“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Hearts of Stone” sets the bar for high quality downloadable content.

As it stands in the industry, downloadable content is a mixed bag. Sometimes it is purely a cash grab and the content is poor quality, short and overpriced. However, sometimes it is genuinely a great and thoughtful addition to the game. “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Hearts of Stone” is an example of the latter.

Developed by CD Projekt Red, “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Hearts of Stone” is the first major expansion to the best game so far this year, “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.”

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Players return to the role of professional monster slayer, Geralt of Rivia, who is hired by the ruffian and immortal Olgierd von Everec. Things do not go as planned, and Geralt is forced into a bad situation. To escape, he makes a deal with a sketchy deity and is obligated to do a series of impossible tasks to free himself of its control. Things go from bad to worse. This starts a questline filled with twists and tough decisions, which is a pleasure to journey through. It has the typical dark and bloody moments of the Witcher series, but also heart-warming and emotional occasions. This contrast is told well and players will find themselves enjoying all these moments. The story is the best aspect.

One thing that really stands out is the writing and the antagonists. Olgierd von Everec and the deity Gaunter O’Dimm are well-developed and I found myself changing my mind constantly on which of the two I supported through the story. In other games where players can choose storyline outcomes usually it is clear which decision to make. The writers at CD Projekt RED seem to love making its fans question and think about their decisions.

Furthermore, there is a new romanceable character to spend time with. Fans of the original “The Witcher” will remember the red-headed medic Shani. This romance is treated well and the character is not just there for the sake of the romance as she is integral to the storyline whether players choose to pursue a relationship or not. The romance is handled maturely and has a realistic conclusion.

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“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Hearts of Stone” storyline takes players roughly 10 hours. If more is desired, there is also a series of side quests and areas to explore.

At first it seems players are returning to previous locations while questing, but CD Projekt RED added a new section of the map. This is the location of the majority of the new story and side quests.There are numerous new places to explore and experience from caves and temples to haunted mansions and magical painting worlds.

Those areas are complemented even more with a series of new enemies. They feel unique to the “Witcher 3” and have their own sets of abilities. The enemies include giant spiders that fire webs at the player to root them in place, foreign mages using sand magic and big toads that try to jump and crush players.

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Another new aspect is the rune word system, which provides enchants or magic benefits to Geralt’s equipment. These add fun new ways to experiment with ability combinations and techniques. One of the more fun runewords makes enemies combust and explode upon death, then igniting nearby enemies.

Overall, this downloadable content sets the example for others. It is high quality, adds new elements to the game, has plenty of content and more than justifies the $9.99 price.

Score: 4.5 out of 5

Grant Meyer can reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @GrantMeyerDE