The Witcher 3 Release: 5 Things You Need to Know Now

The Witcher 3 release for PS4, Xbox One and PC has come and gone but we’re still seeing a a steady stream of new release details emerge. Today, we take another look at the Witcher 3 release and offer some initial impressions of the game that’s been years in the making.

After three years of development, teasers and announcements, the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is finally available for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. The open world adventure game has garnered numerous accolades and solid reviews from critics and its become one of the top games available for next-generation consoles and machines running Microsoft’s Windows platform.

As we push away from The Witcher 3 release date, we continue to see new details emerge for owners and those who are thinking about picking the game up in the near future.

You can learn more about The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to prepare for the game, but today we want to delve into some of the most important post-release details that owners and buyers should know.

Witcher 3 PC Update Released

Its only been two days since The Witcher 3 release and the developer behind the game, CD Projekt Red, has already released its second major update for the game. The game’s first major update was a day one patch released when the title first came out.

The Witcher 3 for PC has been updated with a significant patch that is meant to stabilize and improve the experience of the game. The studio confirmed the update today and released a change log that outlines all of the changes that come with the PC versions second update:

• Improves stability in gameplay and the UI
• Improves performance especially in cutscenes and gameplay
• Fixes grass and foliage popping that could occur after density parameters were changed
• Improves Nvidia Hairworks performance
• Boosted texture anisotropy sampling to 16x on Ultra preset
• Sharpen Post-process settings extended from Off/On to Off/Low/High
• Blood particles will now properly appear after killing enemies on the water
• Corrects a bug where player was able to shoot bolts at friendly NPCs
• Improves menu handling
• Corrects an issue with Stamina regeneration while sprinting
• Fixes a cursor lock issue that sometimes occurred when scrolling the map
• Generally improves world map focus
• Improves input responsiveness when using keyboard
• Corrects some missing translations in the UI
• Corrects an issue in dialogue selections
• Rostan Muggs is back
• Minor SFX improvements

This might be the second major patch for the PC version of The Witcher 3 but it certainly won’t be the last.

More Updates to Come

While the game has received high marks for its gameplay, some owners aren’t satisfied. In response to concerns about “downgraded” graphics, the studio recently told Eurogamer that there is some truth to this.

CD Projekt Red co-founder Marcin Iwinski admits that the graphics that arrived with the game do not match the graphics that the company showed off at VGX nearly two years ago. He says that the “downgrade” as some perceive it is a product of the “nature of games development.” Specifically, the company says that it changed its rendering system after the event but that it doesn’t agree that there is a “downgrade.”

Today’s patch does include some graphical enhancements but their work isn’t done. The company says that this is a marathon and not a sprint and it’s going to continue to refine the game in an attempt to address some of these concerns:

It’s very important to stress: we are continuously working on the PC version, and we will be adding a lot of stuff, and there is more to come. We’ve proven it in the past that we support our games and we will be looking at the feedback and trying to make it better.

It’s not clear when the game’s next patch will arrive. Until then, PC users will have to make do with the changes found in today’s update.

Witcher 3 PS4 & Xbox Update Coming Soon

While the patch is available for the PC, it’s not available for the Xbox One or PS4. Yet. The developer says that a patch will be released in the near future for the Xbox One and PS4 though its change log still isn’t clear. Owners of the console versions of the game can expect many of the bug fixes and enhancements that come with the PC update.

Witcher 3 Deals

There are no longer 10% off The Witcher 3 deals on PSN, Xbox Live and Steam, but you can still save some money on one of the year’s best games.

Best Buy’s Gamers Club Unlocked is a $30 membership that delivers 20% off all new games. Those who have membership can knock a few dollars off the price. Those who aren’t members will have to pay full price, at least for now.

Ubisoft is also offering a deal on The Witcher 3. Those that buy through uPlay will get a free game with their purchase. Buyers can choose from Assassin’s Creed Black Flag, Assassin’s Creed Rogue, Watch Dogs, or Far Cry 3.

Witcher 3 Impressions: Is It Worth $60?

We’ve been playing The Witcher 3 for a few days now and while we haven’t completed the game just yet (it’s massive), we want to offer our initial impressions of the game and tell you if it’s worth spending $60 on it.

If you haven’t played The Witcher 1 or Witcher 2, don’t let that discourage you. While there is certainly a ton of backstory to the series, the game gets you caught up to speed pretty quickly through character bios and in-game dialogue. You can, if you wish, read all about the game’s lore prior to playing.

Without giving too much away, the story is set in a medieval times and you star as Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher. If you’re not familiar, a Witcher is a mutated mercenary of sorts that performs contracts for cold hard cash. It’s a fantastic blend of fantasy and realism though it’s not for the squeamish.

The land is marred by war, famine and destruction and you’re caught in between rival humans and a supernatural force called The Wild Hunt. Almost immediately you’re thrown into the chaos as you ride into a small town whose residents are angry, tired and in some cases hopeless. The bodies of traitors and deserters hang from trees. The remnants of fallen heroes are strewn about the countryside. And evil lurks in the mists of the swamps and forests.

After the game sets you up, you’re thrown into this world and rather quickly you’re swept up into the chaos and forced to make decisions that impact your character’s life and the lives of the citizens around you. Some of these decisions will have a big impact on how the story unfolds.

If you’re looking for an easy hack-and-slash style RPG, this game probably isn’t for you. The game is set in the third-person and the combat is hard and often times, unforgiving. We’ve died countless times already and we expect to die more as the enemies grow in strength and number.

That said, we keep coming back for more. Because of the story, because of the beautifully constructed world, and because of the quests. The developer has filled the world with interesting characters but also interesting things to do and accomplish. The game even managed to make finding a frying pan for an old woman fun and satisfying.

We’ve already played the game for 10 hours and we’ve only opened up a fraction of the map. With some games, that might seem overwhelming. With The Witcher 3, we couldn’t be happier. This is a fun world to spend time in. To discover, to kill, to quest. And it already feels like money well spent. It helps that CD Projekt Red is planning to improve the game with bug fixes and DLC content.

This is easily one of the best games for next-generation consoles and it’s a must-own for anyone that enjoys immersive RPGs, great stories, and a challenge.