This is a walkthrough for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Hearts of Stone, and more. It contains Main Quests, Secondary Quests (side quests), Contracts, Treasure Hunts, Gwent Quests and tips to beat the game.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will release for PS4, Xbox One and PC digitally and in retail stores on May 19, 2015. All players will receive 16 free DLCs, some of which include Temerian Armor, a Beard and Hairstyle Set and a new Contract to complete, the Missing Miners. The Expansion Pass, sold separately, contains two new adventures: Hearts of Stone, and Blood and Wine. Future expansions will release at unspecified dates.
The game was developed by CD Projekt RED, the same team behind the Witcher series, which also includes The Witcher, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and The Witcher Battle Arena. This marks the first time a Witcher game will appear on a PlayStation console.
In this open world video game, you play as Geralt of Rivia, a witcher who relies on brute strength, sword mastery and unique Witcher Senses to save the Northern Kingdoms from Wild Hunt, a powerful supernatural army. In addition he seeks a child of prophecy, a living weapon who may wind up in the wrong hands. Over time you will hunt monsters, explore lands by horseback, romance multiple women and enjoy Gwent, a collectible card game.
This walkthrough is a work in progress and Prima will provide updates on a daily basis.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Tips
- Geralt carries two swords. He wields the steel sword against humans and creatures, and pulls out the silver sword for monsters. He will automatically draw the sword that matches his nearest opponent. Similar to most pieces of equipment, swords deteriorate over time and you’ll need to make repairs. When it’s time to do this, we’ll tell you how to fix your sword and go back on the hunt.
- Cast five unique magic signs to gain the strategic advantage. Yrden slows enemies down, Igni sets them on fire, Aard lets Geralt throw telekinetic energy blasts to known down opponents, break weak objects and put out fires. Axii confuses enemies and may turn conversations in Geralt’s favor, and finally, Quen produces a shield that temporarily protects him from damage.
- Whenever you engage an enemy, Vitality, Stamina and Level will appear above this person or creature’s head. This information lets you know your adversary’s overall strength, and whether or not you’re in for a difficult fight. Enemies susceptible to Silver Sword damage will have silver-colored Vitality. In addition, if the opponent’s level is red or displayed as a skull, it will be tough to defeat. Conversely, a white-colored level represents a weak opponent, while green is closer to Geralt’s current level.
- Most of Geralt’s weapons and gear sustain damage from overuse. Look for an icon on the HUD. This lets you know the item is in bad shape. To repair something, hire a smith. If none are available, buy weapon and armor repair kits during your travels.
- Use Geralt’s Witcher Senses to track monsters, find hidden objects and clues in the environment. You will need this to complete some of the game’s quests. To activate Witcher Senses, press and hold the Right Mouse Button in the PC version, L2 for the PlayStation 4 and Left Trigger for Xbox One.
- Ride Geralt’s horse, Roach, to cover great distances. Call the horse by pressing X on PC and L3 (click the Left Analog Stick) for both the PS4 and Xbox One. Geralt is able to mount Roach while the horse is in motion, and you may call it any time. Keep in mind, however, that Roach has a Stamina bar that depletes whenever you instruct him to sprint. Enemies can also knock Geralt off his horse if you remain motionless for too long.
- Traveling by boat is the best way to sail across large bodies of water, but these vessels can take damage and sink.
- While exploring villages, look at Notice Boards to learn more about the world and accept some of the game’s Secondary Quests.
- Activate Portals and then use these magical items to teleport to different areas and worlds.
- Similar to games like Dying Light and Far Cry 4, there’s plenty of loot to collect in The Witcher 3, but Geralt does not have bottomless pockets. You can only hold up to 60 units of weight on his person. The heavier the collection, the slower he will become. Thankfully you can also store loot with Roach, and buying Saddle Bags from merchants or winning these items in horse races increases the amount of stuff Roach carries.
- Brew potions by locating the necessary materials (plants, monster parts) in the world, then equip the best ones for a given situation. The Cat potion, for example, improves Geralt’s Witcher Senses by letting him see better in the dark. Thunderbolt, on the other hand, strengthens his attacks. Enemies will also use potions to their advantage, and Geralt will lose Vitality if a thrown potion increases his Toxicity.
- Geralt can use Oils to enhance his two swords. Put Oils that affect human enemies on Geralt’s steel sword, and Oils for monsters on his silver sword. Example, Elemental Oil and Necrophage Oil will give you an advantage over Elementals and Necrophages, respectively.
- Gather materials to make several types of bombs. These useful explosives not only destroy enemies but also monster nests. Effects vary per item. A Dragon’s Dream bomb unleashes a cloud of flammable gas that when ignited lights enemies on fire; upgrade it and enemies blow up. Conversely, the Northern Wind bomb freezes enemies in place.
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone Tips
- Hopefully you hit level 30 in The Witcher 3, because that is the starting level for Hearts of Stone. If you’re not there, get on the base game and start grinding.
- The Viper School, Griffin School, Cat School and Ursine School gear is some of the best in the game. If you don’t have it, make sure you prioritize finding some.
- Remember to meditate before you go picking fights with big, scary monsters. This can regenerate your health, as well as top off your potions before battle.
- Get familiar with your signs again, as these are often the difference between living and dying in any situation Geralt finds himself in. It should be second nature.
- Some of the later boss fights are pretty tough. If you’re struggling, consider abandoning the quest to raise your level a bit before going back to try again.
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone Main Quests
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone – Evil’s Soft First Touches – Beat the Toad Prince
Players are thrown directly into the fire here, with an introduction to Shani, as well as a fight against a creature called the Toad Prince. We’ve got you covered on both fronts.
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone – Dead Man’s Party – Shani Romance
We’ll cover all the details on how to romance Shani in another article, but the process begins here. Make sure you don’t miss your opportunity with Geralt’s latest love interest.
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone – Open Sesame – Witcher Gear
There’s some new Witcher gear you can pick up during this quest, and it’s much easier to get your hands on than the stuff from the Wild Hunt. We’ll show you the way.
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone – Scenes from a Marriage – Iris’ Greatest Fear
This one was tough, and is half the reason for most of the tips we’ve posted above. We finally beat the monsters in this mission, and now we’re ready to help you do the same.
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone Secondary Quests
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone Secondary Quests – Avid Collector, Start-Up Costs (coming soon)
There’s quite a lot to see and do in the secondary quests found in Hearts of Stone. We’ve put them all into one article so you can power through them at your own pace.
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone Features
The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone – How to Romance Shani
We’re betting that a lot of people are trying to figure out how to hit all the romance options with Shani, and we have a step-by-step guide to make sure you don’t miss anything.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Walkthrough – Main Quests
Prologue – White Orchard
The Witcher 3 – Find Buckthorn, Kill the Griffin
Geralt’s adventure begins! We’ll tell you where to find buckthorn and how to kill the game’s first boss, the Griffin!
Act 1: Velen
The Witcher 3 – Bloody Baron, King of Wolves, Family Matters
We’ll tell you how to get into Oxenfurt and defeat the baron in a horse race.
The Witcher 3 – Find the Witch, Beat Nithral, Upgrade to the Maugrim Sword
Tips to winning the boss fight against Nithral. We also tell you where to find the Eye of Nehaleni and the Maugrim Sword.
The Witcher 3 – Find Johnny, Complete Family Matters, Kill the Basilisk
Find the Raven feather, meet Johnny and then learn how to defeat the Basilisk.
Act 1 – Novigrad
The Witcher 3 – Pyres of Novigrad, Broken Flowers, Get Junior
Fight in the arena, sneak into the mansion and decide Whoreson’s fate.
The Witcher 3 – Count Reuven’s Treasure, The Play’s the Thing
Find the Eternal Fire shrine, kill Menge and rescue Dandelion in The Witcher 3.
Act 1 – Skellige
The Witcher 3 – The King is Dead: Long Live the King, Nameless, The Calm Before the Storm
Pay the captain to sail to Skellige, kill the pirates and find the Mask of Uroboros.
Act 2: The Great Battle
The Witcher 3 – Ugly Baby, The Final Trial, The Isle of Mists
Find Uma, repair the megascope, kill the Forktail and track down the three dwarves.
The Witcher 3 – The Battle of Kaer Morhen, Blood on the Battlefield
How to win the difficult Battle of Kaer Morhen and make decisions that affect Ciri’s fate.
Act 3: The Final Age
The Witcher 3 – Bald Mountain, Blindingly Obvious, The Great Escape
We’ll tell you how to get up Bald Mountain and defeat the mighty Imlerith!
The Witcher 3 – Payback, Final Preparations, Through Time and Space
Make it through the desert, find Ge’els and reveal the truth about Eredin.
The Witcher 3 – Battle Preparations, The Sunstone, Child of the Elder Blood
Find the Sunstone and go through Avallac’h’s lab, then make choices that affect Ciri.
The Witcher 3 – Skjall’s Grave, On Thin Ice, Tedd Deireadh: The Final Age
Tips to beating the final two Wild Hunt bosses, Caranthir and Eredin.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Walkthrough – Secondary Quests
White Orchard Side Quests
The Witcher 3 Prologue – Twisted Firestarter, On Death’s Bed
Find the arsonist, chase after the merchant and bring the frying pan back to the old woman.
Velen Side Quests
The Witcher 3 – Bitter Harvest, Ciri’s Room, Fake Papers
Speak to the Priest of Eternal Fire, kill the Ghouls, rescue Albin and get the Transit Pass.
The Witcher 3 – Return to the Crookback Bog, A Greedy God, Wild at Heart
Complete An Invitation from Keira Metz, A Towerful of Mice and defeat the werewolf.
The Witcher 3 – Fists of Fury, Ghosts of the Past, Crow’s Perch
Beat up some people, win horse races and some cool Gwent cards, including Letho of Gulet, Vernon Roche and Sigismund Dijkstra.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – Gwent, Romance, Contracts
The Witcher 3 Romance Guide, Carnal Knowledge
Complete Main Quests to romance Yennefer, Madame Sasha and other women in the game.
The Witcher 3 – How to Play Gwent
Master the Gwent card game and build a strong deck to soundly defeat Geralt’s opponents.
The Witcher 3 – How to Build the Best Gwent Deck
Before playing Gwent against difficult opponents, make sure you have these must have cards in your deck.
The Witcher 3: The Most Powerful Gwent Cards
These are the strongest cards in the game, allowing you to dominate matches.
The Witcher 3: Find Every Gwent Card
Finish quests and make purchases to add all 199 cards to Geralt’s collection.
The Witcher 3: Complete the Contracts
Hunt down vicious monsters, kill these creatures and collect all kinds of loot. First up, one nasty noonwraith!
How to Make Lots of Money in The Witcher 3
Stuff Geralt’s pockets with more Crowns by completing contracts and killing cows.
How to Use Sign Magic in The Witcher 3
Tips for mastering Aard, Axii, Igni, Quen and Yrden magic!
The Witcher 3 – Best Weapons and Armor
Make your life easier by finding Griffin, Feline and Ursine armor, then weapon sets in Velen and Novigrad.
The Witcher 3 Bear School Gear | Cat School Gear | Griffin School Gear | Viper School Gear
We tell you where to find all of the diagrams for this sought after gear!
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Bosses
Avoid his mace attacks, break his shield and use Samum to defeat Imlerith!
Ciri and Geralt team up to battle Caranthir. Use these tips to kill him in record time!
The king of the Wild Hunt is a formidable adversary, and we’ll walk you through each phase of the battle.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt PC Requirements
Minimum
OS: 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1)
Processor: Intel CPU Core i5-2500K 3.3GHz / AMD CPU Phenom II X4 940
Memory: 6 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 660 / AMD GPU Radeon HD 7870
Hard Drive: 40 GB available space
Recommended
OS: 64-bit Windows 7 or 64-bit Windows 8 (8.1)
Processor: Intel CPU Core i7 3770 3.4 GHz / AMD CPU AMD FX-8350 4 GHz
Memory: 8 GB RAM
Graphics: Nvidia GPU GeForce GTX 770 / AMD GPU Radeon R9 290
Hard Drive: 40 GB available space
Ready to stand against the Wild Hunt? Prima’s official strategy guide provides a comprehensive walkthrough to help make decisions, navigate the vast game areas and reach the ending you want. The collector’s edition offers even more, with 32 pages of bonus content.
