Imlerith – The Witcher 3

Encountered in the Bald Mountain mission, Imlerith may seem tough with his enormous shield and mace. Fortunately, he’s easy to trap with Yrden and slice away from behind. Bombs like Grapeshot and Samum are also useful, and destroying his Frost Shield isn’t tough either. Take advantage of his slow movement and victory is assured.

If you haven’t played CD Projekt RED’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and are a fan of open world games, it’s well worth a look. With high critical praise and early Game of the Year awards, Geralt’s quest has won over more than its fair share of fans, especially with 6 million units of the game sold thus far. The developer has thus released a new trailer to hype up the other two adventures of Geralt – Hearts of Stone and the upcoming Blood and Wine – for those who may be interested in the Expansion Pass. Check it out below.

Hearts of Stone recently released and promises 10 hours of gameplay with Geralt running into the Man of Glass and completing a series of missions for him. The adventure saw the return of popular Witcher character Shani and was a huge hit. Blood and Wine will be out next year and promises a new zone along with 20 hours of gameplay. CD Projekt RED is also still working on updates to fix bugs and other issues but new features like New Game Plus could be coming in the future.

What are your thoughts on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its Expansion Pass? Let us know in the comments.

"Of course, there are other new additions to look forward to in Hearts of Stone. Along with the usual new weapons and armour, players can now take advantage of the Runeword system."

Hearts of Stone sees Geralt encountering Gaunter O’Dimm aka the Man of Glass who takes Geralt on for a certain contract after helping him in the base game. This involves tracking down Olgierd von Everec, a bandit who has gained the power of immortality but suffers more than his fair share of consequences for the same. Things, as are often the case with O’Dimm, aren’t what they seem and to say any more at this point is to give away the awesome narrative that Hearts of Stone spins.

It’s amazing to see just how many different stories CD Projekt RED can tell in a single expansion. From a comedic wedding with plenty of melodrama to organizing your own heist and investigating a haunted mansion, not to mention the subplots which take inspiration from famous fairy tales, Hearts of Stone furthers the same clever writing and nuance that defined the base game. This is most evident when it comes to Shani, who appeared in the first Witcher, and is perhaps one of the best written characters for the entire game. Her mannerisms, personality and the challenge she presents in understanding her provide a welcome change from Triss and Yennifer. It’s amazing how at this point in the game’s life-style, CD Projekt RED is still capable of delivering such likable characters.

Of course, there are other new additions to look forward to in Hearts of Stone. Along with the usual new weapons and armour, players can now take advantage of the Runeword system. This feature bestows some interesting perks on to your equipment by combining certain sets of rune stones. However, you have to be careful – using a Runeword on an equipment piece will destroy its slots preventing you from throwing another rune stone into it for the future.

"Hearts of Stone manages to offer an excellent 10-15 hours of gameplay with a rapid pace, making it all the more ripe for replaying (especially in New Game Plus). "

As it is, the Runewords don’t automatically grant you a new set of moves and abilities nor do they address criticisms of using a limited skill set with Geralt. They essentially introduce another wrinkle to further turn the tide of battle in your favour and honestly, I’m not going to argue against the effects of increased stamina after killing my enemies or adding Igni to my next sword strike.

It wouldn’t be a Witcher title without some awesome quests and Hearts of Stone does more than enough to please in that department. Arguably the best of these is the heist wherein you must recruit various crew members and successfully execute your plan. It was equal parts hilarious and endearing, even if things tended to end in failure very quickly. Then there’s the haunted mansion which feels like your typical exploration and investigation quest but culminates in an encounter with arguably the most vicious and difficult boss fight seen in a Witcher game yet. This isn’t the only boss in the expansion and those saddened by the lack of more complex fights in the base game will find plenty to like here. Also, even as we speak at length about expansions justifying their asking price, Hearts of Stone manages to offer an excellent 10-15 hours of gameplay with a rapid pace, making it all the more ripe for replaying (especially in New Game Plus). That’s not at all bad for a $9.99 price point.

Hearts of Stone does have some issues – the side quest involving herding pigs is far from the best experience you’ll have in the game, even if it’s humorous in a way – but there’s so much more that the expansion succeeds in.

"Even at double its price the expansion would be worth the investment but at $9.99, Hearts of Stone simply can’t be missed."

The visuals remain as lush as ever, especially in the character designs for bosses and characters. Voice acting, especially for Shani and Geralt, and the soundtrack remain some of the best – if not the best – you’ll see in gaming this year. The odd glitch or so tends to happen but it’s nothing game-breaking at this point (make no mistake though – the initial launch of the expansion was rough due to issues with New Game Plus loot disappearing).

Whether you had a brief relationship with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt or completed the game on New Game Plus on Death March, Hearts of Stone is a call-back to the days when expansions felt significant. It delivers a set of memorable missions and side quests without feeling overtly bloated or plodding, and along with exploring more of what Oxenfurt and No Man’s Land have to offer, it gives us a deeper look into Geralt’s motivations, desires and goals in the long run. Even at double its price the expansion would be worth the investment but at $9.99, Hearts of Stone simply can’t be missed.

This game was reviewed on the PC.

If you played The Witcher 3 on Xbox One, and also decided to download the game’s expansion for that console, you may have a bit of an issue- CD Projekt RED mistakenly released an older, outdated version of the expansion to the Xbox Live Marketplace for a while. The problem was identified and corrected quickly, but in that period, you may have downloaded the older version by mistake.

“It has come to our attention that an incorrect version of Hearts of Stone was accidentally released to users that purchased the expansion pack before yesterday,” CD Projekt RED said. “Since that point the correct version has been released. If you’re concerned that your version of the game is not up to date, don’t worry — any affected copies of the expansion pack will be automatically updated to the newest build without any action required on your part.

“We would like to apologize to all the gamers affected by this problem.”

So, there you go- even if you did get the older version, don’t freak out, it’ll be updated to the proper build by itself.

The very first expansion to CD Projekt RED’s critically acclaimed, bestselling RPG, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Hearts of Stone, is out now. It is available on the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC for download worldwide.

“Hearts of Stone will take Geralt on an all-new adventure into the wilds of No Man’s Land and the nooks and alleys of Oxenfurt, where he’ll try to complete a contract from the mysterious Man of Glass. Caught in a thick tangle of deceit, Geralt will need all his cunning and strength to solve the mystery and emerge unscathed,” the expansion’s official description reads.

It’s not all good news, though- CD Projekt RED also confirmed that the physical release of the expansion has been delayed in North America, owing to ‘logistical reasons.’“We are working with GameStop to fix this situation as soon as possible and deeply apologize for the inconvenience,” said the studio’s Marcin Momot.

Stay tuned to GamingBolt for more coverage and information.

GamingBolt spoke to senior gameplay designer Marcin Janiszewski about the various elements of Hearts of Stone and some of the cooler things we can look forward to, like the Runeword system. It’s also possible that the expansion extends beyond the marketed 10 hours.

"We’ve extended the world a bit and added a lot of stuff here and there, but HoS is mainly about the plot, the characters, and Geralt’s deal with Master Mirror."

The Witcher 3’s Hearts of Stone expansion is nearly upon us. Though it’s estimated to have 10 hours of gameplay, there is the feeling that this could be more, especially given how big the base game ended up being. What are your thoughts on its current value to the consumer?

Marcin Janiszewski: As for the size of the game, I think that we always subconsciously decide to communicate the more conservative number. In the case of Wild Hunt, early on in development there was a time we were a bit afraid that 100 hours would be stretching it… and half a year before launch we knew we had way more. I think it’s similar with Hearts of Stone. It’s a solid 10 hours of new adventures, but you can extend that way more if you set out to explore and, again, get lost in Geralt’s world.

The world of the Witcher 3 is massive in its scope and scale but also in the number of secrets it holds. Given that Hearts of Stone takes place in some pre-existing areas, what have you done to liven them up and make the environments feel new again for players?

Marcin Janiszewski: We’ve extended the world a bit and added a lot of stuff here and there, but HoS is mainly about the plot, the characters, and Geralt’s deal with Master Mirror. I think the Bloody Baron quest is a good benchmark — you get so involved with the characters and action so that the world itself starts playing a complementary role. However, we’ll add a completely new region in the second expansion — Blood and Wine. But that’s next year, so we’ll have a chance to talk about that in detail in the future.

Will there be a number of side quests and dynamic events to explore in Hearts of Stone? And is there any new kind of quest that we haven’t seen before?

Marcin Janiszewski: Yeah, we’ve added new side-quests in Hearts of Stone, too, but I can’t give you any details — wouldn’t want to spoil the experience for you.

The Witcher 3 is one of the greatest games ever made, especially from a story-telling and side quest point of view. However, there were criticisms about the similarity of some quests. How are you working to improve this in Hearts of Stone?

Marcin Janiszewski: Thank you for the kind words! Not sure how I can relate to the criticisms, because, in all honesty, I’ve heard many things about the side-quests, but nothing about them being too similar to each other. If, however, some gamers think that some quests have been too similar to each other in Wild Hunt, HoS is a bit different in this regard as it mainly focuses on its own main story arc. Side-quests are a bonus here, it’s the rollercoaster ride with Olgierd that’s the main dish. And that’s unlike anything previously seen in The Witcher.

"We’re introducing new enemies, and I’m particularly proud of some of the boss fights that we’ve designed, but, in all honesty, this is something I’d like the players see for themselves."

We’ve heard about Runewords and we just have to know what they are. How much do they effectively change up gameplay?

Marcin Janiszewski: Runewords can significantly affect your character build, if you decide to experiment. For example, you can grab one that increases your health regeneration when you build up enough adrenaline, or a one which will deflect any arrow, so you no longer need to worry about archers sniping you from a distance. For people who like to custom-build Geralt’s skill set, especially on the higher difficulty levels, this element of HoS is going to be a blast. At least I hope so!

Will the choices made in Hearts of Stone have an impact on future stories (or even the main story) in The Witcher 3? What kind of romance options, if any, can be expected?

Marcin Janiszewski: What I can say at this point in time that Hearts of Stone is a standalone story that does not impact the main story arc of Wild Hunt. As for the romance option, I’m sure players familiar to the franchise will instantly recognize Shani, the medic from the first installment of The Witcher. If you’re new to the franchise, you’re in for a real treat — she’s an amazing character!

Can players look forward to new Witcher gear and weapons via new Scavenger Hunts in Hearts of Stone?

Marcin Janiszewski: We have some additional items prepared in Hearts of Stone. Expect a cool treasure hunt!

For that matter, what kind of new enemies will we encounter? How will they challenge players to think differently from previous battles?

Marcin Janiszewski: We’re introducing new enemies, and I’m particularly proud of some of the boss fights that we’ve designed, but, in all honesty, this is something I’d like the players see for themselves.

CD Projekt RED’s first major expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is on the way with Hearts of Stone. Geralt will be embarking on a new adventure, dealing with the Man of Glass while fighting a new range of foes, and there will be plenty to look forward to in this lengthy adventure.

Though the developer has promised 10 hours of gameplay, senior gameplay designer Marcin Janiszewski did say it could be longer, especially when taking The Witcher 3’s base experience into consideration. “As for the size of the game, I think that we always subconsciously decide to communicate the more conservative number. In the case of Wild Hunt, early on in development there was a time we were a bit afraid that 100 hours would be stretching it… and half a year before launch we knew we had way more.

“I think it’s similar with Hearts of Stone. It’s a solid 10 hours of new adventures, but you can extend that way more if you set out to explore and, again, get lost in Geralt’s world.”

Janiszewski also revealed some new information about the Runewords which will allow players a higher level of customization in their character than before. “Runewords can significantly affect your character build, if you decide to experiment. For example, you can grab one that increases your health regeneration when you build up enough adrenaline, or a one which will deflect any arrow, so you no longer need to worry about archers sniping you from a distance. For people who like to custom-build Geralt’s skillset, especially on the higher difficulty levels, this element of HoS is going to be a blast. At least I hope so!” So if you’ve been feeling a bit constrained by the fixed skill slots available, especially on New Game Plus, then Runewords will offer some respite.

Hearts of Stone is out on October 13th for Xbox One, PS4 and PC so stay tuned for more information.

The first expansion for the excellent The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Hearts of Stone, is almost here, and we have a new launch trailer to celebrate the occasion. The launch trailer sees Geralt of Rivia parleying with he immortal Olgierd von Everec, a bandit captain who has to deal with being an unlikeable person, forever.

Hearts of Stone adds 10 hours of gameplay to the game, bringing with it new quests, new characters, new locations, new monsters, new contracts, and a new romance option as well. It is the first of two planned Witcher 3 expansions.

“Step again into the shoes of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster slayer, this time hired to defeat a ruthless bandit captain, Olgierd von Everec, a man who possesses the power of immortality,” the official Hearts of Stone description reads.

“The expansion lets you choose your own path through an experience that includes recruiting a crew of break-in artists, spending a night partying with a ghost, and outsmarting the most bizarre creatures Geralt has ever faced.”

Hearts of Stone launches October 13. Stay tuned for more coverage and information.

CD Projekt RED’s The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has been praised for its scale and the sheer depth of its world but Cyberpunk 2077 will be even bigger.

In an interview with MCV, visual effects artist Jose Teixeira said that Cyberpunk will be “far, far bigger” than anything the studio has done thus far and that The Witcher 3 helped prepare for the same.

“Cyberpunk is far bigger than anything else that CD Projekt Red has done before. Far, far bigger. We’re really stepping into the unknown in terms of complexity and size and problems we encounter.

“If anything, working on The Witcher 3 was a really good and often brutal learning experience. Cyberpunk is going to benefit greatly from it. I can almost guarantee it.”

CD Projekt RED is still busy supporting The Witcher 3 with its first expansion Hearts of Stone out on October 13th. The company plans to support the game until 2017 and then all focus will be shifted onto Cyberpunk 2077.

CD Projekt RED has released several new screenshots from The Witcher 3’s upcoming expansion Hearts of Stone. There’s a healthy amount of new stuff to see and it all looks gorgeous. Check them out below and don’t worry about the blurred out text – that’s just the developer saving us from spoilers.

The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone will be the first major expansion for critically acclaimed action RPG and will see Geralt battling against an immortal bandit while taking the help of the mysterious Man of Glass.

There are plenty of new quests to be had, a much-loved character making her return, new bosses and a new Runeword mechanic that changes things up gameplay-wise. CD Projekt RED has claimed that the expansion will provide 10 hours of content but honestly, given the size of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it could end up being more.

The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone is out on October 13th for Xbox One, PC and PS4. Stay tuned for more details as we approach closer to release.