Screenshots & trailers
What players say
Why the number is what it is: aspect mentions counted across 419 sampled Steam reviews (415 positive / 4 negative), recent and most-helpful. Plain keyword counting, fully reproducible; nothing here is written by a machine.
What positive reviews talk about
- Story & writing20% mention it
- World & exploration8% mention it
- Combat7% mention it
- Visuals & art7% mention it
- Progression & loot6% mention it
What negative reviews complain about
Negative reviews don't converge on specific aspects.
Satisfaction by hours played
Same score, different games: see how sentiment holds up the longer people play.
Under 5h
93%
41 reviews
5-15h
98%
53 reviews
15-40h
100%
57 reviews
40-100h
100%
96 reviews
100h+
100%
172 reviews
Review sentiment over time
Weekly positive-review rate (green) and review volume (bars). Dashed lines mark significant patches; the amber line is the start of the current scoring window. Hover the dots to see what drove a dip or a jump.
How this score was computed
The VGC Score is a weighted blend on a press-comparable 0-100 quality scale. Steam approval rates are first calibrated (95% positive on Steam ≈ 89.5 quality, since Steam approval skews high). Press and tracked creator reviews each count ~2x a player review and share one cap against player evidence (creator buy/skip calls pool into an approval rate, calibrated like Steam approval); all-time sentiment is capped and halved (it's context, not verdict); reviews of the current build carry the most weight when a fresh patch anchors the window; and a 'typical game' prior keeps small samples from pegging the scale. Because press reviews and Metacritic user aggregates describe the launch build, their weight decays as the game ages (3-year half-life after a 1-year grace). That's how a game that launched rough can outgrow its old reception once updates win players over. Reviews under 2h playtime (the refund window), non-Steam activations, and free copies are downweighted.
| Component | Positive | Quality (0-100) | Weight (pseudo-reviews) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Press reviews (Metacritic) | – | 85 | 6 |
| All-time Steam reviews | 97% | 92 | 1947 |
| Metacritic user ratings | – | 93 | 70 |
| Post-patch Steam reviews (trust-weighted) | 95% | 89 | 3000 |
| Calibration prior (typical game) | – | 72 | 50 |
Scoring window: since the last significant patch (May 21, 2024) · 300 reviews sampled · 138577 total reviews in window · weighted 248.4 up / 13.2 down · computed 1h ago · full methodology →
Press & Creators reviews (63)
Individual verdicts from outlets we track: scored reviews first, most trusted outlets first among them. The small badge is each outlet's trust score: how well its scoring history aligns with players.
- 85
“The mature content and somber approach of The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, Complete Edition may put off some gamers, but it’s a can’t-miss game for those seeking an RPG with more bite and consequence (not to mention playable characters above the age of 15) than we normally get on Nintendo systems.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt remains a masterpiece, and being able to take such a grand and engrossing adventure on the go is something well worth celebrating. The Switch's Complete Edition is a truly impressive achievement, and although performance isn't perfect, it's still an incredible and impactful role-playing experience. The Witcher 3 set the bar for modern RPGs back in 2015, and this port is a startling reminder that it has yet to be bettered.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“"Switcher" may sound like a pun, but it's real as a Succubi breast! One of the most renowned RPG titles of all time now goes portable. Lower rendering and texture resolution and weaker performance are a small price to pay for such an experience on the go. Make sure to get this, and get it physical, as its whopping 29 gigabytes of required free space can truly be too much for some of the Switch owners out there.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt on Switch is guaranteed to keep any commuting gamer occupied, and for those playing at home, it still does justice to the quality of this rip-roaring adventure.”
read full review ↗ - 95
“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is every bit the amazing game on Switch that it is everywhere else. While the Switch version does of course make compromises, the core vision and game design shine through, assuming you have the brightness turned up. While it is unfortunate that the route finding system is just as bad now as it was at launch, it is ultimately a tiny chip in an otherwise remarkable masterpiece.”
read full review ↗ - 85
“In the end, it all boils down to the player. If you are looking for a great RPG to sink your teeth into, The Witcher 3 is an automatic recommend. What is not an automatic recommend is if you already own an Xbox One, PlayStation 4, or a PC that can run games well. If you do have one of those, get this game there. It looks way better and can easily be found on the cheap for $20 at any given sale. This version of the game is really only for the Switch only owners or the players really looking for a portable version of The Witcher 3. Sure, there are some of them out there and I can’t recommend this game enough, but just keep in mind, it does have that visual downgrade that can be a hard pill to swallow for some. If you can look past that, you end up with one of the best games to release in the past decade.”
read full review ↗ - 91
“The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Complete Edition isn’t quite perfect: it suffers from somewhat muddied visuals and slightly unresponsive controls at times, but they still don’t totally detract from what is one of the most engaging, entertaining, and fun games I’ve played in a long time. ”
read full review ↗ - 83
“In the end, it's a testament to the art direction and captivating gameplay that the Switch port of The Witcher 3, stripped of most of its technical achievements, is still a damn good and immersive video game. If you haven't played The Witcher 3 yet, this is a good opportunity to jump in. The game runs better and is available at a more affordable price on the other platforms, but if you can live with the heavy visual downgrades for the sake of portability, then this is as good as The Witcher 3 gets.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“With an engaging, lengthy story and a shockingly good technical presentation, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt easily becomes Nintendo Switch's best port, and one of the best RPGs on the system. If you haven't played it yet, do so immediately.”
read full review ↗ - 80
“It's the full The Witcher 3 experience on Switch. Saber Interactive was forced to cut down plenty of graphics, but the whole experience is smooth and enjoyable. If you've never played The Witcher 3, it's a must.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“Although the Nintendo Switch might not be the best platform to play The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it's still a fantastic experience that shouldn't be missed. If you are looking to replay The Witcher 3 and bask in its detail and beauty, the Switch port may not quite scratch that itch. However, what makes this game excellent isn't its graphics, but the powerful stories it tells, and those are as vivid as ever on Switch.”
read full review ↗ - 90
“The reduced visual quality doesn’t stop The Witcher 3 on Switch from being an astonishing technical marvel from Saber Interactive. It remains one of the finest open-world games of this generation, especially if you favour rich storytelling over systems and mechanics, which you can now take with you.”
read full review ↗
Pure Nintendo
Nintendo Life
PLAY Zine
Cubed3
NintendoWorldReport
ZTGD
Nintendojo
Worth Playing
Eurogamer
GameSpot
GameGrin…and 51 more tracked reviews.
Patch history
- Hotfix is now available!Jun 6, 2024
- Modding support updateMay 21, 2024significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 4.04 — list of changesJul 19, 2023
- Patch 4.03 — list of changesMay 11, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- DLSS 3 PC HotfixMar 23, 2023
- Patch 4.02 — list of changesMar 13, 2023
- PC HotfixFeb 14, 2023
- Patch 4.01 — list of changesFeb 2, 2023significant · resets scoring window
- Another PC Hotfix is available!Dec 22, 2022
- PC Hotfix is available!Dec 19, 2022
- Next-Gen Update (Patch 4.0)Dec 14, 2022
- Next-gen update list of changesDec 12, 2022significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.30 - ChangelogAug 30, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.30 - ChangelogAug 30, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.22 - ChangelogJun 15, 2016
- Patch 1.22 - ChangelogJun 15, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.30 - ChangelogMay 30, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.30 - ChangelogMay 30, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.12 - Changelog Part 2 (Hearts of Stone Expansion & DLC's)Jan 11, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.12 - Changelog Part 2 (Hearts of Stone Expansion & DLC's)Jan 11, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.12 - Changelog Part 1 (Main Game)Jan 11, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.12 - Changelog Part 1 (Main Game)Jan 11, 2016significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.11 - ChangelogOct 23, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.11 - ChangelogOct 23, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 5/5Oct 8, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 5/5Oct 8, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 4/5Oct 8, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 4/5Oct 8, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 3/5Oct 8, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 3/5Oct 8, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 2/5Oct 8, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 2/5Oct 8, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 1/5Oct 8, 2015significant · resets scoring window
- Patch 1.10 - Changelog Part 1/5Oct 8, 2015