Witcher 3: Next-Gen Edition - REVIEW

When I did my Witcher series of blogs I mentioned that a REVIEW of the Next-Gen update was bound to happen. // the receipts are there no need to check, trust yo boy

So here we are. After about 50h played in this new Next-Gen version, I finally feel equipped enough to talk about it.

⏰⏰⏰

Up-top I'll say this update is more of a graphical overhaul than anything else. There are some quests added, and some skins, but really it's more for new audiences that have never experienced the base game.

And by base game, I mean the full game - Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine included.

🔶 THE DOWN LOW 🔶

The Witcher 3 soundtrack still slaps like a Brazilian babe on venus beach. So might as well link it again. 😁

_{Seriously one of the best soundtracks out there, if you haven't heard it yet - you owe it to yourself.}

CDPR has been on a revenge tour ever since the disaster that was the Cyberpunk launch. 😅 And yes, it was a disaster, regardless of hor much of a turn-around that game has made. In said revenge/redemption tour, they decided to release a next-gen update for their most popular game for free!!!

Basically, if you already own the Witcher 3 on any console/platform, you will be given the option to upgrade your version with no extra charge.

This by itself is an amazing consumer-friendly practice, and so far, there's nothing to dislike about it.

🔶 THE BONES TELL A STORY 🔶

"Witcher 3 is the greatest RPG of all time."
A well-known proverb across the land.

Whether that well-known proverb holds true for you is dependent on what you value in an RPG. 😎 Personally, it's all down to the story, lore, quests, and how it all melds together. Witcher 3 is bar-none the best at these things. So in my book, it's the best RPG.

I say this to disparage any talk of "well, it hasn't even been that long, does this game deserve a 'remaster'?" Short answer - yes. Long answer? What do you think the previous paragraph was for? Pay attention! Moving on. 🚶

🔶 SOME THINGS WILL NEVER CHANGE 🔶

The first thing someone will notice when booting up this brand new, spanking edition of the Witcher 3 is the new camera angle! Yaaasss. Now I personally am indifferent to change, leaning towards I like it.

The beautiful thing about all the changes made by the Next-Gen edition is they are all togglable from the options menu.

There are obvious graphical improvements made to texture quality, and of course, the inclusion of ray tracing. Now, if you have a mid system, or are still using a PS4 for instance, you won't be noticing these new options. 😅

Really the most high-end machines are the only ones that will notice these changes. As it should be, is this a next-generation version or not?

Technically it's a current-gen edition but who's counting?

🔶 AT THE CORE OF IT ALL 🔶

The game itself is largely unchanged. Some minor balancing updates to both gear and upgrades aside, most of the tangential changes to the gameplay are from the plethora of bugs that have been fixed.

Fixing bugs is all well and good, but it's also pretty boring. 😅

Well, the game also has a whole new quest! And it's actually pretty good as well. Not only that, but you can also get the Witcher Series armor and skins! For the six of you that actually would prefer that. 😀

Seriously, I am absolutely positive that CDPR has some deal with Netflix to put that ugly-@$ armor in the game. NOBODY liked that thing. But Netflix was like 'we gotta get more of that gaming crowd invested in our declining show'* unaware that most fans had already tuned out. 😅

"Sources at Netflix say the third season of the very middling show will be the worst one yet. Some say that's impossible, they say 'we beg to differ.' For Channel 5 News, this is Jimmy Stardust, signing out."
Jimmy Stardust, Stardisc, early 2023

Making fun of the incredibly mid show aside, the additions are at least funny, and some skins do look good (mainly Dandylion honestly).

Regardless, you aren't getting this version for that content. Youa re getting it for a fresh coat of paint, and that, it applies.

🔶 CONCLUSIONS 🔶

The ray tracing looks great. The minor graphical fidelity improvements really do stack up when you've spent a long time playing. It really does feel like a new game, freshly released.

To be frank I was expecting more. But what I got didn't disappoint me. Does that make sense? The game is still the best RPG of all time so you can't go wrong really. All they had to do was not make it worse.

How would they make it worse? I dunno man. Cyuberpunk's launch scarred us all. 😤

If you haven't played this gem, and have the free time to devote to it. Then I honestly have no idea what you are doing with your life (@kaelci).

I have IRL friends who have never tried it, only to finally give it a shot after this update. Their dreams are not haunted by ghosts of memories they never had, regretting not being able to play them sooner. *// did that make sense? we're rolling with it

✅ RECOMMENDED

Thank you for reading, you rock! (and maybe roll but who's counting?) 👏👏👏

Shout-out to the 🍕PIZZA🍕 gang, 🤙 gang. 🤙

At this point, I am very tempted to do a series review. 😁 I have so many things to say. Mostly negative, mind you. But the first season was right. Maybe I can spare some time to write up some series reviews.

At any rate, I love this world so much and am so glad that we have this new version to play with.

👊 Follow me on my HIVE blog 👊

Here's to an amazing start to your week 🙌