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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Remastered RAW IMPRESSIONS: It Puts New Games to Shame

The Witcher 3 impressions featured image by OnPoint 4 Gamers

CD PROJEKT RED's free remaster rebuilds a classic with Ultra Plus visuals, redone cinematics and reworked combat, and it feels like a brand new game.

By CMoney · Nov 5, 2026 2:00 PM ET

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Verdict Play It Now

The Witcher 3 is a 2015 game, and this remaster puts newly released games to shame. The last time I really played it was back in 2018, so jumping into the remastered version honestly feels like a new game.

Watch the RAW IMPRESSIONS

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Remastered RAW IMPRESSIONS: It Puts New Games to ShameThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Remastered RAW IMPRESSIONS: It Puts New Games to Shame

The Witcher 3 Remastered puts newly released games to shame.

CMoney, OnPoint 4 Gamers
Geralt stands on a stone balcony looking out over snowy mountains in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Remastered.
Mountain views from a castle balcony.

What it is

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Remastered is CD PROJEKT RED’s rebuilt version of the open world RPG, made in collaboration with Yigsoft. It launched September 29, 2026 and is a free upgrade for existing owners on Xbox Series X|S and PC (GOG, Steam and Epic Games Store). New players can buy it on the Microsoft Store as an Xbox Play Anywhere title starting at $49.99. It includes the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine expansions, and Xbox One owners of the base game get both expansions free.

What's new

  • Visuals and performance: enhanced across the board, with Path Tracing on PC.
  • Xbox Series X|S: 4K, HDR10, ray tracing and Smart Delivery.
  • Combat and progression: reworked combat, a reimagined skill system, new finishers and overhauled animations.
  • Extras: transmog, an expanded photo mode and cross-platform mods.
  • What’s next: a new expansion, Songs of the Past, set in the realm of Letten, is coming in 2027.
Tall pine trees and low clouds over a valley in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Remastered.
Pine forests and drifting clouds on Ultra+.

It looks unreal

This is a remaster, not a remake, but they rebuilt so many of the assets that it’s hard to tell. I’m running the Ultra Plus settings and it looks stunning. The cinematics have been redone, the reflections in mirrors look incredible, and riding up through a mountain pass had me stopping just to take it in.

Geralt rides his horse, Roach, in a close-up shot.
The rebuilt cinematics hold up close.

Still worth getting lost in

The combat feels changed from what I remember, in a good way. And the side missions are still 100% worth doing. Those were always what made The Witcher 3 special, and they hold up.

A griffin spreads its wings in flight.
Monsters still fill the skies.

Verdict: Play It Now

Reader poll

Are you heading back to the Continent?

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Are you heading back to the Continent?

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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: Remastered looks like a current release and plays like a fresh adventure. If you own it, it’s a free upgrade. If you don’t, now’s the time. I’m looking forward to getting lost in this world all over again.

Geralt walks toward a bright sunset with a rider nearby.
Sunset over the fields.

This is not a review, so there’s no score here.

Screenshots captured by OnPoint 4 Gamers from gameplay. Featured image: OnPoint 4 Gamers.

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