The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an incredibly good game. There’s no denying the strong story, engrossing characters and living world had a major impact when it was released years ago. The RPG remains a gold standard for the epic open-world in the modern era. And aside from the many wonderful things about the latest epic from CD Projekt RED, one of the more enjoyable aspects for many is the brutal and fast-paced combat.
And now that the game has come to Xbox Game Pass, a whole new crop of gamers are getting to experience the tale of Geralt and friends all over again. All the narrative twists, insanely tough monsters, and so much more is there for the taking. But, if you happen to be of the more casual type, the developer is willing to take it easy on you. Of course if you prefer a major challengem opt for one of the harder difficulty options.
The Difficulty Settings in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
There are four different options for just how hard or easy you want The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to be. You pick the difficulty at the beginning of the game, but you can adjust it any time from the options menu. The combat modifiers are the real meat of the issue. The higher you move up in the difficulties, enemies hit harder obviously, but there’s more. The monsters also get a buff to their health. If you really just want to experience the story, pick the first option in the list.
If you’re new to more challenging RPGs, and make no mistake the combat in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is unforgiving and brutal; you should probably opt for Normal AKA Story and Sword. There’s just enough challenge for new players to the franchise to feel fulfilled when they finally master the ebb and flow of this game’s dance-like combat.
And when you get into the hardest Death March difficulty, things get insane. Enemies hit like trucks, dealing insane damage. The same beasts are also much tankier, soaking up tons more damage in fights. And just to rub salt in the wounds you will no doubt suffer on this setting, EXP is gained at a very slow pace. You can’t even rest to heal your wounds in this mode, truly for the mad among you.
Although if you’re inclined to try a harder difficulty, better gear and more Gold Crowns might help ease the pain. So if that sounds good, check out the most recent item duplication glitch in The Witcher 3 to earn some extra Gold.
Here’s a full breakdown of each difficulty setting.
Just the Story (Easy)
- If you are a casual gamer or just someone who wants to play for the story, choose the first difficulty option.
- Meditation regenerates vitality.
- -50% Enemy Health
- 0% Enemy Damage Bonus
- 100% Experience Gain
Story and Sword (Normal)
- Players earn the default reward for tasks.
- Meditation regenerates vitality.
- +10% Enemy Health
- +40% Enemy Damage Bonus
- 100% Experience Gain
Blood and Broken Bones (Hard)
- players earn 90% of the default reward for tasks.
- Meditation does NOT regenerate vitality.
- +20% Enemy Health
- +130% Enemy Damage Bonus
- 90% Experience Gain
Death March (Very Hard)
- Choose it if you are a hardcore gamer and worry that the other modes would be too easy for you!
- Meditation does NOT regenerate vitality.
- +80% Enemy Health
- +230% Enemy Damage Bonus
- 80% Experience Gain
