The world of The Witcher 3 throws a lot at you right from the start, and without the right Witcher 3 Tips and Tricks, it’s easy to miss essential systems or wander into areas where Geralt gets taken out quickly. To help you settle in and enjoy the journey, we’ll show you what really matters early on, how to explore smarter, and how to get the most out of the game’s many mechanics.
Table of Contents
First Things First: The Next-Gen Update
The Next-Gen Update fully revitalized The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Whether you’re coming back or playing it for the first time, you’ll see the difference.
- Ray tracing and 4K textures bring every village and swamp to life.
- You can now select either Performance or Quality mode for a smoother gaming experience or impressive visuals.
- The new photo mode lets you capture Geralt’s best angles (and Roach’s derpy ones).
- Cross-progression means you can continue your save between PC and consoles.
Enemy Scaling
In The Witcher 3, your enemies stay at a constant level, so they don’t scale. This means if you enter high-level areas, you won’t stand a chance against the enemies there early in the game. An example of such an area is Toussaint.
But you don’t start the game there; instead, you begin in White Orchard, where the enemies are much weaker, which makes it easier to defeat them. Areas like Toussaint can only be accessed after finishing the main story. However, enemy scaling can be enabled in the “Game” menu options. Then, if you encounter your previous enemies in White Orchard and defeat them again, you’ll earn rewards.
Don’t use Fast Travel at the Beginning
Instead of using the numerous fast-travel checkpoints in The Witcher 3, it’s better to always travel to the next quest with Roach in the beginning.
This has the advantage that the map expands, and question marks will appear. These mark interesting locations where you can take on side quests or earn skill points. It’s best to plan your route to pass by as many of these question mark spots as possible.
Check Out Notice Boards, Books, and Notes
You’ll find notice boards in almost every settlement in The Witcher 3, and through them, you’ll receive new orders and quests. These are written on notes, which you can easily collect and read later.
Through these tasks and quests, you’ll explore the Witcher’s world and unlock more side missions. Additionally, you’ll find books and notes throughout the open-world game, and by reading them, you’ll receive hints for extra quests, recipes, and achievements. Remember that you need to read the note or book to “activate” the hint. However, simply clicking on one of these items is enough, so you don’t have to internalize the entire text fully.
One of the coolest new additions is the “In the Eternal Fire’s Shadow” quest, a crossover with the Netflix series. You’ll find it automatically in your quest log once you reach Velen.
- Completing it grants you Netflix-inspired armor and a seriously badass sword set.
- The quest seamlessly fits into Geralt’s story and introduces new dialogue options.
The Witcher 3 Tips and Tricks: Buy a Torch
If you can’t find a torch during your travels, you should buy one from the merchant as soon as possible. In many dungeons and various interiors, it is pitch black, and you can see almost nothing.
Therefore, a torch is essential for navigating the game. Lastly, if you have a torch in your inventory, you don’t need to worry about it becoming useless after a short time because torches can be used indefinitely in The Witcher 3.
Loot As Much As Possible
If you pass houses along the way, take what you can carry, but make sure you’ve checked for guards nearby first. You might also loot some items that won’t be useful to you, but those items can be sold to merchants.
Additionally, some items in The Witcher 3 can be dismantled, generating resources for crafting new equipment. Crowns are the in-game currency, and you can use them to repair your gear, for example.
Always keep an eye on your inventory space. Overloading your carrying capacity makes you sluggish and limits your movement options. The best solution is Roach’s saddlebags, as the horse doesn’t mind carrying extra weight. You can also buy larger bags from merchants to boost your storage capacity.
Alchemy Tips
Alchemy allows you to craft weapon oils, decoctions, bombs, and potions. You don’t have to use alchemy at all, except for a few times in certain quests, but the products are highly recommended.
They give you a massive advantage in fights, and once you make them, they refill all by themselves during your travels or meditations. This means you only need to buy the ingredients for a potion once. However, you must have a certain amount of alcohol in stock. If you want to craft something, you don’t need a special workbench or anything similar in The Witcher 3. Instead, you can start crafting items directly from the alchemy menu.
Recipes specify the ingredients needed to craft an item and their effects. Note that recipes disappear once you’ve obtained the product. Some necessary crafting items must be crafted yourself first. Additionally, they are often available from the alchemy merchant or herbalist.
Recipes for various crafting ideas can be found all over the world. There’s a high chance of finding them in dungeons or crates. They are also available at the alchemy merchant, who is located where the potion icon appears on the map.
Search For Places of Power
At places of power or runestones, you can meditate to receive a buff and an ability point. These locations help you increase your skill points more effectively.
Especially question marks located far from the paths, such as in the wilderness, indicate places of power. The colors and symbols on the respective runestones determine which buff you receive. Purple represents Yrden, yellow for Quen, green for Axii, blue for Aard, and red for Igni.
Meditation in The Witcher 3
Especially at the start of the game, when you’re still on a lower difficulty level, you can use meditation to recover. Later on, this option is no longer available.
Your potions, oils, decoctions, and bombs will be restocked, but buffs gained from decoctions will be lost during meditation. You must also have Alcohest in your inventory for your items to fully replenish.
Witcher Signs in Dialogue
As Geralt of Rivia, you can use various witcher signs in The Witcher 3.
The witcher signs are:
- Aard – generates a telekinetic blast wave
- Igni – fire spell
- Yrden – magical trap
- Quen – a protective shield
- Axii – influences the mind of your opponent
Axii also enhances your dialogue options when you upgrade it in the character menu. With Axii’s help, you’ll be more convincing in conversations and gain entirely new ways to communicate or talk with your opponent. Some options will only be available if you have skilled Axii, giving you a significant advantage.
The Next-Gen Update introduced a Quick-Cast system for Signs, and it’s a complete game-changer.
- Instead of pausing the fight to open the Sign wheel, just hold down a Sign button to cast instantly.
- It keeps combat smooth and allows you to chain Igni burns, Quen shields, and Aard blasts without interruption.
- You can revert to the old style anytime in the settings, but once you try this, there’s no going back.
Become The Most Powerful Witcher With PLITCH!
With these tips and tricks, you’ll be off to a good start in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. If you explore the game on your own afterward, you’ll have a lot of fun. But if you don’t have enough time to play, find the game too difficult, or are too impatient, just use our The Witcher 3 cheats!
With the code infinite horse stamina, you’ll be especially fast and efficient on your journeys. With infinite item durability, you’ll avoid the hassle of repairing your equipment, giving you a clear advantage in battles. Additionally, thanks to the money and item codes, you can always purchase new equipment or craft valuable items.
Check out our Witcher 3 Trainer Showcase on YouTube to see our cheats in action!
Happy Gaming!
Check out our other Witcher 3 Guides:
English 
Deutsch