The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered Review (PS5, Xbox Series X/S, Switch 2, & PC)

This isn’t the first time that CD Projekt Red has updated the visuals and gameplay in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Since the original launch in 2015, the game has received lots of patch fixes. The most significant of which is the 2022 Complete Edition next-gen package. This enhanced the visuals up to modern standards, adding technologies like ray tracing on current-gen consoles and PC. As a result, you may wonder whether The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered is all that different from previous updates. As much as CD Projekt Red adds lots of changes, including visual and gameplay enhancements, do those changes make a significant difference to your gaming experience?

The short answer is yes. Although some changes may appear negligible compared to the original game and even previous updates through to version 4.04, they result in a smoother, more responsive playthrough. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered, or otherwise version 5.0, does, indeed, deliver a better experience by miles, especially when all of the changes and updates are combined. Let’s explore every significant change and improvement, though, in my review. And remember that if you already own the base game on your PS5, Xbox Series X/S, or PC, you can upgrade to the remaster version for free. And you’ll also get access to the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine DLC expansions, also for free. 

Side Questing

CD Projekt Red hasn’t touched the story, edited anything out, or added anything new. And that’s absolutely perfect because the story in the original 2015 version is already a masterpiece. It’s one of the strongest pillars that make The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt one of the best RPGs of all time. The writing, in particular, is a special treat that will get you rolling in laughter, feeling for the characters’ lows, and remembering others for years to come. Geralt of Rivia, Yennefer, and their adopted child Ciri are such strong, compelling characters in the game, Netflix series, and books that they will be characters you talk about decades from now. 

If you were hoping that some side characters’ stories were rewritten, sorry to say that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered may disappoint you. There are so many side stories in the Continent that Geralt runs into. Some have a compelling arc that ends with a satisfying conclusion, but a few leave you hanging. Some could be explored further. I suppose these are the side quests you can discuss in fan pages about how they might have been better. Though you’ll likely find more fans bear the sentiment that nothing need be changed. If it were, then those discussions after your playthrough may not be as supercharged as they are when the side stories remain as they are. 

Golden Rays

Instead, CD Projekt Red understands that the goal of a remaster, especially on an already near-perfect game, is to enhance the visuals. Their biggest changes are in the graphics, from the character models to the environment details and the UI. Characters have more detailed faces and clothes. The shapes, curves, and engravings are intricate, from a distance and when the camera zooms in. They look lifelike, with special details like the glint in Geralt’s yellow eyes. That’s largely due to the lighting. 

Using ray tracing and path tracing technology, CD Projekt Red has illustrated characters whose features and reflections in the light are like they would appear in real life. And the same technology applies to the areas around you. Foliage density is immediately apparent in the comparison between The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered and the original game. However, more prominent are the reflections and shadows against both natural sunlight and artificial light sources like torches. 

Every source of light reflects and refracts on the characters and environments like they would in the real world. And it includes the golden rays of sunshine at the break of dawn, which is breathtaking to bathe in. Or the reflections on water that make the surface shimmer. It brings the characters and world to life in ways that can only be fully appreciated when you compare the remaster to the original game. However, you may notice two major issues. 

Off Balance

While ray and path tracing create realistic reflections of light, they can also result in some areas looking too bright and even washed out. For this reason, I may understand players who prefer the original game, which, by the way, is still one of the best-looking RPGs.

Since all of the world’s lighting comes from either natural or artificial sources, it can result in total darkness in enclosed buildings. It’s pretty bad because everything is difficult to see, including Geralt himself. These two are the issues I might pinpoint from the visual enhancements. Yet, compared to the benefits of accuracy and intricate detail, I’m inclined to still prefer The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered.

Know Your Way

Those who’ve played the original game know how clunky the movement is. Whether controlling Geralt or his beloved horse, Roach, you had to put up with laughable movement and navigation. And it was pretty funny whenever Geralt stopped a few steps ahead of where you needed him to. Or when Roach galloped headfirst into trees. Now, the movement still has clunky issues, but they are far less noticeable. Geralt moves more fluidly and is more responsive to your commands. The same goes for Roach, who also maneuvers a lot more naturally. It’s pretty cool now to take up horse races and not worry about getting stuck. 

Another addition is how smoothly Geralt mounts Roach and dismounts. Plus, the way he swings his sword, connecting consecutive strikes in a smoother animation. In fact, CD Projekt Red has made improvements to movement and animations in general. Geralt’s jumps and runs are faster and more polished. In combat, he can perform some cool new finishers that draw from your Witcher Signs. You can unleash fire-based attacks that burn enemies gloriously, in real-time, and leave behind ash and fire prints on the ground.

Camera Dynamics

The trailer for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered talked about combat enhancements. And that was particularly exciting for me, given that the combat in the original game isn’t the strongest element. It felt clunky, repetitive, and I could easily do without it in favor of exploration or chatting up NPCs. And I’ll just rip the band-aid off and let you know that nothing much has changed in combat. At least fundamentally, in the way you swing your sword against enemies and defend yourself. 

What’s changed, however, perhaps most noticeably, is the dynamic camera that zooms in and out depending on how many enemies you’re tackling. It’s incredibly smooth transitioning from zoomed-in and out camera views so that the combat continues flawlessly. You move around a lot when locking down an enemy after another, especially when those annoying packs of wolves attack. But the dynamic camera helps to manage your attacks. 

Another noticeable change is in the background when you’re customizing your build. Specifically, the skill tree is now rebalanced, refined, and more intuitive. It now has branching paths. Some skills are no longer available. Others are on new branches. Whatever the case, I think it’s a welcome change for players who’ve invested their time in tweaking Geralt’s build. You can now interact with a refreshed skill tree that branches into Survival, Signs, and Alchemy paths. 

Definition of a Whole

I’m certain there are far more improvements you’ll notice in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered than I’ve been able to thoroughly explore in my review. The new transmog system is something you might be happy about, which is also in Monster Hunter Wilds. It lets you upgrade your weapons and armor without changing their appearance. This has significant benefits to players who’ve grown fond of certain aesthetics for their build that they wouldn’t want to change simply because they need better stats. 

Another feature I personally appreciate is the immersive meditation, where Geralt can meditate, and time keeps on moving. And this means that you see the screen’s lighting and shadows shift between the time of the day and night.

For those who like to snap static photos of exquisite environments and events, you have an expanded photo mode with more flexibility options.

It’s still too early to explore the full benefits of the cross-platform mod-support feature. However, I’m excited to see what players come up with and how I can integrate their creative ideas into my custom builds.

Granted, you may still run into some issues like the clunkiness that remains persistent. Although not too apparent, like in the original game. Things like some areas looking too bright. While among the changes CD Projekt Red says they added is “improved target-lock switching when moving the camera in combat,” you may find some instances where it simply doesn’t work, especially against multiple, fast-moving enemies.

Verdict

Sure, there are a few issues you may run into playing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered. However, the improvements far outweigh these minor issues by a long mile. I couldn’t go over all of the improvements that CD Projekt Red has added simply because they are too long a list. Some are subtle changes and may easily go unnoticed, especially if you’ve been playing the updates that have been released since the original game. It doesn’t change the fact that they are present and result in the ultimate way to enjoy Geralt of Rivia’s monster-hunting escapades. And if we’re also to borrow another takeaway from the many updates this game has received since the original one in 2015, it’s that CD Projekt Red will continue to improve upon the current version and add patch fixes to the issues raised.