CD Projekt has released a free remaster of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and it is a generous upgrade that does not change the game’s core but makes it new again. The Remastered edition arrives 11 years after the original, and it is remarkable that the developer has chosen to overhaul the visuals and even alter the systems without charging players a penny.
What Changed Visually
The biggest win is the visual polish. Load the Remastered version and the world holds up to closer scrutiny. Geralt’s scarred body in the bathtub has more detail, Vesemir’s face is sharper when he speaks, and the mountain vistas are fuller. Enemies get glow-ups too:
- Drowners now have light-reflecting, iridescent skin.
- Forktail dragons sport shades of metallic green skin and flapping wings.
- Barghest hellhounds have flaming green eyes and leave shadowy trails.
- A vampire enemy with greying, rotting skin shimmers in and out of thin air.
The lighting is new too. Dawn and dusk scenes now reflect on watery surfaces, forests have deeper shadows, and torches and sconces light cities in moody ways. Ray tracing and path tracing push this further on PC, though performance takes a hit.
Performance Cost on PC
Ray tracing does come at a price. On a middling computer, the game spluttered hard in Novigrad when it was turned on, though it handled it okay in the wider world. The reviewer has not tested it on a base PS5 yet, but PS5 Pro reportedly runs ray tracing at 60 FPS.
Even with ray tracing off, there is a noticeable visual upgrade. The game looks sharper, more detailed, and fresher.
Skill Trees Get Reorganized
Combat itself stays largely the same, but the skill trees have been reworked. Instead of four blocks of abilities — weapons, potions, magic — players now navigate branching trees with routes to plot. There are still the same number of skills, but the layout makes them feel more numerous.
Some skills have changed. The crossbow, once a poor choice, now carries generous damage multipliers, especially to headshots. A new ability gives a percentage chance to kill a ranged attacker if you parry their shot perfectly. There is also a trend toward encouraging build overlap, where magical or potion abilities increase sword damage and vice versa.
What Stays the Same
The Remastered edition does not add a new expansion like Songs of the Past — that requires a separate purchase. Combat is not overhauled, so the frustrations you had the first time remain unaddressed.
Replay Value
If you have already finished the main campaign, the Remastered edition alone may not keep you entertained for long. The reviewer suggests it might hold attention for a few hours while you tour the game to see what’s new. But if you were thinking about replaying the game anyway, this is the moment.
The Remastered edition does not change why you loved The Witcher 3. It just makes the game look newer while you play it. That is a small miracle for an 11-year-old title.
Final Word
This is an upgrade worth taking, even if it does not rewrite the past.
Source material: “The Witcher 3 Remastered is an extraordinarily generous upgrade that doesn't change the game, but does make it new again,” Eurogamer.
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