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Witcher 3 is considered one of the good sandbox games because of the "freedom it allows". Yes, you can go to where you want (within reasonable limits) do what you want in order your want, but in the end you still take the required steps to complete the story. Just that the order might not be what was originally envisioned.
Perhaps a bit off-topic, but here we go anyway:
I get the overall point you are trying to make, but I seem to disagree with the majority if there is consensus that the Witcher 3 is to be considered a good sandbox game.
Comparing the original and the second game to Witcher 3 the latter felt so restrictive that I lost interest in it very quickly. Exploring the world and fighting monsters from the get go rather than following the questline was simply not rewarded or encouraged at all!
Games from the GTA series, the Fallout series, and/or the Assassin's Creed series, heck even Cyberpunk 2077 or Hogwarts Legacy, are better examples of good sandbox games in my humble opinion. Anyway, my short little rant about this subject is now over.
Keep up the good work, and hopefully also the good mood! ToaM is developing nicely, but can we expect anything less than that when Talothral is in control?
- ZzZ -