[Top 20] Witcher 3 Best Mods For a New Experience

Updated:

18 Jan 2024

Play the game in a brand-new way and fall in love with it all over again!

I still remember the days where any new piece of gaming hardware, any driver update, and any new performance-related feature benchmarked The Witcher 3 as its selling-point. Hell, when I bought the very laptop I’m writing this article in (don’t shame me, pc builders) every review site used The Witcher 3 to test it against similar models.

In its heyday, The Witcher 3 was the go-to whenever you wanted an example of the technical and storytelling capabilities of triple-A games.

Sure, it might be a nearly-six-year-old game, but I’ll be damned if it hasn’t aged wonderfully... Mostly.

Having played the whole thing a couple of times, you’d be forgiven for feeling like it doesn’t have much more to offer. And any relationship needs a little reinvigorating from time to time, lest it become stale.

So, before you install yet another thirty-dollar expansion for ESO or try to destroy your GPU with Cyberpunk 2077, allow me to show you 20 mods that can help you rekindle the flame with TW3 and hopefully offer you the chance to play it like never before.

Small disclaimer: no nude mods, but it’s not like you’ll have a hard time finding those.

20. The debug console.

THE WITCHER 3 - Geralt vs 500 Witch Hunters (Console commands experiment)

Woah! A list of mods that starts with something that’s not a mod! boy are we off to a running start!

I hear you, but truth be told, before we start downloading things and messing with file-directories and god-knows-what, why not start with a tool that’s already available and tremendously fun to play with?

The debug console is very easy to access and it offers a wonderful array of new and exciting possibilities. Want to change some choices you made from your Witcher 2 save? Debug console. Want to play as a fully-powered Ciri anywhere, anytime? Debug console. Want to have every item in the game in your inventory? Debug console and an on-hand fire extinguisher for your CPU.

How The Debug Console Makes The Game Fun:

A huge amount of possibilities at the tip of your fingertips.
Installation is relatively easy and it doesn’t usually require any downloads.
Doesn’t mess with the game’s source code. So you won’t have to worry about breaking it.

Get Instructions for enabling the debug console here: https://commands.gg/witcher3/blog/enable-console

19. The Witcher 3 Mod Manager.

Step by Step Witcher Modding

Right, so our first two items in a list of fun mods are an in-game tool and a manager. I admit, maybe not the most exciting thing in the world.

We’re still 18 actual mods to go, however, and you want to know what’s really not fun? Spending hours-upon-hours trying to get 18 mods (plus all the nude mods we both know you’ll be installing) to work together without crashing your game to oblivion.

How The Witcher 3 Mod Manager Makes The Game Fun:

Easier installation of most nexus mods for the game.
Allows you to pause and disable different mods without deleting them.
Friendly UI that’s great for inexperienced modders.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/2678

18. The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project.

The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project NextGen

Now we’re cooking with Igni! The Witcher 3 is a fantastic-looking game, no doubt about that.

But as the adage goes: too much of a good thing is even better! And that’s exactly what this mod does. It brings TW3’s graphics from good to jaw-droppingly-great, with meticulously reworked 4k textures that’ll make you feel like you’re roaming the forests of Velen, or breathing in the fresh mountain air of Skellige.

How The Witcher 3 HD Reworked Project Makes The Game Fun:

The beautiful textures ensure a brand-new experience with the game that’ll make you fall in love with it all over again.
Combined with a couple of character mods, it turns The Witcher 3 into a brand new game that could go toe-to-toe with anything released this year.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/1021

17. High Quality Faces.

TW3 Gameplay with High Quality Faces

Listen, if we’re going to give the whole environment a makeover, it only seems fair that we do so to the characters as well. After all, part of what makes this such a beautiful game are the interesting and complex characterizations, and it never hurts to be able to see Yennefer’s face in full 4K.

How High Quality Faces Makes The Game Fun:

The enhanced facial details work wonders for engagement with the story.
No more weird immersion-breaking experiences from funky-looking NPC’s.
Sorcerer lady pretty.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/1024

16. HD Monsters Reworked Mod.

HDMRmod vs Vanilla Showcase

If you’re like me, you are always looking for a game that hits that sweet spot between survival horror and power fantasy.

If I’m going to be a hardcore monster killing machine, I want to feel like I’m facing the horrors that hide in the shadows of what’s known, not like I’m in an episode of Scooby Do and I’m about to discover it was old-man Jenkins all along.

This mod gives the monsters a detailed and terrifying new look. So you can truly feel like you’re protecting the world from nightmarish creatures.

How HD Monsters Reworked Mod Makes The Game Fun:

Full HD terrifying monsters will have your heart pumping out of your chest.
Combined with high difficulty, the monster encounters will have you feeling tense like never before.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3580

15. Super Turbo lighting Mod/ Atmospheric Nights.

STLM Showcase

So, we’re five mods down the list. You are yet to see anything that affects gameplay, and your graphics card is crying.

Don’t worry, this is not a “how to make your Witcher 3 more HD” list, and we will get to some hijinks soon enough. But I just can’t ignore these mods because look at them.

You’ve already upgraded characters, environments, and monsters. Why not make the most of it with amazing spooky nights and beautiful days?

How Super Turbo Lighting Mod and Atmospheric Nights Make The game Fun:

Beautiful lighting that takes your breath away.
Darker nights make it feel like something’s always around the corner.

Get the Super Turbo Lighting Mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/657

Get the Atmospheric Nights Mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/1305

14. Over 9000 - Weight limit mod.

Over 9000 limit mod playthrough

There’s so much good loot in TW3, even the less-impressive items are great when you need to make some quick cash or when you need to dismantle some things to craft an awesome piece of armor.

That’s why it’s all the more annoying to be constantly dropping things because you’re half a sandwich over the weight limit.

That’s where this mod comes in. By increasing your carrying capacity to pretty-much-limitless, so you can focus on bankrupting whatever poor salesman you force to buy eighteen different swords from you.

How Over 9000 Makes The Game Fun:

Crafting becomes a lot less stressful when you can keep the items you need to use.
No more encumbrance, so you can focus on the game instead of inventory management.
Great if you’ve already finished the game once, and you want to streamline the process a little.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3

13. AutoLoot.

AutoLoot mod Showcase

I mean, what’s the point of being able to carry anything, if you don’t go around taking everything?

How Autoloot Makes The Game Fun:

No missed items from fallen enemies, automatically get all their stuff before they drop.
No more hassle when looting item-by-item.
You’ll have plenty of food to eat, wine to drink, and things to sell.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/315

12. Disable storybook videos.

Disable storybook mod installation

I remember the first time I loaded up TW3. Fade from black, “I see you gather before me, hungry, terrified...” goosebumps ran down my spine, I knew this game was going to be something special.

I also remember the second time I had to see that exact same cinematic and how it made me want to punch a hole through my TV.

The storybook videos are cool. But they get really old really fast, and if you’re going to be installing a lot of mods and doing a lot of troubleshooting you’ll probably want to avoid having to listen to Dandelion’s unbearable narration over and over again. That’s where this mod comes in.

How Disable Storybook Videos Makes The Game Fun:

There are few things more annoying than listening to Dandelion repeating the same story every-damn-time (and I actually like the guy).
An absolute must-have if you’re gonna install a bunch of mods and don’t want to waste your life away.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/816

11. Fast Travel from Anywhere.

Fast Travel from Anywhere mod showcase

Running around the world, admiring all the vistas, and finding all the hidden secrets might be great. But holding Shift and W for half an hour because the nearest signpost is several miles away and Roach has the stamina of an asthmatic smoker dragging a sled filled with rocks isn’t.

With this mod, you’ll be able to fast travel to any signpost from anywhere on the map.

How Fast Travel from Anywhere Makes The Game Fun:

No more tedious back-and-forth from the same place to the nearest signpost.
A quick way of getting out of sticky situations should you find yourself in too much trouble.
You’ll only be fast traveling to signposts, so you won’t miss out on the roaming entirely.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/324

10. Galloping In Cities.

Galloping in Cities mod showcase

On the topic of Roach’s frustratingly bad habits. Her refusal to run wildly when in polite company is admirable until you realize just how far Hattori is from any signpost and how often you’ll need to sell swords and mastercraft things.

This mod replaces Roach’s politeness with efficiency and it lets you gallop full-speed around any city. Which is great if you’re feeling like TW3 needs to be just a little more like GTAdark fantasy edition.

How Galloping In Cities Makes The Game Fun:

Get where you need quick. No more slow crawls around the city.
Running around Novigrad becomes a lot more satisfying.
Galloping full speed down busy city streets is frankly just hilarious.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/385

9. More XP.

More XP mod showcase

Listen. I might have bailed the same class 3 times. I might have picked up eight different hobbies since the beginning of quarantine and dropped them in a matter of weeks. I might have slept on the couch because I began to wash my sheets and forgot to dry them. But I don’t leave quests unfinished. Ever.

Who cares if I’m at level 27 and all I’ll get from finishing a contract and all I’ll get are 50 coins and a single XP point. If there’s a wraith that needs slaying, I’m going to slay it.

That being said. It would be nice to get a proper reward instead of 50 coins and a single XP point, I mean, I did just slew your wraith.

That is exactly what this mod does.

How More XP Makes The Game Fun:

You can double the XP of all quests if you want to be as powerful as possible, as fast as possible.
You can also just get the original full XP even on lower-level quests.
Also great if you want to skip all the side quests and skip straight to the main story. Although I will judge you.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/574

8. Friendly HUD.

The Witcher 3 Gameplay with Friendly HUD enabled

The atmospheric nights, the HD textures, the vast and open landscapes. Doesn’t this game look great? I mean, at least I think it does. I haven’t looked up from my minimap in quite a while.

Credit where credit’s due, there’s a LOT of games with worse HUDs. Still. Sometimes it's nice to just lose yourself in the landscape and let fate take you where it may.

That’s where this mod comes in. Giving you full customization options for your HUD. So you can decide what information you want on your screen and when.

How Friendly HUD Makes The Game Fun:

A broad array of options means that you get to play the game you want to play.
Turning off all of the HUD elements is great for immersion.
You can also add more information to your screen. So you can quickly access potions and oils.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/365

7. Ultra Gore 2.

Ultra Gore 2 showcase

So no to nude mods but yes to gore, truly a testament to the duality of man. But alas, I’m a fighter, not a lover. And I like to watch the gallons of blood leaving my dismembered opponents when I fight. I guess I’m just old-fashioned that way.

Anyways, if you’re a freak like me and you want to experience the dark, brutal combat depicted in the books then this is the mod for you.

How Ultra Gore 2 Makes The Game Fun:

Finishing blows are so much more satisfying when there’s a limb or two flying away from your enemies.
There’s nothing more anticlimactic than landing a powerful blow on an enemy only for them to stumble down like cardboard cutouts.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/519

6. Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra.

The Witcher 3 with the characters from the series

Remember when movie and tv tie-in games used to be great? Yeah, me neither. The games were always a boring unoriginal mess and the actor’s models always felt like the uncanny valley’s physical manifestation personally went to your house and slapped you across the face.

Luckily, with this mod you can solve the former, creating your own “The Witcher: The show: The game” by changing Geralt and Yennefer’s character models to look like Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra from the Netflix show.

Listen. I promised you a new experience. I never said a more comfortable one.

How the Henry Cavill and Anya Chalotra Mod Makes The Game Fun:

Make your Witcher 3 playthrough feel like an extension of the series.
The mod is hilarious, and I promise it’ll get at least a good chuckle out of you.
Henry Cavill’s face.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3913

5. Appearances Menu Mod.

Appearances Menu Mod showcase

Why stop at just Henry Cavill’s beautiful face when you can customize your Geralt into pretty much anything you want?

One of the greatest things about RPGs is character customization, and if TW3 is missing something then this is definitively it.

And sure. You might say that TW3 is not about creating some one-size-fits-all generic journey for a nameless character, it’s about getting you invested in Geralt’s story and making you feel like you and the titular witcher are one and the same.

Counterpoint: this mod lets you play as a headless Letho with a flaming sword riding a unicorn from hell.

How The Appearances Menu Mod Makes The Game Fun:

The possibilities are endless. Play the Geralt you want to play.
A comprehensive and clean menu that allows you to change looks on the fly.
It doesn’t alter your stats, so you can look however you want whilst using your favorite armor.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/780

4. Multi Companion Mod Enhanced.

Multi Companion Mod Enhanced showcase

Geralt is a lone wolf. The life of a Witcher is a lonely one but that’s a price he’s willing to pay. He roams the continent on his own, caring for no one but himself.

His adoptive daughter notwithstanding of course. And his sorceress girlfriend, okay, girlfriends. And of course his best friend the bard. And his other best friend the dwarf. And his other best friend the vampire. And his—

Okay so maybe Geralt likes company, it’s just a lot cooler to brood alone in the dark.

Anyways, if you’re tired of roaming the continent on your lonesome and would rather join your friends for some homemade fish soup then this is the mod for you. With the multi companion mod you’ll be able to pick-and-choose your very own Hansa (That’s right, two book references in a row. I’m on fire today).

How Multi Companion Mod Enhanced Makes The Game Fun:

You get to hang around with your friends! A huge selection of characters to aid you on your journey.
The companions actually help. Offering assistance in a fight.
The characters will talk to you and each other. So the world feels so much more alive.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3287

3. Magic Spells.

Magic Spells Mod showcase

If you’ve ever spent any time on a D&D forum you have probably seen various “how-to” guides for turning your character into a Witcher. But what about the opposite? What about turning Geralt into a level-seventeen-eldritch-knight with Aerondight as his arcane focus?

This mod does just that. Turning Geralt into a powerful and fearsome magic warrior.

How Magic Spells Makes The Game Fun:

The variety of spells is astounding, and the spells themselves are customizable.
Every spell looks amazing. Truly making you feel like a powerful caster.
The spells are obtained in-game. Which means that you will have another thing to search for and collect.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/5007

2. God mode.

God Mode Mod showcase

GTA San Andreas was a great game. There were so many things that you could do and so many mechanics that were revolutionary for its time. But the very best part of it was when you printed a list of cheat codes from IGN and went absolutely off the rails with them. Crashing a flying card against a helicopter, jumping out at the last possible second, taking no fall damage, and then blowing up a police tank with a bazooka.

What I’m saying is. If wrecking absolutely everything in your path and going crazy is your thing, and I have the feeling that it is, then this is the mod you want.

How God Mode Makes The Game Fun:

Nothing beats the feeling of being able to do whatever you want whenever you want.
Getting a little too frustrated with an enemy? Activate this mod and show them who’s boss.
Also great if you want to speedrun through a section of the game. You can disable it whenever you want.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/1509

1. Witcher 3 - Enhanced Edition.

Enhanced Edition mod walkthrough

This mod takes the Witcher 3 and turns immersion up to eleven. It is a revamp of pretty much every mechanic in the game. Ensuring a brand-new experience from start to finish.

There’s pretty much no part of the game that remains unchanged in the enhanced edition.

Fair warning though, this mod does not play well with other mods. So you’ll have to leave your Henry Cavill-looking Geralt behind and start the game from scratch if you want to use it.

Still, if a new experience is what you’re after. It doesn’t get any newer than this.

How Enhanced Edition Makes The Game Fun:

Realism’s the name of the game. Enhanced edition makes your playthrough more realistic than ever.
Especially great if you miss the first game’s mechanics.
Practically a brand new, much more challenging game.

Get the mod here: https://www.nexusmods.com/witcher3/mods/3522

And there you have it! I promised you a brand new experience and if roaming-around-as-a-powerful-warlock-with-the-face-of-Henry-Cavill-and-the-body-of-Imlerith-next-to-your-all-Zoltan-five-person-squad-and-also-oh-my-god-everyone’s-naked-because-you-REFUSED-to-listen-to-me-about-nude-mods is not a brand new experience then I don’t know what is.

Now, if you’ll excuse me. I have a heavily-modded Witcher 3 running at two frames per second that’s just waiting to be played.

And also a search history to erase...

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Andrew Ganem

The rumor goes that Andrew sprung fully formed from a glitch in the Gamecube version of Enter the Matrix. Which is probably why no one bought that game. He enjoys games, Dnd, and getting gremlins wet.

Gamer Since:

2005

Favorite Genre:

RPG

Currently Playing:

Red Dead Redemption 2

Top 3 Favorite Games:

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Dragon Age: Inquisition, Dead Space 2

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