First you’ll need to be aware of a few things to begin your road to Witcher 3 modding. It may be super obvious to some but yes, you’ll need Nexus Mod Manager. This clever program will be your number one assistant in selecting and installing mods into your game, taking all the complicated programming stuff out of the equation. Nice!
Check out our handy guide on how to use Nexus Mod Manager. It lays everything out for you, from how to install it to how to acquire mods. If it’s your first time using Nexus Mod Manager, our guide is sure to ease you in with confidence.
The Best Witcher 3 Mods For an Error Free Experience
Your Witcher 3 modding experience is going to get… heavy. Once you pop you can’t stop. Which means lots of mods and combinations are likely going to make up your diet of technical tinkering… In other words, we can end up with issues in-game. This makes the debug console a necessity, letting you use console commands to change settings, spawn enemies and fix broken things. So, to share the load and make life a little easier for your PC, grab the Debug Console Enabler. If you already downloaded Nexus Mod Manager, go ahead and click “Mod Manager Download”.
The Debug Console Enabler mod is essential in making sure all future Witcher 3 mods function properly. Grab it from Nexus Mod Manager first!
Lastly is the icing on the cake to make extra sure your computer is happy with the added load of snazzy mods. Apparently, The Witcher 3 has a mod limit – who knew!? In the interest of not feeling limited to one set of mods, Mod Merger has got your back. This clever little program will recognise compatible mods and merge them into one file to save on your total mod capacity. Neat!
Have you got all three downloaded? Before you begin tinkering, let’s play it safe and make sure you’re completely up to date. Lastly, it’s best to install the Unification Patch. This one is only available as a manual download as you’ll have to install it separately. It includes fixes to the original release files, which is essential to some mods functioning properly.
Now you’re ready to start tinkering and enhancing your Witcher 3 experience. In no particular order, we’ve picked out ten of the best Witcher 3 mods that we think you’ll like. If you see one you like, go ahead and click on the sub-heading to go the corresponding mod pages.
1. Friendly Meditation
A little friendly meditation while on the path
Let’s start today’s list off with a nice relaxing bit of meditation. Many were disappointed that The Witcher 3 didn’t have the Witcher 2’s meditation. Simply looking at a menu screen and watching the clock hands turn… Isn’t too stylish. So, with Friendly Meditation, as seen in The Witcher 2, we’ll get to see the sun rise and fall over the Northern Realms in quick-time. Just like a relaxing clip from a David Attenborough program.
2. FCR3 Mod
Pre-release concept renders of Geralt remain some of the most recognised images of gaming today
This one is great for those looking for a real stamp of official approval. The FCR3 Mod was designed by CD Projekt Red’s very own Andrzej Kwiatkowski and includes a whole host of tweaks and fixes. These can range from minor immersion breakers to buffs and debuffs on stats, as well as cosmetic fixes and everything in between. If your looking for an official tightening of the screws, FCR3 Mod is for you. With no real applicable image for this, why not just stick with an awesome picture of Geralt spewing fire from his palm?
3. ENEMIES OF RIVIA
Anybody experienced with RPGs knows there’s one rule of thumb. Once you level up enough, you’ll eventually become an unstoppable god of destruction. This certainly rang true after a couple of hundred hours sunk into Skyrim. Well, Enemies of Rivia aims to prevent that waning of gameplay experience. As enemies around the world level up with Geralt, they’ll also unleash new attack patterns demanding the player stays on their toes at all times. As a result, players will never become complacent with this mod activated. Expect revamped A.I and totally new attack animations.
4. E3 Dodge System
Back when The Witcher 3 was initially announced, we saw Geralt fighting his way through the swamps of Velen. It was great but the dodge system we saw then didn’t survive into the final release. Some disagreed with this decision. With the E3 Dodge System, players will see a return to the fancy footwork originally displayed. No more rolling about like a pinball!
5. Geralt Cloak
One thing lacking in Geralts wardrobe was cloaks
If you’ve ever fancied making Geralt look a little more… Sith – Geralt Cloak is the mod for you. It serves no practical purpose whatsoever. Although, there’s no denying just how badass it makes Geralt look as he goes for a moody stroll through Novigrad or when he’s pirouetting his blade into enemies’ faces. Players will also get a new key binding to lift and lower the hood or remove the cloak altogether. A few changes can also be made to the cloak’s colour.
6. Absolute Camera
Absolute Camera has an incredible range of camera options you never knew you needed. Combine this mod with photo mode to get super creative!
This extremely flexible mod allows the player to set camera positions for various “Geralt states”. For example, a camera positioning can be set for when Geralt is walking / running or in combat to name but a few features. Check out the mod’s description page for a full rundown of each of the camera options that will become available. Absolute Camera is a great mod for a slightly more cinematic approach and great in combination with Photo Mode
7. Photo Mode
Frankly shocking that CDPR never baked a photo mode into the vanilla game
Yes, we’ve all been crying out for a Photo Mode in one of the most beautiful open worlds ever made. Now it’s possible. Immortalise each special Witcher moment with the Photo Mode mod. Features include a time and weather changing system for that perfect shot, as well as the ability to nail that perfect angle!
8. Increased Draw Distance
With this, you could even set your draw distance to “unlimited”. Can your rig handle it?
Here we have a great option for players who want to stretch their rig to its utmost capacity. We’re familiar with that system saving RedEngine blue fog in the distance. Increased Draw Distance offers a slider of sorts to eradicate that default draw distance. Draw distance can be set to unlimited as long as your rig can handle it. Alternatively, if your rig is not so god like you’ll also have the option to dip your toes in the water a little and reduce it in just small parts. Hey, every little helps, right? If this turns out to be too intense for your rig, you may try The Witcher 3 HD Reworked for a fresh gloss.
9. E3FX
Add that E3 gloss to everything
As we all know by now, when games get announced at E3 we’re not necessarily looking at what will be the finished product. Need I remind you of how misleading The Division’s reveal was? However,The Witcher 3’s reveal was nowhere near as drastic. Although, it was considerably graphically enhanced in order to wow audiences. With E3FX, the graphical pezzaz of the E3 demonstration need no longer be a bittersweet memory. If your rig has the horsepower to drive through just how demanding it is, this graphical overhaul mod will make your game look even juicier. E3FX is possibly the best Witcher 3 mod for overall graphical overhaul.
10. Fast Travel From Anywhere
No need to get caught short on a dark night anymore
This one does what it says on the tin and my god, is it useful. Who wants to get caught in the woods at night, stalked by rabid wolves? The mod allows you to magically teleport whenever you like. It certainly makes rushing to quest objectives a lot easier! Although, you will still be limited still to the world’s signposts. Which means, if you’re on a fresh playthrough, you’ll have to get exploring to reveal those signposts. Hey – don’t be too lazy!
