The Witcher 3 is widely regarded as one of the better RPGs of all-time, with developer CD Projekt Red nailing down their credentials in the process, before furthering those with the release of Cyberpunk 2077. That said, the game has been out for well over a decade at this point, and most have had all the fun they’re going to get out of it at this point.

Happily, the game’s extensive modding community has always been on hand to deliver the goods when it comes to new experiences, whether you’re looking for relatively minor quality-of-life improvements, or DLC-sized expansions. It’s the latter that brings us here today, as there is one mod in particular that you should be aware of if you’re looking for something new and major to do in the game.

Over on Nexus Mods, you should be able to find the download page for Tales of the Witcher, a hugely ambitious mod that adds the region of Cintra to the game. As many of you will know, Ciri is a princess of Cintra, so seeing it added to The Witcher 3 as a playable region really does feel quite appropriate.

This isn’t a vast empty space with a few NPCs roaming around though, and the mod includes more than ten original quests and five hours of unique gameplay as a result. It also has a fascinating premise, with the mod author describing the main narrative as follows:

“In Cintra, like anywhere else, people spin whatever yarns come to mind, especially after a few tankards of vile beer. One of those tales, mumbled by a dying hearth, is a legend… It all started with a simple job. A contract near Hilden. But on-site, after finding the tracks, things started to get complicated. I decided to play the hero again.

“Whispers of a gang called the “Blue Rose” are spreading through the villages. They’re not fanatics praying to some forgotten saint. They’re a band of cutthroats who discovered that there’s real power slumbering beneath the old legend. And me? As usual, I walked right into the middle of this swamp. Instead of a simple job, I got tangled up in a conspiracy reeking of greed, blood, and black magic. I’ll have to untangle it. My way.”

It’s genuinely good fun, and it fits well within the existing lore, and as a free download, there’s really no risk associated with downloading it and giving it a go.

Happily, we hopefully won’t have to rely on transforming The Witcher 3 experience entirely for too much longer, with CD Projekt Red now fully locked in on getting the sequel into players’ hands as soon as possible. Most of the studio is actively working on the game, and its the next big release on their slate, so by the time we’re done having fun with GTA VI, we should be able to slot nicely into The Witcher 4.

Systems

Released

May 19, 2015

ESRB

M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content

Engine

REDengine 3

Cross-Platform Play

yes

Cross Save

yes

Expansions

The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone, The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine

Franchise

The Witcher