Hungry for the next Witcher game? Play the Blood & Wine DLC!
If you’ve got a Witcher shaped hole in your heart, the Blood and Wine DLC is the way to fill it.
After spending hours completing the main storyline of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, and ending up with one of three endings, the option to travel south becomes available.
Toussaint, oh Toussaint
For those who are familiar with Toussaint from the Witcher books, it is described as no less than a fairytale. Her Royal Highness, Duchess Annarietta is depicted as the radiant ruler of an opulent land, covered in sprawling vineyards and glittering waters. If you’re tired of the dreariness of Velen or the turbulent Skellige Isle, Toussaint provides a wonderful change of pace.
Go from this…
…to this!
Fairytale characters, palaces and knights, oh my! The DLC offers more than 20 hours of additional gameplay and countless side quests based on some of your favourite children’s stories. If you’re into the twisted side of popular fables (as in the Dark Parables series or The Wolf Among Us), then get ready to meet these warped versions of Goldilocks, the Big Bad Wolf, the Three Little Pigs, Little Red Riding Hood, the Wicked Witch, and more.
The Gameplay
If defeating the king of the Wild Hunt was as underwhelming for you as it was for me, the final boss fight in Blood and Wine is sure to get your heart pumping. Many players find they need multiple attempts, and others play it over and over again just for the cutscenes.
CD Projekt Red
Blood and Wine introduces almost 30 brand new monsters into the game including Banshees, Barghests, Pixies, Protofleders, Bruxa, Scurvers, Spriggans, and more. Some of the most difficult beasts in the whole game can be found in Toussaint, providing you with the challenge the main quest might have lacked. Many are based on folklore.
The DLC’s secondary quest, Turn and Face the Strange, introduces twelve new mutagens which unlocks a panel allowing players to alter their active abilities. New mutations such as Deadly Counter and Bloodbath allow you to do more damage to enemies, whilst other mutations effect the power of signs potions.
How it compares with the Hearts of Stone DLC
In short, it doesn’t. Both stories are incredibly compelling. The Hearts of Stone DLC introduces a very compelling adversary and an intriguing plot, but the storyline is scattered across Velen and doesn’t add much to the existing landscape of the game. Being reunited with Shani is enjoyable (Shani and Geralt have quite the history) but beyond the nostalgia factor, the quests feel depthless. Compared with the challenges Blood and Wine introduces, as well as the deep moral quandaries posed to Geralt, Hearts of Stone doesn’t quite meet the same mark.
CD Projekt Red
This is not to discount the fact that both DLC’s offer more than you would expect, especially nowadays when DLC’s are often associated with upgraded or unique gear. Both DLC’s feel more like expansions as the sheer quality of the additional content is priceless. Blood and Wine especially feels more like a follow-up game rather than mere additional content. If you haven’t already explored this land of fairytales, I highly recommend that you do.
Play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch or Microsoft Windows
