I Barely Remember How to Play The Witcher 3 Remastered — And It’s Still a Damn Great Game
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I recently jumped back into The Witcher 3 with the newly released Witcher 3 Remastered, and within about five minutes I realized two things.
First, it has probably been around six months since I last played, which apparently is long enough for me to forget almost everything about how to actually play the game.
Second?
The Witcher 3 is still a great damn game.
I wish I could give you some incredibly detailed breakdown of every graphical improvement in the Remastered version. I really do.
But after six months away, I can barely remember what the previous version looked like well enough to tell you exactly what's different.
What I can tell you is that it looks great, feels great to play, and within minutes I remembered exactly why I have bought this game on three different systems.
And here's one of the best parts:
The Remastered upgrade was free.
Thank you.
Seriously.
Because I've already paid for The Witcher 3 three times. I think I've contributed enough.
Watch the Witcher 3 Remastered Trailer
If you haven't seen the trailer yet, here's the one that got me itching to jump back into Geralt's world:
Yes, I Own The Witcher 3 Three Times
Some games you buy once.
Apparently The Witcher 3 is not one of those games for me.
I own it on all three of my primary gaming systems:
Xbox Series X.
PlayStation 5.
Switch 2.
Which means Geralt is basically available anywhere in my house.
Want to play in one room?
Geralt.
Different room?
Geralt.
Feel like playing handheld?
Geralt.
Was it necessary to purchase the same enormous RPG three separate times?
No.
But I've never claimed every gaming purchase I've made was completely rational.
The nice part is that when something like Witcher 3 Remastered comes along as a free upgrade, I don't have to stare at the store page wondering whether I'm about to buy this game for a fourth time.
I've already given Geralt enough money.
This one's on the house.
So... What's Actually Different?
Here's where I'm probably the worst possible person to give you a technical comparison.
It's been about six months.
I remember The Witcher 3 looking good before.
It looks good now.
Is that texture sharper?
Maybe.
Was that lighting always like that?
I have absolutely no idea.
Does Geralt's hair look better?
Probably?
I'm sure someone on YouTube has already produced a 37-minute video comparing individual rocks between the versions.
That's not going to be me.
What matters to me is that Witcher 3 Remastered gives me another excuse to jump back into one of my favorite RPGs, and because it's a free upgrade, there really isn't much downside.
Fire it up and go.
Or, in my case:
Fire it up and spend the first hour trying to remember what every button does.
Wait... How Do I Play This Again?
Returning to a massive RPG after several months away is always an interesting experience.
You load your save.
Geralt is standing somewhere.
You don't remember why.
There are icons all over the map.
Your quest journal is full.
Your inventory looks like the contents of a medieval garage sale.
You've apparently collected seventeen swords for reasons Past You considered very important.
And suddenly you're asking questions like:
Which button casts signs again?
What potion was I using?
Why am I carrying this?
Where am I?
Who are these people?
What the hell was I doing six months ago?
That was basically my return to The Witcher 3.
But something interesting happened pretty quickly.
I stopped caring that I couldn't remember everything.
Because simply being back in this world felt good.
The World Is Still Incredible
This might be the biggest reason The Witcher 3 has aged so well.
There are plenty of enormous open-world games now.
Some are technically much bigger.
Some have better graphics.
Some have more complicated systems.
But there is something about the world CD Projekt Red created that still feels different.
It feels lived in.
The villages are appropriately dirty and miserable.
The forests actually feel dangerous.
People argue as you walk past them.
Wars are happening whether Geralt wants to be involved or not.
Some random person standing next to a road can send you on what sounds like a meaningless errand that suddenly turns into a genuinely memorable story involving murder, monsters, ghosts, politics or some combination of all four.
The world doesn't exist simply to give Geralt things to do.
It feels like Geralt wandered into a world where things were already happening.
That's a big difference.
The Side Quests Are Still Better Than Most Games' Main Quests
This is one of those things that really hits you when you return to The Witcher 3.
This game spoiled us.
In a lot of RPGs, a side quest is basically:
Go here.
Kill five things.
Collect six things.
Return.
Here's 100 gold.
Thanks.
In The Witcher 3, you might accept what sounds like an ordinary monster contract and twenty minutes later find yourself wondering whether killing the monster is actually the right thing to do.
Sometimes the monster isn't really the monster.
Sometimes the humans are worse.
Sometimes everybody involved is terrible.
And sometimes there is no particularly good choice.
Then occasionally there really is just a giant horrifying creature eating people, and Geralt needs to stab it until it stops doing that.
I'm fine with those too.
Geralt Is Still One of Gaming's Best Characters
It also helps that Geralt is just a fantastic protagonist.
He's tired.
He's sarcastic.
He's seen everything.
He's dealt with too many idiots.
And he usually sounds like a man who would really prefer everybody to stop dragging him into their problems so he can collect his money and leave.
But underneath all of that, there's a surprising amount of compassion.
Depending on how you play him, Geralt can be cynical without being cruel.
He understands that the world isn't divided neatly between good people and monsters.
Which is appropriate considering his profession is literally figuring out which monsters need killing.
There are plenty of games where the protagonist is basically an empty space for the player.
Geralt isn't.
You're making decisions for him, but you're still playing Geralt of Rivia.
He has history.
Relationships.
Opinions.
Friends.
Enemies.
And a personality that survives whichever dialogue option you choose.
Eventually the Combat Starts Coming Back
Eventually.
I definitely didn't jump back in looking like an elite monster hunter.
It was more like:
Sword.
Dodge.
Wrong button.
Roll.
Accidentally use something.
Try another button.
Get hit.
Remember Quen exists.
Quen.
Get hit again.
Swear.
But the muscle memory does start coming back.
And once it does, I remembered how satisfying combat in The Witcher 3 can be.
You're moving constantly.
Dodging.
Using signs.
Figuring out weaknesses.
Using oils and potions.
Switching tactics depending on what you're fighting.
And occasionally realizing halfway through an encounter that perhaps you should have looked at the Bestiary before attacking the twelve-foot nightmare creature.
That's part of being a Witcher.
Probably.
The Free Upgrade Deserves Some Credit
I really appreciate that Witcher 3 Remastered is a free upgrade.
Gaming has reached a point where remasters, definitive editions, upgrade packs and enhanced versions can sometimes make you wonder exactly how many times you're expected to purchase the same game.
In my case, that's particularly relevant because I've literally already bought The Witcher 3 three times.
Once for Xbox.
Once for PlayStation.
Once for Nintendo.
So being able to enjoy the Remastered version without paying another dime feels pretty damn good.
It's also a great excuse for people like me who haven't played in a while to jump back in.
No purchasing decision.
No debating whether the upgrades justify another $20 or $30.
It's just:
Oh, there's a better version of The Witcher 3 now?
Update.
Play.
Perfect.
I'm Definitely Not Starting Over
There was a moment when I considered it.
If I've forgotten this much, maybe I should just start a new game.
Relearn the mechanics naturally.
Experience the story from the beginning.
Make different choices.
Then I remembered something important.
The Witcher 3 is enormous.
Absolutely not.
We're moving forward.
Whatever Past Me was doing six months ago is now Present Me's responsibility.
I'll figure it out.
I'll relearn the controls.
I'll sort through the pile of junk in my inventory.
I'll work out why I have all these swords.
Eventually I'll remember what's happening.
Probably.
And if I don't?
Geralt will figure it out.
Having It on Three Systems Is Actually Pretty Great
As ridiculous as owning three copies sounds, I genuinely like having the game everywhere.
Sometimes I want to sit down with the Xbox Series X.
Sometimes I'm playing PS5.
Sometimes I'd rather grab the Switch 2 and play somewhere else.
And The Witcher 3 is sitting there waiting on all of them.
For a game this enormous, that's particularly nice because I don't necessarily have to think of it as some huge gaming commitment.
I can just play for a little while.
Do a contract.
Explore.
Play some Gwent.
Ride Roach somewhere.
Get distracted by a question mark on the map.
Discover another question mark.
And another.
Realize two hours have passed.
You know.
The Witcher 3.
If You Like The Witcher's Fantasy Vibe, Check Out These BBairt Designs
Part of what keeps pulling me back to The Witcher 3 is its mix of monsters, magic, swords, and dark fantasy atmosphere. BBairt has plenty of original fantasy designs that hit some of those same notes—not official Witcher merchandise, just original BBairt artwork for people who love this kind of world.
- Eternal Harmony Desk Mat – Dragon Design — a fantasy gaming desk mat built around dueling elemental dragons.
- Eternal Harmony: Dual Dragon Photo Paper Poster — the same dragon-driven fantasy concept as wall art.
- Celestial Chroma Dragon – Unisex T-Shirt — another original BBairt dragon design for fantasy fans.
Explore more fantasy-inspired BBairt merchandise →
Some Games Are Just Special
That's ultimately what coming back to The Witcher 3 Remastered has reminded me.
There are technically better-looking games now.
There are newer open worlds.
There are more advanced combat systems.
But very few games put everything together as successfully as The Witcher 3 does.
The world.
The writing.
The characters.
The monsters.
The choices.
The atmosphere.
The music.
The humor.
The depressing little stories you stumble across in the middle of nowhere.
And, of course, Gwent.
It's one of those games I can stop playing for six months, return with almost no idea what I'm doing, and within an hour remember exactly why I loved it.
Can I clearly identify everything that changed in Witcher 3 Remastered?
Nope.
Do I completely remember how to play it yet?
Also nope.
Do I remember exactly what I was doing when I stopped playing six months ago?
Definitely not.
But I know one thing.
The Witcher 3 is still a great damn game.
And considering I've already bought it three times, getting this latest upgrade without paying another dime makes coming back to Geralt even sweeter.