The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Pre-Remaster Review in 2026 | Does CD Projekt Red’s Masterpiece Still Hold Up?

It feels nearly impossible to properly assess a video game with the kind of reputation that The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has. It tops nearly every RPG list it’s on, it’s tied with Skyrim as the best-selling western made role-playing game of all time, and its success hangs over virtually every conversation and future release in the gaming industry. The Witcher 3 is by far one of the most widely praised and discussed pieces of media I’ve ever engaged with. After 11 years, there’s no doubt that I’m well past having any effect on the public perception or understanding of such a giant, but thankfully that’s not really why I write these. I finally beat The Witcher 3, and now I want to share my experience with as many people as will listen because it really is that good. As a self-proclaimed RPG fanatic, consider this my homecoming letter.

First of all, I should mention, I haven’t played the previous two Witcher games yet, but I know their stories and I’ve been making my way through the books. I will definitely play them at some point, but the advice I received from friends who are ardent fans of the franchise was to not allow that to keep me from playing this game. So, I broke with my long held conviction of starting from the beginning just this one time, and I didn’t regret it at all. The Witcher 3 is not necessarily a direct follow up to The Witcher 2 or The Witcher 1, and even so it does a fantastic job of easing you into the world. It’s like you’re experience one great big celebration of the entire franchise in a single game. Important characters that were previously missing from the games are all here now, there are countless references to the books, and it marks the conclusion (a second time for book readers) of Geralt’s journey…at least until Songs of the Past. All of that to say, don’t be afraid of the number in the title.

GAMEPLAY

I might as well address the elephant in the room before anything else. Yes, combat is fine. The fact that it’s just fine and not great is the real dilemma, not that it’s bad. How dare CD Projekt Red give us an industry defining video game in every respect except for combat. Regardless, I still enjoyed it. I’s simple enough to not feel like a chore in-between the games more outstanding features, but layered enough to pose a challenge if you’re not paying attention, especially on higher difficulties. It can get repetitive, but checking the bestiary, preparing oils and decoctions, managing runes, and looking for the right moment to strike really made me feel like a Witcher, and for that it succeeds.

On the opposite end of combat, you have the infamous card game Gwent. Infamous for how fun and utterly addicting it is. I won’t take the time here to explain the exact mechanics of the game, but needless to say I spend a large portion of my playthrough hunting down various cards and new high-profile opponents to play. Notable characters in the game have their own cards you can use, making the whole experience feel like a delightful little microcosm of Geralt’s journey. It’s my firm belief that every RPG needs good minigames, and Gwent is one of the best.

The crafting and loot system represents one of the primary time sinks of the game, and one of my very few real annoyances. I don’t mind the crafting itself, or even gathering the right items, it’s the looting and quest rewards that throw it all off for me. I can’t remember exactly what level I was, but from an early point in the main game I stopped receiving items from loot and quest rewards that were better than what I already had. Everything was worse. If I wanted better gear, I had to craft it. If it weren’t for how great the quests themselves are, this would have sucked some of the joy out of finishing them. As it turns out, this is another example of The Witcher 3 covering a multitude of sins by being much more than the sum of its parts.

WORLD DESIGN & EXPLORATION

The open world of The Witcher 3 is magnificent. From the starting zone of White Orchard all the way to Toussaint in the Blood and Wine expansion, everything is so picturesque and filled with life. The Next-Gen update certainly accentuates this, and in a few weeks the Remaster will undoubtedly do it again, but both are relying on the base accomplishments of an 11 year old game. It impressed people then, and it continues to do so even now. There’s something to be said about how CD Projekt Red refuses to allow this game to age, at least from a visual standpoint, but I could write a whole entirely different article about that.

Exploring the Continent and partaking in side quests is the single greatest achievement of The Witcher 3. Any encounter can turn out to be something memorable and significant. A seemingly run of the mill Witcher contract might lead to something familiar, a simple request can end up changing an NPCs life drastically, and treasure hunts can unfold into their own emotional stories. Nothing is quite as it seems, and every choice feels like it matters. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever personally experienced in a video game. There are plenty of RPGs that have great and exciting quests, but few that have constantly surprised me the way this game does.

Another common complaint about this game is the overabundance of markers and clutter on the in-menu map, but that didn’t bother me at all seeing as that display option is optional. It’s not even the default. I loved that I had the choice to explore the game world with as many or few indicators as I wanted. I of course stumbled upon quite a few “?” markers while on my way to do something else, and I enjoyed naturally finding them that way. Did I miss things? Sure, but it’s basically all loot and monster encounters. Nothing hugely important, just little mysteries for future playthroughs.

CHARACTERS & STORY

The driving force of the plot in The Witcher 3 is to find Geralt’s adopted daughter Cirilla, which is obviously a worthy chase, but the actual series of events and story moments themselves were less impressive to me than the character relationships that are on display throughout. There is deep history between Geralt, Ciri, Yennefer, Dandelion, Triss, and much of the whole cast thanks to the books, and CD Projekt Red brings that to bear beautifully in this game. The writing is great, so even when I find myself going from point A to point B as if I’m on a magically charged wild goose (or sparrow) chase, it’s okay because I’m seriously invested in Geralt’s motivations and love for his daughter. The three endings to the game are well done and provide sufficient payoffs, especially the one you’re most likely to get if you’re paying attention.

The two expansions for The Witcher 3 so far, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, are great narrative improvements over the base game, especially the former. They successfully bring the best of the games quest designs to new plots, characters, and locations in a way that shows CD Projekt Red’s ability to constantly improve. My experience with The Witcher 3 only ever got better as time went on, never worse, and so my hopes are definitely high for the upcoming third expansion.

VERDICT

There is definitely room to get granular and say The Witcher 3 is an imperfect game, but all games are. The fact of the matter is, the worst aspects of this experience don’t qualify as bad, they merely appear that way in comparison to almost literally else in the game. The highs are so high they make any thing less than peak feel like a valley level experience.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is as great and legendary as virtually everyone says it is, flaws and all. The quest and character writing is wonderful, the world is beautiful, the choices are deeply resonate, and the side content is some of the best you’ll ever experience. You simply cannot afford to miss out on this game.