The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone Reviews
Hearts of Stone, despite not really adding that much new "stuff", tells an amazing, engaging story that is worthy of the $10 price tag. While The Wild Hunt was the conclusion to an epic, climactic saga, Hearts of Stone is simply another story in the life of Witcher Geralt.
Hearts of Stone is pretty much the best of The Witcher 3, at least prior to the release of Blood and Wine. If you enjoyed the base game at all, this is a must.
Hearts of Stone never feels tacked on at any point, and although the side activities are a bit lackluster there are more than enough highs to make the singular low seem insubstantial. This is a true expansion, one that builds excellently on the already amazing base game. CD Projekt Red did an amazing job with this one and kept true to their word that they would only charge if worth it. The Witcher 3: Hearts of Stone is most definitely worth it and a testament to how an expansion should be done.
Gaming expansions are somewhat unavoidable these days, but rarely do they feel as worthwhile as The Witcher 3's Hearts Of Stone does. Its superb story is complimented by excellent characters, and there's more than enough new content to make it an essential addition to Geralt's adventures.
Hearts of Stone is everything great about The Witcher 3, delivered in a neat little package.
All in all, Hearts of Stone is a breathtaking experience that builds on the excellence of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. If the well crafted story doesn't reel you in, the gameplay and new monsters and bosses likely will. If you loved Wild Hunt, you'll definitely want to give Hearts of Stone a shot.
If you liked The Witcher 3 you can't say no to Hearts of Stone. In this first expansion, Projekt Red CDs drag the player through many situations, and not all of them at the tip of the sword. Brothers-infested crypts and possessed wedding parties to live are just the starter of an adventure that has a much wider breath than you might think.
Review in Italian | Read full review
If Hearts of Stone were a full-length game, it would be perfect. The fact that it's an excellent expansion to an already excellent game in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is appreciable in a whole new light. Fan or not, if you crave a compelling action-adventure, Hearts of Stone is well worth the price.
While it stumbles in some places, Hearts of Stone is better than the vast majority of "additional content" that most modern games offer.
In the end, The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt Hearts of Stone is a fun DLC for this series that gives the player a much more grounded approach to our hero Geralt but with all the great elements of the main game that we all love and at times hate. Yes, the graphics do glitch here and there but the story, characterisation and combat is what makes Witcher so entertaining and Hearts of Stone is no exception to that rule.
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?
Overall, Hearts of Stone was everything that I wanted out of the first story expansion for Wild Hunt. I'm already anxiously awaiting the release of its follow-up Blood and Wine, which is said to consist of an additional 20 hours of gameplay. Whether you're looking for engaging combat with memorable boss fights, new interpersonal relationships and meaningful character development, or a mysterious and enthralling quest line that will keep you hooked until the very end, Hearts of Stone has it for you in spades. CD Projekt RED has once again outdone themselves and created an expansion that stands far enough apart from the original game to provide completely new adventure, but close enough to home to remind you why The Witcher 3 is one of the best RPGs of our time.
Hearts of Stone is a full-fledged add-on for a game that probably didn't need to be any longer. Thankfully, Hearts of Stone is a total blast for Witcher fans and packs more into its 10-15 hour campaign than most AAA games on the market. With its wonderfully paced story, mesmerizing characters, and gorgeous world to explore, Hearts of Stone demands to be played. It also raises the bar for what fans can expect from DLC for their favourite games. If you're itchin' for more witchin', then picking up Hearts of Stone is a no brainer.
There's an old saying, you can never have too much of a good thing. This is false. Hearts of Stone doesn't offer that much new to the game, which is what the second expansion is supposedly meant to feature, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. What Hearts of Stone gives players is another reason to dive back into this world, and enjoy the stories that lie within.
Hearts of Stone is an extremely interesting expansion for The Witcher 3, faithful in tone and development to the saga but that is much more than "stoic hero faces a world in which humans are more monsters than the monsters whose heads ask for." Therefore, it represents fresh air for this saga that is about to reach its end, which we want to be spectacular. In summary, whoever buys this DLC will not regret anything, neither in content nor in quality. Now, to wait for our last wish.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
The "Heart of stone" expansion pack is like Kamasutra for other game developers, showing you step by step how to make valuable DLC!
Review in Polish | Read full review
With attention to detail and qualitatively extraordinary, Hearts of Stone proves to be a DLC of the highest level, capable of increasing the goodness of a product that, in itself, has proven to verge on perfection in countless aspects.
Review in Italian | Read full review
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
It's more of the same, then – but when you're getting more of one of the year's best games, that's not something to complain about.
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.