The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was originally released back in 2015 by CD Projekt Red and it is one of the most critically acclaimed releases by the studio. If you say that this title puts the studio on everyone’s radar, it will not be wrong. The game was such a huge success that even the Polish government took notice of the title and greatly supported the developer. To this date, the game has won over 1000 different awards and after suffering from the Cyberpunk 2077 disaster, CD Projekt Red is back to redeem its formal glory with the next-gen release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition. This is our review of the PS5 version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition in which we slaughter monsters at 60 FPS and take some great photos in 4K.
Starting with the most obvious feature of the next-gen release, the PS5 release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition will offer you two graphical modes to play the game with. One is the Performance mode which aims at a locked 60 FPS experience making the gameplay extremely smooth. The visual elements are somewhat reduced during this mode but the game plays smoothly like butter in the Performance. Even at the most demanding locations, I do not recall any framerate drops such as battles where you cast the Igni sign and there is plenty of fire and enemies around, the game runs extremely smoothly in these sections. It is great because normally we experience framerate dips even on next-gen consoles in graphical extensive scenarios, but I did not notice any sort of similar dips while playing The Witcher 3 on the PS5. Another point where you normally notice such dips is while rotating the camera around at speed and I am happy to say that the camera movements are just as fluid as the gameplay.
The second visual mode is the Ray Tracing mode which seriously beefs up the reflections as it brings ray-traced global illumination to the game that allows the lighting of the game to feel more realistic however it limits the game to just 30 FPS which takes away the fluid motions and it feels like the game is a little stutter when actually it is not. The lower the frames, the less smooth the game feels but I am happy to see that the PS5 is able to hold the frames at a steady 30 FPS through various scenarios and does not let the frames drop any lower than 30 frames. This mode actually looks really pretty but the main problem with this mode is that the whole visual candy is just not worth making the gameplay completely stutter. For me, I was happy with the Performance mode and only switched to the Ray Tracing mode on certain locations to really admire the beauty of the game and then back to the Performance mode for actual gameplay.
Ultimately, it all boils down to your personal preference for visuals and frames. If you are okay with the 30 FPS cap, you can go for the Ray Tracing mode and enjoy breathtaking visuals and reflections that are just too good to miss in certain locations. The Ray Tracing mode also brings with it Ray Traced Ambient Occlusion as well which changes the reflections as they do in real-life for an even more immersive experience. If you prefer smoother gameplay and want those frames to go quickly, you can switch to the Performance mode which does not look too bad in my opinion as well. The major difference between the two modes is the Ray Traced reflections and in a game like The Witcher 3, they are only good around water because not a lot of surfaces are that reflective in the game. Both modes look amazing, and I loved the enhanced visuals of both visuals. With the new Photo Mode in place, you can switch to the Ray Tracing mode and snap some beautiful moments and then quickly get back to the Performance mode to get back to your journey.
The Photo Mode is exclusive to the new next-gen release, and it is a properly designed one as well. You have various options in it such as the ability to strike different poses, put down character models, and different themed-decorative items to make your picture even better. You can access the Photo Mode anywhere while in freeroam, in main quests, and even while you are slaughtering monsters to create custom photos. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition is not just a visual candy of an update because it comes with tons of improved gameplay mechanics and quality-of-life improvements and new features as well making it even more worth your while if you decide to jump back into the game. If you are playing the game in Chinese or Korean, you will be happy to know that the game now supports these languages completely with new voiceovers added to the game. The PS5 version also supports the Game Help feature which is filled with tips to guide you in your current activity if you get stuck in the game. Right from the main screen, you can resume your previously started activity from the Activities tab making the game easier to jump into.
One of my favorite features of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition is that the game uses the haptic feedback and adaptive triggers of the DualSense controller. I have been saying in most of my third-party PS5 reviews that the developers are simply ignoring these next-gen features however CD Projekt Red has not ignored them and the PS5 version of the game fully supports these features. The haptic feedback is great in finding clues and can be felt during dialogues as well. The Adaptive Triggers are used during sign casting and battle scenarios giving a great sense of immersion. After playing the PS5 release, I went back to the PC release with the Xbox controller, and I was really missing the haptic feedback and the adaptive controllers that I experienced on the PS5 console showing that it actually engages you in the game. These features also come into play while you are playing Gwent, so the developer has tried their best to fully utilize the DualSense controller.
Other features include new content in the game which includes an exclusive gear set that includes armor pieces and weapons based on The Witcher Netflix series. You can complete an entirely new quest in Velen which gives you access to a new Steel and Silver sword along with new armor pieces. You also have a new alternate look for Dandelion which fans of the show will find similar while Nilfgaardian soldiers can be dressed with a brand-new armor set as well. All of this comes from the Netflix series and if you have already seen the show, you now have the option to switch up the game to reflect more of the season if you prefer it that way. This comes alongside all of the previously released costume DLCs and major game expansions which are already part of the release. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition on PS5 is really the definitive release of the title.
It seems like CD Projekt Red has listened to a lot of fan feedback for the next-gen release because the quality-of-life improvements made as part of the next-gen release are exactly what the fans of the game have been saying since 2015. Geralt’s movements were one of the significant issues back when the game came out and apart from the Alternate movement set released earlier, the Complete Edition now has three different walk speeds, an alternative sprint mode, and an instant herb looting mechanic in place. One of the things that killed a lot of players in the original release has been nerfed as well. The Fall damage system of the game has been changed to allow additional distance leverage to players before their fall actually damages them. This will now allow you to ignore fall damage which was previously possible in the game even at low-height jumps. The radial menu has been refined which now gives you the option to switch items right on the go in your Quick Use slots instead of heading back into the inventory and switching them out from there. Tons of other improvements are in place to make the even more immersive such as a new over-the-shoulder third-person view, new map mode, quick sign casting, and much more.
The developer has also not forgotten the massive modding community of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt because the next-gen The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition actually includes some fan-made mods for the game as well. When you jump into The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition tomorrow, know that apart from the developer, it was players and fans like you who made this amazing title possible with countless hours of modding work done on the original title. These mods range from improved character models to improved Geralt’s reaction to the world around him and even an HD mod that reworks original models and textures of the game including 4K textures and models along with increased draw distance. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition is really a tribute to not just fans but also the modding community and it shows that CD Projekt Red actually acknowledged the hard work done by these hardcore fans of the franchise.
I will be honest here. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the first RPG that I actually played like an RPG should be played. I invested tons of hours into the game and because of this, I went back to play other RPGs as well such as The Eldest Scrolls V: Skyrim, The Eldest Scrolls IV: Oblivion, Fallout 3, New Vegas, and even the original release of Kingdom of Amalur: Reckoning. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt made me realize how deep the RPG genre actually is and how the story blends in with the ever-changing worlds and for this, this game will always hold a special place in my heart. Until this review playthrough, I had previously played and completed The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on three separate platforms including Nintendo Switch, and when I received my review code for the next-gen release of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, I knew that I had to jump back into the brilliant world once again and I am glad that I was not disappointed with CD Projekt Red’s dedication to the project.
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Final Verdict:
Considering the fact that the next-gen update is completely free for everyone who owns the original game on any platform apart from Nintendo Switch, the next-gen release is worth every additional hour that you put into the game. Offering various modes on the PS5 to play with and giving multiple bonuses along the way such as utilizing DualSense’s advanced features and giving plenty of digital meatiness to further extend your stay in its beautiful world. If you own the PS4 or Xbox One version of the game, I will highly recommend that you jump back into the game on the brand-new console to experience the brilliance of the next-gen consoles and even if you missed out on this brilliant RPG, the first time around, I cannot recommend you this brilliant adventure enough to make you jump into this game on the PS5 or the Xbox Series X|S and even PC because this is the definitive experience of the game that looks drop-dead gorgeous, comes loaded with content and will offer you hours and hours of playtime. Highly recommended for RPG lovers and fans of the franchise.
Final Score: 9.5/10
