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Start with the opening tutorial, then use White Orchard to practise the game’s basic systems at your own pace. Keep the main quest selected when you want a clear next step, and treat nearby side activities as optional rather than a checklist. You do not need special equipment outside the game to begin.
What should you do first in The Witcher 3?
- Finish the opening tutorial. Pay attention to the movement and combat prompts; they introduce controls you will use throughout the game.
- Use White Orchard as a practice area. Try Witcher Senses, open the map, interact with objects, loot, and talk to characters. These are foundational systems covered in the Prima Games getting-started guide overview.
- Follow the main quest when you want direction. Selecting it gives you a clear next objective. Take nearby side activities when they interest you; map markers are not all mandatory preparation.
- Practise the combat loop. Combine attacks with dodges or blocks, and try Signs to learn how they fit your approach. The guide overview includes both basic combat and Signs.
What should you learn before the main story gets harder?
Think of preparation as a set of tools to pick up gradually, not a shopping list to complete before progressing. The official guide overview identifies equipment, repairs, alchemy, crafting, meditation, combat preparation, and Gwent among the game’s systems. As these appear, learn what they do and use them when a situation calls for it.
- Equipment and repairs: Pay attention to the gear you find and learn how to keep equipment serviceable.
- Alchemy and preparation: Potions, oils, and bombs are systems to explore as you encounter them; you do not need to master them all immediately.
- Meditation: Learn where it fits into your routine as the game introduces it.
- Gwent: It is an optional card game, not a prerequisite for following the main story.
The Prima Games overview is useful as a map of topics to learn, but it does not establish one required quest order or a single optimal beginner build.
How large is The Witcher 3?
Bandai Namco describes the open-world adventure as offering “over 100 hours.” That is the publisher’s scope estimate, not a promise of how long any particular playthrough or completion goal will take. You can follow the main story without treating every activity on the map as an obligation. The estimate appears on the publisher’s official game page.
#1 Best Overall
- Trained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.
- Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity.
- Take on the most important contract of your life: to track down the child of prophecy, the key to saving or destroying this world.
Which edition and version should a new player check?
The Complete Edition is described by Bandai Namco as including the base game and the Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine story expansions. Exact product names and inclusions can vary by store listing, so check the page for the edition and platform you intend to play. The official publisher page provides its package description.
Version features can differ by platform and edition. CD PROJEKT RED announced a Remastered Upgrade released September 29, 2026 for the PC stores, PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and Nintendo Switch 2 listed in its announcement. It describes gameplay and UI changes and says certain features can be enabled when starting a new game on Just the Story difficulty or through Accessibility. Check the official upgrade announcement and your platform’s current game page for applicable details; do not assume every version has identical features.
Rank #2
![NAMCO - CD Projekt Red - The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt - Complete Edition, Playstation 5 [English Edition]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51dWUfwFl5L._SL160_.jpg)
- 1205504
- High-quality material
- Durable
- robustness
Do you need a guide or extra gear to start?
No additional physical tool or accessory is established as necessary. The game’s own prompts and gradual exploration are enough to begin. If you prefer a reference, the Prima Games eGuide overview shows the range of topics it covers, including getting started, combat, Signs, alchemy, preparation, and Gwent. Check that a guide matches your edition before relying on version-specific details.
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Quick Recap
Rank #3
- If you buy this game, you will receive a free next-gen update on December 14th!
- Play as a highly trained monster slayer for hire.
- Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth and complexity.
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year edition brings together the base game and all the additional content released to date.
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