NO. 3 IN THE INDEX · RPG · ACTION RPG · OPEN WORLD
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Monster contracts, family tragedy, and the best side quests ever written.
By the editorial desk · CD PROJEKT RED, 2015 · Steam version
Sovereign
Tier S · 92/100
THE VERDICT
Still the gold standard for quests in an open world. Essential.
Geralt of Rivia searches a war-torn continent for his adopted daughter. More than a decade on, and with the next-gen update on Steam, its writing still sets the bar for open-world storytelling.
The ledger
- Developer
- CD PROJEKT RED
- Publisher
- CD PROJEKT RED
- Released
- 18 May 2015
- Steam builds
- Windows
- Steam Deck
- Verified
- Modes
- Single-player
- Steam price
- $49.99
- Typical playtime
- ~55 hours
- Cost per hour
- ≈ $0.91
The world
The Northern Kingdoms are being torn apart by an invading empire, and the spectral Wild Hunt is hunting Ciri. Every region is soaked in folklore: drowned villages, a witch-haunted swamp, island clans and the gilded rot of Novigrad. The genius is in the side quests, which are written with the same care as the main story and often hit harder.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt key art
The fight
Swordplay, dodges and signs (simple spells) plus potions and oils prepared for each monster. It is serviceable rather than great, and it feels floatier than modern action RPGs, but preparation for a contract makes even routine fights feel like a witcher's work.
The build
Skill trees for combat, signs and alchemy, with mutagens and gear sets layered on top. Enough to shape Geralt into a sign caster or a sword specialist, though most players settle into a hybrid.
The trial
Gentle on the default difficulty and demanding on Death March, where preparation becomes essential. The game never locks story behind difficulty.
The port
Runs well on modest hardware, with the next-gen update adding ray tracing and quality-of-life fixes for those who want them. Verified on Steam Deck. Both expansions are excellent and sold as a bundle.
Worthy
- Side quests that rival other games' main stories
- A world dense with folklore and consequence
- Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are among the best expansions ever made
- Runs well even on older PCs
Unworthy
- Combat feels dated next to modern action RPGs
- Inventory and crafting UI are clumsy
- The early hours in White Orchard are slow
Who should enter
Story-first players and anyone who wants a long, grown-up fantasy to live in. If you want tight combat above all, Elden Ring or Lies of P will suit you better.
How the score was reached
- Combat 25%
- 80
- World & lore 25%
- 99
- Builds & systems 20%
- 84
- Fair challenge 15%
- 90
- PC port 15%
- 92
The highest World & lore score in the codex.
Kindred worlds
Chosen for how they feel to play, not just the genre tag.
