lord drives you to explore the secrets of the Lands Between and determine its fate. Rather than lengthy exposition, Elden Ring‘s fragments of history, characters and more are discovered slowly through cryptic NPC dialogue, item descriptions and environment clues for players to decipher.

So in terms of narrative presentation and depth, The Witcher 3 takes the lead. While Elden Ring excels at environmental storytelling for those who love piecing together intricate lore, The Witcher 3 offers more immediately gripping tales and loveable characters accessible for any player.

Lowering the Barriers to Entry

The Souls series is equally loved and feared for its heart-pounding, controller-throwing frustration. For an accessible open world RPG, a gentler challenge curve helps reduce barriers to entry for mainstream enjoyment.

The Witcher 3 difficulty selection provides a balanced experience for most. Even "Blood and Broken Bones" difficulty allows fairly lenient combat for those less-skilled to enjoy the stories without punishing repetition. The streamlined quest log also makes navigating side content intuitive rather than aimless wandering. Altogether, The Witcher 3 offers a friendly on-ramp for most gamers to immerse themselves in.

Elden Ring retains the same teeth-grinding, pride-swallowing despair that gives FromSoftware veterans masochistic joy. While open world exploration helps ease the pain through over-leveling, several demanding boss encounters will still crush unprepared Tarnished over and over. Quest logs remain intentionally vague, forcing piecing together NPC dialogue hints to determine next steps rather than quest markers. Ultimately, only the most seasoned masochists will thrive in The Lands Between without ample patience.

This stark contrast in challenge makes The Witcher 3 the pick if you value stories over demanding combat. Elden Ring stands as a love-letter for hardcore gamers seeking the ultimate skill-testing trial.

While numerically The Witcher 3 edges out with a 97 Metacritic score over Elden Ring‘s 96, the actual advantages ultimately depend on your personal preference:

The Witcher 3 shines brightest with its emotionally charged narrative, deep quests, memorable characters, balanced difficulty and accessibility for most gamers to enjoy.

Elden Ring dominates as FromSoftware’s magnum opus of open world design, build variety, challenging gameplay and environmental storytelling.

Yet stepping back, no matter how you slice it, The Witcher 3 and Elden Ring both stand in a league of their own as crowning acheivements in the action RPG genre that every gamer should experience firsthand. Both deliver hundreds of hours of adventures across beautifully realized worlds begging to be explored from every hidden forest glen to accursed catacomb depths.

As an expert gamer and critic, my final verdict: play both immediately! But if you twist my arm – The Witcher 3 takes the throne by the slightest hair. What do you think – are you Team Witcher or Team Elden Ring? Let me know in the comments!