Ok played some more.
A recent patch has fixed some FPS issues for me, so that's good. Still think combat is clunky.
The ambience in this game is amazing though. Definitely turn the music off. Like it might be clear and sunny. Suddenly the wind picks up and you see clouds slowly track across the sky. You hear the rustling of the leaves and you *see* the trees bend in the wind. Sometimes it will get dark and then the rain will start. Then there is simple things like hearing insect and bird calls, seeing small flocks of I guess sparrows or something flit about. In towns you hear the people gossip, the clang of the smith's hammer, the grunts of soldiers training. The world feels vastly more alive than Skyrim's. The voice acting is also very good, better than earlier Witcher games, characters have good facial expressions too.
Also there is almost no loading screens. If you want to enter a house, you open the door and walk inside, no loading. This game isn't about dungeons, though there are some. Nearly all are part of the environment though, to enter a cave you walk inside, no loading. Because content isn't in dungeons, like in Skyrim, riding around the world feels like you are actually exploring. You see bandits camped out, or army deserters, sometimes traders or peasants in distress, sometimes monster dens. Plus finding areas gets you recipes you need for crafting gear.
Combat is well, hard to describe. Skyrim combat was direct and fairly simple. This game is more technical. Usually it's just spam attacking, timing a dodge or two. Bosses can be difficult though. As you level you get better gear, which makes combat a lot easier. Trying to use the crossbow or cast signs (aka spells) quickly can be difficult and annoying. Another issue is movement- Geralt can't pivot, to change direction he takes a step in that direction. This can make lining up to loot a difficult container or climbing ladders frustrating.
