The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
2015 · CD Projekt RED
Has it aged?Why ↓
This open-world fantasy action RPG makes being Geralt, a travelling monster hunter, more compelling than saving the world. Searching a war-torn kingdom for your ward Ciri, you follow tracks with Witcher Senses, brew potions, fight with swords and magic, and hear villagers out before deciding what deserves killing.
You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.
The publisher’s description, from its Steam store page.
What it looks like
the trailer, then the store's own shots
The verdict
Play it for the monster investigations and difficult decisions, not for exceptional sword fighting. Tracking a beast, preparing for it and choosing how to resolve a contract gives Geralt's work a satisfaction the search for Ciri sometimes lacks. The 2026 Remastered edition improves faces, landscapes and combat animations without fundamentally changing the fighting. The writing remains the stronger reason to spend hours here; a prettier Novigrad is a welcome accompaniment, not the reason to return.
Play it if
You read the monster lore before preparing a fight, exhaust conversations before making a decision, and happily abandon the main quest to hunt down a diagram for Witcher armour.
Skip it if
You need combat to be the main attraction, or won't tolerate long conversations. Also avoid it if gruesome violence, misogyny or sexual content would make you stop: Geralt's world contains all three.
Common questions
- Do I need to play the first two Witcher games to understand Ciri's story?
- No: Geralt's search for Ciri is clear enough to follow without them. Returning characters and the closing stretch assume more familiarity, so expect some names and reunions to carry less weight.
- What do Witcher Senses actually do?
- They let Geralt find clues and follow a monster's trail during investigations. Contracts also involve learning about the creature and preparing potions, bombs and oils before the fight.
- Which edition includes Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine?
- The 2016 Game of the Year edition includes both, making it the sensible content package. The 2026 Remastered edition is a separate upgrade to the base game, not a reason to assume the expansions are included.
- What do Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine add?
- Hearts of Stone adds a storyline and runecrafting within an expanded part of the original map. Blood and Wine adds a large new map, another storyline, mutations and an upgradeable vineyard; both deserve a place in Geralt's itinerary.
- Does the 2026 Remastered edition require an SSD on PC?
- Yes, and Windows 10 is no longer tested or supported, although that does not necessarily prevent it running. Depending on platform, reverting to Classic version 1.32 is possible, with version 4.04 also announced as a rollback option upon the remaster's release.
- Where does Songs of the Past fit into Geralt's story?
- The expansion is announced for 2027 and requires you to have finished the main campaign. Geralt remains the playable lead.
What everyone else said
we link, we don't reprintHas it aged?
How does it hold up today? Based on recent reviews, how opinions have changed since launch, player activity and updates.
% positive each month, last 4 years.
Reviews via Steam ↗Peak: 52k in May 2015.
Player counts via SteamCharts ↗A little less liked than at launch, but still well liked.
Updated within the last year, so still looked after.