The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone Reviews
The story in Hearts of Stone alone would make it worth getting, but it succeeds on other levels as well. The fun new enemies and bosses, along with the customization potential of Runewords make Hearts of Stone a very well-rounded package that shouldn't be skipped.
Hearts of Stone subverts some tropes while holding onto others. A delightful romp, if you need more Witcher 3 with your Witcher 3.
A satisfying, self-contained adventure that plays to the series' strengths, but doesn't add anything novel outside of its storytelling.
Hearts of Stone may not make any significant improvements to The Witcher 3's core gameplay, but it succeeds largely on the quality of its engrossing narrative.
Some of the best storytelling so far in the series, and some inspired set pieces, but the chance to refine the gameplay has been sadly missed.
Witcher 3's first expansion isn't terrible or great, and that's the problem
CD Projekt Red's first paid expansion is well worth the return to the Northern Kingdoms.
At 10 hours, Hearts of Stone is rather brief given the sprawling scale of Wild Hunt, but with that brevity, it never overstays its welcome. It melds well with the overall themes of the core adventure even if it feels wholly detached from it, but sometimes all you need is more Witcher-based antics.
Hearts of Stone is a piece of DLC that has been done right, genuinely adding to an already great game. The antagonist in this content is for me a better and more interesting character than the members of the actual Wild Hunt from the main plot, and you also learn more about Geralt's past too. If you own and enjoy The Witcher 3 then Hearts of Stone is easily recommended, but go in knowing as little as possible because there are some truly spectacular moments to be had.
Lasting ten to twelve hours with complex characters, diverse scenarios, stunning new locations, and memorable bosses, this ten dollar expansion stands out in a period when many DLC offerings feel like lackluster afterthoughts. Even though it's an expansion that returns to familiar areas, Hearts of Stone doesn't feel like it's merely piggybacking on the main game, but has its own worthwhile tale to tell.
More than 10 hours of adventures that add to Geralt de Rivia's deed, with new characters and places as exciting as in the original game, but without significance in the story.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
Overall, Hearts of Stone is a great addition to The Witcher 3 if all you're looking for is more of the same. If you're expecting something game changing or different, then this isn't a DLC worth your time. I enjoyed my time back in the Northernlands, roaming the wild and decapitating monsters, but when you get down to it, Hearts of Stone feels like it could easily have been included in the base game, although that isn't necessarily a bad thing.
Hearts of Stone includes an absolutely masterful new story, a compendium of everything we love about The Witcher. A gripping plot and wonderful characters in an experience of a few hours that can be enjoyed completely independently of the main Wild Hunt story.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A fascinating new adventure as Geralt, which does not distort the gameplay of the base game.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Sure, if you still have a ton of things to do in Wild Hunt (and frankly, why wouldn't you?) then you can certainly justify passing on paying for more content, but if you're someone who wants another robust storyline to dive into and some intriguing new mechanics, then Hearts of Stone is for you. Yes, this is more Wild Hunt, but seeing as how masterful it is, how could that be anything but a fantastic thing?
Hearts of Stone is the perfect example of DLC done right. There's not a better reason to get back into The Witcher 3 again.
Hearts of Stone is a collection of some of the best quests The Witcher 3 has to offer. Its story is cohesive; its characters are worth meeting; and the thematic diversity is worth seeing. If you've already beaten the original experience, these quests are worth checking out. If you haven't, make these quests a top priority. They feature some of the best writing in fantasy games, period, and make the expansion more than a worthy addition to one of the best releases of the year.
Hearts of Stone reminded me exactly what I loved about it the first time around, and all I could think when the credits rolled was how much I look forward to firing this game up in a few more months and concluding both Geralt's final adventure, and one of the PC's finest RPGs. Give or take a few giant bloody spiders. Grr.
By taking Geralt out of his element and changing the course of what we'd expect from a stoic witcher, Hearts of Stone is a must own for anyone that's been hanging on to The Witcher 3. The story alone is enough to warrant jumping back in, but the way it integrates into the existing game just expands the already massive scope of the world. It's not perfect, and there are a few missteps in execution — most notably in the lackluster addition of runewords — but it more than makes up for its faults in the things that it does well. It leaves me feeling very excited for the next expansion, Blood and Wine, which is reportedly double in size.
If you enjoyed The Bloody Baron quest line in The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, you will absolutely love Hearts of Stone. While it is the first piece of DLC with a price tag, the storyline justifies that at twice the price.