There’s a lot that can be said aboutThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, even four years on from its original launch, and it has. To this day, CD Projekt RED’s most-recent action-RPG (untilCyberpunk 2077comes out in a few months, anyway) continues to inspire fresh discussions about it, whether it be to analyze its status as one of the most critically-acclaimed role-players of all time orjust list some of its coolest features.
Given that, it’s almost pointless to spend another whole review talking about it now thatthe Complete Edition ofThe Witcher 3is on the Nintendo Switch. Of course, though, many interested gamers haven’t yet had a chance to try the game out for themselves, or are just new to gaming in general, so they’ll want to know if it’s worth their time.
Short answer: if they’re interested in dark fantasy role-playing in a massive open world tied together by deeply intricate gameplay and narrative systems, plus dozens upon dozens of hours of such content, then yes, definitely. More than that, though, they may seriously want to consider making the Switch their platform of choice, as this new version, aside from including both the game and its DLC at no extra cost, might just be the best option for experiencing the grand tale of monster-hunter-for-hire Geralt of Rivia.
That might sound like a strange thing to say, being that this isThe Witcher 3we’re talking about, one of the largest games set in one of the most detail and content-laden virtual worlds ever created. The technical demands of powering such a game are such that one can be easily forgiven for thinking that it couldn’t even run at all on Nintendo’s console/handheld hybrid, stripped down as it is next to the relative powerhouses that are most gaming PCs, the PS4, and the Xbox One, the platforms the game was designed for.
That’s what makes this port so remarkable, because not only doesThe Witcher 3:Wild Huntrun on the Switch, it runs well. Really well.
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: there are quite a few noticeable downgrades that Saber Interactive, the studio behindThe Witcher 3’s Switch port, had to make to get it working. This is clearly evident in the visuals. Not only is the resolution reduced (capped at 720p when the Switch is docked), draw distances are quite smaller, texture pop-in is a constant, and the framerate dips noticeably on occasion, especially in locations with a high number of NPCs (like the bustling city of Novigrad) and in cutscenes with more dynamic camera movement and character animations.
Remarkably, however, that’s about as bad as it gets. As far as downgrades go, they don’t really do anything to hinder the core gameplay experience. Even the aforementioned framerate dips never turn severe enough to become a real detriment. That’s incredibly impressive for a game with constant dynamic weather changes, a full day/night cycle, and numerous villages and cities full of active NPCs, the kind of things that can really drag performance down in even high-end gaming machines. What’s more, thanks to the visual downgrades,The Witcher 3loads more quickly on the Switch than other consoles, not by much ultimately, but enough to make repeatedly fast-traveling across the map more bearable in the long run.
The long and short of it then is that even on a much less powerful console that can barely fit it without a microSD card,The Witcher 3is the same game it’s always been in all the ways that matter. And now that it’s on the Switch, that game can now be taken anywhere, a feature that will definitely appeal to a number of new and old fans alike more than optimal graphical fidelity.
For those newcomers who haven’t had a chance to read up on it yet, then, it will help to offer a quick refresher on whatThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntis all about. The game takes place in a world where the best solution for the constant monster problem are witchers, people empowered through secret rituals with heightened senses and the ability to wield basic combat magic. Among the few witchers that are left by the time the story begins,Geralt of Riviais among the best, wandering the land in search of new monster-hunting contracts and dealing with people who look down on witchers as mutants, often with his swords.
Despite being the third game in the series, it does a good job of keeping newcomers up to speed on the existing plot-threads that tie into the main story of Geralt and his personal quest to find his adopted daughter Ciri, a fellow witcher and source of great power, before the deadly band of wraiths known as the Wild Hunt can. While engaging and well-told, it’s ultimately just the framework tying everything else the game has to offer.
In the many, many main and secondary quests the game has to offer, Geralt comes across a large cast of characters with unique stories to tell in a world afflicted by the evils of mankind as much as magical forces. These give players plenty of opportunities to choose how it unfolds, leading to quests that can go multiple ways. Unlike many RPGs that incorporate flexible narratives, where the player choices are usually cut-and-dried good or evil,The Witcher 3delights in keeping things ambiguous, withseemingly innocent choices often resulting in Geralt making things worse for the people around him.
This keeps the role-playing aspect of the game interesting, as it actually compels players to think carefully and ponder not just the potential consequences of their decisions, but howthe version of Geralt they’ve been forming through their playthroughwould lean in any given situation. It feeds back into the strong narrative foundation that makesThe Witcher 3’s world such a joy to explore, even in its more grisly or repetitious moments.
Even after dozens of hours of completing quests, taking on monster contracts, hunting for treasure, collecting new gear, playing a few rounds of Gwent, and exploring the vast wilderness in one great big gameplay loop, one is never far from either an interesting bit of dialogue with a random NPC or a random piece of fascinating worldbuilding found in the middle of nowhere. There’s always an interesting story out there to discover.
It helps thatThe Witcher 3has loads of depth when it comes to the gameplay itself. This is most evident in the combat system, which lets players elevates pretty basic swordplay withGeralt’s combat spells known as Signsand a mix of alchemy-based potions and bombs that comes with a multitude of unique effects. Add to that the various skills and perks that can be equipped and upgraded as one levels up, and the game gives players a huge number of ways to customize Geralt.
There’s a lot to be mindful of in the meantime, like weapon durability, inventory weight limits, potion toxicity, etc. but the game does a pretty solid job of keeping health and item management streamlined. This is good, becauseThe Witcher 3is a real slow burn of a game. Since leveling up is tied to completing quests, players can go long stretches before reaching a new level and unlocking new upgrades should they choose to wander around and fight random enemies for a few hours. It helps then that the game largely enables players to maintain forward momentum without having to backtrack frequently.
That isn’t to say, however, that the game is perfect.Game Rant’s original review forThe Witcher 3covers this topic well, but to quickly recap, there are plenty of glitches that pop up on occasion, like enemies clipping into parts of the map and NPCs suddenly vanishing during cutscenes. Moreover, the game, for all its intentions of telling a darkly mature story, does sometimes get a bit excessive with the violence and sex in ways that feel at odds with the rest of the plot. Still, these are relatively few and far between, and for the most part, the story here keeps things engaging throughout.
There’s a reasonThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntis considered one of the greatest action-RPGsever made. The world is brilliantly realized, everything from the gameplay to the story contains a great amount of depth, and it gives players the power to make a meaningful impact on the world through the choices they make. And with arguably the most impressive Switch port of any game to date, players have a whole new way to experience CD Projekt RED’s massive hit, one that just might be the preferred way for those who can stomach mildly-reduced visuals.
The Witcher 3: Wild Huntis available for PC, PS4, Switch and Xbox One. Game Rant was provided with a Switch code for this review.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
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 HIRETrained 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 WORLDBuilt 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.
