During its recent REDstream at Gamescom, developer CD Projekt RED showcased 13 minutes of gameplay from the upcoming Songs of the Past expansion for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The video, which you can check out below, shows Geralt getting to his feet after a seemingly wild party and immediately getting a quest – A Bed of Thorns – that tasks him with getting to Lettenhove for a family meal.
Songs of the Past will take place in an entirely new area being added to The Witcher 3 – Letten. The title is supposed to take place after protagonist Geralt has decided to retire. However, a new adventure ends up calling to him. When it comes to gameplay, this also means that players will be given the chance to explore the region of Letten at their own pace without the urgency of the main story constantly pushing them forward.
The area of Letten showcased in the video is quite colorful, with peace seemingly having come across the land, offering a sharp contrast with the areas of The Witcher 3 base game. Along with the impressive visual fidelity, the studio has also stressed that the DLC will propel players towards “gentle guidance” thanks to accessible level design.
The video then cuts to Geralt in a future part of the same A Bed of Thorns quest, with Geralt following Lilla to the Garden of Thorns. To offer some contrast with the sunny and colorful Lettenhove, this part showcases how dark and brooding The Witcher 3 will continue to be with Songs of the Past.
When it’s time to fight, players will quickly notice that Geralt still has his moveset from the base game. Along with this, the video also highlights the leaps that have been made when it comes to the visual fidelity of The Witcher 3 with its upcoming Remastered update. We also get a quick look at the new Chain tool that will be available to Geralt, with which he can pull off wide and sweeping attacks, as well as pull enemies closer towards him. A quick execution using the Chain is shown in a battle against Swarmions.
This gameplay demo is a follow-up to a trailer for Songs of the Past that was shown earlier this week during Gamescom’s Opening Night Live showcase. The trailer gave us our first look at the region of Letten, which is seemingly in the midst of a festival. As would be quite typical for The Witcher, however, these kinds of festivals never tend to end well for anyone involved.
Along with a new story, Songs of the Past will also introduce additions to the game’s large list of enemies, like mutated warriors. The story itself will also revolve around some “truth” that Geralt will have to uncover.
Songs of the Past doesn’t yet have a solid release date aside from a general 2027 window. It is being developed for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S. For fans of the series who can’t wait that long, The Witcher 3 is also getting a free update that will bring many improvements to it next month.
