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The best Witcher 3 mods

While some gamers might consider The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt to be dated since it came in 2015, we like to think there’s still a lot to enjoy with this RPG. Whether it’s your first or your third playthrough of the game, one thing you can do to spice up your gameplay experience is to add a mod. 

There are a lot of available mods out there to install, but you should know which ones will add to your gameplay and which ones aren’t worth installing.

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Vortex

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Considering that all the best The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt are found on the Nexus Mods website, the Vortex mod manager makes a great addition to your start menu. Replacing the old Nexus Mod Manager, Vortex is a much slicker and easier to use system. It’s easy to set up your mods in a working launch order, and you can even download mods directly through the manager.

You can still use the old Nexus Mod Manager if you want, but overall, Vortex is a much better option for those looking for help managing their mods.

Native debug console for 1.32 patch

If you’re planning on modding to any extent, then it’s worth picking up this simple mod. The Native Debug Console for 1.32 Patch does exactly what it sounds like it does — it allows you to enable the developer console and issue commands to it. This is exceptionally helpful when you’re working with mods, and some particular downloads out there will even require it to work correctly.

FCR3

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re looking for a slew of tweaks in one package, then the FCR3 mod is the perfect choice. Designed and developed by one of the senior designers on The Witcher 3, this mod adds a collection of tweaks and fixes. Most of the changes here are aimed at making the game a more immersive experience for players, while also buffing up skills and items that underperform. There’s also an additional package that offers a reduced amount of junk loot, which some players might be interested in messing around with.

Jump in shallow water

OK, this one might seem a little silly, but trust us when we say that it’s a mod you want to have installed. Unfortunately, in the base version of the game, Geralt isn’t very good at jumping in shallow water. He can’t do it at all, in fact. With this mod installed, you’ll now be able to jump in shallow water.

Preparations mod

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

If you’re looking to make meditation mean more, or just looking for a more immersive experience overall, then the Preparations mod is a great addition to your lineup. When installed, players will find that meditating is now far more important than just refilling your potions and passing time. Instead, you’ll need to meditate anytime you want to manage your skills, equipment, or alchemy items. It’s a little inconvenient in the overall spirit of things, but if you’re looking for immersion of convenience, the Preparations mod can be downloaded off of the Nexus Mods.

Increased creature loot

Perhaps one of the most infuriating things about The Witcher 3 is the lack of loot that comes from the various creatures you find. This has been a complaint for many players over the years and this mod looks to overhaul the creature loot system in a very helpful way. The mod comes with several install options which make it easy to decide how much you want to change the creature loot system. You can make it where creatures always drop loot or even make it so that they always drop a large amount of loot. The choice is yours.

Realistic weather

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

The world of The Witcher 3 is beautiful, even almost five years after it’s release. With the Realistic Weather mod, players can make the world feel even more immersive by adding and expanding onto the weather system already in the game. Locations like Skellige will now offer more snowy weather, while rain and stormy weather will take on a more drastic appearance than before. You’ll also find that foggy areas offer a denser and more realistic fog that sits heavier on the land.

Better trophies

Let’s be real for a moment. The trophies in The Witcher 3 can often feel… underwhelming. That’s where mods like Better Trophies come into play. When installed, users will find that creature trophies like the griffin’s head now offer better bonuses than they did before. Instead of offering bland and often useless bonuses, each trophy will now feature its own unique bonus, making you really have to pick and choose which of your trophies you want to carry with you on your horse.

Mod limit fix

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Image used with permission by copyright holder

Sometimes there are just too many mods and you want to run them all. Unfortunately, The Witcher 3 has a built-in limit for mods that causes the game to break whenever you install too many. Thankfully, modders have found a way to remove that limit. With Mod Limit Fix, you can remove the imposed limits and install as many mods as you want without ever having to worry about your game breaking because of it.

Joshua Hawkins
Former Digital Trends Contributor
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