The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is out today and seeing as the game racked up some 1.5 million pre-orders before launch there's a decent chance many of you are already playing but if you're looking for some tips to improve your experience or just starting off, we have some tips to help you make the most of the game.
Credit: MMORPGLIfe @ Reddit.
General Tips:
- Even in combat you have the option to change the game's difficulty and it's a tough game by all accounts so you may need to make use of this feature.
- Loot everything you can carry for alchemy and crafting.
- Your starting armour can be upgraded using the crafting system so don't be in a rush to sell it.
- Geralt's Witcher senses will highlight everything that can be picked up in the immediate area.
- A blacksmith/armourer can craft armour but the quality of it will depend on his mastery of the skill.
- Use runes to upgrade weapons and glyphs to enhance armour. You can save a glyph/rune or the armour/weapon should you choose to remove it but you must choose which.
- Alcohol recharges potions after they've been used. Drink responsibly.
- If your toxicity bar from drinking lots of potions fills up, you'll start losing health.
- Monster trophies offer valuable bonuses and should be equipped at all times.
- Food is free and heals you, even if food isn't as powerful as potions, there's plenty of it lying around.
- While some monsters come out day or night, others will only be huntable during the day or the night.
- Nearby points of interest will be marked on your map.
- Completing main story missions may prevent you from completing other quests.
- Town notice boards highlight nearby points of interest.
- The aard sign can be used to destroy certain objects.
- It's a good idea to memorise the game's controls for getting out of tricky situations.
- Gwent is a card game you can play.
- Guards will attack if they see you breaking the law and will take half of your money.
- On the highest difficulty, meditating won't fill your health bar as it does on lower difficulties. Meditating replenishes potions and heals wounds.
- Movement keys cannot be rebinded in game, but you can do so through The Witcher 3 file input.
Story Tips:
- Carefully listen to all of the game's dialogue, it might be important later.
- The choices you make can effect more than just the current quest, so be careful.
- The Witcher 2 featured quests that needed to be performed step-by-step from memory so take note of important sounding information.
- You won't win any friends by using the Axii sign on people but will gain you information.
- Grey dialogue options are just used for gathering information, dark grey ones advance the conversation, and yellow ones advance the chat.
- Some decisions are timed, with a ticker on-screen.
- People will lie to you and react to your decision, include you decide to romance.
Combat Tips:
- Always invest skill points into signs and use them whenever possible.
- Horses come with a fear level but fighting from the back of one will increase the strength of your attacks.
- Even without alchemy skills bombs and oils are very effective.
- Every enemy has a weakness that can be exploited, details are included in the bestiary.
- Move constantly and avoid being surrounded or flanked.
- Dodge when possible but aggressive play is rewarded with damage increasing adrenaline.
- Gear breaks down over time, poor armour offers little protection, while dull blades don't cause much damage.
- Crossbows can ground flying enemies but offers lower damage than swords. Explosive, bleeding, tracking, and knock-down darts can be crafted.
- Swamp gas is flammable, and just one example of how you can use the environment to your advantage.
- The axii sign can reduce your horse's fear level.
- Holding down attack on horseback makes the cameras move in slow motion, making it easier to hit your target.
Making Money:
- Complete secondary quests.
- Most Witcher contracts offer a reward.
- You won't get rich selling items but it all helps.
- Smuggler's Caches, found by diving and sailing, contain treasure or money.
- Monsters protecting guarded treasures are tough but offer rich rewards.
- Merchants only accept Crowns within the game, Orens and Florins are collected at Vivaldi's Bank in Novigrad.
Character Development Tips:
- Places of power grant one ability point, so you should try to visit as many as possible.
- Invest in as many skill groups as possible rather than focusing on one. That being said, you'll probably choose a main group to invest in.
- Mutagens paired with active skills, grouped by colour, are very effective. Rotate mutagens and active skills based on the situation.
- General skills offer more benefits, but don't scale with mutagens.
- Try to limit your active slots and upgrade the skills you have instead of unlocking new ones.
- Buy Potions of Clearance whenever possible as they allow you to reallocate misspent skill points.
Navigating the World
- Fast travelling is the quickest means of transport, but taking the scenic route can open up treasures and surprises.
- Spend money on your horse's equipment, you'll need a reliable and fast mount.
- Sea creatures are capable of sinking your boat.
- A galloping horse will automatically follow the road.
- Mark quests in your journal and the game will provide a quest marker, as well as the quickest way to get there.
