Demystifying The Witcher 3 Editions – What‘s the Difference?
As an avid fan who has sunk over 200 hours into The Witcher 3, I‘m often asked what the difference is between the regular and Complete Edition of this sprawling open world masterpiece. In this guide, we‘ll unpack everything you get in each version so you can decide which to buy!
Overview – Base Game vs Complete Edition
The standard edition of The Witcher 3 includes just the base game – still an utterly mammoth adventure full of monster hunting, jaw-dropping vistas, unforgettable quests, and impactful choices to make.
CD Projekt Red estimate it provides over 100 hours of gameplay – making it longer than most game‘s entire trilogies! You play as Geralt of Rivia, a monster slayer known as a Witcher, searching the war-ravaged Northern Realms for your adopted daughter Ciri.
The Complete Edition contains everything from the normal version, as well as both expansions – Hearts of Stone & Blood and Wine – and all 16 free DLC packs. It‘s the definitive way to experience this dark fantasy epic.
Here‘s an at-a-glance comparison:
| Standard Edition | Complete Edition | |
|---|---|---|
| Base Game | ✅ | ✅ |
| Hearts of Stone Expansion | ❌ | ✅ |
| Blood and Wine Expansion | ❌ | ✅ |
| 16 Free DLCs | ❌ | ✅ |
Next let‘s break down everything the extra content adds…
Hearts of Stone Expansion – An All New Adventure
Hearts of Stone propels Geralt into an over 10 hour self-contained adventure dealing with the mysterious Gaunter O‘Dimm – who either helps or hinders you depending on your choices. It lands an 88 on Metacritic, showing the high quality of the additional content.
As part of the expansion, you get:
- A new storyline to unravel with around 30 new quests
- Fully voice-acted characters like the manipulative Gaunter himself
- 10 new enemies including lethal insectoids and a mirror wraith
- New Gwent cards and gear like Ofieri armor and swords
- Romance options, mutated foes in New Game + mode, and more secrets to uncover!
This gripping narrative expansion enriches the game‘s story and world. The new foes and exotic Ofieri weaponry also provide fresh challenges and build varieties in combat.
Blood and Wine Expansion – A Whole New Land
If Hearts of Stone is a large DLC, Blood and Wine is practically The Witcher 4! This expansion adds a completely new land to the game – Toussaint – providing over 30 hours of adventure in a fairytale realm.
With Blood and Wine installed you can explore:
- The new region of Toussaint and its vibrant, Mediterranean vistas
- Over 90 new quests tying into Toussaint‘s culture and noble politics
- Dynamic systems like Witcher contracts that mutate foes
- Higher level caps to build Geralt beyond his base stats
- A customizable vineyard estate – what, you think witchers can’t settle down and make wine!?
Blood and Wine landed a 92 on Metacritic – higher than the original game! This expansive adventure received acclaim for the new map, enemies, characters, and depth added to the game‘s RPG systems.
16 DLCs – New Gear, Quests & Game Modes
The Complete Edition also packs in all 16 free DLC releases – new content patches that enhanced The Witcher 3 long after launch:
| DLC Pack | Features Added |
|---|---|
| New Quests | Scavenger Hunt: Wolf School Gear, Contract: Skellige‘s Most Wanted |
| New Gear | Elite Crossbow Set, New Quest Starting Items |
| Game Modes | New Game +, Combat Academy |
| Expanded Features | Additional Stash Storage, Horse Armor |
| Alternate Looks | Temerian Armor Set, Nilfgaardian Armor Set |
| Quality of Life | Inventory Sorting, Item Price Display |
While smaller in scope, these DLC drops helped bolster The Witcher‘s world and mechanics. You gain new monster hunt quests, a New Game + mode for replayability, alternate character looks, and various weapon sets – adding more options in playstyles.
The storage space increase is especially valuable, giving you 60 extra item slots to work with!
Conclusion – Complete Edition Is the Superior Pick
Given the breadth of content added in the Complete Edition, it‘s clearly the optimal version of The Witcher 3 to own. Here‘s a summary of what you gain:
- 2 huge expansions weighing in at over 40 hours of gameplay
- Over 100 new quests and 30 new enemy types
- Entirely new areas like Toussaint and associated stories
- Deepened RPG systems and elevated level caps
- 16 Free DLCs enhancing gear, visuals, and quality of life
You expand this already phenomenal fantasy epic by at least 30%, adding what could be considered two full sequels worth of content!
As a fan who has finished The Witcher 3 multiple times, I find myself returning specifically to play the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine sagas – they‘re that well crafted.
While the base version offers immense value itself, if you‘re going to invest hours upon hours into Geralt‘s journey, spend a bit more to get the complete experience. Trust me, these expansions become highlights you won‘t want to miss!
Over to you – normal or complete edition? Let me know which you decide on!
