The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered came out September 29 on PC, PS5, Xbox Series X|S and Nintendo Switch 2, and it's a free upgrade if you already own the game. We're a little late on this one, but it's easily one of the biggest remasters of the year and it deserves a proper roundup. The reviews are about as close to unanimous as it gets: every critic on OpenCritic recommends it, and none of the 13 PC reviews on Metacritic are mixed or negative. Critics say CD Projekt Red didn't turn it into a new game, but it did a ton of smart cleanup: a big lighting overhaul with ray tracing and path tracing, better animations, reworked combat and skill progression, new accessibility options, and lots of small fixes (Roach finally stops getting stuck on trees). Both expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, are included. The complaints are mostly familiar ones: combat still feels a bit clunky, some old bugs are still around, and performance takes a hit with the fancy lighting turned on, especially at launch. Switch 2 players get the biggest jump over the old Switch port, though there's no 60fps mode there.
Aggregate Scores
- OpenCritic: 91 Top Critic Average, 100% of critics recommend (25 critic reviews) – opencritic.com
- Metacritic: 92 Metascore on PC, "Universal Acclaim" (13 critic reviews, all positive); 92 on Switch 2 (9 reviews), 90 on PS5 (5 reviews), 94 on Xbox Series X (5 reviews) – metacritic.com
What the Critics Are Saying
- Push Square (10/10): "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered enhances a title that was already a masterpiece, bringing it more in line with modern releases. It smooths out a lot of rough edges that remained in 2022's Complete Edition." – https://www.pushsquare.com/reviews/ps5/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered
- CBR (10/10): "Gamers don't need another excuse to play The Witcher 3, but the Remastered makes a compelling case for replaying Geralt's journey." – https://www.cbr.com/the-witcher-3-remastered-review/
- DualShockers (9.5/10): "If you're coming back to The Witcher 3 after a long break, or if you've never played it before, now is the perfect time to immerse yourself in this awe-inspiring world." – https://www.dualshockers.com/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-review/
- Loot Level Chill (9.5/10): "Believe the hype: The Witcher 3 Remastered on Switch 2 is absolutely worth the asking price for Nintendo gamers." – https://lootlevelchill.com/reviews/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-switch-2-review/
- SECTOR.sk (9.5/10): "A few technical issues and visual glitches remain, but they do little to diminish an exceptional RPG experience." – https://www.sector.sk/recenzia/40854/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered.htm
- Gamersky (9.4/10): "Without a doubt, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered is the best way to revisit The Witcher 3. It is beautiful, polished, still packed with timeless content, and comes as a free upgrade." – https://www.gamersky.com/news/202609/2218680.shtml
- Nintendo Life (9/10): "Sure, the combat still isn't the best even after more than a decade since the original release on other platforms, and there are some performance problems lingering. But the fact that it's easy to overlook these is a testament to how amazing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered is." – https://www.nintendolife.com/reviews/nintendo-switch-2/the-witcher-iii-wild-hunt-remastered
- Metro GameCentral (9/10): "A gritty, funny, and often beautiful action role-players whose 4K visuals, improved combat, and countless refinements help it live up to decade old memories – even if it comes with many of the same bugs." – https://metro.co.uk/2026/09/28/witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-review-better-ever-bugs-29658635/
- Siliconera (9/10): "Did The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt need a remaster? Probably not, but it's nice to see this fine old blade given a bit of fresh polish and sharpening nonetheless." – https://www.siliconera.com/review-the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-improves-on-greatness/
- GamingBolt (9/10): "The Witcher 3 Remastered gives a beloved classic a new lease of life, with meaningful improvements to its visuals and gameplay." – https://gamingbolt.com/the-witcher-3-remastered-review-the-penultimate-chapter
- Noisy Pixel (9/10): "Its combat and movement show their age, but the writing, exploration, progression, and sheer amount of quality content make it easy to understand why Geralt's adventure has endured for so long." – https://noisypixel.net/witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-review/
- The Games Machine (9/10): "The remastering work is precise, aside from a few minor stumbles, mostly involving the menus." – https://www.thegamesmachine.it/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt/remastered-recensione/
- Twisted Voxel (9/10): "Docked image quality and inconsistent HDR presentation hold it back, but the free upgrade and complete content package make this a substantial modernisation." – https://twistedvoxel.com/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-review/
- Uagna (9/10): "It's a shame, however, that the overall result is inconsistent and that performance takes a significant hit when these technologies are enabled." – https://www.uagna.it/videogiochi/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-recensione-217958
- GamesRadar+ (4.5/5): "The Witcher 3 Remastered doesn't make the massive RPG feel like a new game, but it does tweak and enhance a number of facets that help smooth over the experience and bring out its best qualities." – https://www.gamesradar.com/games/the-witcher/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-review/
- COGconnected (87/100): "As if anyone needed it, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Remastered reminds us that the game is more than worth revisiting." – https://cogconnected.com/review/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered-review/
- CGMagazine (8.5/10): "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Remastered is an amazing remaster of an amazing game." – https://www.cgmagonline.com/review/game/the-witcher-3-remastered-switch-2/
- Cubed3 (8/10): "Combat might be better than it was before, but it is still an area that lags behind compared to other aspects that are done exceptionally well." – https://www.cubed3.com/games/reviews/pc/the-witcher-3-wild-hunt-remastered
The consensus: The 18 scored reviews above average out to about 91/100, right in line with OpenCritic's 91 and Metacritic's 92 on PC. Even the lowest score here is an 8. If you've never played The Witcher 3, critics say this is the version to get. If you already own it, the upgrade is free, so you've got nothing to lose by checking out the new lighting and combat changes. Just expect some bugs and performance dips, especially with ray tracing or path tracing on. Push Square also says autosaves still cause hitching. CD Projekt Red has been patching it since launch (patch 5.01 added bloom and depth-of-field toggles on console), and the Songs of the Past expansion is due next year.
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