The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt guide and review
Also known as: The Witcher 3, Witcher 3, Wild Hunt
A guide to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Geralt's story, signs and swords, potions, monster contracts, the Gwent card game and tips to start your first hours.
- Type
- Video game
- Players
- 1
- Age
- Ages 18+
- First released
- 2015
- Developer
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher
- CD Projekt
- Platforms
- Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an open-world role-playing game developed by CD Projekt Red and released in 2015. It is based on the fantasy novels of the Polish writer Andrzej Sapkowski. You play Geralt of Rivia, a witcher: a professional monster hunter trained and changed by mutations. Geralt searches for Ciri, a young woman he raised like a daughter, who is being chased by a ghostly army called the Wild Hunt. The world is wide and dark, full of war, difficult choices and people whose problems rarely have simple answers. Two large expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, add many more hours. The game is widely praised for its writing and side quests.
Our verdict
The Witcher 3 is often called a benchmark for storytelling in open-world games. Even small side quests can be moving, funny or surprising, and they rarely feel like simple errands. The world looks beautiful and feels lived in. Preparation and alchemy add strategy to combat. It is a mature game with violence and adult themes, so it is best for older players.
What works
- Outstanding writing in both main and side quests.
- Choices with real consequences.
- Large, beautiful world and excellent expansions.
What does not
- Combat feels stiff at first.
- Mature content makes it unsuitable for children.
How to play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
You control Geralt from a third-person view. He carries two swords: steel for humans and beasts, and silver for monsters. In combat you use quick and strong attacks, dodges and rolls, plus five magical signs: Aard pushes enemies away, Igni sets them on fire, Quen creates a shield, Yrden makes a trap on the ground and Axii confuses minds. Preparation is important. You study enemies in the bestiary, brew potions and blade oils through alchemy, and choose the right tools before a hunt. Monster contracts are side quests where villages pay you to solve a monster problem, often with an investigation using Geralt's witcher senses to follow clues. Your choices in dialogue change how stories end. Gwent, a card game played inside the world, is a popular side activity with its own collection of cards to win.
Tips for new players
- Read the bestiary before contracts; using the right oil and sign makes fights much easier.
- Meditate to refill potions automatically once you have alcohol in your inventory.
- Use Quen often in early fights; the shield saves many lives.
- Do side quests in each region before rushing the main story.
Good for
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: common questions
Do I need to play The Witcher 1 and 2 first?
No. The Witcher 3 explains the main characters well. Earlier games add background but are not required.
What is Gwent?
Gwent is a card game you play against characters inside The Witcher 3. You collect cards and build decks as a side activity.
Are the expansions worth playing?
Yes. Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine are both highly regarded and add long new stories.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt belongs to its owners. Playdonya is not connected to them and does not sell this game; the cover is our own illustration.
