
His standard strikes evolve into beautiful, balletic pirouettes. That style is something that changes as Geralt grows into a higher-level fighter. It’s a stylish brutality, which is really what makes The Witcher such a rewarding action game. When atop his horse and approaching an enemy, Geralt winds up as The Witcher 3 enters slow motion, giving you the opportunity to lop off a head or an arm with a well-timed strike. Geralt is similarly violent in mounted combat. Evasion is now a strategy, rather than simply a means of survival. In group battles, letting groups drain their own Stamina and striking when the moment is right makes difficult situations much more manageable. Geralt can perform grisly executions (typically dismembering or disemboweling the opponent) on exhausted enemies. Depleting the opposition’s Stamina is usually as useful as cutting down their vitality.

Balancing Stamina is particularly important. Embedding Shattered Cores and Runestones into armors and weapons can increase the chance to set victims on fire, to knock them down for an instant-kill execution, improve Stamina, and increase the effectiveness of Geralt’s spellcasting Signs. “Increasing the effect of Geralt’s modified abilities, which come in the form of upgrades and add-ons, is similarly crucial.
