The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released in 2015. In the near-decade since then, it has become one of the most famous RPG games ever, and one of the best-selling games of all time with over 50 million copies sold. The Witcher 3 has also received consistent support from CD Projekt Red since its initial release, including two major DLC expansions that last dozens of hours, and a free next-gen upgrade. More recently, CDPR has rolled out another new update that introduces native mod support for the game.
When paired up with a previously introduced REDkit toolset released for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, it becomes relatively easy for mod developers to create new content. Wild Hunt is the third installment from the titular series and features the end of Geralt’s story, but many fans of the franchise today weren’t around to see the story’s beginning in the original Witcher, as the first installment never got released on consoles, and hasn’t received any next-gen update since its release. However, The Witcher 3’s new update has allowed some modders to bring the first game’s legacy back to life with the help of mods.
The Entire Witcher 1 Map Is Present In The Witcher 3
A NexusMods user, named AngryCatster, wasted no time after the new update, and used the new REDkit tools to port maps from The Witcher 1 in their entirety using The Witcher 3 mod support. Vizima Dike, Temple Quarter, Trade Quarter, and Old Vizima, which are map locations from the first game, are present in the mod, and a YouTube video showcases the gorgeous rendering this mod has already been able to achieve. The Witcher 3 has a more advanced engine, along with crucial graphical upgrades that allow for better movement and rendering of graphics, including ray tracing, greater draw distances, and a higher polygon density, all of which play in role in making the new mod shine visually.
Despite the incredible achievement the creator of this mod has been able to achieve just days after the new update, it’s clear that the existing mod still requires more work. For instance, it’s easy to fall off the map, get caught in terrain or mountains, and run into graphical glitches. However, given how much the creator of the mod has achieved with it in a short time, it’s clear just how much The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt mods made using REDkit modding tools can contribute to preserving and celebrating The Witcher's gaming history.
The Witcher 1’s Remake Brings Geralt’s Story To A New Group Of Fans
The ambitious and driven story featured in The Witcher 1 was held back by the technology of the time. The first chapter in the trilogy offered a good story at the cost of clunky combat and graphics that don’t hold up. To fix these issues, CD Projekt Red has begun working on a full remake of The Witcher with a third-party developer, which will also help bring its story to fans of today, the goal of which is to incorporate better graphics with the more refined combat system of The Witcher 3. This upcoming remake has perhaps stirred more interest in The Witcher 1, which also explains why so many modders are trying to port its maps over to The Witcher 3.
How The Witcher 3’s Update Could Include More Games
The Witcher 3’s new update opens up mod creation to the entire player base, and the process of making one is so easy that other maps could appear in The Witcher 3, too, especially the world of The Witcher 2. The legacy of these prior games could be kept alive by the latest installment in the series through more than just map ports as quest remakes are possible too, and so storylines and characters from the previous installments could again be introduced. The new REDkit mod update, basically, has opened up a new range of possibilities that can possibly increase The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt’s longevity and support.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
WHERE TO PLAY
You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you can explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.
PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRE
Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.
Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic. Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.
EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLD
Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Engine
- REDengine 3
- Expansions
- The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine
- Franchise
- The Witcher
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
- How Long To Beat
- 52 Hours
- Metascore
- 94
- PS Plus Availability
- N/A
