Here Are The Best Witcher 3 Mods
Its no secret that PC gamers love mods. And its no secret that they also love Witcher 3.
So it should come as no surprise that modding communities have dedicated countless hours to creating mods for the Witcher 3, ranging from the serious, such as graphical updates and bug fixes, to the more light-hearted, such as this mod that puts helmets on chickens.
"Wot you lookin' at, witcher?"
Mods have all kinds of functionality, from changing the graphics to overhauling large portions of the game. Most importantly, mods can be used to make the game more enjoyable, whether by giving new ways to approach combat, adding new content, or by adding some quality-of-life improvements. As a shout out to the great community of modders out there, here are 22 fan-created mods for the Witcher 3 that make the game that much more fun to play.
22) Use a Shield
Witchers are not known for using shields, instead preferring to use their agility and quick reflexes as a defense. Geralt is not your typical witcher, though. This mod allows Geralt to equip a shield, so he can block enemy attacks, deflect arrows, and give enemies a gnarly shield bash. The mod includes over 40 different shields to use, each lore-friendly and naturally integrated into the game world. So, if you have ever felt like embracing a more traditional RPG tank-style approach to combat, then this mod is for you.
21) Unique Trophies
Trophies are parts of monsters that you harvest after completing a witcher contract. They are then strapped to your horse Roach and give extra buffs in combat or exploration. This mod makes each trophy’s effect unique, and adds in a bunch of more useful and varied effects. For example, instead of only giving a +10% chance to dismember enemies, slyzard trophies now give you a 16% buff to your Igni sign, 20% burn resistance, and +5% damage to draconid enemies. Trophies effects actually make sense given the enemy they come from and now are more useful instead of offering relatively cosmetic effects.
20) Disable the Story Recap
Load times are already long enough in Witcher 3, and the mandatory story recap narration that play whenever you manually load a game file gets really old, really quick. It is kind of a weird move from CD Projekt Red to not give you the option to manually disable these recap cutscenes. I guess they REALLY wanted you to appreciate the game’s narrative. Luckily, there is this modthat disables the story recap scene. As much as we love the bard Dandelion, after about 80+ hours in-game, it’s almost insulting that he constantly feels the need to remind us what is going on. This mod is a god-send for those like me who, while they appreciate narrative, sometimes just want to get straight to killing monsters.
19) Remove the Weight Limit
Ah, the blessings and curses of finite inventory. On the one hand, it adds a level of realism and strategy with item management. On the other hand, that realism is completely shattered when Geralt is slowed to a crawl under the crushing weight after picking up one wooden spoon. Removing the weight limit allows players to stop worrying about how much loot they are carrying, and focus on the fun parts of the game. Of course, your inventory may soon become unsearchable and cluttered, but hey, gotta make some trade offs right?
18) Better Blood Spray
Geralt is not one to hold back when fighting, and it shows, as he routinely decapitates, dismembers, and otherwise eviscerates his enemies. This mod makes the blood works even more visceral as Geralt slices & dices his way through Temeria. In addition to making you feel like a complete savage, the mod also improves the way blood pools after enemies fall to the ground. So if you are looking to make your adventure look like a Rob Zombie movie, download this mod quick..
17) Enhanced Combat
Combat is the bread and butter of a witcher life, and this mod takes Witcher 3’s combat to the next level. In addition to re-scaling enemy difficulty, this mod changes the layout of the skill tree, modifies a handful of skills, and changes the amount of stamina used to cast signs. The result is that combat becomes even more free form and customizable. In the vanilla version of the game, most combat encounters can be overcome by using the same strategy; this mod forces the player to get creative with their swords, signs, potions, bombs, and crossbow.
16) Complete Animations
If realism is what you desire, then here’s a mod for you. This complete animations mod adds in a number of small animations, from eating, drinking, applying oils, consuming potions, and even using the bathroom The point of this mod is to make the world a bit more consistent and realistic. As fun as it is to open the pause menu and scarf down 20 chickens, it’s much more fun to watch Geralt actually eat the food you select. This also means that you can’t just spam consumables in combat anymore, as the animations leave you vulnerable to attack.
15) More Random Encounters
Monsters, monsters, and more monsters. The Witcher world is chock-full of deadly monsters that are just waiting for you to stumble into their lair. The random encounters mod multiplies the amount of random enemies on the map, allowing for even more monster slaying. The mod even adds random groups of Wild Hunt riders for you to chop up. The player can modify the amount and types of random encounters from the menu, in addition to tweaking some of the enemy monster’s properties, like total health, aggression and stamina.
14) More Quickslots
Witchers have all kinds of tools at their arsenal to take down enemies; bombs, crossbows, and potions. Yet, in the vanilla version of the game, you are only given 4 quickslots to assign items to. This mod adds up to 16 different quick slots for inventory items and 8 more slots for bombs. This mod is great for those who like to use many different tools in combat, but hate going to the menu to change out all their bombs, food, or oils. Perfect for the witcher on the go.
13) Primal Needs
As realistic as the game world of Witcher 3 is, immersion is slightly broken when you realize that Geralt has no actual need for sleep, food or drink. The primal needs mod changes that, and adds in a survivalist aspect to gameplay. Geralt now has to eat, drink, sleep, and yes, even ‘expel feces’ regularly. Forgo these basic necessities, and you will suffer debuffs to your stats. Each food item has been changed to give it new properties, such as decreasing thirst in the case of drinks, or increasing fatigue in the case of alcohol, and food prices have been changed to reflect these new properties. In addition, food can expire and go bad, so you must be strategic and sparing with your food supplies. Other small effects include Geralt passing out when his fatigue reaches 100%, or puking from overeating.
12) Friendly HUD
The Witcher 3 is a large game, and it must relay a large amount of information to the player through its various menus, screens, and subscreens. The friendly HUD mod allows the player to customize the appearance of the HUD to show as much or as little information as needed. In addition to letting you customize the HUD, the mod also adds a number of different functions, such as custom 3D markers and a Skyrim-esque compass.
11) Fast Travel from Anywhere
The Witcher 3 map is large; very, very large. As such, you will find yourself fast traveling quite a bit to save time and frustration. The fast travel from anywhere mod, as the name implies, makes it so you can fast travel from anywhere on the map, not just at one of the predefined signposts. You just heard the collective sigh of relief from a legion of gamers. This mods cuts down on travel times, and let’s you focus on more important things like story.
10) Realistic Weather
The Witcher 3 is known for its striking visuals, and gorgeous atmospheres. That being said, there is room for improvement.This mod adds and modifies weather effects to create a more dynamic and realistic atmosphere. The realistic weather mod changes the weather effects in certain regions, and adds entirely new weather effects, like snow, to other regions. It also makes the lighting during day and night more realistic; brighter during the day and darker at night.Environments look more realistic and weather changes in real time.
9) HD Texture Pack
Witcher 3 is a beautiful game and that is no doubt. CDProjektRed outdid themselves in terms of graphical fidelity and world vision. However, that does not mean that there were no improvements to be made. This HD texture pack adds a level of unparalleled precision and realism to the graphics. Take it form personal experience; if you install this texture pack, expect to stare at the new water effects for hours.
8) ESGO – Enemy Scaling and Gameplay Overhaul
Ever heard of “god mode?” God mode is a colloquial term for a gameplay mode that gives the player complete control over the gameplay experience. ESGO is a mod that will fulfill even the most of theistic fantasies. With this mod, the player has virtually all control over gameplay progression, including enemy scaling, weapon durability, EXP gains and more. A useful mod if you feel like completely customizing your gaming experience.
7) Daily Monster Hunt
Considering that monster contracts are a witcher’s raison d’être, there better be a lot of them to satisfy even the most voracious hunter’s appetite. The daily mosnter hunt mod adds a random monster contract to one of Velen, Skellige, or Novigrad’s message boards each day. The extra monster contracts allow you to bet on the odds of your success, and earn more gold than ordinary monster contracts. Succeed, and you will earn double the original contract. Fail, and you will lose the target for good. The stakes have never been higher.
6) Hardcore Mode
With only 2.6% of players fully completing the game on the Death March difficulty, Witcher 3 is by no means an easy game. That being said, some players like pain, so they gave Witcher 3 the Dark Souls treatment. The hardcore mode mod makes enemies stronger, sturdier, and more aggressive, so prepare to die, a lot. This mod is not for the faint of heart (or those prone to throwing controllers) so play at your own risk.
5) Enhanced Lighting
In many games, light is more than just background decoration. A good lighting system enhances gameplay, increases atmospheric tension, and makes environmental features unique and recognizable. This mod refines the light mechanics for pretty much every area of the game, enhancing realism and draw distance. If you want to experience the full effect of this mod, take a seat on Bald Mountain in Velen or Beauclaire Palace in Toussaint during the sunset.
4) Gwent Merchant
I have to admit, it was really awesome of CDProjektRed to build an entire fantasy RPG around the card game Gwent...wait, the RPG was the main game? Oh well, either way, if you haven’t sunk countless hours into Gwent, you are playing Witcher 3 wrong. This mod adds a dedicated Gwent merchant to the game, from whom you can buy any cards that you might have missed during normal gameplay. So move over chess, a new strategy game is king. The real question you need to ask yourself is, “What would you say to a little game of Gwent?”
3) More Skill Slots
Normally, Geralt can only have 12 individual skill equipped (16 with the Blood and Wine DLC). The slots, slots, slots mod allows you to equip up to 100 different skills, and equip multiple active mutagens at the same time. Now you can cut an enemy to bits with a flurry rush, explode another few with an Ignie sign, and chug 10 potions all at the same time! Perfect for those players who like to combine several combat styles to create one monster slaying machine.
2) Geralt Has a Cloak
With this mod, Geralt gets a cloak. Nothing else really, it just looks totally badass.
1) Fast Travel at Crow’s Perch and Hattori
HOLY CRAP THANK GOD FOR THIS MOD. Now, selling my excess loot to Hattori is no longer inordinately painful and time consuming. Throughout your playthrough, you will find yourself going to these two locations a lotso it is kind of baffling that CDProjektRed neglected to include fast travel points at these two incredibly important places. I guess it just goes to show, no matter how perfect a game is, there is always room for improvement.
