Landing on PC and consoles back in 2015, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is regarded by many as one of the best games of all time, amassing near-unanimous acclaim over the half-decade its been in the hands of players. From its expansive world full of monsters to hunt and quests to undertake to its story and characters, there are few RPGs with the legacy of Geralt's third adventure.
As modder Halk Hogan sees it, the game deserves a facelift, and they've given it just that in a new, unofficial add-on for the game, titled the "HD reworked project." Advertising the recently released Ultimate 12.0 version of the mod, Halk Hogan took to YouTube to post about exactly what the new visual enhancement for the modern-classic does to the game and why any eager Witcher fan should consider picking it up as soon as possible.
The footage begins with Halk Hogan revealing just how much time and effort has been put into the HD Reworked Project, with the modder admitting that "5 years of development, 18 versions, [and] hundreds of hours of work" went into making the enhancement happen. They then show off some screenshots of the game, comparing their modded version to the original release. What's so impressive about Halk Hogan's work is that it never feels too invasive, preserving the look, feel, and aesthetic of CD Projekt Red's world with tons of crucial touch-ups.
For one, The Witcher 3 had a lot of blurry textures on walls and surfaces which Halk Hogan manages to rectify through some stunning new designs. Meanwhile, a lot of the game's assets appear to look less dull and lifeless, with moss on walls looking more authentic and trees sporting more believable textures. Overall, it's a wonderful upgrade that honors exactly what CD Projekt Red was trying to achieve with the iconic RPG. Those looking to use Halk Hogan's comprehensive new mod pack can download it here.
With so many incredible fan-made mods like Halk Hogans being available for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it's clear the game's got a wide and incredibly passionate community. It'll be interesting to see if Cyberpunk 2077 can boast the same success when it launches this November, with early reactions seemingly indicating that there's a good chance. The game's unique world and lore-rich story seem to be a haven for the type of mature storytelling The Witcher has in droves, meaning CD Projekt Red could likely have yet another hit on its hands.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Nintendo Switch, with Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5 versions in development.