The short verdict
The Witcher 3 is what you play when Skyrim's side quests left you wanting more. Almost every contract and side story is hand-written with real choices and consequences, and its open world is dense with towns, swamps and islands. The trade-off is that you are Geralt, not a character of your own making.
The Witcher 3 and Skyrim at a glance
| The Witcher 3 | Skyrim SE | |
|---|---|---|
| Steam rating | 96% · Overwhelmingly Positive Steam | 92% · Very Positive Steam |
| Metacritic | 93 MC | 74 MC |
| Critics (OpenCritic) | 93 · Mighty OC | 81 · Strong OC |
| Platforms | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch | PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5 |
| Steam Deck | Steam Deck Verified | Steam Deck Verified |
| Mods on Nexus | 10,026 Nexus | 141,888 Nexus |
| Steam release | May 18, 2015 | Oct 27, 2016 |
| Developer | CD PROJEKT RED | Bethesda Game Studios |
| Co-op | None | None (single-player) |
| Perspective | Third-person | First & third-person |
Ratings, dates, developers, co-op modes and Steam Deck status from the official Steam store; critic scores and platforms from OpenCritic; mod counts from Nexus Mods. Refreshed automatically.
What feels like Skyrim
- A vast, hand-crafted open world mixing wilderness, villages and big cities.
- Alchemy, crafting and hunting monsters for contracts.
- Two large expansions (Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine) that rival full games.
What is different
- You play a fixed protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, with an established personality.
- Third-person, story-led action combat built around signs and potions.
- Far less sandbox freedom — no joining every guild or becoming anyone you want.
Skip The Witcher 3 if…
Creating and role-playing your own character is the whole point for you.
Is The Witcher 3 a good alternative to Skyrim?
On our five-trait comparison, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt scores 68% similar to Skyrim(close) and ranks #4 of 13 on ouralternative Skyrim list. A vast, hand-crafted open world mixing wilderness, villages and big cities. The biggest adjustment for Skyrim players: you play a fixed protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, with an established personality.
The Witcher 3 trailers & video reviews
Official trailer
Official trailer
Video reviewWhat critics say about The Witcher 3
- Critics recommend
- 95%
- OpenCritic rating
- Mighty
- Top critic reviews
- 152
Source: OpenCritic · verified October 14, 2026
- PC Gamer92/100
“A big, beautiful, sprawling action RPG full of rich stories, and suffused with an oppressive darkness.”
Shaun PrescottMay 21, 2015
Read the full review - IGN9.3/10
“Massive in size, and meticulously detailed, The Witcher 3 ends Geralt's story on a high note.”
Vince IngenitoMay 12, 2015
Read the full review - EurogamerEssential
“It will last you months, yet not waste your time. Above all, it has a vivid, enduring personality, something that is exceedingly rare among its breed of mega-budget open-world epics (and that will probably be rarer still once Hideo Kojima and Konami part ways later this year). For my money, it's the greatest role-playing game in years.”
Oli WelshMay 17, 2015
Read the full review - Rock, Paper, ShotgunUnscored
“It's a flawed masterpiece, but make no mistake, it absolutely is a masterpiece – one of the best RPGs ever created, and a true tribute to Sapkowski's stories.”
Richard CobbettMay 29, 2015
Read the full review - GameSpot10/10
“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is still one of the best games ever made.”
Kevin VanOrdDec 13, 2022
Read the full review - GamesRadar+4/5 stars
“Sloppy combat and ongoing optimisation can't quite spoil this dark fantasy adventure, set in a stunning world of blood and black magic.”
Tom SeniorMay 12, 2015
Read the full review
Excerpts and scores as published by each outlet for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, collected via OpenCritic OpenCritic.
Where to play The Witcher 3 — price, Steam Deck & players
How long is The Witcher 3?
Playtimes vary hugely with how much you explore. See community-submitted completion times on HowLongToBeat.
The Witcher 3 PC system requirements
Minimum
- OS
- 64-bit Windows 11
- Processor
- Core i5-8400 / Ryzen 5 2600
- Memory
- 12 GB RAM
- Graphics
- GeForce GTX 1660 / Radeon RX 5500 XT 8GB / Arc A580
- Storage
- 60 SSD GB available space
- Additional Notes
- VRAM 6 GB
Recommended
- OS
- 64-bit Windows 11
- Processor
- Intel Core i7 8700K / AMD Ryzen 5 3600X
- Memory
- 16 GB RAM
- Graphics
- RTX 2060 Super / AMD Radeon RX 6600 XT / Intel Arc B580
- Storage
- 60 SSD GB available space
- Additional Notes
- VRAM 8 GB
From the official Steam store page · verified October 14, 2026
Latest official The Witcher 3 news
Patch 5.01 is live!
Every step on the Path is an opportunity to improve for a witcher. See how we've improved The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered with Patch 5.01, out now. Gameplay Fixed an issue where the "Automatically Apply Blade…
Hotfix 5.00c is out now!
Hotfix 5.00c is now available for download for the Steam version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered. You'll find the patch notes below: Fixed an issue where the game couldn't be saved or loaded if the path to the…
The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt — Remastered is available now
Perils, potions, monster contracts, and an elusive reunion… It’s time to return to the Continent and face the Wild Hunt once more. The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt — Remastered is here! Join Geralt of Rivia on the Path in…
See what's new in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered!
Prepare yourself before returning to the Path! The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt — Remastered releases tomorrow, September 29th. If you purchased any version of the game on Steam, you will be able to upgrade for free to the…
Official announcements from the developer’s Steam news hub, updated automatically.
The Witcher 3 mods & community
Community links are fan-run spaces; opinions there are players’ own, not ours.
Community
What Skyrim players say about The Witcher 3
Reviews from players on this site, answering the questions Skyrim fans actually ask. Published instantly, moderated afterwards.
No player reviews yet
Played The Witcher 3? Be the first Skyrim fan to tell others whether it scratches the itch.
The Witcher 3 FAQ
Is The Witcher 3 like Skyrim?
Partly — we rate it 68% similar to Skyrim. A vast, hand-crafted open world mixing wilderness, villages and big cities. The biggest difference: you play a fixed protagonist, Geralt of Rivia, with an established personality.
Is The Witcher 3 on PS5 or Xbox?
Yes. Besides PC, OpenCritic lists The Witcher 3 on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch.
Does The Witcher 3 work on Steam Deck?
Valve rates it Steam Deck Verified, according to its Steam store page.
Does The Witcher 3 have co-op?
No. Its Steam store page does not list co-op modes; like Skyrim, it is a single-player game.
Does The Witcher 3 have mods?
Yes. Nexus Mods hosts 10,026 mods for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, downloaded 218,330,134 times.
Is The Witcher 3 worth playing?
critics give it a Top Critic Average of 93 on OpenCritic (95% recommend it), and Steam players rate it 96% positive (“Overwhelmingly Positive”) from 904,151 reviews. Skip it if: creating and role-playing your own character is the whole point for you.
How long does it take to beat The Witcher 3?
It depends heavily on how much side content you do. See community-reported completion times on HowLongToBeat.
