Can You Truly 100% The Witcher 3 in a Single Playthrough? A Deep Dive
The question that has plagued Witcher enthusiasts for years: Can you achieve true 100% completion of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt in a single, glorious playthrough? The short answer is: it’s incredibly difficult, highly improbable, and potentially dependent on your definition of “100%”. While theoretically possible, the level of meticulous planning, guide adherence, and sheer luck required makes it an experience that likely detracts from the organic joy of the game. Let’s break down why this is such a complex question.
The Murky Waters of “100% Completion”
What does “100%” even mean in the context of The Witcher 3? Is it:
- All quests completed: Including main story, side quests, Witcher contracts, and treasure hunts?
- All locations discovered: Every map marker unveiled, every bandit camp cleared?
- All Gwent cards collected: A feat of its own, demanding dedication and strategic play?
- All achievements/trophies unlocked: Covering a wide range of gameplay aspects, some mutually exclusive?
- Maximum level reached: Geralt pushing the limits to level 100 with Blood and Wine installed?
- All character builds explored: Experimenting with every skill and mutation?
- All dialogue options exhausted: Uncovering every bit of lore and relationship nuance?
The more comprehensive your definition, the harder single-playthrough completion becomes.
The Achievement Hurdle: Mutually Exclusive Trophies
The biggest obstacle to a single-run completion lies in the achievements/trophies themselves. Some are directly contradictory, forcing you to make choices that lock you out of others. Consider these examples:
- Relationship Choices: Certain romantic involvements with Triss and Yennefer preclude others. To get specific endings or achievements related to romance, you can typically only pursue one relationship per playthrough.
- Story Branching: The main storyline and some significant side quests offer crucial choices with far-reaching consequences. These choices determine which ending you get, and which achievements you’ll have the chance to unlock. Some achievements require specific characters to live or die, effectively locking you out of other possibilities.
- Difficulty-Related Achievements: Achieving the “Death March!” trophy necessitates completing the entire game on the highest difficulty. This can significantly alter your approach to combat and resource management, impacting other gameplay aspects.
- Gwent-Related Achievements: Several achievements are connected to Gwent. Missing even one essential card in a time-sensitive quest can lock you out of these. Some cards require specific in-game conditions.
The Time Commitment and the Joy of Discovery
Even if you could navigate the achievement minefield, attempting a 100% run on your first playthrough demands an immense time commitment. You’d be glued to guides, meticulously planning every action, and likely sacrificing the natural flow of the game. The joy of discovery, of stumbling upon hidden quests and unexpected encounters, would be diminished by the relentless pursuit of completion.
The article mentioned suggests that when focusing on the main objectives, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Game of the Year Edition is about 56 Hours in length. If you’re a gamer that strives to see all aspects of the game, you are likely to spend around 188 Hours to obtain 100% completion.
The Recommended Approach: Embrace the Journey
The general consensus among seasoned Witcher players is to experience the game organically first. Dive into the story, make your own choices, and explore the world without the pressure of optimization. A second playthrough, armed with knowledge and a targeted approach, is far more conducive to achieving near-complete or actual 100% completion.
This second playthrough allows you to rectify missed opportunities, make different choices, and focus on specific achievements you missed the first time. You can also explore different character builds, experiment with combat tactics, and truly master the game’s intricacies. This time, you can reference guides strategically without sacrificing the overall enjoyment.
New Game Plus: A Powerful Ally
The inclusion of New Game Plus (NG+) further supports the multi-playthrough approach. NG+ allows you to carry over your character level, skills, equipment, and alchemy recipes into a new game. However, quest items and Gwent cards do not carry over. This gives you a significant advantage in tackling higher-level content and experimenting with different builds from the start.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is the max level in The Witcher 3?
The maximum level in The Witcher 3 base game and Hearts of Stone is 70. With the Blood and Wine expansion, the level cap increases to 100.
2. How many hours does it take to 100% The Witcher 3 with all DLC?
Expect to spend at least 150 hours to fully complete The Witcher 3 with all DLCs and expansions. This involves completing all quests, exploring all locations, and mastering all aspects of the game. The article mentioned suggests around 188 hours for obtaining 100% completion.
3. Can you max out all skills in The Witcher 3?
You can unlock every skill in The Witcher 3, but you cannot max them all out simultaneously. There are a total of 80 abilities, but you won’t have enough ability points to fully upgrade everything.
4. Do I need to play The Witcher 1 and 2 before The Witcher 3?
While playing The Witcher 1 and 2 can enhance your understanding of the lore and characters, it’s not necessary to enjoy The Witcher 3. The game is designed to be accessible to newcomers, and you can even simulate your choices from The Witcher 2 at the start of the game.
5. Can you get all Witcher 3 trophies in one playthrough?
The article says, This walkthrough will demonstrate how to get all 78 achievements (52 in the main game) in 1 playthrough of the game. However, there is a contradiction in this article saying it will take at least 2 playthroughs to earn all of the trophies and achievements in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. With some achievements being mutually exclusive, a single playthrough is not recommended.
6. Can you be evil in The Witcher 3?
The Witcher 3 doesn’t offer a traditional “good” or “evil” path. Instead, it presents you with morally ambiguous choices where you often have to choose the lesser of two evils. While you can make decisions that negatively impact certain characters or factions, Geralt remains fundamentally a character driven by his own code.
7. What should I do after beating The Witcher 3’s main story?
After completing the main story, you can: complete DLC and/or expansion packs, start a New Game+ adventure, complete monster contracts, go on treasure hunts, or collect every Gwent card.
8. Can you do NG++ in The Witcher 3?
No, you cannot start NG++ with an already NG+ savegame without using mods. You can start as many NG+ as you like, as long as the starting save is a normal save.
9. Is The Witcher 3 hard to run on PC?
The Witcher 3 is a demanding game, especially on higher settings. The GPU is the most important component, but the game is also CPU-intensive. To run it smoothly on high settings, you’ll need a capable CPU and GPU.
10. Is The Witcher 3 capped at 60 FPS?
No, The Witcher 3 is not capped at 60 FPS. You can set the frame rate to unlimited, 30, or 60 in the graphics options.
11. How long is the Heart of Stone DLC?
The Hearts of Stone DLC takes approximately 10-20 hours to complete.
12. How many different endings does The Witcher 3 have?
The Witcher 3 has 36 different endings. These encompass variations in the fates of key characters and the overall state of the world, resulting from the multitude of choices you make throughout the game.
13. Are Witcher 3 quests infinite?
No, Witcher 3 quests are not infinite. The game has a defined beginning, middle, and end. Once you’ve completed all the available content, there are no randomly generated or repeatable quests.
14. What is the strongest silver sword in The Witcher 3?
Aerondight is widely considered the strongest silver sword in The Witcher 3. It levels up with Geralt and gains increased damage with each level.
15. Can you overlevel in The Witcher 3?
Yes, you can overlevel in The Witcher 3, especially if you complete a lot of side quests and contracts before tackling the main storyline. However, quests become grayed out and provide no experience points once you significantly outlevel them, creating a soft cap on how much you can overlevel.
Final Verdict: Aim for the Stars, Land on the Moon
While achieving a true, by-the-books, 100% completion of The Witcher 3 in a single playthrough is a Herculean task, don’t let it discourage you. Embrace the journey, explore the world, and make choices that resonate with you. A second playthrough, informed by your initial experiences, will allow you to delve deeper, uncover hidden secrets, and potentially achieve a level of completion that truly satisfies.
Remember, the true beauty of The Witcher 3 lies not in ticking every box, but in experiencing the rich story, compelling characters, and immersive world that CD Projekt Red has crafted.
If you are interested in the academic study of games and how they can be used for learning, be sure to check out the Games Learning Society at GamesLearningSociety.org.