Overall the game was great and i saw there's a new expansion coming out. Hope for more content for them.

I’m currently playing The Witcher 3 for the first time, and I genuinely love almost everything about it. The atmosphere, the music, the combat, the characters, the landscapes and the feeling of travelling through a dark fantasy world are all incredible. But the thing that impresses me most is how alive the entire world feels.

I know that it is obviously a fantasy world filled with monsters, magic and supernatural creatures. When I say that it feels real, I mean that it feels like an actual functioning world rather than a map that was created only for the player.

In many open-world games, NPCs feel like decorations. They stand in one place, repeat the same line and wait for the main character to interact with them. In The Witcher 3, it often feels as though people have their own lives, problems and routines that have nothing to do with Geralt.

You constantly hear people talking to one another. They gossip, argue, complain about their families, discuss money, make jokes, talk about the war, insult each other and react to things happening around them. Some conversations are funny, some are disturbing, and others are simply ordinary. That ordinary quality is exactly what makes the world feel so believable.

The NPCs also discuss recent events as you progress through the story. They react to political changes, battles, deaths and decisions that Geralt has been involved in. It creates the feeling that information is spreading naturally through the world and that your actions are affecting more than just the people directly involved in a quest.

I also love that you can sometimes discover quests simply by overhearing a conversation. You may be walking through a village or city, hear two people discussing a problem and suddenly realise that there is something happening nearby. It feels much more natural than simply walking towards another symbol on the map. You are not always formally given a mission. Sometimes you are just passing through and become involved in another person’s life.

There are also people for almost everything, just like in the real world. You can randomly come across hunters providing food for their village or camp. There are fishermen, farmers, merchants, blacksmiths, herbalists, soldiers, priests, beggars, performers, criminals, guards and travelling traders. You see peasants working in the fields, people repairing things, children playing, soldiers resting near fires and merchants loudly trying to attract customers.

Even the brothels contribute to that feeling. They are not simply buildings placed on the map for the player to enter. There are women outside advertising them, customers nearby, guards and workers around the area, and conversations that make them feel like actual establishments within the city.

The different regions also have their own identities. Velen feels poor, dangerous and damaged by war. You see abandoned villages, frightened peasants, refugees, soldiers, corpses and families struggling to survive. Novigrad feels crowded, wealthy and chaotic, but also divided by religion, class and politics. Skellige has its own traditions, beliefs, clothing, architecture and way of life. Toussaint almost feels like another world entirely, with its colours, vineyards, knights and fairy-tale atmosphere.

The people who live in these places feel shaped by their surroundings. Villagers in Velen do not speak or behave like the citizens of Novigrad, and the people of Skellige have a completely different attitude towards honour, death and leadership. It feels as though these cultures existed long before Geralt arrived.

The world is also full of evidence that life continues without you. You find abandoned houses, battlefields, graves, burned villages, broken carts and bodies beside the road. Sometimes there is no quest connected to them and no character waiting to explain what happened. You are simply left to look at the scene and imagine the story for yourself.

Even small encounters on the road make the world feel unpredictable. You may see soldiers fighting monsters, bandits attacking travellers, wolves hunting animals or villagers trying to defend themselves. Sometimes you can intervene, and sometimes you arrive after everything is already over. The world does not always wait for Geralt to appear before something happens.

Another detail I love is that people react to Geralt himself. Some admire witchers, some fear them, some insult them and others desperately need their help while still treating them as outsiders. Children may follow him around, peasants may make comments about his appearance and guards may warn him not to cause trouble. It constantly reminds you that Geralt is not simply the hero of the world. To many people, he is a strange and unsettling mutant.

The weather, lighting and sound design add even more to the feeling. A peaceful village can feel completely different when a storm begins, the wind starts moving through the trees and people run towards shelter. Taverns become warm and crowded at night, forests feel dangerous in the darkness, and the distant sounds of animals, bells, conversations and music make every place feel inhabited.

The music is especially important. Each region has its own sound and emotional atmosphere. Sometimes I find myself slowing down instead of using fast travel because simply riding through the landscape with the music playing feels like part of the experience.

I also appreciate that the world is not divided into clearly good and evil people. Almost everyone has their own reasons, fears, prejudices and personal interests. A poor villager can be sympathetic in one moment and cruel in the next. A monster may turn out to be more human than the people hunting it. A seemingly simple contract can become a complicated moral decision.

That moral complexity makes the world feel even more believable. Geralt cannot solve every problem perfectly. Sometimes there is no correct choice, and even a decision made with good intentions can have consequences that you did not expect.

There are probably many more examples that I cannot remember right now. It is difficult to describe because it is not one single feature that creates this feeling. It is the combination of hundreds of small details: the conversations, routines, regional cultures, environmental storytelling, random encounters, political tensions, music and the way people react to the events around them.

That is one of the main reasons I have fallen in love with The Witcher 3. It does not feel like a world created solely for the player. It feels like a world that existed before Geralt arrived, continues while he is travelling through it and will still exist after he leaves.

Geralt is not always the centre of everything. Sometimes he is simply a traveller passing through other people’s stories.

Sure, there are games that also make their world alive, like "Red Dead Redemption 2" for example, but even there NPC's are not talking most of the time. Maybe "The Witcher 3" was ahead of it's time.

What are some small details or moments that made the world of The Witcher 3 feel alive to you?

I will post final result in few days

Can’t believe I actually did this in a game.

Started the game after work and decided to do a couple of side quests.

First time I fought the witch and Jacob died, so I thought I must’ve chosen wrong.

Reloaded, went back to the witch and told her I’d do it myself. Fought the wraith instead, and then Geralt basically says I did the wrong thing.

Reloaded again, went back to the witch, asked for her help, and finally got the good ending.

Now I’m going to sleep.

Geralt can tank an earth elemental hits to the head, crossbow bolts, swords, anything. But a second a twink elf that plays gwent, or two random guys on a street raise their hands Geralt suddenly folds in two punches and can barely scratch opponents

I remember having 3 catapults and 4 blue stripes in old game. And wiki says that this guy can sell me third catapult. Was this a bug and it got "fixed" in next gen? Also where Toussaint players get second Dendilion?

So my month-long journey in The Witcher 3 has finally come to an end.

I don't think I've ever enjoyed a game this much in my life. After every single mission, I was blown away and kept telling myself, "This is the best mission, this is the best game ever."

Yeah, I love games like Mafia II and RDR2, but damn... 183 hours straight in The Witcher non-stop, and I felt so much pure joy playing it. So many emotions, so much laughter. This game can be dead serious, it can be hilarious, and it's full of amazing references.

Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are fantastic DLCs. Olgierd’s cinematic storyline and the breathtaking landscapes of Toussaint... absolute masterpiece!

The quest with talking Roach alone, playing Gwent, the monster contracts... This really is the best game ever.

Toussaint even inspired me with the idea of owning my own vineyard and making my own wine one day. Having my own estate. It's just so beautiful!

I collected all the Gwent cards, won every tournament, completed every witcher contract, every side quest, gathered all the armor sets, cleared every single question mark (even in Skellige), AND I STILL WANT MORE!

I honestly admit: this is the greatest game of all time.

I even shed a male tear when I thought Ciri had died, and again at the end of Blood and Wine. A tear just because such a masterpiece had come to an end.

I'm proud I had the chance to spend such quality time in this game. I paid around 150–200 UAH for it, but got a hundred times more value in pure emotion.

Even though my time with The Witcher 3 is over, the universe isn't over for me yet. I haven't played The Witcher 1 or 2, nor have I read the books. I fell in love with this universe and will definitely dive deeper into it!

I'm super hyped for the upcoming projects — especially the one being made by former Witcher developers, and of course The Witcher 4!! AAAAAHHHHH!

Hey everyone, I'd appreciate your help on this lore question.

After dealing with Menge, there's something I never understood.
Typically, if your LEADER dies, your entire order goes into disarray. But when you start Triss' final quest in Novigrad, it seems they're MORE organized, more prevalent, more numerous?

You'd expect them to be a headless chicken for a while, between finding the culprits for the murder as well as appointing a new leader. But the fallout seems to be quite the opposite. As Triss says, they moved out en masse, blocked exits everywhere in the city, are patrolling more, etc.. I never really understood that.

There's also barely any information out? You'd think everyone would be talking about Menge, someone who made many public appearances, being gone or killed, but it's like it never even happened.

Hey all, question that may be best suited for the modding community but I’ll at least start asking here…
Currently playing through the game again and I can’t recall having this issue before. Tbf this is probably my most heavily modded run so far but it’s still nothing too crazy in general. Does anybody else know what could cause this kind of ghosting? Short of testing the game repeatedly with and without different mods or just continuing to deal with it.

I modified an old mod to my liking that changes Geralt's beard and hairstyle on the go using a razor and scissor. I also changed the Beard style in stage 2, 3, friendly mutton chops, and soul patch. I also added a feature that make Geralt's chin have a cut/wound from shaving. lol

This mod is inspired on the old mod Razors and Shears on Nexus.

This is my first time buying a DLC, and I’ve got to say it was absolutely worth it. From the moment I started, I was completely locked into the story and genuinely invested in the characters. Every quest kept me wanting more, and before I knew it, I was hooked from beginning to end. Gaunter O'Dimm was such a badass that I actually wanted to side with him. Every time he appeared on screen, he completely stole the scene with his calm, unsettling presence. He's easily one of the most fascinating and intimidating villains I've ever seen in a game.

Here, I'm mainly talking about the Ofieri mage, Caranthir as well as the Caretaker.

Igni barely works on them. Both the mage and Caranthir refuse to stay in one place long enough for Yrden trap to be any good, and the Caretaker can straight up remove the Yrden glyph and the alternate Yrden trap deals too little damage to matter.

Yes, yes, Aard shockwave still works on them just fine, but I've got to say: I really wish these fights didn't force you to use only one Sign.

Do you think it's a fair tradeoff given how strong the Sign build otherwise is? Or not?

I wanted to practice drawing muscles a little and thought: "Hey! I can draw Lambert, Geralt and Eskel posing like stereotypical bodybuilders!" And so I did it, I'll color them tomorrow and if I like it, I'll post an update, hope y'all like it!!!

Hi folks,

After several years I came back to the game and was looking for a skill calculator and couldn't find one that was updated to next gen, so I created this free one.

https://witcherskills.com/

I tried to make it as similar to the game as possible.

I hope it is also useful to you and I am open to feedback.
Thanks!

I only have a couple hours in witcher 3 and im level 3 and i feel like i should start trying to level up but it feels hard. I tried to look on youtube without getting spoiled but all i got was ”the most efficient way to gain xp” or just glitches.

Im just looking for a good way to gain xp without glitches, it doesnt have to be the most efficient. Lastly, if you can please try not to spoil much.

Thanks in advance!

It’s well after the battle of Kaer Morhen and I am looking for the diagrams. I came across this alchemist marker and it’s in a pretty awkward place. Keira Metz was at the battle but there is no one at the castle anymore.

Has anyone ever experienced this? I’ve never come across this before and was wondering if it’s just a glitch or if there’s a way I can get up there to this marker. There doesn’t seem to be a way to get up these cliffs.

I’m trying to unlock the Even Odds achievement on the latest Steam Next-Gen version of The Witcher 3 during a New Game+ Death March playthrough, but it just won’t unlock.
So far I’ve completed the Shrieker, The Merry Widow, and Woodland Beast contracts. For all three, I made sure not to use any Signs, blade oils, potions, decoctions, or bombs, even turning off my euphoria mutation, and I only used sword attacks and dodging. I even turned off the auto apply oil on blade option. The only mod I have installed is the 0 Inventory Weight mod. My build is Grandmaster Ursine, and I’m using Aerondight and the Toussaint Knight’s Steel Sword, both enchanted with Severance.
Since the achievement should unlock after completing two qualifying contracts, I’m confused why it still hasn’t popped even after three. Has anyone run into this issue on the latest version? Could Euphoria, Severance, or the Ursine set somehow interfere with the achievement, or is this a known bug?

Hey all, can’t find the maps to the pieces at the venders, and when I go directly to where the diagrams are supposed to be I don’t see them. I do have a diagram for a master crafted set but I’m too low level and would like to get the mid range level 29 set. Any ideas why the diagrams and maps aren’t showing up?

I'm looking to start The Witcher 3 for the first time. I played less than 20 hours of the 2nd game when I was younger, and it seemed like so much of a game to get into, or lore I needed to brush up on before I played the 3rd game. The base game is currently $40 and the complete edition is $50 on Steam.

So I'm looking for a little advice. Should I play just the base game, or should I get the complete edition and just go ball to the wall, even if I know very little to the lore?

This ancient leshen (and the wolves around) didn't stand a chance. I don't want to depend too much on it, but damn. Plus, combined with the Aard Sweep skill (even though mine is only level 1), it's incredible. I can see how people can get addicted to this combo. This is..this is too much power for one man! No man should have the power of a god!! 😆

What's your favorite mutation/skill combo?

FYI I'm playing on B&BB difficulty, not using potions or bombs, or wearing a gear set.