When a game passes the seven-year mark and is still seeing regular play, it must reach players in a way that leaves them coming back for more. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is one such title from CD Projekt RED, which originally came out way back on May 19th, 2015. Geralt’s story is deep and complex, taking some gamers hundreds of hours to complete, especially if they finish all the side quests and kill every monster. While these features keep us playing the game, PC gamers with specific AMD or Nvidia graphics cards get improved graphical enhancements. Now that the developers have announced the next-gen version, we can look forward to similar ray tracing benefits, and we hope they add a dedicated photo mode. Here are seven reasons to keep playing The Witcher 3 while waiting for the next-gen update.

1. Narrative

The lonely mercenary’s rich story is the biggest draw for most players since it can take multiple 40-hour play weeks to complete. It begins with a dream where Geralt envisions the broken witcher training ground of Kaer Morhen and an ill fate for Ciri, a girl he has looked after since she was very young. Tracking her down becomes the silver-haired spellcaster’s focus since she can prevent the end of the world at the hands of the Wild Hunt. Throughout his journey, Geralt travels with Vessimer, the grizzled warrior who trained him, along with the powerful witch Yennefer, the young witcher in training Ciri, and a vast cast of characters.

2. Expansive Map

Geralt’s adventures take place on a map size that rivals any game available on modern and next-gen systems. Between the main campaign and the expansions, gamers can enjoy over 54 square miles or 142 square kilometers, as noted in a GameRant article comparing maps of Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3. It shows that even though Cyberpunk has a multilayered map with huge skyscrapers, the witcher gets far more ground to roam in a location comparable to Grand Theft Auto 5’s Los Santos with more than 49 square miles or 127 square kilometers.

3. Creatures

The expansive set of creatures is another major reason players keep coming back. Just the beasts that roam the open warzones and battlefields are gruesome and dangerous. However, the evils found within crypts and caverns are often worse and can quickly kill the unprepared or under-leveled monster hunter. There are over 80 creatures, including a haunted spirit spawned from the improper burial of a baby called a Botchling. Each supernatural being brings depth and complexity to the game, and Geralt takes short notes of every enemy he encounters in his bestiary, found at any time in the pause menu.

4. Supporting Cast

Fans of this game often fall for the supporting characters over the silver-haired hero-for-hire. Important characters like Ciri, Triss, and Yennefer make it easy when they start stealing scenes away from Geralt. Other characters like the hopeless romantic bard named Dandelion become memorable for his antics and fashionable clothing, not just his charm. The game delivers dozens of unique personalities with the same emotional depth, including Baron Phillip Streger, who at first seems like a drunk who does not care about his family, but there is so much more to his tale.

5. Random Encounters

Gamers are often surprised by the ridiculous number of random encounters found throughout this game. It does not matter if Geralt just killed the griffin attacking several villages; three drunkards still think they can beat him while he has yet to recover from the vicious battle. The developers will throw beasts, spirits, and humans in droves at the stubborn sword-for-hire, especially if he’s completed the hard part of a quest. The open map feels even larger with the number of random events and enemies.

6. Fluid Combat

Those encounters would get tedious if the combat were not addicting and unique, with various wider choices that expand through level upgrades. Geralt follows the witcher training by carrying two swords at all times. One blade is for fighting the living, while the other sword fights spiritual foes. The monster hunter also has five spells, including Igni, which makes a cone of fire come out of his hands. Switching between magic and swords in a single fight can often be advantageous if the player stumbles into a mix of enemies. The flow between spells, dodging, sword attacks, and the crossbow makes the player feel like they could battle anything and win.

7. Graphical Enhancements

PC gamers can enjoy Geralt’s exploits and actions further through graphical support from third parties. According to the official AMD Radeon-Boost website, the company enabled Radeon-Boost for The Witcher 3, which offers higher frames per second during intense action on Radeon RX 6000 graphics card series. Not to be outdone, Nvidia gives players improvements to lighting, shading, and more. The company currently offers the only option for a photo mode. The Nvidia Ansel website explains how the program allows HDR shots with filters and enhanced camera movements from an in-game overlay that offers much higher pixel counts than possible on a 4K monitor. The corporation also enabled Nvidia Freestyle, which expands the visual depth achieved through real-time post-processing filters like simulated ray-tracing, as this GeForce News article on CES 2018 explains.

CD Projekt RED has bigger plans for its seven-year-old game when it unleashes a next-gen version. Gamers who play the current generation edition of the game on Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, and PC will see a new version coming out in the fourth quarter of 2022 as a free update, according to this official witcher website post on wild hunt coming to the next generation. Yet another reason to replay The Witcher 3 later this year.

Steam is getting in on the monster hunter action when the game was verified on Steam Deck in this Witcher news post. The rich narrative is gratifying whether playing on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Steam Deck, or even Nintendo Switch. However, the depth of graphical possibilities is greatest on the PC versions with third-party enhancements. When Geralt and company finally get the next-gen conversion in 2022, expect ray-tracing and better optimization. Besides, the visual enrichments would mean nothing without the excellent gameplay mechanics and the narrative-rich world for Geralt to roam. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt by CD Projekt RED continues to be a memorable experience even after seven years. We will continue enjoying our time with Geralt and the game’s wide cast of characters.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, Nintendo Switch

• Developer: CD Projekt RED

• Publisher: CD Projekt RED

• Release Date: 5/19/2015