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Has CD Projekt RED Gilded the Lily with their Next-Gen Update to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt?

Writer's picture: Effy LindströmEffy Lindström

Updated: Mar 6, 2023



The experience of playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is, in a word, unforgettable. Against mournfully Slavic-inflected orchestral music, witcher Geralt–a hoarily bearded, well-worn bear of a man–navigates the weary landscape of the Northern Realms. There, he seeks Ciri, a young woman, and adopted daughter of sorts, who (clumsily) wields unimaginable power. Along the way, he enlists the help of old friends, enemies, and lovers: the assiduously cool-tempered Yennefer; bright and flamey Triss; cunning trickster Dijkstra; and more. It is these strange (and sometimes literal) bedfellows that make for such a satisfyingly dark fairy tale, punctuated by forays into Geralt’s not-so-venerable profession: slaying monsters for coin.


In this role, we, the players, find ourselves situated at the social margins of a mundanely dystopian world. Its horrors are commonplace, quotidian–meaning, for Geralt and his ilk, business is booming (if not well-paid). Thus, our “White Wolf” is a necessary yet despised figure, eagerly called upon in crisis and shooed away just as quickly. Perhaps this is due to the shame of the Continental inhabitants, who, in the course of commissioning Geralt for a job, frequently find themselves laying bare their greatest vulnerabilities, from darkest secrets to deepest fears. It is against this intricately morally ambiguous backdrop that Geralt must make tough decisions, often with no clear right or wrong answer, and just as frequently to unexpected results.


No doubt all of this is why, nearly eight years on, a legion of fans continue to boot up the open-world cult classic time and time again. (See the amateur–and wildly popular–sleuths on YouTube who have spent years uncovering the game’s myriad secrets, a well that never seems to run dry.) For this dedicated following–and curious newcomers–CD Projekt Red’s next-gen update provides fresh inducement to join Geralt “on the path.”


The first difference fans will notice upon revisiting the gritty world of The Witcher is the improved graphics. To be sure, this game has always been a looker, but the next-gen update takes CDPR’s award-winning art to stunning new heights. Lending the game newfound realism is the addition of ray tracing for global illumination and ambient occlusion. This means the lighting and reflections have been significantly upgraded, and the textures are now much higher resolution. Seen through the game’s increased frame rate, the Northern Realms (and beyond, per the game’s expansive DLCs) feel more immersive and atmospheric than ever.


Another noticeable change to the game is the addition of a “quick cast” system. Previously, Witcher players had to bring up a radial menu in order to select a different sign. Similar to gameplay in several of Rockstar Games’ offerings (e.g. Grand Theft Auto V, Red Dead Redemption 2), this menu does not pause the combat, but instead reduces its speed significantly. These slow motion action sequences can now be avoided, however, by firing signs at the click of a button. Though this option may not suit everyone, gamers who favour a fast-paced, DPS playstyle will be pleased, as it offers a far more fluid, frictionless approach to combat.


Longtime fans looking to test out these new changes will be delighted to find plenty of new content in the open-world threequel, including fresh dialogue options in pre-existing quests, new armour and swords for Geralt, patches to perennial bugs (such as Geralt no longer taking fall damage from laughably small heights), and the option to garb Ciri, Yennefer, Dandelion, and the Nilfgaardian army in wardrobes inspired by Netflix’s Witcher series. What’s more, new quest In The Eternal Fire’s Shadow grants entry to a cave that was previously walled off. Within, Geralt can find an eerie maze of tunnels that by turns reveal the best and worst humanity has to offer, illuminated by previous quest item The Eye of Nehaleni.


In characteristic Witcher 3 form, the subterranean adventure culminates in a thought-provoking moral dilemma involving a couple of flawed but ultimately sympathetic characters. Here, the quest highlights one of the game’s greatest strengths: its unflinching exploration of the human heart. Characters, such as the naive priest who sparks the quest, are contradictory, morally nuanced, and–above all–deeply and recognisably human. For better or for worse.


All of this is certain to make returning players nostalgic, while new ones may not even detect the newness of the quest, given its familiar exploration of themes. (At level 15, the quest fits neatly into the progression of the main storyline, which ends at a recommended level 30.) Either way, players will find The Witcher 3 an even more complete package than it once was, with stunning visual feasts, tight and responsive gameplay, and engrossing storytelling–proof, I suppose, that even a masterpiece can be improved upon.


If this next-gen update is a gilded lily, it’s one hell of a good-looking flower.


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