# Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - latecomer and newbie thoughts **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** video-games-e-games\ **Created:** [July 5, 2020, 9:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415 "2020-07-05T21:50:09Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2026, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/242 "2026-02-10T22:45:04Z")
It does [seem to be a real thing.](https://screenrant.com/witcher-3-expansion-2026-price-leak-rumor/) Supposedly it will drop in May and cost somewhere around $30. That’s a lot but it is rumored to be substantial in size. The last two DLCs were around 15 hours so I’d think this would be in that ballpark if not more. As I understand it this is a narrative bridge to The Witcher 4 game. Just what I have read, I have no proof of any of the above. So, grain of salt and all that. I am excited for it though if it is real. Great game. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/243 "2026-02-11T00:39:24Z")
I just told my daughter about the DLC and as I explained it, I realized…I’m going to need to re-learn how to play this game. I know it seems crazy, but it’s been 6 years and I can’t remember how to fight. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 9:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/244 "2026-02-11T09:30:58Z")
You’ll just have to play the entire game from the beginning. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/245 "2026-02-11T22:53:39Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I know it seems crazy, but it’s been 6 years and I can’t remember how to fight. It’s not super-complicated: light attack, heavy attack and dodge roll. (And you can throw in a spell once in a while, I guess.) ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2026, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/246 "2026-02-11T23:42:26Z")
> [@hogarth](#): > > It’s not super-complicated: light attack, heavy attack and dodge roll. (And you can throw in a spell once in a while, I guess.) Yes, that’s pretty much what I remember. Lots of button mashing with a bit of thought on what I was doing. I made it to the end and did both DLCs, so I must have had some idea. ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 2:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/247 "2026-02-12T14:23:55Z")
I just replayed it, as it happens. The old existing save games were from several years ago, so it had been a while. Combat is easy. I played on Hard and just loaded up on light attack perks. Regular dodge is often better than dodge roll, because the latter takes you out of position to counterattack. Almost never died, and the only tough fights in the entire game was Ciri vs the Crones where Geralt’s build is of course irrelevant, and the Blood & Wine boss fight. And I’m no combat master. I gave up on Elden Ring because I’d gotten to a point where I simply couldn’t progress. I know there are also viable builds where you sink lots of points into either signs or alchemy, but I’ve never tried them. Anyways, if you haven’t played in a while, there’s a new quest in north Velen where you can get diagrams for a Wolf armor set modeled on TV Geralt’s costume. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 2:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/248 "2026-02-12T14:54:39Z")
I loved Witcher 3 but I don’t know how well it would hold up on a second playthrough. The Baron quest line mystery, the hags as absolutely terrifying looming threats, and the whole atmosphere of Velen - plus, of course, the search for Ciri itself - were all amazing experiences that did a fantastic job conveying a very emotional story. That’s what made the game special more than any gameplay element, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/249 "2026-02-12T15:52:04Z")
> [@Gorsnak](#): > > And I’m no combat master. I gave up on Elden Ring because I’d gotten to a point where I simply couldn’t progress. I quit in the snowy area. You? ---
**Author:** ![Gorsnak](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gorsnak/32/7587_2.png) [@Gorsnak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gorsnak)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/250 "2026-02-12T16:14:27Z")
Some giant on a hillside. Don’t recall the name. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/251 "2026-02-12T16:28:47Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I loved Witcher 3 but I don’t know how well it would hold up on a second playthrough… > > were all amazing experiences that did a fantastic job conveying a very emotional story. I’ve found this is very personality specific. If you are the sort to re-read favorite books and re-watch favorite movies and TV multiple times to relive emotional or otherwise enjoyable beats in a storyline over and over, you’ll replay games. If you aren’t, you mostly don’t. I’ve re-read some books a dozen times and am currently watching (sort of skimming, really) a TV series for the third time because something made it pop into my mind recently. I am usually indifferent to spoilers. So I enjoy re-playing plot-heavy games often. I think I played Planescape: Torment at least a half-dozen times, I’ve done Witcher 3 all the way through at least three times and that’s a long one. I get that some folks are one and done with plots, but when I was a kid and very young man that notion in others perplexed me 😀. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2026, 5:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/252 "2026-02-12T17:09:29Z")
> [@Tamerlane](#): > > I’ve re-read some books a dozen times and am currently watching (sort of skimming, really) a TV series for the third time because something made it pop into my mind recently. I am usually indifferent to spoilers. So I enjoy re-playing plot-heavy games often. I think I played Planescape: Torment at least a half-dozen times, I’ve done Witcher 3 all the way through at least three times and that’s a long one. > > I get that some folks are one and done with plots, but when I was a kid and very young man that notion in others perplexed me 😀. It depends on the plot. There are books or movies that I like rereading because they have plot beats that I’ll enjoy going through every time. But Witcher 3 really be edited from the tension of the unknown. I was _terrified_ of the hags in a way that no video game antagonist has ever scared me. I found Velen disturbing to ride through, and the background music that played in the swamps haunted me. But by the end of the game I was slaughtering swamp beasties left and right, killing the hags was very well done and satisfying but I don’t think I’d be scared of them or their home in the same way on a replay. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2026, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/253 "2026-05-27T22:58:24Z")
**UPDATE BUMP** New DLC coming to Witcher 3 in 2027, hopefully in quarter 1. > [@](#): > > The rumors were true: more [_The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt_](https://www.polygon.com/game/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/9333/) is on the way. On May 27, CD Projekt Red announced the upcoming expansion, _The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Songs of the Past_. It will be released in 2027 on PlayStation 5, Windows PC, and Xbox Series X. I will buy it and play on day 1 assuming that it is somewhat reasonable. I actually will probably re-install and play around a bit before then since I only remember: Push the attack button and occasionally the magic button. I stopped right at the end of Blood and Wine. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [May 27, 2026, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/254 "2026-05-27T23:52:26Z")
> [@Mahaloth](#): > > I stopped right at the end of Blood and Wine. I found the main game narrative very moving and the idea of diving right back in and starting the DLCs just didn’t appeal to me at the time, and then later I came back to the game and started the first DLC briefly but didn’t get far. I may need to go back and play through the existing DLC content before this release. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/255 "2026-05-28T00:27:07Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > I found the main game narrative very moving and the idea of diving right back in and starting the DLCs just didn’t appeal to me at the time, and then later I came back to the game and started the first DLC briefly but didn’t get far. They are both excellent. Top notch. Definitely worth playing. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 1:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/256 "2026-05-28T01:25:44Z")
I vastly prefer _Blood & Wine_ to _Hearts of Stone_. In my opinion, the only thing the latter added as a positive was the character of Shani. The rest of is I found boring. ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/257 "2026-05-28T03:55:15Z")
> [@Superdude](#): > > The rest of is I found boring. I thought the character of von Everec was somewhat interesting, but I thought the Gaunter O’Dimm plot didn’t really go anywhere. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [May 28, 2026, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/258 "2026-05-28T20:14:25Z")
The character _was_ interesting, but having to host his brothers ghost to attend a wedding, and the whole thing with the paintings and recreating them, were both tedious and uninteresting to me. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 3:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/259 "2026-05-29T15:09:59Z")
They tried to do something different with the story, break the mold a bit. It wasn’t 100% successful but I respect them for trying. _Hearts of Stone_, in retrospect, feels like a palette cleanser before _Blood and Wine_, which is terrific and a fitting conclusion for the whole saga. ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [May 29, 2026, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/260 "2026-05-29T17:54:50Z")
Yeah, it is funny that Blood and Wine literally ends the whole thing. Geralt says he’s going to take a break and looks out at the camera and says, “And maybe…maybe you should, too.” Great ending. ---
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2026, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415/261 "2026-05-30T01:19:06Z")
I’m curious why they say this will require Windows 11 to play. I am on Win11 so not a problem but…why? Is there a technical reason for it? Also, I love all things Witcher 3 including both DLCs. I truly think it is one the best games ever made. Unless someone just hates this style of game (fine) I would recommend it all to anyone who asked. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/witcher-3-wild-hunt-latecomer-and-newbie-thoughts/914415.md?page=14)