The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition on Switch: What’s the Difference?
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The core difference between The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Complete Edition on the Nintendo Switch is the amount of content included. The base game offers the main story campaign, a sprawling open world to explore, and a substantial amount of side quests. The Complete Edition, however, bundles the base game with two major story expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine, as well as all 16 pieces of free downloadable content (DLC). This means the Complete Edition provides a significantly more comprehensive and enriched Witcher 3 experience. Think of it like buying a book versus buying the book with all of its sequels and short stories. The Complete Edition offers the definitive, all-inclusive version of Geralt’s adventure on the go.
Diving Deeper: What the Complete Edition Adds
While the base game of The Witcher 3 is already a massive undertaking, the Complete Edition takes things to another level. Let’s break down the specific additions:
Hearts of Stone Expansion
Hearts of Stone is a story-driven expansion that adds a significant new questline centered around Geralt’s encounter with Olgierd von Everec, an immortal bandit. This expansion introduces new characters, monsters, locations, and gear, offering roughly 10-15 hours of additional gameplay. Expect moral dilemmas, intriguing mysteries, and challenging boss battles that test your Witcher skills.
Blood and Wine Expansion
Blood and Wine is the second major expansion, and it’s arguably even more substantial than Hearts of Stone. This expansion transports Geralt to Toussaint, a vibrant and beautiful duchy untouched by war. Blood and Wine offers a brand new open-world area to explore, complete with its own unique quests, characters, monsters, and secrets. This expansion adds around 30-40 hours of gameplay and provides a fitting conclusion to Geralt’s saga.
All Free DLC
Beyond the major expansions, the Complete Edition includes all 16 free DLC packs that were released for the game. These DLCs offer a variety of smaller additions, such as new armor sets, weapons, quests, Gwent cards, and character appearances. While individually these DLCs may seem minor, they collectively enhance the overall experience and provide additional content for players to enjoy.
Optimized for Switch
The Complete Edition is fully optimized for the Nintendo Switch. Even though it undergoes some graphical downgrades to run on the system’s hardware, it is still an amazing feat of gaming and brings one of the most beloved RPGs to a handheld console.
The Definitive Witcher 3 Experience on Switch
In essence, the Complete Edition offers the definitive Witcher 3 experience on the Nintendo Switch. It provides players with access to all of the content that was ever released for the game, ensuring that they can fully immerse themselves in the world of the Witcher and experience everything that it has to offer. If you are considering purchasing The Witcher 3 on the Nintendo Switch, the Complete Edition is the way to go.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
1. What is included in Witcher 3 Complete Edition Switch?
The Complete Edition includes the base game, both major expansions (Hearts of Stone & Blood and Wine), and all 16 free DLC packs. This encompasses new quests, characters, gear, and cosmetic items.
2. Does Witcher 3 Complete Edition include all DLC?
Yes, the Complete Edition includes absolutely all DLC that was released for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
3. Are there any differences in gameplay between Witcher 3 and the Complete Edition on Switch?
The gameplay remains the same, but the Complete Edition offers a significantly larger amount of content due to the inclusion of the expansions and DLC.
4. Is The Witcher 3 upgrade only for the complete edition?
The next-gen update is free for everyone who already owns any version of the game, including the base game, so everyone can enjoy the enhanced graphics, performance improvements, and additional content.
5. What DLC is Witcher 3 Complete Edition?
Some examples of the DLC included are the Temerian Armor Set, Beard and Hairstyle Set, Witcher Contract: Missing Miners, Alternate Look For Yennefer, Nilfgaardian Armor Set, Elite Crossbow Set, New Quest: Fool’s Gold, and Ballad Heroes: Neutral Gwent Card Set.
6. Do Witcher 3 saves work with complete edition?
Yes, you can transfer your original Witcher 3 save files into the Game of the Year/Complete Editions. This includes saves across different platforms thanks to the addition of cross-progression!
7. Which version of The Witcher 3 is best?
On consoles like the PS5 and Xbox Series X, the enhanced versions offer the best graphical fidelity and performance. On the Switch, the Complete Edition offers the most content in a portable format.
8. Which version of Witcher 3 should I buy?
If you are buying the game now, get the Complete Edition. It is the definitive experience.
9. How many hours is Witcher 3 with all DLC?
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, along with all of its DLC, offers about 150 hours of fun gameplay.
10. How big is Witcher 3 Complete Edition Switch?
The download size for the Witcher 3 Complete Edition is roughly 32 GB.
11. Does Witcher 3 play well on Switch?
Despite graphical downgrades, The Witcher 3 is fairly impressive on Switch. It is still very playable and remains fun and immersive.
12. Is The Witcher on Switch complete edition?
Yes, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Complete Edition is available on the Nintendo Switch.
13. Is Witcher 3 GOTY edition the same as complete edition?
The Game of the Year (GOTY) edition and the Complete Edition are functionally the same, just marketed under different names in different regions.
14. Should I play the Witcher 3 main game or DLC first?
It is recommended to play the content in the order it was released: Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Hearts of Stone, and Blood and Wine. This ensures you experience the story and gameplay progression as intended.
15. Why is Witcher 3 so cheap?
The Witcher 3 is a popular and well-loved game. Its price is lower for two reasons: it has been out for years and is often on sale.
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