It'll come as no surprise to hear that the game is getting fantastic review scores, including a few 5/5s and 10/10s! It's pretty much unanimous praise across the board from most outlets, and there's real potential here for The Witcher 3 Next-Gen to become one of the highest-rated Xbox games of the year... at least according to Metacritic!
Let's take a look at some Witcher 3 Next-Gen reviews from across the web:
"While some cracks are beginning to form around the edges, the people who’ve played the game 10 times already won’t care, and will be thrilled to hear that the next-gen version of the game provides a definitive console experience and a great reason to head back out into the wilds."
"The two graphics modes make it feel like a brand new game, the quality of life improvements are much welcomed, and everything in-between makes this next-gen update a must for both old and new players."
"The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt earned its place in the pantheon of video games a long time ago. While this release is a victory lap, and CD PROJEKT RED has pretty much admitted to that, it’s still a massively deserving one. This developer’s reputation has taken a considerable blow since 2020, and this release serves as a reminder of why they had room to fall so far."
"Over seven years after its original release, The Witcher 3 is still a masterpiece. In its character writing and dialogue, it's yet to be surpassed, while its knack for telling so many engrossing stories is still seriously impressive. Although aspects of its gameplay haven't aged quite so well, there's no doubt that Complete Edition is the best version of a truly outstanding open world adventure."
"While graphics are only one component of a game, these improvements’ impacts on the experience of playing Witcher 3 are pretty large. It is still the same thrilling combat, engaging stories, and darkly detailed world as before, but the improvements allow the player to be more immersed in it than ever before. It all comes together to make one of the best games ever made even more enjoyable."
Pure Xbox (No Score - Positive)
"Although we've experienced some minor technical issues with the quality mode on Xbox Series X|S prior to release, overall this free update for Witcher 3 is a fantastic package that makes what was already an excellent experience (with two wonderful expansions) an even better one."
The Gamer (No Score - Positive)
"More thought and effort has been put into this than I expected. It’s a deserving package for one of the greatest RPGs ever made that we all fell in love with years ago, but now it looks, feels, and plays better than ever. I’m not sure if I’ll be compelled enough to see it through to the end a second time, but the fact I have such an option now is more than welcome."
Metro (No Score - Negative)
"Sadly, though, it’s impossible to recommend the game in its current state [on PS5]. Despite the renewed beauty there are just too many annoying little problems. The update is free, if you already own a last gen version, so all you need to do is wait until it’s all fixed, but as the first major release since Cyberpunk 2077 this is a colossal failure, of the sort you’d think CD Projekt would do anything to avoid."
That negative review is very much an exception to the rule right now, but we should point out that that we also suffered some minor technical issues in our Xbox review build — we're hoping these will be addressed prior to launch this week.
Don't forget that if you already own The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on Xbox One, you'll get a free upgrade to the "Next-Gen" version starting this Wednesday, and in certain regions you can actually start playing on Tuesday instead!
