There are many different types of additional weapons to pick up, many of which unlock at higher levels.
Weapons (including swords) will not last forever and can be destroyed if used too frequently or heavily; you will need to regularly visit a craftsman in order to maintain them.
The HUD is very customizable. There are several options available, including turning off the mini-map and all sorts of notifications.
All graphical settings are present in the in-game menu.
Enemies will parry crossbow bolts with shields.
The game's skill tree is massive. There are four or five trees, each having five tiers divided into five skills. Every skill has three or four levels to unlock. Even though Geralt will gain more skill points per level later in the game, it'll still be impossible to unlock everything.
After unlocking skills, they must be activated. This is done by placing them in a separate tree, which contains a limited number of slots. Activated skills affect Geralt's fighting style, and activating a set of skills from the same category will increase its overall effects. It adds another layer to preparations and tactical planning, as players have to choose an appropriate set of active skills depending on what kind of opponent you are going to face (for example, with heavily armored knights, you can activate the Igni upgrade that allows you to melt armors).
There are four slots for mutagens, which also affect your abilities.
Temporary companions are quite helpful and even use different fighting styles. For example, one woman that accompanied one playthrough waited for the right moment while enemies were focused on Geralt to stab them in the back for considerable damage.
The game is "pretty difficult", and you can die frequently even on easy if you're not careful.
With regards to dynamic weather: there will be snow, different phases of day/night, different stages of cloudiness, storms, a few types of rain and even a morning mist.
The enemy AI is "really good". Wolves and bandits spread to cut off all of Geralt's escape routes. If you kill their respective leaders, they end up completely disorganized. One enemy can use himself as bait to give the rest of his squad a chance to put Geralt in a corner. If you set up a trap or Yrden sign in front of the enemy, they will actively avoid it.
NPC models are very diverse and the interior of every hut looks different.
