Role-Playing Games · 2010s
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
A monster-hunter's story in a war-scarred fantasy world where even throwaway side quests carry moral weight and consequences. Its writing standard turned 'optional content' into a phrase nobody could say with a straight face afterward.
| First released | 2015 |
|---|---|
| Developer | CD Projekt Red |
| Original platform | PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One |
Why it matters
It set the current bar for narrative density in open worlds and proved side quests could be the best part of a game. Its expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, are considered full-length masterworks in their own right.
Play it today
Sold on PC and current consoles; the free next-generation update added modern platform versions.
Start here
Play on a lower difficulty your first time — the combat is serviceable, but the writing is the draw. Do the Bloody Baron questline early; it remains the genre's most-cited example of side-quest storytelling.
Sources
- https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher_3:_Wild_Hunt — release date, developer, reception
- https://store.steampowered.com/app/292030/The_Witcher_3_Wild_Hunt/ — current PC edition
Sources for this page were checked 2026-09-21.