The upcoming current-gen upgrades for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will fix one of the game's immersion-breaking problems, hopefully creating what will be the most realistic Witcher experience to date. The upgrades will be free for existing owners of the 2015 classic RPG, and are set to release for PC, Xbox Series X/S, and PS5 on December 14. Nintendo Switch will also get its own upgrade, adding new content but without the next-gen visual refresh.
Reddit user hikkyry (via GamesRadar+) is one of many fans who spotted that the recent gameplay reveal for The Witcher 3 upgrades appears to show much-improved NPCs. The user pointed out that NPC clones - reused character models most often seen in crowded cutscenes - appear to now be unique and individual thanks to the upgrades. The discovery has gone down well with other Witcher 3 fans, with the comparison image post receiving over 2,500 upvotes at the time of writing.
Witcher 3 Upgrades Should Make The Game More Immersive
While making background NPCs look more unique isn't a groundbreaking change for The Witcher 3, it does bode well for the upgrades themselves. By making scenes more realistic, it's clear that the upgrades are aiming to make the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions of the game - along with PC - the most impressive way to play Geralt's latest adventure. It also highlights just how much work has gone into the improvements, as it seems developers have gone even further than just enhancing the visuals.
Fans can expect more than just better NPCs when The Witcher 3 upgrades release. Along with general improvements that utilize the power of current-gen hardware rather than the last-gen systems the game was originally made for, there's also new content inspired by Netflix's The Witcher to look forward to. CD Projekt Red offered a first-look at the new content earlier this week, revealing show-inspired Geralt armor, Nilfgaardian armor, and more.
The Witcher 3's PS5, Xbox Series X/S, and PC upgrades have been a long time coming, with multiple delays on the path to launch. However, it looks like they'll be worth the wait, as there's likely to be many other improvements that extend beyond fixing the immersion-breaking repeating NPCs. While there's probably plenty of people hoping the sources of other classic Witcher memes like Roach-on-a-roof haven't been fixed, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will hopefully look - and play - better than ever come December 14.
Source: hikkyry/Reddit (via GamesRadar+)