Make this a serieus script for a video : The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Next Gen Complete Edition Review
the witcher 3 complete edition


The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an excellent example of an open world RPG that stands the test of time. Released in 2015, it was widely acclaimed and has since cemented itself in gamer culture. This Complete Edition upgrades the game for Next Gen consoles; PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PCs to reach a new wave of gamers, while offering a free upgrade to those who already own the game on previous platforms. Not only does this game include mods, enhancements and new content, but it also captures the essence of what made the game so successful in the first place.

Whether you’re a long-time gamer or discovering The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for the first time, you’ll find everything you need to enjoy this Next Gen edition.

Before we get into the details of what this Next Gen update brings, let’s dive back into the iconic game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

A look back at the story of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

The Northern Kingdom is engaged in a bitter war against the Nilfgaardian Empire, which for years has been expanding its territories through constant conquest. The Nilfgaardian Emperor Emhyr var Emreis is unrivalled in his political ambitions and ruthless in achieving them.

The war has left deep scars on the land and in the hearts of the people; more than ever, misery, fear and superstition weigh on the world of The Witcher. The monsters are the ones who harvest the fruits of this destruction, living on the corpses left in the wake of the army, or even the survivors of the conflict.

It is in the middle of a vast occupied zone that our Sorcerer arrives shortly after the end of The Witcher 2. Geralt of Rivia will have to move heaven and earth to try to find Ciri – his adopted daughter, but also the daughter of Emhyr by blood, who is relentlessly pursued by the dreaded riders of the Wild Hunt.

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The Witcher 3 continues the legacy of Andrzej Spakowski’s novels with more human, political stories, still playing as skillfully as ever with the nebulous line between good and evil.

If you didn’t know, The Witcher video game trilogy is based on a saga of fantasy novels by Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. A huge success in his country; so much so that during a visit by President Barack Obama to Poland, Prime Minister Donald Tusk presented him with an official diplomatic gift including The Witcher 2 and two of the books that inspired the video game.

The series has been propelled internationally thanks to the video games of CD Projekt. But also more recently thanks to the series on Netflix with Henry Cavill.

Who is Ciri?

Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, known to most as Ciri, is a Cintrian princess.

Emhyr’s daughter by blood, Geralt’s adopted daughter, she is the first known example of a female Witch, and a legendary child of the Elder Blood. Thanks to the Law of Surprise, her destiny has been linked to that of Geralt of Rivia since before her birth.

As a child, she was taken in by the wizards of Kaer Morhen and subjected to rigorous training.

Over time, Ciri became a particularly skilled warrior, able to wield the blade with dexterity. Thanks to her education, she also has a great knowledge of alchemy and monsters.

However, her origins and status make her more than desirable to the powerful of this world. The young girl is therefore hunted from all sides, by Nilfgaard on the one hand, by certain mages on the other, but also by the Wild Hunt, a carnival of spectral horsemen riding skeletal steeds, symbols of misfortune and death. The game offers to check the character at regular intervals in order to learn more about her journey.

An RPG of choice and consequence.
the witcher 3 next gen
Like any good RPG, the choices you make in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can have consequences. Whether it’s the small talk or the major, urgent decisions that come at the climax of a long quest; choices you thought were harmless may have consequences immediately or further down the line. For example, it may affect the rewards you earn, the characters you meet, the people you ally with, and even the endings you reach. Through the choices you make, your experience of the game can be very different and opens up the possibility of redoing the main story to discover a new path, a new protagonist or a new ending. Not all choices are obvious, and even the most subtle ones may have greater implications than you think.



Speaking of experience, in Wild Hunt you’ll need to level up your character in order to progress. There’s no need to rush out and find a farming spot a la Elden Ring. Killing enemies outside of quests will give you little or no XP. To gain level, you will have to complete quests and contracts. If you try to rush the main quest, you might find yourself underleveled at some point, forcing you to complete some side quests. An auto-levelling system, à la Skyrim, is available in the options. Each time you level up you gain an ability point, which can be invested in one of 5 categories of your choice. Ranging from combat oriented abilities; Sword, bomb, crossbows, to abilities like alchemy, signs and more. You can only have 12 abilities in total, with slots unlocked at different character levels. Abilities are colour coded and categorised, and completing certain colour abilities with a mutagen of the same colour will increase the effects of those abilities.

After starting the Blood and Wine DLC (included in this release) and completing the Turn and Face the Strange quest, you will unlock a new additional leveling system in the Character menu, which allows you to spend skill points and use mutagens to gain new buffs related to your witcher mutations. Even if, as in any RPG, some quests seem really cliche (fetch an item, bring it back), almost all of them contain a real dimension, and enhance the narration. The exploration and the storyline intertwine with excellence and you end up with a series of quests ranging from the most basic (helping an old lady find her pan) to the most complex.

Gameplay.
the witcher 3 next gen
The first open-world game in the franchise when it was released in 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt takes you on beautiful and perilous journeys through several regions, from the lands of Velen, which contains the city-state of Novigrad, to the islands of Skellige. You’ll see some incredible landscapes and encounter the often hostile local wildlife; wild wolves, bears, monsters, spirits and bandits all ready to pounce on you. The game starts in an area of Velen known as the White Orchard, which allows you to familiarise yourself with the game mechanics and lay the foundations of the narrative. Your exploration can be done on foot, with the help of Roach – your horse (double click on the left stick), by boat or by fast travel. The fast travel system works by using the many signs on the map, usually located near important areas such as villages, towns, landmarks, etc. Naturally, you will need to have visited these places first for them to be accessible by fast travel. They’re accessible from the game map, which has been revised in this version (more on that later).

I can only advise you to explore, especially at the beginning of the game, as the world is full of treasures, side-quests and unexpected encounters.

During my playthrough of this complete next gen edition, I sadly did not have enough time to complete the main quest. Nevertheless, you should know that it will take you between 25-30h if you rush the game, excluding the side quests. For the record, when I played the original PS4 version, it took me almost 80 hours to complete the main story. You have enough to do. On top of that, you can add the DLC included in this version. Hearts of Stone and Blood & Wine will keep you in the game for a good 30 hours (10 hours for Hearts of Stone – 20 hours for Blood and Wine); the Blood & Wine DLC is so rich in content that it could make a lot of games pale in comparison! Moreover, it is possible for those who want to start a new game and go directly to the DLC, with the appropriate level and equipment, to do so. In this Next Gen version, CD projekt has implemented a new quest from the Netflix series. It will take Geralt to the Devil’s Den, a quarry in Velen, which already existed in the game, but was never used in the final version (you will find yourself facing the door of a closed mine). As a reward, you will receive schematics allowing you to craft the outfits Henry Cavill wears in seasons 1 and 2. More outfits are always a good thing!

The quests regularly involve the sorcerer’s tracking skills. By maintaining Rt orR2, Geralt will use his Sense of the Witcher ability to uncover many clues at the scene of his stalking or investigations. Tracking footprints, studying a corpse to determine the cause of death, and following the tracks of a wild beast is our hero’s daily life. And if your peregrinations lead you to a whole host of battles, it is also possible to settle certain situations thanks to your sense of repartee, diplomacy, the subtle art of the bribe or even by using some mental tricks.


Combats
Fighting in The Witcher 3 is intense and has a strategic edge to it. You have two swords, one metal for human enemies, one silver for monsters. No need to tell you that you will have to be vigilant and not hit monsters with your metal sword or you will inflict too little damage. If swords are not enough for you, our butcher of Blaviken can also craft bombs, snipe enemies with a crossbow or use magic. 5 spells are available, they will allow you to protect yourself, to launch fire waves, to trap enemies, or to play some humans against each other. It will not be unusual to find yourself up against several enemies at once, and you will need a good amount of dexterity to parry and slice through certain enemies with your swords.

Despite this, the battles remain quite easy for experienced players even on the highest difficulty levels.

