The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt game director Konrad Tomaszkiewicz has spoken to GameSpot about the RPG's upcoming expansion Hearts of Stone.
Discussing what players can expect from the first of two expansions, Konrad commented, "Hearts of Stone is definitely on par with what Wild Hunt established in terms of the depth of characters and story. If you liked quests like the Bloody Baron one, you know what I mean. This time around Geralt gets mixed into dealing with a man who's…immortal. And ruthless. But, and this somewhat became The Witcher's calling card, things are not what they seem, and players will once again have to make some serious decisions and see the consequences play out."
He added that Hearts of Stone is "pretty much standalone" from the events of Wild Hunt, and can be played by those who haven't finished the story.
Aside from the major narrative, players can look forward to new sidequests, Witcher contracts, and other missions. "Hearts of Stone consists of all those things packed together to give you 10 hours of new adventures," Konrad said. "However, I'm pretty sure that we're a bit conservative with that number (remember the 100 hours needed to complete everything in Wild Hunt?) and you'll be able to have a lot more fun than that. In a nutshell, Hearts of Stone features one major narrative that branches out to give gamers alternative ways of completing it; adds a few side-quests, random encounters, and monster hunts."
He added that while players can start Hearts of Stone at anytime, it's best left until after you reach at least level 30. Konrad said that the expansion will add "new really powerful characters", noting that one in particular will please long term fans. That character is likely Shani, last seen in The Witcher 1.
Hearts of Stone launches on October 13th. The second expansion Blood & Wine will be released in early 2016.
