The world of The Witcher 3 is a vast and elaborate one, filled with hidden secrets, delightful moments, and epic fights. Controlling Geralt of Rivia you’ll often come across interesting quests signposted by the developers, but it's what can be found off the beaten track that will surprise you.
There are so many things you can do in The Witcher 3 that you probably have no idea about. Even players who have totalled up hundreds of hours can miss the small details left for them by CD Projekt Red. Now you’ll know what to look out for in your next playthrough.
Play the game in the wrong order
Usually, you would complete the game by following the path set out by the developers and that’s all fine and dandy for your first playthrough. However, you can choose to do everything in the ‘wrong’ order and find some brand new dialogue with a range of characters. Going straight to Skellige, for example, will mean Geralt is too weak to fight the enemies, resulting in some interesting situations.
Repair your weapons in combat
We all know you can apply oils to your weapons before combat and you can make potions, but you’ll be pleased to know you can also repair your weapons. Of course, Geralt doesn’t actually take a knee, bring out his weapons, and go to town on them with a hammer. But you can hop into the menu, mid-fight, and make sure your weapons are up to scratch, ensuring they won’t take too much damage.
Infinite Roach stamina
Don’t get too excited, this doesn’t mean Roach can infinitely gallop away in any situation. If you’re getting chased by monsters, chances are Roach will still run out of stamina causing a nuisance. However, if you stick to the roadways Roach will automatically follow the roads and never lose stamina. It’s an odd quirk but well worth making use of in a pinch.
Fist fight some big enemies
Once you reach Skellige, there’s a fight club you can join (obviously don’t talk about it) and you can rise through the ranks after beating several opponents. Once you’ve dispatched a few fighters, you’ll get to battle Olaf. Oh, Olaf is a bear. And he’s not a pushover, either. If you survive this fight, you might think it’s all over, but if you win all the fights in Skellige, Velen, and Novigrad, your final fight will be against a massive rock troll.
Slow down time
It’s often missed but if you’re fighting on horseback, you can actually slow down time to ensure you hit the enemy, rather than swinging around wildly. Simply hold down the attack button and make sure you’re looking at the enemy you want to hit. Time will slow and you can take a moment to properly line up the attack. Given that damage from horseback is increased compared to on foot, it’s worth taking the time to fight this way when you can.
Reduce fall damage
You can’t quite beat gravity when falling in The Witcher 3, however, you can negate a bit of the damage. It takes some getting used to but if you roll as you reach the ground you’ll not take as much damage. It’s kind of like a parkour athlete. Not sure if yelling ‘PARKOUR’ reduces it further though.
This isn’t the Witcher you’re looking for
When you start playing around with signs you can find some very fun uses for them. Particularly Axii. This sign is used for mind control and though Geralt comments on how it shouldn’t be abused, well, Geralt isn’t a gamer. So, head out there and mind control whomever you want; animals, old people, soldiers, just hypnotise them and have done with it.
Pop culture invasion
If you hadn’t noticed, The Witcher 3 features a fair few references from popular culture. Like so many large RPGs the developers enjoy adding a touch of themselves into the projects. You can find paintings by Da Vinci, horse races called ‘Fast and Furious’, there’s even a blacksmith called Hattori who happens to be the guy who worked on the katana in Kill Bill.
Topics: The Witcher 3, The Witcher, CD Projekt Red