The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone DLC Review

2If It Ain’t Broke:

I’2ve sunk well over two hundred hours into The Witcher 3 since it hit earlier this year, so when Hearts of Stone landed and gave me a reason to lose myself in the massive world all over again I couldn’t be happier. Hearts of Stone isn’t just more of the Witcher 3’s fantastic writing and gameplay, it’s some of its best, and I highly recommend any fans of the original title to pick up this brilliant expansion.

Story:

Set any time you see fit during the Witcher 3’s massive campaign, Hearts of Stone provides a worthy detour from the main game’s hunt for Geralt’s lost ward. Without giving too much away, a botched monster hunt puts Geralt at the mercy of some all new friends and foes, whilst the lines between these distinctions blur fast.

Hearts of Stone provides a fantastic character piece, with a handful of new (and couple of old) characters taking their rightful place in the spotlight. These excellent new frenemies are truly terrifying to tangle with, both in and out of battle, and their all new questlines gives Geralt some serious tasks against which he can test his mettle.

Gameplay:

Said mettle will be tested, too, as Hearts of Stone’s recommended starting level is 30. For most players this will be well into end-game content, and should you attempt to battle your way through without proper preparations (and some serious sword and skill know-how) you’ll be quickly humiliated.

I myself entered the content post-game, boasting a level 35 Geralt fully kitted out in mastercrafted Witcher school gear. Despite being fairly well versed with my build’s intricacies, strengths and weaknesses, along with being five levels over the recommended starting point, I constantly got schooled in Hearts of Stone. I fell repeatedly against the first encounter, then the second, then the third. Whilst I was admittedly on the hard difficulty setting (Blood and Broken Bones, just as I had been my entire Witcher 3 playthrough) over the first couple of hours of Hearts of Stone I saw the (lengthy) loading screen more times than in my entire 200+ hour campaign. I cannot stress enough the difficulty spike here, and the frustration was almost enough to cause me to knock my difficulty setting down. Almost.

Hearts of Stone’s content has definitely taken a leaf out of the Souls book of how to challenge your players, and whilst this new challenge and direction is annoying at times, it also brings with it that familiar sense of accomplishment when you finally best something that’s been stumping you for a while. I’m glad I stuck with it – and some of Hearts of Stones bosses will stick in the mind because of this newfound, unforgettable challenge – though players who aren’t sadomasochists might want to adjust their difficulty accordingly.