The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition review for PS5, Xbox Series X

The Witcher 3’s “next-gen update” isn’t huge, but it is good to know that they still care for the game. The Netflix adaptation having brought the Witcher series back into people’s minds seems to have pushed them to make sure to get the game spiffy and shiny for everyone returning and new players alike. For returning players, here’s the good news: the upgrade is completely free on all platforms; better graphics and new content included.

So what all comes in this The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition package? Well… a lot, but also nothing incredibly game-changing. Of course, it comes with the graphical upgrades that you would expect from any next-gen upgrade. The cool thing about these graphic changes though is the fact that they were adapted from community-created mods. It’s not clear exactly how much they took from the mods and how much they built upon them in-house, but it’s undoubtedly pretty exciting for the mod developers to get included into the game for all players.

Documentation from CDPR says that 5 mods are included in the update. The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project, HD Monsters Reworked, Immersive Real-Time Cutscenes, Nitpicker’s Patch, Full Combat Rebalance 3, and World Map Fixes. These six mods were some of the most downloaded on the Witcher 3’s Nexus Mods page, so it makes sense to see them included. It’s always nice when a game company puts the effort in to support what I often call a community’s most devoted members… the modders. I personally can’t speak to what extent each of these mods were implemented, but CDPR are giving full credit to the creators.

Xbox Series X and PS5 both get the option between two modes. Performance targeting 60 fps with dynamic resolution scaling, and Ray Tracing Mode, with does as the title says while maintaining 30 fps. The Series S being less powerful than its big brother also has two modes, but it’s a little more traditional to previous gen consoles’ performance vs quality modes. It allows for 30 fps with better resolution and visuals or 60 fps performance.

Aside from the visual updates, there have been a handful of content additions as well. Nothing too crazy here, just a new side mission that rewards players with gear inspired by the Netflix adaptation of The Witcher and a few other references to the same show added in elsewhere. Also included is a handful of quality of life changes spattered about that you may not notice right out, as many are hiding in the settings. Things such as quick casting, alternative sprint modes, faster looting, font scaling and more. Definitely be sure to look over your options in-game when you boot it up.

There’s not much to give an opinion on here, as much of the change implemented is visual and quality of life. It’s a welcome update, and if it’s been a while since you’ve played or if you’ve just never gotten around to it, now is a great time to do so. The Witcher 3 has been in a good place for a while, but these upgrades further cement it in it’s spot as one of the all-time greats.

Note: CD Projekt RED provided us with a The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition PS5 code for review purposes.