The Witcher 4 following Ciri after the events of The Witcher 3, it will be interesting to see if the predecessor's biggest choices also influence the new game.
In The Witcher 3, decisions impact the rest of the continent. As Geralt often finds himself embroiled in political matters throughout the game, his choices can hold a lot of weight. His personal choices also have a major impact on the player’s experience, even if they aren’t impacting the overall world of the game as much. The Witcher 3's biggest choices come with consequences.
10 Choosing The Events Of The Witcher 2 Affects The Witcher 3's Story
The Witcher 3 Allows Players To Simulate A Playthrough Of The Previous Game
Some of the biggest story decisions affecting The Witcher 3 occur in The Witcher 2. Depending on Geralt’s actions in the previous installment, certain characters won’t even show up in The Witcher 3, while others may have very different opinions of him. However, there's no need to play The Witcher 2 to make these decisions.
Witcher 3: Pros & Cons Of Choosing Yennefer or Triss
Romancing either Triss or Yennefer in The Witcher 3 will come with a set of advantages and disadvantages, which makes it a tricky choice for players.
Before the game starts, The Witcher 3 allows players to simulate a playthrough of The Witcher 2. This allows players to shape their gameplay experience around the choices they hypothetically would’ve made had they played the second game. This could grant Geralt a better relationship with Roche at the start of the third game. Certain NPCs are only available if players choose to save them. Before jumping into The Witcher 3, you may want to look up the best choices for your ideal playthrough.
9 Bringing Ciri To Emhyr Could Change The Course Of History
Ciri Can Become The Empress Of Nilfgaard In The Witcher 3
For a large portion of The Witcher 3, Geralt is searching for his adopted daughter Ciri. Early on in the game, Ciri’s biological father, Emperor Emhyr of Nilfgaard, requests that Geralt bring Ciri to him. Deciding to go through with this when meeting up with Ciri will change the course of Ciri’s future significantly.
Upon arriving in Nilfgaard with Ciri, Emhyr offers to pay Geralt for retrieving her. This will leave Ciri feeling betrayed and damage her relationship with Geralt. This can also lead to an ending where Ciri goes on to rule Nilfgaard, something she is not happy about.
Initially, this seemed like one of the biggest decisions to make in The Witcher 3. However, it may no longer matter. Based on the reveal trailer for The Witcher 4, it seems the ending where Ciri becomes a Witcher will be the only canon one. Players will have to wait until the new game arrives to see if this choice is still as important as it initially seemed.
8 Choosing Who To Romance Has Consequences
Geralt Can’t Romance Both Triss And Yennefer
The Witcher 3 offers plenty of opportunities for Geralt to become romantically involved with other characters. However, most of these romances don’t end up having a big impact on the game. Geralt can romance five different NPCs, and visit brothels all he likes, and it won’t affect his relationship with either of the game’s major love interests, Yennefer and Triss. However, be careful when deciding which of the two sorceresses to settle down with.
Geralt can decide to either romance Triss or Yennefer based on personal preferences. Alternatively, neither needs to be romanced, and Geralt can end up alone. However, if Geralt attempts to romance both characters, the sorceresses will punish him.
If both Yennefer and Triss are romanced, the pair invite Geralt to a seemingly romantic getaway involving all three characters. This results in Geralt being left tied to a bed in an inn. Getting this scene means there is no hope of repairing Geralt's relationship with Triss or Yennefer.
7 Sharing Information With Dijkstra Allows Geralt To Influence The War
Not Fighting Dijkstra Too Early Can Help Geralt Save Temeria
During the main story quest “Blindingly Obvious,” Geralt needs to rescue Philippa from Dijkstra’s bathhouse. After a brief fight against a fire elemental conjured by the sorceress, Geralt can calm Philippa down. However, Dijkstra is not eager to let Geralt take Phillippa from his custody.
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Taking Philippa by force results in Geralt fighting Dijkstra. This will lock access to the quest “Reason of State,” which requires Geralt to work with Dijkstra, at least temporarily. Alternatively, players can offer to share information about Emperor Emhyr, which will keep Geralt in Dijkstra’s good graces. This option allows Geralt to take on the “Reason of State” quest, which helps determine the outcome of the war between Redania and Novigrad, and the fate of Temeria.
6 Deciding Who Should Rule Skellige Can Help Avoid Conflict
Geralt Helps One Of Three Candidates Take The Throne
While Geralt is attending a feast in Skellige, a bear attack kills many prospective new rulers. The blame is placed on the host, Geralt’s friend Crach an Craite. Geralt has the option to help one of Crach’s children ascend to the throne and also clear the family’s name of any wrongdoing by finding who caused the attack.
If Geralt chooses to help put Crach’s son Hjalmar on the throne, they manage to regain the family’s honor but don’t find the real culprit. Helping Cerys come to power allows Geralt to do both. Alternatively, if Geralt ignores both quests, Svanrige an Tuirseach becomes king and the an Craite name is never cleared.
Choosing the ruler also determines the fate of Skellige’s people in The Witcher 3. Svanrige does away with Skellige’s electoral system, instituting a hereditary line of succession and killing some of his subjects to get away with it. Hjalmar isn’t as bad, but does choose to lead more raids against Nilfgaard which results in heavy losses. Cerys is a more peaceful ruler than the others, choosing to focus on Skellige’s prosperity instead of conflict.
5 A Casual Snowball Fight Has Major Implications
Raising Ciri’s Spirits Is Key To Saving Her
Following Vesemir’s death at the battle of Kaer Morhen, Ciri is understandably upset. This isn’t helped by her having difficulty learning to use her powers and feeling pressured to improve. Geralt is given a seemingly low-stakes option to either tell her that she “[doesn’t] have to be good at everything,” or to say he “know[s] what might lift [her] spirits.” The first option results in the two having a drink and talking, and the second results in a snowball fight.
While the choice seems harmless, this moment is used to hint at what types of interactions Geralt should be having with Ciri to get the game’s good ending. If the two commiserate over a drink together, the game will cut to a clip of a cat eating a bird to hint at the coming danger. The snowball fight results in a cheerful scene with no bad omens. This signifies that the snowball fight is the option that will help lead to a good ending.
4 Deciding Who To Help In “Reason Of State” Influences How The War Ends
Geralt Choosing To Save His Friends Has Major Implications For The Continent
After unlocking the “Reason of State” quest by giving Dijkstra information on Emhyr, there are more important decisions to make about the fate of the continent. During the quest, Geralt will help the Temerian patriots kill Radovid. It is later revealed that doing so has helped Temeria negotiate for peace with Nilfgaard and once again gain its status as a nation, though as a vassal state to Nilfgaard.
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Unhappy with this outcome, Dijkstra reveals that he plans to kill the Temerians and take control of Redania, leaving Geralt with a choice: protect Roche, Thaler, and Vas from Dijkstra or allow Dijkstra to seize power. If Dijkstra kills the Temerians, he becomes the leader of Redania and eventually wins the war, subsequently having Emhyr executed. Saving the Temerians allows the treaty to go through, helping Nilfgaard win the war and preserving Temeria. If the quest is ignored, Radovid lives and Redania wins, leaving Emhyr dead and Temeria no longer a country.
3 Geralt Decides Keira & Lambert’s Fate At The Same Time
If Geralt Doesn’t Send Keira To Kaer Morhen, Two Characters Die
Early on in The Witcher 3, Geralt is reunited with the sorceress Keira Metz. After a short series of quests, Keira tricks Geralt into telling her where she can find notes on the Catriona plague and goes to find them. When Geralt confronts Keira, she reveals her plan to use the notes to bargain with Radovid for her life. This leaves Geralt with three options: kill Keira for her betrayal, let her go, or tell her to go to Kaer Morhen.
If Geralt allows Keira to bargain with Radovid, she will be executed for her use of magic. However, if sent to Kaer Morhen, she will survive and ultimately discover a cure for the plague. Additionally, Keira saves Lambert’s life during the Battle of Kaer Morhen. If she isn’t there, Lambert dies no matter what choices are made.
2 Geralt Must Decide Whether To Help The Mages In Novigrad
Not Helping The Mages Locks Geralt Out Of Several Quests
During the quest “Now or Never,” Geralt must decide whether to help Triss smuggle a group of mages out of Novigrad to avoid persecution. If Geralt does not help, the mages will be killed, and several other major aspects of The Witcher 3 story will be skipped. For instance, there is no option to romance Triss if Geralt doesn’t help her here. This also locks several future quests.
Perhaps the biggest consequence of not doing this quest is that it prevents players from finishing the Gwent collection. Missing out on future quests means never meeting the spy Thaler. Thaler is the only way to get the Geralt Gwent card.
1 Allowing Ciri The Freedom To Do What She Wants Leads To The Best Ending
There Are Multiple Endings For Ciri In The Witcher 3, Including Her Death
Following the snowball fight, three important father-daughter moments between Geralt and Ciri determine whether her story ends badly. The first comes during the quest “Final Preparations,” when Ciri has to meet with the Lodge of Sorceresses. Geralt can either give Ciri the confidence she needs to face them alone or go with her. Going with Ciri results in her losing confidence in herself and is another step toward the game's bad ending.
The next moment comes in “Child of the Elder Blood” when Ciri discovers Avallac’h’s lab, which is dedicated to studying her. Frustrated that she is seemingly just a research project for him, Ciri decides to trash the place. If Geralt tells Ciri to calm down she will reply “Aren’t you supposed to cheer me up?” a clear hint that Geralt has made the wrong choice. To get another point toward the good ending, Geralt should let Ciri take out her frustration on the lab.
The final important decision to earn the good ending for Ciri in The Witcher 3 is to allow her to visit Skjall’s grave. Skjall was a young man who helped save Ciri from the Wild Hunt and ultimately died as a result of helping her. All the decisions that lead to the good ending revolve around Geralt emotionally ing Ciri and helping her grow.
Source: The Witcher / YouTube
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
- Released
- May 19, 2015
- ESRB
- M for Mature: Use of Alcohol, Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Engine
- REDengine 3
- Cross-Platform Play
- yes
- Cross Save
- yes
- Platform(s)
- Xbox One, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S
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