CD Projekt Red’sThe Witcherseries found great success with its first and second entries, butThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntwas a breakthrough for the Polish developer. Universally acclaimed, the third game in the action RPG trilogy features stunning graphics, an expansive open world, and countless quests. Its influence has crept into numerous AAA titles, and theWitcherseries is regarded as one of the best of all time. Even adventures as grand in scale asThe Witcher 3must come to a conclusion, though, and players who completeWild Huntare left asking, “what now?” With no news of a newWitchergame, hardcore fans may be at a loss as to what to play next.
It’s difficult to find games capable of delivering an experience of the same caliber asThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. While not every game is going to be exactly like those fromThe Witcherfranchise, there are many others that have either incorporated features fromThe Witcheror taken inspiration from it. The influence becomes apparent even in some unexpected titles, but many great games have also taken cues fromCD Projekt Red. So until a newWitchertitle is announced, the following are excellent games to play and fill the void left by Geralt of Rivia.
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Horizon Zero Dawn
Horizon Zero Dawntakes place in an anachronistic, post-apocalyptic world, but fans ofThe Witcherseries will feel right at home with its narrative-driven storytelling. Players controlAloy, a young woman who hunts large, robotic creatures for their components in the year 3020. When the machines become unusually aggressive towards humans, it becomes the player’s responsibility to discover why. LikeWild Hunt,Horizon Zero Dawn’sstory captivates audiences through compelling voice acting and masterful writing. What’s more, the game’s mechanics revolve around hunting and collecting, much like the various contract quests featured acrossThe Witchergames. Players who enjoyed the world ofThe Witcherwill also revel inHorizon Zero Dawn’slarge, open-world environment.
Dragon Age: Origins
Dragon Age: Originsis a fitting option for gamers who loveThe Witcher’sbrand of high fantasy. Considered by many to be the best in the series,Originshas all of the genre’s staples: magic, elves, dwarfs, and of course, dragons. What setsDragon Age: Originsapart from other fantasy titles, though, is its story-altering dialogue choices and lore-rich world. From the player-created character’s race, to options in conversation, many of the player’s choices depend on decisions previously made by the player. Since the game was initially released in 2009, the graphics aren’t exactly state of the art, butDragon Age: Originsstill provides countless hours of entertainment more than a decade later.
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Ghost of Tsushima
For some players, games set in the real world resonate more than those set in fictional worlds.Ghost of Tsushimais a compelling argument for why this may be. Set during the 13th century Mongol invasion of Japan, players take control of Jin Sakai, a samurai intent on fighting enemy forces with non-samurai-like espionage. Sakai, much like a Witcher, works alone for the most part, and the game’s beautiful setting and minimalist HUD exacerbates that lone wolf mentality. Throughout the game, players will showdown with Mongol warriors, execute stealthy assassinations, and complete various side quests. The combat of the two games vary, but the satisfaction of cutting through enemy camps matches that of mowing down Drowners inThe Witcher.
Breath of the Wild
There’s not much that can be said aboutThe Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildthat hasn’t been said before. Frequently regarded as a masterpiece,Breath of the Wild’senormous worldand dynamic physics have been captivating players since its release in 2017. So many of the game’s subsystems, like cooking and climbing, are as entertaining as its combat. Similar toThe Witcher’salchemy mechanics, cooking different combinations of foraged food inBreath of the Wildwill yield different stat boosting dishes. While its tone is thoroughly lighter than that ofThe Witcher, the plethora of side quests will keep players engaged. For fans ofThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt,Breath of the Wildis a game that should be played.
There are only a handful of AAA “Wild West” games available, andRed Dead Redemption 2stands out among that selection as one of the genre’s best. Rockstar’s sandbox approach to game design fills its world with plenty of side missions and optional content. The story, centered around the outlaw Arthur Morgan, is gritty, exciting, and emotional. The game’s more unique features include hunting and maintaining a camp full of NPC outlaws. Reminiscent of how Geralt’s decisions affect the characters with whom he interacts, decisions made by players to invest in or completely ignore the camp’s residents determine their fate. Playing cowboy in the Wild West is a departure from the knights and monsters ofThe Witcher’sworld, butRed Deadis a memorable open-world adventure that sticks with players.
Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor
Of all these titles,Shadow of Mordormay just be the most similar toThe Witcher. Both games feature gruff, outcast men exploring an open fantasy world based on a book series. Combat inShadow of Mordorparallels that ofThe Witchergames, as both Geralt and Talion tear their way through monsters with flashy, acrobatic sword swings. The games do differ, however, when it comes to the importance of player decisions.Shadow of Mordor’smakes up for this with thenemesis system, a way of tracking high ranking enemies who remember the player from previous encounters and deliver situation specific quips. Packed with side quests and weapon upgrades,Shadow of Mordormay just be the most natural game to pick up after finishingWild Hunt.
The Witcheris one of gaming’s most recognizable franchises. The book series' dark and philosophical take on fantasy adventure has enchanted audiences since the early 90’s, and the games have only drawn fans further into the world created by Andrzej Sapkowski. There may not be many games exactly likeThe Witcher, but most games have incorporated at least some of the ideas CD Projekt Red perfected: open worlds, dynamic character interactions, and tons of side quests. Other studios have taken note, and while the future of the series is up in the air for now, these titles are the perfect way to follow upThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Of course, a few rounds ofGwentwouldn’t be a bad call, either.
