The Witcher 3 remaster is everything I hoped it would be

The Witcher 3 Remastered – as good as fans hoped (CD Projekt Red) A long-time fan of The Witcher 3 is very happy with the new remastered version of the game and enthuses over its changes to the skill tree and combat. It’s been a long wait since CD Projekt Red announced the remaster for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Alright, fine, it’s only been a month. But for dedicated Witcher 3 fans, that feels like long enough. The remastered version of the original, award-winning 2015 game is finally out now, and we’ve already reviewed it. But as one of those aforementioned fans, getting to spend time with it again – but this time, updated for modern consoles – has been nothing short of a joy. It’s not just that the graphics are better, although they are. Everything feels like it’s been given a fresh lick of paint. The murky hues of the original game have been replaced by crisper graphics, better ray tracing, and a lighter colour palette. Shadows feel more realistic and textures look better; trees actually look like trees and animals look significantly more like animals. Those Velen sunsets have never looked so beautiful, especially when Geralt is riding his horse through a patch of tree-dappled sunlight; even the effects attached to the Witcher Signs look flashier. But delve under the bonnet a little bit and there’s a lot more at work, much of which fixes many of the gripes I had during my first playthrough and justifies the hefty 45GB file size. Expert, exclusive gaming analysis Sign up to the GameCentral newsletter for a unique take on the week in gaming, alongside the latest reviews and more. Delivered to your inbox every Saturday morning. The skill tree marks the most obvious change from the original game and it’s one that completely changes how it can be played, especially in its earliest stages. Beforehand, skill progression in The Witcher 3 was an unwieldy affair, forcing you to choose between what felt like hundreds of different options, in order to painstakingly curate the ideal build about 10 hours down the line. Here, the game offers the chance to upgrade Geralt’s attack power pretty much from the start. No more waiting until level 30 to feel like a champion monster hunter, and goodbye to the old skill tree’s clunkiest upgrade options (hello, Battle Trance). Now, a more streamlined redesign allows you to choose between a smaller selection of options – most of which, at least in combat, are geared towards generating Adrenaline – all of which can be upgraded and stacked relatively quickly, until Geralt becomes a truly formidable fighter. As somebody who’s never cared much about the skill tree before (mostly due to the above delayed gratification element) this was a game-changer, encouraging me to access and invest in parts of the game I’d always avoided before. Then there’s the combat. For parts of the 2015 game it was a slog: much of it involved Geralt crab-walking around his opponent, clunkily dodging their attacks, and swinging his sword with all the grace of a drunken butcher. Forget switching between enemies mid-battle, it was both time-consuming and incredibly annoying to do. That’s all changed now. Enemies move faster and respond better than ever before. Their movement is more fluid, they seem more intelligent, they present more of a fight. Geralt also looks and moves like a whirling dervish of death – especially given the new finishers that the developers have added, some of which have a distinctly Red Dead Redemption 2 feel to them. There’s still a new expansion to come as well (CD Projekt Red) Even better, the responsive targeting means it’s easier to switch between opponents, making combat move more naturally. At times, I forgot I was playing a 10-year-old game; this felt and moved like a modern AAA title. Away from the battlefield, the improvements continue to work their magic. I still have nightmares of trying to get Geralt to climb over obstacles or up mountains, only to be greeted with the sight of him awkwardly standing there or refusing to move. Now, mantling and climbing are possible and, even better, smoothly integrated with the rest of Geralt’s movement. Even Roach’s tendency to bug out and do odd things, like climb trees or hover about water like a sentient UFO has been fixed. Plus, quest tracking has been updated. Now, it’s possible to track quests via small white diamonds on the world map. This care that CD Projekt Red has put into updating their most beloved game even extends to the little things, such as visuals. For the first time, the devs have added transmogrification, allowing the player to keep the stats of one weapon while swapping out the visuals for another. For cosmetic players like myself (who want their Geralt to look as cool as possible) it feels like another example of the studio’s willingness to listen to its fans. This is the perfect present for people who love the game: a version of it that’s been updated to offer the best possible playing experience. Even better, it’s entirely free. In this era of expensive games, what a treat that is. Tuck in: there’s more than enough here to keep even the most dedicated fan occupied. At least, until The Witcher 4 comes around. The combat is actually enjoyable now (CD Projekt Red) Email gamecentral@metro.co.uk, leave a comment below, follow us on Twitter. To submit Inbox letters and Reader’s Features more easily, without the need to send an email, just use our Submit Stuff page here. For more stories like this, check our Gaming page. Arrow MORE: Two new The Last Of Us games announced as Naughty Dog ‘expand the canon’ Arrow MORE: Games Inbox: Is The Witcher 3 better than Skyrim? 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