Skip to main content
Join The Community
- Join our community
11
Premium Benefits
24/7
Access Available
21K+
Active Members
Commenting
Join the discussion
Exclusive Articles Coming Soon
Member-only articles
Weekly Newsletters
Weekly gaming & entertainment news
Member Badges
Earn badges as you go
Exclusive Competitions
Members-only prize draws
Curated Deals Coming Soon
Tech and gaming deals worth grabbing
GET COMMUNITY ACCESS QUICK
For the quickest way to join, simply enter your email below and get access. We will send a confirmation and sign you up to our newsletter to keep you updated on all your gaming news.
By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
FIND OUT ABOUT OUR MAGAZINE
Want to subscribe to the magazine? Click the button below to find out more information.
Find out more
GET Community ACCESS QUICK

Join the GamesRadar community for quick access. Enter your email below and we'll send confirmation, and sign you up to our newsletter.

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

Background
Welcome to GamesRADAR+ Community !
Hi ,

Your membership journey starts here.

Keep exploring and earning more as a member.

MY ACCOUNT

Badge picture
Earn your first badge
Read 1 article to unlock your first badge.
Keep earning badges
Explore ways to get more involved as a member.
Latest Games News

Latest Games News

Breaking gaming news and updates

Read Now
Latest Games Reviews

Latest Games Reviews

Expert verdicts on the newest releases

Read Now

See what you’ve unlocked.

Explore your membership benefits.

Explore
Member Exclusives

Stay Ahead with GamesRadar+

Get the biggest gaming news, reviews, and releases straight to your inbox.

Explore

Sign Out
GamesRadar+ GamesRadar+
US EditionUS CA EditionCanada UK EditionUK AU EditionAustralia
Sign in
  • View Profile
  • Sign out
  • Games
    • Game Insights
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
    • Genres
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
    • Franchises
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • Insights
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
    • Computing
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
    • Accessories & Tech
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
  • home
  • Games
    • View Games
      • Games News
      • Games Features
      • Games Reviews
      • Games Guides
      • Big in 2026
      • Big Preview
      • Future Games Show
      • Golden Joystick Awards
      • Action Games
      • RPGs
      • Action RPGs
      • Adventure Games
      • Third Person Shooters
      • FPS Games
    • Platforms
      • View Platforms
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X
      • PC
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Nintendo Switch 2
      • Tabletop Gaming
      • Grand Theft Auto
      • Pokemon
      • Assassin's Creed
      • Monster Hunter
      • Fortnite
      • Cyberpunk
      • Red Dead
      • The Elder Scrolls
      • The Sims
  • Entertainment
    • View Entertainment
    • TV Shows
      • View TV Shows
      • TV News
      • TV Reviews
      • Anime Shows
      • Sci-Fi Shows
      • Superhero Shows
      • Animated Shows
      • Marvel TV Shows
      • Star Wars TV Shows
      • DC TV Shows
    • Movies
      • View Movies
      • Movie News
      • Movie Reviews
      • Big Screen Spotlight
      • Superhero Movies
      • Action Movies
      • Anime Movies
      • Sci-Fi Movies
      • Horror Movies
      • Marvel Movies
      • DC Movies
    • Streaming
      • View Streaming
      • Apple TV Plus
      • Disney Plus
      • Netflix
      • HBO
      • Amazon Prime Video
      • Hulu
    • Comics
      • View Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • DC Comics
  • Hardware
    • View Hardware
      • Hardware News
      • Hardware Reviews
      • Hardware Features
      • Buying Guides
      • Desktop PCs
      • Laptops
      • Handhelds
    • Peripherals
      • View Peripherals
      • Headsets & Headphones
      • TVs & Monitors
      • Gaming Mice
      • Gaming Keyboards
      • Gaming Chairs
      • Speakers & Audio
      • Gaming Controllers
      • Tech
      • SSDs & Hard Drives
      • VR
      • Accessories
      • Retro
  • Deals
    • Toys & Collectibles
    • Lego
    • Dungeons and Dragons
    • Merch
  • Video
    • View Video
    • Video
    • GR+ Replay - Submit Your Clips
  • Newsletters
    • Quizzes
    • About Us
    • How to pitch to us
    • How we score
    • Newsarama
    • Retro Gamer
Trending
  • Saros review
  • Arc Raiders
  • The Boys S5
  • Best turn-based RPGs
  • Submit your clips. Win prizes
  • Delta Force giveaway
Don't miss these
Clair Obscur Expedition 33
RPGs The Witcher 3 director says Crimson Desert and Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 take him back to the golden age of RPGs
A crop of Coen looking at his closed fist in The Blood of Dawnwalker
RPGs Blood of Dawnwalker takes after Baldur's Gate 3's freedom and Gothic's small but dense world design
Hero artwork in Gothic 1 Remake cropped for a header image, showing four characters wielding a range of weaponry including axes, swords, bows, and magic
RPGs I recruited Gothic 1 Remake's most notorious NPC and a pair of molerats for 4 hours of RPG chaos
Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced reveal showcase screenshot shows Edward attacking an enemy.
Assassin's Creed Assassin's Creed Black Flag Resynced HUD is optional as Ubisoft baked all the information you need into its animations
The Blood of Dawnwalker: A screenshot of the vampire Brencis holding up a crown during the trailer for the upcoming game.
RPGs The Blood of Dawnwalker: Everything you need to know about the vampire RPG
The Blood of Dawnwalker
RPGs The Blood of Dawnwalker makes one hell of a first impression
Crimson Desert
RPGs The Witcher 3 director says Crimson Desert isn't "story heavy," but it still gets "RPG things" right
The Blood of Dawnwalker
RPGs How The Blood of Dawnwalker can shape the future of RPGs
Blood of Dawnwalker screenshot showing Unreal Engine 5 open world
RPGs Five reasons why The Blood of Dawnwalker is becoming my most anticipated RPG of 2026
Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 peasants drinking at a table
Action RPGs Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2 lead designer says "friction is intentionally" in the RPG
The Blood of Dawnwalker screenshot
RPGs Former Witcher 3 devs "can't" and "don't want to challenge" bigger games and companies with The Blood of Dawnwalker
The Blood of Dawnwalker
RPGs With The Blood of Dawnwalker, Rebel Wolves wants to "get a few steps closer to pen-and-paper RPGs"
Geralt of Rivia, who has white hair, a facial scar, and a wears a hood, in The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings Enchanced Edition
RPGs The 7 best Witcher games to play in 2026, ranked
The Blood of Dawnwalker
RPGs The Blood of Dawnwalker devs "were afraid that people wouldn't want to play as human Coen"
Garrus Vakarian in Mass Effect 2
RPGs Here are my top 10 best single-player RPGs as a life-long fan whose spent thousands of hours with the genre
Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more


By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

You are now subscribed

Your newsletter sign-up was successful


Want to add more newsletters?

GamesRadar+

Every Friday

GamesRadar+

Your weekly update on everything you could ever want to know about the games you already love, games we know you're going to love in the near future, and tales from the communities that surround them.

GTA 6 O'clock

Every Thursday

GTA 6 O'clock

Our special GTA 6 newsletter, with breaking news, insider info, and rumor analysis from the award-winning GTA 6 O'clock experts.

Knowledge

Every Friday

Knowledge

From the creators of Edge: A weekly videogame industry newsletter with analysis from expert writers, guidance from professionals, and insight into what's on the horizon.

The Setup

Every Thursday

The Setup

Hardware nerds unite, sign up to our free tech newsletter for a weekly digest of the hottest new tech, the latest gadgets on the test bench, and much more.

Switch 2 Spotlight

Every Wednesday

Switch 2 Spotlight

Sign up to our new Switch 2 newsletter, where we bring you the latest talking points on Nintendo's new console each week, bring you up to date on the news, and recommend what games to play.

The Watchlist

Every Saturday

The Watchlist

Subscribe for a weekly digest of the movie and TV news that matters, direct to your inbox. From first-look trailers, interviews, reviews and explainers, we've got you covered.

SFX

Once a month

SFX

Get sneak previews, exclusive competitions and details of special events each month!


Join the club

Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards.


An account already exists for this email address, please log in.
  1. Games
  2. RPGs
  3. The Witcher
  4. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

The Witcher 3 almost had a "focus mode" that sounds a lot like Fallout's VATS

News
By Austin Wood published 24 October 2018

How to dismember your dragon

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works.

  • Facebook
  • X
  • Pinterest
  • Flipboard
  • Email
Share this article
Join the conversation
Follow us
Add us as a preferred source on Google
Subscribe to our newsletter

In a string of Witcher facts posted to Twitter this week, developer CD Projekt Red revealed that it once considered adding a "focus mode" to The Witcher 3 which would allow Geralt "to see [the] insides of any monster, target them and then cut with great precision." The studio also shared the above image, which suggests focus mode would've worked on humans as well. 

This ability was obviously cut from the final game, so we'll never know how it actually would've handled, but at first blush it sounds a lot like the VATS system in the Fallout games. VATS doesn't give you an X-ray view of enemies, but it does allow you to target specific body parts more precisely. This makes me wonder if The Witcher's would-be focus mode slowed time like VATS does, or if it was intended as more of a scanner to identify weak points like the scanners in Metroid Prime or even Batman: Arkham. It being a Witcher game and everything, I'm also picturing a more gruesome targeting mode with finishers akin to Mortal Kombat's grisly execution animations. Damn, the more I think about this, the more I wish it was actually in the game. 

Focus mode's post-mortem was the ninth Witcher fact CD Projekt Red's posted in the past couple of days. The previous fact is also pretty interesting: the soup in the pot near the Spoon Collector in The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine DLC "reflects the amount of soup actually eaten during this scene" according to your dialogue choices. And let's not ignore this gem: 

Latest Videos From
You may like
  • Fallout 3 Bethesda made Fallout 3's VATS system to avoid Call of Duty and Battlefield, taking influence from KOTOR and Burnout
  • The Blood of Dawnwalker The Blood of Dawnwalker devs "were afraid that people wouldn't want to play as human Coen"
  • Fallout New Vegas Fallout devs wanted uber-violent deaths to feel "like an R-rated version of Warner Bros cartoons" back in the '90s

Witcher Fact #7Hearts of Stone introduces two vanity items for Geralt: Professor’s spectacles and Ass ears. Late in production we realized that Geralt should be able to wear them simultaneously. That's why there's a recipe for Concealment kit, which merges them into one item. pic.twitter.com/5RZueSggv5October 22, 2018

Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales is, quite unexpectedly, stuffed with interesting tidbits about The Witcher universe. Check out our full review for more.  

Sign up to the GamesRadar+ Newsletter

Weekly digests, tales from the communities you love, and more

By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.
CATEGORIES
PC Gaming Xbox One PS4 Platforms Xbox PlayStation
Austin Wood
Austin Wood
Social Links Navigation
Senior writer

Austin has been a game journalist for 12 years, having freelanced for the likes of PC Gamer, Eurogamer, IGN, Sports Illustrated, and more while finishing his journalism degree. He's been with GamesRadar+ since 2019. They've yet to realize his position is a cover for his career-spanning Destiny column, and he's kept the ruse going with a lot of news and the occasional feature, all while playing as many roguelikes as possible.

Read more
Fallout 3
Fallout Bethesda made Fallout 3's VATS system to avoid Call of Duty and Battlefield, taking influence from KOTOR and Burnout
 
 
The Blood of Dawnwalker
RPGs The Blood of Dawnwalker devs "were afraid that people wouldn't want to play as human Coen"
 
 
Fallout New Vegas
Fallout Fallout devs wanted uber-violent deaths to feel "like an R-rated version of Warner Bros cartoons" back in the '90s
 
 
Fallout 3
Fallout Fallout 3 had "the opposite of feature creep" because Bethesda devs "were really smart about cutting things"
 
 
The Witcher
The Witcher The Witcher's infamous sex cards rarely ever matched because a colorblind CD Projekt Red dev was too shy to tell anyone
 
 
Fallout 1 screenshots
Fallout These isometric screenshots of Fallout 4 make me wish Bethesda would return to the genre's roots
 
 
Latest in The Witcher
The Witcher 4 tech demo trailer screenshot of Ciri chatting in a market
The Witcher The Witcher 4 is "steaming ahead" as CD Projekt expands with 220 new developers in the past year
 
 
The Witcher 4
RPGs The Witcher 4 developer CD Projekt Red scoops up more industry talent as a Expedition 33 cinematics dev joins the team
 
 
The Witcher
The Witcher The Witcher's infamous sex cards rarely ever matched because a colorblind CD Projekt Red dev was too shy to tell anyone
 
 
Ciri in The Witcher 3
The Witcher The Witcher 3's best ending is the one where "everybody lives happily ever after," says Geralt actor
 
 
The Witcher 3 Triss and Yennefer
The Witcher The Witcher 3's Yen is "like a naggy mom," Geralt actor says, but her and Triss are both "absolutely stonkin' ladies"
 
 
The Witcher 3
The Witcher The Witcher 3 may have one of the best quests in RPG history, but it drove Geralt actor Doug Cockle completely "bonkers"
 
 
Latest in News
Link faces Midna in a screenshot from The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess HD
The Legend of Zelda The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess finally gets a fanmade PC port
 
 
Mario in a swimsuit in Super Mario Odyssey.
Games Nintendo boss reportedly wants to make up for Switch 2 price increase with a stronger line-up of games
 
 
Marcus being pinned to a wall by a Locust Drone during the Gears of War: E-Day trailer.
Gears of War Gears of War: E-Day is officially sponsoring WWE Triplemania, potentially hinting at a September release date window
 
 
Dragon Quest concept art
Dragon Quest As Dragon Quest 12 continues to slumber, Yuji Horii reveals a 40th anniversary stream with news on the "next game"
 
 
The Elder Scrolls After 14 years since reveal, the Morrowind remake made in Skyrim gets another update and sounds close to completion
 
 
A blue-skinned girl in a hat and oversized clothes jetskis around a few small islands with the blue sky shining above, in a screenshot from Bobo Bay.
Simulation Games This indie game with near perfect Steam reviews is the Sonic Adventure follow-up I've been waiting 26 years for
 
 
LATEST ARTICLES
  1. Lost Odyssey screenshot
    1
    If you love Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, find a way to play Lost Odyssey – the cult-classic RPG that remains one of the Xbox 360's best-kept secrets
  2. 2
    10 Games like Persona 5 with brilliant party members, epic stories, and plenty of style
  3. 3
    The Boys fans think season 5's POV episode reveals the order in which major Supes will die
  4. 4
    The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess finally gets a fan-made PC port, and I can't wait to see what modders do with the GameCube classic
  5. 5
    10 years later, Uncharted 4 remains the perfect antidote to overly bleak and serious adventuring

GamesRadar+ is part of Future US Inc, an international media group and leading digital publisher. Visit our corporate site.

Add as a preferred source on Google Add as a preferred source on Google
  • Terms and conditions
  • Contact Future's experts
  • Privacy policy
  • Cookies policy
  • Accessibility statement
  • Careers
  • About us
  • Advertise with us
  • Review guidelines
  • Write for us

© Future US, Inc. Full 7th Floor, 130 West 42nd Street, New York, NY 10036.

Please login or signup to comment

Please wait...