The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt News

ReShade's latest update speeds up load times for graphical mods

There's a new version of ReShade out now, and it has a new feature designed to cut loading times significantly. ReShade 4.9.0 adds a new effects cache, which means effects you've compiled for games will be stored on your PC rather than recompiled every time you load your games.

We've highlighted a bunch of ReShade-based graphics mods here - some of the best Witcher 3 mods use ReShade, and the tool has been used to add ray-tracing style effects to games like Resident Evil 3 and Doom (2016). It's a powerful tool, and you don't need to limit yourself to predefined presets - ReShade gives you a lot of extremely granular control over a whole extra layer of post-processing in countless games.

The trouble is, once you've added a bunch of effects, load times can get pretty long - previous versions of ReShade needed to recompile each set of effects each time you loaded a game - or even when you alt-tabbed away and then back in. Fortunately, version 4.9.0 saves your effects, and after the first time you compile them, you won't see longer load times - they'll be ready to go.

Read the rest of the story...

This fabulously festive Witcher 3 mod gives geese santa hats

There are hosts of incredible Witcher 3 mods out there, with tons of options to make the open-world game's, well, open world look even more spectacular, increase Geralt's carry weight for better loot scooping, and even turn the Witcher himself into Overwatch's Genji. Then there are those that are just really good fun, and - in this case - fabulously festive. A new Witcher 3 mod lets the Continent's waterfowl get into the seasonal spirit by giving them their own Christmassy caps.

"GEESE HAVE SANTA HATS," proclaims modder Valennia on the aptly named 'Christmas Geese' mod page. Created by Vale and Feregorn, the mod does exactly this; it plops a weeny little red and white santa hat atop the heads of the RPG game's roaming waterfowl. Sure, it sounds simple, and it is - but get a look at the modder's images, and you'll quickly realise you can't possibly hope to celebrate the holiday season in-game without these little festively decked out fowl running around.

According to the modder, the creation was inspired by a previous mod that gave The Witcher 3's chickens little tin foil helmets, and now, all geese get santa hats.

Read the rest of the story...

Witcher star Henry Cavill sustains minor injury on set during a 'swinging axes' scene

Our large, sweet PC building boy Henry Cavill has been forced to take some time off from filming Netflix's The Witcher Season 2 due to an injury he sustained on set. Evidently, the actor - who plays the leading role of Geralt - hurt his leg while shooting a scene that involved 'swinging axes.'

As reported by The Sun, Cavill had been about 20 feet above the ground and secured in a safety harness while filming an "assault course" when he hurt his leg. The Sun's source says Cavill "suddenly pulled up and was clearly in a lot of pain," but the source of the injury wasn't immediately clear.

While Cavill wasn't hospitalised, the source tells The Sun that the injury was severe enough to throw off The Witcher's shooting schedule by a few days, since Cavill can't walk properly at the moment - much less wear a set of heavy armour whilst fighting off Nilfgaardian soldiers or rotfiends. The Sun's report didn't indicate how long Cavill would be out of commission, but Deadline reports that filming will continue while he recovers.

Read the rest of the story...

The best Witcher 3 mods

Looking for the best Witcher 3 mods? The Henry Cavill effect has seen The Witcher 3's popularity shoot through the roof - a monster-hunting renaissance that actually surpassed the number of concurrent Steam players the game saw on launch day back in 2015.

A lot has changed in the world of videogames in the five years since Wild Hunt's release, but one thing that's improved are the mods and mod processes available for the game. Modding is now a fairly simple process, and can be done with ease once you know how, and once you know what risks to look out for when installing multiple mods. As always, exercise caution when downloading and installing mods.

Although The Witcher 3's world has stood the test of time, we've included texture and shader mods to sharpen the graphics, as well as gameplay mods to make the 200 hour long jaunt through The Witcher's fantasy universe that much better. Here are the best Witcher 3 mods available right now.

Read the rest of the story...

The best fantasy games on PC

There's nothing quite like escaping into another world, immersing yourself in its history and people, and getting to grips with your new virtual life. Fantasy games are especially good at offering these sorts of experiences, but the genre is so packed with great adventures that it can be hard to pinpoint where exactly to place your attention.

Luckily for you, we've put together this list of the best fantasy games on PC. As always, we want to highlight a varied selection of titles, from mammoth RPGs to 2D action-platformers. There's even a sports game in the mix this time around. And please don't worry if we've missed your favourite fantasy game - there's every chance that it could be added at a later time.

So, whether you're looking to slay some dragons in a sprawling open world or try something a little stranger, we've got you covered with our list of the best fantasy games on PC. All you need is a sense of adventure and the patience for copious amounts of lore. Let's go!

Read the rest of the story...