CD Projekt Red may not be remaking The Witcher 3, but it does want you to play the "NextGen Edition" mod that makes the RPG "more detailed and realistic"
Nov. 27, 2024CDPR says the mod is “faithful to the original vision and atmosphere”
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It’s not often that you hear a game developer promoting a particular mod, but that’s exactly what’s happening in the case of The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project NextGen Edition mod, and it’s frankly kind of refreshing.
The list ofupcoming CDPR gamesincludes hotly anticipated titles likeThe Witcher 4(which just entered full production), a remake of The Witcher 1, and aCyberpunk 2077 sequel, and so I can say with some degree of confidence that we’re unlikely to get a full-blown The Witcher 3 remake any time soon—especially given its next-gen update is only a couple of years old at this point.
In a tweet, CDPR said the mod reworks various game assets (textures, models, materials and more)" and “aims to make the game more detailed and realistic while still being faithful to the original vision and atmosphere.”
It’s hard to think of a more ringing endorsement than that.
In the comparison video up top, you can see some pretty dramatic improvements to textures, colors, reflections, shadows, and level of detail. Among the long list of improvements detailed on NexusMods are “ultra quality” textures, many of which have been reworked to 4K, more realistic and 3D-looking surfaces due to relief mapping, “smooth and more detailed models,” better draw distance for “many models,” and “specially customized materials and shaders for all reworked assets.”
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Halk Hogan also said the reworked visuals were designed to stay “consistent with the original CDPR artistic vision of The Witcher 3.” And with CDPR itself doing some promotional work for the mod, it’s safe to say that’s a true statement.
It’s worth noting that the mod works with both the plain ol' base game and the next-gen update, and Halk Hogan said “the game should run similar as before mod installation.” Naturally, higher graphics settings will be more demanding of your GPU, but the mod should have “little impact on performance.”
There’s a reason The Witcher 3 earned itself a spot on our list of thebest RPGs.
After scoring a degree in English from ASU, I worked as a copy editor while freelancing for places like SFX Magazine, Screen Rant, Game Revolution, and MMORPG on the side. Now, as GamesRadar’s west coast Staff Writer, I’m responsible for managing the site’s western regional executive branch, AKA my apartment, and writing about whatever horror game I’m too afraid to finish.
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