When you start a New Game of Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, you have a choice between four difficulty settings:
- Just the Story! (Easy): Enemies have less resistance to damage, and do not cause as much damage as they do on the “Story and Sword!” setting. This option is perfect for players who want to experience the narrative and do not wish to worry as much about challenging combat.
- Story and Sword! (Normal): The setting the game offers by default. Geralt is
- less resilient than he is on “Just the Story!” difficulty, making combat a more demanding experience. This difficulty is recommended to series veterans, or players who feel confident in their abilities.
- Blood and Broken Bones! (Hard): For those seeking a serious challenge. This setting removes health regeneration through Meditation, and couples this with a serious increase in enemy lethality and resilience. Players who want a challenge up front, or those who have already played through the game at least once will find this to be a big, but logical, step up from “Story and Sword!” difficulty.
- Death March! (Dark): For the masochistic Witcher who enjoys the taste of their own blood as much as they do the blood of their enemies. Expect no mercy, save that you grant yourself by preparing extensively for every major battle you will face (or better yet, utilizing one of the character archetypes at the end of this chapter designed to thrive in this mode), and even then it may not be enough. Expect to be staring often at a screen that reminds you of what you already know: You Died.