Witcher 3 Remastered brings stunning visuals, cinematic finishers, and few other improvements, but is it a perfect remaster? Let us discuss!
When The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt launched on May 19, 2015, it set a new benchmark for open-world RPGs. Its memorable characters, morally complicated quests, atmospheric world, and Geralt of Rivia’s journey made it one of the most beloved games of its generation. More than a decade later, CD Projekt Red released The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered on September 29, 2026, bringing updated visuals, redesigned skill trees, improved animations, etc.
The best part? The Witcher 3 Remastered version is a free upgrade for eligible existing owners, and it includes both the expansions Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. After completing the main campaign with several side quests, I believe this version gets some important things right, but I will also discuss how some problems are still unresolved.
You can also read our full review of the original Witcher 3.
1. Stunning Visuals That Feel Like a Modern Release
The biggest achievement in Witcher 3 Remastered is undoubtedly the visuals. The improved lighting, sharper textures, enhanced foliage, character details, and more realistic shadows makes everything look gorgeous. Whether you’re exploring Velen’s gloomy countryside, wandering through Novigrad, or admiring Skellige’s landscapes, the world feels remarkably fresh.
The updated lighting and rendering also improve the atmosphere, making sunsets, forests, and torch-lit interiors more immersive. PC players with capable hardware can take advantage of path tracing for even more impressive lighting.
This isn’t just a minor graphical upgrade. The game can genuinely look like a modern-day release. Several players and reviewers have praised the visual improvements, although performance can vary depending on the platform and settings. Path tracing, in particular, can be demanding on PC hardware.
2. A Free Upgrade That Respects Existing Players
CD Projekt Red deserves credit for making the remaster a free upgrade for eligible owners rather than selling it as an entirely separate $60 release. Since it is not a separate release, players also benefit from being able to continue their existing adventures instead of having to abandon their progress and begin again in a separate game. For a lengthy RPG that can take dozens or even hundreds of hours to complete, this matters.
The upgrade includes both major expansions, even for players who previously owned only the base game on supported platforms. That’s an especially generous offer, giving returning players access to an enormous amount of additional content.
3. Combat Still Needs Major Improvement
Unfortunately, combat remains one of the remaster’s biggest weaknesses. However, the redesigned skill tree is a positive change, especially to build Geralt around particular playstyles. Certain abilities and bonuses also make combat more engaging.
However, the actual swordplay still feels awkward at times. In my experience, Geralt can swing his weapon in the wrong direction at times, fail to attack the intended enemy, or slash at empty space despite my directional input. This happens even when the enemy is right in front of you! In some encounters, the combat feels even less reliable than I remember from the original.
The new animations, dynamic camera, and finishers make fights look better, but presentation cannot compensate for inconsistent controls. I feel the combat still needs significant improvement.
4. No New Side Missions or Even Additional Dialogue
Another missed opportunity I see in Witcher 3 Remastered is the lack of new side missions or meaningful additional dialogue options that expand the existing narrative. The remaster improves the experience visually and mechanically, but it doesn’t give returning players much new story content to discover. A handful of additional quests, routes, conversations, or character interactions could have provided fresh perspectives on familiar characters and made the world feel even richer.
Of course, the original game already has an enormous amount of content, and the remaster was never presented as a new campaign. Still, given how strong and good the writing is, additional narrative content would have been a welcome bonus.
5. Combat Finishers Are Genuinely Excellent
One combat improvement I particularly enjoyed is the introduction of new finishing animations. These brutal, cinematic sequences add variety to encounters and make Geralt’s swordsmanship feel more impactful.
It’s a relatively small change, but one that works extremely well. I only wish the underlying combat mechanics were as polished as these finishing moves look.
6. Fall Damage Is Less Punishing
Fall damage has also received a welcome adjustment. The remaster raises the minimum height required to trigger fall damage, allowing Geralt to survive drops that would previously have been more dangerous.
It’s a modest quality-of-life improvement, but it addresses one of the original game’s most discussed frustrations. Exploration feels less restrictive when every small drop doesn’t threaten to damage or kill Geralt.
It won’t transform the game, but it’s precisely the kind of small adjustment that makes revisiting a familiar world more enjoyable.
7. Fist Fighting Remains Clunky
Unfortunately, fist fights still feel awkward and outdated. Geralt can defeat powerful vampires that can destroy cities, but unfortunately, he can’t defeat a common peasant in a fistfight!
Witcher 3 Remastered introduces numerous animation improvements, but the unarmed combat system is still the same and hasn’t received any improvement.
Parrying, dodging, and responding to opponents can feel inconsistent, making these encounters frustrating rather than enjoyable. While most professional reviews tend to focus more on the general combat system than fist fighting, the broader criticism of awkward controls and combat responsiveness is consistent with my experience.
It’s disappointing that this part of the game remains so rough when other animations have received attention.
8. The Crossbow Still Feels Underpowered
The crossbow remains a frustrating weapon in regular combat. Against many ordinary enemies, it can feel far less effective than Geralt’s swords, dealing relatively little damage and making it difficult to justify using it as a primary weapon.
Like in the original game, it remains useful against underwater enemies and flying monsters, but I wanted it to feel more meaningful in ordinary encounters.
The redesigned skill system gives crossbow-focused builds more potential, particularly through damage bonuses and headshots. Still, the crossbow’s effectiveness depends heavily on how players build Geralt, and for many players, it still can feel impractical.
9. Meditation Is More Cinematic and Immersive
One of my favourite smaller improvements in Witcher 3 Remastered is the new meditation system. Instead of relying on the traditional interface, meditation now visually depicts the passage of time.
The transition between daylight and darkness, changing skies, and shifting atmosphere make the process feel much more natural. CD Projekt Red explicitly introduced this feature to improve immersion. It’s a simple change, but it fits the world beautifully. Meditation feels less like navigating a menu and more like watching Geralt pause during his journey.
Final Verdict
The Witcher 3 Remastered is a worthwhile upgrade that makes an already exceptional RPG look more beautiful and feel more modern. Its stunning visuals, redesigned skill tree, cinematic finishers, improved meditation, and generous free-upgrade policy are the biggest positives, in my opinion.
However, combat remains its biggest weakness. Awkward targeting, inconsistent sword swings, clunky fist fights, and a crossbow that can feel ineffective prevent the gameplay from matching the quality of its presentation. The absence of new quests or meaningful dialogue also means returning players shouldn’t expect a substantially different adventure.
The Continent looks better than ever. Now, if only every sword swing felt as good as it looked.
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