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You may have forgotten his very existence, but pay attention to Geralt’s time in White Orchard at the beginning of the Witcher 3 and you’ll recognise both him and the long game CD Projekt Red have opted to play. Geralt and Shani make enough mention of their prior history for those out of the loop to feel caught up, and the details of their past are transcendental next to the actions of their present.Īnother major character is Gaunter O’Dimm, aka Master Mirror, aka Man of Glass.
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Resurfacing here not only gives Geralt an emotional thoroughly enjoyable romance just for the DLC, but it’s another example of the effective fan service the developers managed to sneak in without alienating other players. The first among them is Shani, a medic for the Redinian army ripped straight from the page’s of Andzrej Sapkowski’s original Witcher novels. The campaign is an utter delight, with three major players you’ll love unconditionally.
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Before you know it, your simple monster contract flings headfirst into a campaign full of giant toad princes, countryside weddings attended by a ghost, and a thrilling medieval heist that stands with the best of Grand Theft Auto V. So much of this is down to masterful pacing and sharp writing, traits of the game which are on full display in Hearts of Stone. So smooth is this introduction and the surrounding additions that I did not even realise I was knee-deep in the story, and not just giant toad dung, until about an hour in. Hearts of Stone has a nice slow-burn approach to the story, beginning like any other contract in Geralt’s world would, and moving you towards the meat of the pack. For all this we get Hearts of Stone, a brilliant and sharp expansion to the Witcher 3 experience that feels like something completely new whilst still fitting onto our existing experience like a well crafted metal gauntlet. It’s the antithesis of Day One DLC, and we all know to raise our crucifix and throw garlic at that. Early signs were good, as CD Projekt Red did not start development until after completing the Witcher 3, and obscure release dates assured us that the now acclaimed team were figuring out as they went along. Cue the Eastenders theme as we are confronted with the idea of how the Expansion Pass content could ever try to top that. Definitely no small chunk of change.The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was undoubtedly the best game of 2015: a breath of fresh air in the fantasy RPG genre, a lesson to all open world developers, and a shining example of what now current-gen (which still sounds weird to say) should look like. How much does he want it? Well, he pays you 500 Crowns and gives you a Relic Trophy to place on Roach for a nice little perk. This is the person who is dying to acquire that painting. Once you acquire the painting and you’re all done with this portion of the Open Sesame quest, head on over to Novigrad where you can go to Marcus Hodgson’s book shop. That will jump up to 60 if you decide to share with your friend. If you don’t tell Vivaldi, you can get the painting in question, Starry Night, for 20 Crowns. If you share the info, he will try to outbid you, causing you to pay triple the price of what you could’ve gotten it for. You can purchase the painting for a relatively low price and sell it to a man in Novigrad that will pay a handsome fee for it.Īfter Yaromir shares this morsel of info, Vivaldi will ask about it. There will be a painting by Van Rogh, an up-and-coming artist. He is so astounded that you do, in fact, know your art that he apologizes and offers a bit of advice for you during the auction.