What more is there to say about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt? CD Projekt’s RPG has rightly set the world alight since its initial release back in 2015, thanks to its stellar video game story and compelling gameplay, and since then its reputation has only grown as it’s pushed its way into further releases and platforms. A new generation update for the likes of the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S has long been awaited, and now it’s finally here.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition for PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC is potentially the definitive version of the game. This new update brings a huge array of quality of life improvements to The Witcher 3, noticeably some graphical upgrades alongside some other updates to help make the game feel fresh a full seven years after its initial launch. With the update coming free to owners of the PC, PS4, and Xbox One versions of the game, it’s a good time to revisit the title.
One of the key updates made for this upgrade to The Witcher 3 comes through those graphical improvements, and it’s fair to say that the game looks better than ever before. The upgrade’s Ray Tracing mode is genuinely beautiful at times, bringing depth to the title’s varied locations through things like better lighting. Even the character models have been given an improvement, with tweaks to those old designs to help them feel more contemporary and less stilted.
What works well about this upgrade to The Witcher 3 is the flexibility it gives the player. The Ray Tracing mode sticks to a solid 30FPS and gives a new level of immersion to the title, but those who want more fluidity of gameplay do have the option of a still impressive-looking Performance Mode at 60FPS. Although The Witcher 3 has never really been a game where that last frame counts in combat, it’s still good to give players the option.
With a broad range of updates coming in, some fans may be a bit concerned about bugs and glitches that may sneak their way into the finished product. Thankfully, this upgrade to The Witcher 3 runs very well, avoiding those slowdown issues that some players had with other examples such as the PC launch of Horizon: Zero Dawn. Of course, CD Projekt are old hands at this by now, somehow fitting The Witcher 3 onto the Nintendo Switch, but it’s still a relief to see something this seamless.
The Witcher 3 updates are not just technical, either. The game now features a photo mode to catch candid pictures of Geralt in mid-swing, there have been some environmental updates, as well as some extra bits and pieces that tie the game into the Netflix show in a non-gimmicky way. There are also improvements when it comes to the UI, more camera control through a new mode, and a smaller update to loot herbs quicker that actually makes alchemy far less of a chore.
It’s worth noting one change that is PS5-specific, too. The PS5 version of the Complete Edition comes with haptic feedback for the DualSense controller, and rather than feeling like an unnecessary add-on it actually works very well. There’s a subtlety to vibration for various different actions within the game, from riding Roach to combat, all the way to playing Gwent, and the PS5 version of the game is all the better for it.
As such, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition is a fantastic upgrade to the already-phenomenal original game. Since it’s provided free of charge to people who already own it on PC, PS4, and Xbox One, there’s no real excuse for those players not to revisit this all-time classic. And for those who have never played The Witcher 3 before, this is the perfect time to finally enjoy this incredible title.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition upgrade for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S releases 14 December 2022. Screen Rant was provided with a PS5 download for the purposes of this review.
Source: The Witcher/YouTube