The Witcher 3 is a masterpiece of a game - you know this, we know this, heck, your granny probably knows this. But if there's one absolute truth in this world it's that mods make games better - you know this, we know this, heck, Albert Einstein knows this.
Unlike Bethesda games, which need mods to even be playable in 2020, The Witcher 3's base game is a masterpiece on its own. But there's still plenty of mods out on the Nexus that elevate this experience to new levels. Here are 10 of our favorites that make for a far better game, along with making everything feel more realistic:
10 Enemies Of Rivia
The Witcher 3 is a tough game to get the hang of at first. It strikes you as one of those games with too much to learn that will take months to master, when in reality it's not really that hard to understand. Roll around enemies, sometimes parry, and hack-and-slash with light hits and Witcher signs.
Even on harder difficulties, the game is easy to manage once you understand how to go about fights. So if you're looking for a more challenging experience, then download Enemies of Rivia which makes enemies much smarter and tougher to handle. Perfect for any of those Dark Souls fans out there.
9 HD Reworked
There's nothing like graphic overhaul mods. When a game's been out long enough, you can always count on an overhaul that implements several improvements all-in-one tight package -- that package is HD Reworked. The mod just hit an incredible milestone in July of 2019 when version 10.0 was released, which promised to impact almost everything in the game. Now is it cool knowing you're getting this project for free and that there's so much content involved in it? This mod won't even put too much stress on your system, as it's been optimized for average graphics cards.
8 More Blood
Sometimes you don't need an entire overhaul for a mod to be a solid piece of work. More Blood doesn't do anything fancy, it just adds more blood for all you freaks out there that want it. It adds more blood to the ground, blood trails, blood all over Geralt and his sword, blood sprays, blood, blood, blood.
Another cool feature is demons and other monsters bleed eerie black blood, a nice touch. Thankfully this doesn't add too much stress to your graphics card, and can be a nice subtle change to people looking for a gory good time.
7 Lore-friendly Witchers
If you think Geralt is too handsome to be a Witcher, and wish he was a pale-skinned, miserable-looking mutant, then we have the mod for you. Lore-Friendly Witchers attempts to make the Witchers look more creature-like instead of the happy-go-normal Geralt we see in the newest game.
Personally, we think Geralt is perfect in The Witcher 3, but fans of his design in The Witcher 2 will likely enjoy this mod for what it is. Just like "More Blood," it's a small touch that will add up over time, especially when you get those close-ups in the cinematic cut scenes.
6 Realistic Weather
Weather is such a small subtlety, but one that gamers have come to demand from in their open-world games. Heck, Fallout 3 and New Vegas have top-rated mods dedicated to adding a weather system that inspired Bethesda to include it in Fallout 4. The Witcher 3 has a competent weather system - the snow is gorgeous as seen above, and in Skellige - but the rain leaves a bit to be desired as it sometimes comes in choppy. Realistic Weather allows The Witcher 3 to reach it's full potential when it comes to weather - adding fog, more snow, and light rain.
5 Ghost Mode
Ghost Mode is a complete overhaul to The Witcher that adds a bucket-load of polish and subtle changes to make for an invigorating experience. On the mod's front page the creators states, "The mod focuses on improving overall gameplay by fixing bugged and over/underpowered skills, balancing of crafting, and loot and economy while still keeping the game as close to vanilla as possible." It doesn't hit you over the head with its updates, but tweaks the game in a way that feels almost as if CD Projekt Red did it themselves (if they had more time, of course).
4 Increased Draw Distance
Draw distance is such an underrated aspect in gaming that can make or break the graphics in a game. If you have good draw distance then your game will feel vast and lived in. But if you don't, you'll almost always be reminded that you're playing a game, eliminating that feeling of getting lost in it.
Most of the time it comes down to how good your graphics card is, but developers can only push it so far. With Increased Draw Distance you now have a new limit for how far you can see with your character making for a very solid mod.
3 More Shadows
If it came down to more blood or more shadows, or more of anything - the right choice would always be More Shadows. Another straightforward mod, but one that delivers on its promise without bogging your system down to much.
There's nothing more realistic than adding more shadows to a game, especially when it's high-quality ones that play on the gorgeous lighting that's in The Witcher 3. Shadows are added everywhere, and can even be added to the torches that guards carry around, making for an incredible project that showcases how much time and effort was put into it.
2 The Witcher 3 Enhanced Edition
The Witcher 3 Enhanced Edition takes on the incredible undertaking of reworking the game's entire combat system. This may seem like a small feat, until you see that every single detail of the combat system has been tweaked to make the game more challenging.
Some of the changes include new animations, injured limbs, body parts (much like the Fallout games), and no auto-targeting. The last one really throws a wrench into the combat as you won't be able to bounce off enemies, but now have to direct your attacks. It's a real challenge to get adjusted to everything, but it makes for a ton of fun.
1 Henry Cavill
Ok, maybe a Henry Cavill mod isn't going to shatter your sense of reality the same way the aforementioned mods will. That said, the sensation that is The Witcher Netflix series warrants this mod to be included on this list.
Personally, we still can't play the games without seeing Geralt's iconic mug, but it's fun to role-play as Cavill if you're going for a new playthrough. The final product of superimposing Cavil's face onto video game Geralt is a little jarring at first, but looks natural after awhile - plus he's definitely a hunk - you know, if that's your thing...