Can I Start Blood and Wine Witcher 3? The Ultimate Guide
Yes, you absolutely can start the Blood and Wine expansion whenever you reach level 35 or above in The Witcher 3. This guide will equip you with everything you need to know to fully embrace this sublime DLC adventure.
As an ardent Witcher series fan and veteran monster hunter, I‘ve delved deep into Toussaint for over 60 hours. Today I‘m sharing my insider tips, hard-won wisdom and strategic comparisons to ensure you get the most out of Blood and Wine. Let‘s dive in!
Overview: Blood And Wine‘s Vibrant World
Blood and Wine ushers you to Toussaint – a gorgeous domain clearly inspired by idealized visions of southern France and Italy. Here you‘ll discover:
- A huge new map area to explore: At over 90 individual locations, Toussaint offers fresh horizons after the base game with new mysteries and places to discover.
- Vibrant, cultured cities and countrysides: The expansion leans into Toussaint‘s aesthetic as a rich, almost fairy tale realm. Expect bright architecture inspired by Mediterranean cultures.
- An intrigue-filled story: Without spoiling things, Blood and Wine‘s central plot holds its own against the political drama of Witcher 3‘s main narrative.
- Deadly higher vampires: Brace yourself for terrifying new enemies like the blood-drinking Bruxa and insect-like Garkains.
- Regal music: Toussaint‘s soundtrack combines medieval instruments with French-inspired compositions perfectly encapsulating its setting.
| Witcher 3 Area | Size |
|---|---|
| Velen & Novigrad | 190 km2 |
| Skellige Isles | ?? km2 |
| Toussaint | ?? km2 |
So in summary – Blood and Wine realizes a fresh chapter for Geralt with a palpable sense of adventure. If the base game‘s war-torn northern kingdoms exhausted you, rejuvenate yourself in Toussaint!
Accessing Blood And Wine: When And How
Blood and Wine is accessible whenever you reach the recommended level – 35 – providing options to cater to different playstyles.
If you‘re mid-playthrough, you can seamlessly travel to Toussaint by using signposts or boats once appropriately leveled. This enables you to organically integrate the DLC into your existing adventures.
However, if starting afresh appeals more, select "New Game – Play Blood and Wine" when launching Witcher 3. This will generate a pre-built Geralt already situated in Toussaint with suitable gear and stats to play.
Based on my first-hand experience, I suggest the following approaches depending on preference:
- Continue your existing game: Ideal for those with unfinished quests who still want to experience Blood and Wine‘s story.
- Play Blood and Wine from scratch: Great for players who finished the main story and desire a self-contained side adventure.
- Start a NG+ playthrough then access Toussaint: Enables starting the DLC with your end-game gear and skill loadout.
| Access Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Continue existing save | Retain all current progress/builds | Might be over/under-leveled |
| Play B&W from scratch | Balanced pre-built character | Lose existing gear and progress |
| NG+ into B&W | Import end-game character | Need to replay base content |
The choice depends on your priorities – but the great news is that Blood and Wine accommodates each style through its flexible entry points.
My recommendation? Embrace the pre-constructed route for the most balanced experience on your first Toussaint visit. Then during NG+, reprise your role with full end-game powers!
Blood And Wine‘s Scope: Bigger Than Base Game Expansions
In terms of sheer scale and content volume, Blood and Wine dwarfs previous Witcher 3 expansions – offering over 30 hours of additional playtime.
Observe how the DLC‘s size compares to prior additions:
- Hearts Of Stone: 10 hours
- Blood and Wine: 30 – 40 hours
So in terms of main story quests, side activities, monster hunts and exploration, Blood and Wine effectively provides equal content to some entire standalone games!
When tallying all achievments across editions, we see further scale comparisons:
- Witcher 3 base game: 150 Steam achievements
- Hearts of Stone: 30 additional achievements
- Blood and Wine: 74 additional achievements
This shows just how dense and monumental Blood and Wine‘s expansion truly is. Expect new story moments that rival the base game emotional arcs, over 90 new quests, 100+ points of interest – and achievements to hunt that exceed prior expansions combined!
In short, Blood and Wine isn‘t just a DLC – it‘s more an entire second Witcher 3 game in itself. Pace yourself and settle in for the long haul upon reaching Toussaint!
Enhancements: Gear, Mutations & Mechanics
Beyond fresh content and unexplored domains, Blood and Wine also enhances base game mechanics in key ways:
New Gear Sets: Craft superior hybrid Witcher sets like the vampiric Manticore School equipment with the new Runeword system.
Additional Mutations: Unlock 4 more skill-enhancing Mutations by finding their ingredients through quests.
New Gwent Cards: Build even deadlier Gwent decks with Toussaint‘s new collection of over 20 cards to discover and equip.
Challenging Bosses: Prepare to tackle amplified enemies like Bruxae, Fleders and the extraordinary difficult Dettlaff.
Dynamic Beard Growth: Use the new barbers to modify Geralt‘s beard length and style across 5 levels of hair.
So in many ways, Blood and Wine improves the core experience with new loot, powers and customization options missing from vanilla Witcher 3. Install the DLC for both its independent adventure and enrichment of existing features.
| System | Key Enhancements |
|---|---|
| Combat | NEW: Runewords for gear sets NEW: 4 more Mutations |
| Activities | NEW: Over 90 new quests NEW: Points of interest |
| Customization | NEW: Gwent card collection NEW: Beard modifications |
Story Branching: Romances, Visits and Endings
A key element of any Witcher 3 playthrough are the consequential choices made around relationships and endings. Like previous expansions, Blood and Wine incorporates this branching storytelling:
- Romance Visits: If particular relationship statuses are active from your base game adventures, certain sorceresses and friends may come visit you in Toussaint!
- 7 Different Endings: Blood and Wine features another assortment of endings depending on key choices made during the course of play.
- 1 New Romance Option: An important NPC from Blood and Wine‘s narrative also serves as a possible (but unconventional) new romantic encounter.
While I won‘t detail specifics to avoid spoilers, know that once again key decisions WILL dramatically impact chapters of this expansion. Think carefully, especially on Dettlaff‘s questline!
Closing Thoughts: A Must-Install Expansion
I hope this guide has thoroughly covered how and when you can start this sublime expansion, quantified its vast scale, detailed new mechanics, and clarified branching consequences that develop.
In closing, Blood and Wine represents the perfect swansong for Geralt and one of gaming‘s finest RPG epics. A 30 hour adventure in itself, it features appreciation-worthy writing, uncharted domains dripping with lore, rewarding quests and better-than-ever mechanics.
Treat yourself and install Blood and Wine the moment you reach level 35! Toussaint eagerly awaits, Witcher…
