The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project NextGen Edition – Liberation Preview – YouTube
It’s not often you come across a game developer endorsing a specific mod, but that’s precisely what is happening with The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project NextGen Edition mod, and it’s quite refreshing, to say the least.
The roster of forthcoming CDPR titles includes highly anticipated releases such as The Witcher 4 (which has just begun full production), a redo of The Witcher 1, and a sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. Therefore, I can state with a fair degree of assurance that we won’t be receiving a full-scale The Witcher 3 remake anytime soon — especially considering its next-gen upgrade is merely a couple of years old at this point.
While I believe the original 2015 release still stands strong today, if you’re looking for a somewhat fresher look and are dissatisfied with the next-gen upgrade, CDPR has themselves endorsed this mod, which can be found now on Nexus Mods.
“The much-anticipated final version of the project beloved by the fantastic Witcher community and CD Project RED, which now elevates the game’s visuals to unprecedented heights and transforms it into a genuine next-gen masterpiece,” reads the description from the mod’s creator, Halk Hogan.
In a tweet, CDPR highlighted that the mod revamps hundreds of game assets (textures, models, materials and more) and “strives to make the game more detailed and realistic while remaining true to the original vision and atmosphere.”
It’s tough to find a more enthusiastic endorsement than that.
The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project NextGen Edition mod is now available! ✨ Created by Halk Hogan, it’s the final iteration of the project, which enhances and reworks numerous game assets (textures, models, materials and more). It aims to increase the game’s detail and realism while still… pic.twitter.com/SQm6osEH7mNovember 27, 2024
In the comparison video above, you’ll witness some stunningly dramatic upgrades to textures, colors, reflections, shadows, and overall detail. Among the extensive list of enhancements outlined on NexusMods are “ultra quality” textures, many of which have been reworked to 4K, more realistic and three-dimensional surfaces due to relief mapping, “lighter and more detailed models,” enhanced draw distances for “many assets,” and “specially customized materials and shaders for all revamped resources.”
Halk Hogan also expressed that the revamped visuals were designed to remain “aligned with the original CDPR creative vision of The Witcher 3.” And with CDPR lending its promotional backing to the mod, it’s safe to say that’s a valid assertion.
It’s notable that the mod functions with both the standard base game and the next-gen update, and Halk Hogan has mentioned that “the game should run similarly to how it did prior to the mod’s installation.” Naturally, higher graphical settings will demand more from your GPU, but the mod is expected to have “minimal impact on performance.”
There’s a reason The Witcher 3 secured a spot on our list of the best RPGs.