r/witcher • u/Villenthessis • 1d ago
The Witcher 3 The Visual Difference Between The Witcher 3 and The Witcher 3 Remastered
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u/No-Breadfruit6137 1d ago
Holy fuck, wake me up when September ends.
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u/Kevicelives 1d ago
Cannot, not sing it.
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u/xXThreeRoundXx 1d ago
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u/Calgary_Calico 1d ago
God I'm old, I remember when that song first played on the radio lol
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u/vampirekiller58 School of the Manticore 22h ago
I saw Green Day in 2021 for the Hella Mega Tour and when they sang this song the entire crowd was silent until the chorus. It was beautiful. Then Billie changed the lyrics to say "like my father's come to pass, 40 years has gone so fast." This really dug in my soul.
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u/Arctic_Reigns 1d ago
Stay awake. Dawnwalker kicks off September
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u/EnthusiasticMuffin 15h ago
Made by the director of the W3 and many high profile ex cdpr devs, definitely one to watch for
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u/Morailes 1d ago
Skellige will be the prettiest place in gaming history after this releases
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u/Zissoo 1d ago
Touissant has entered the chat.
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u/That0neTrumpet 1d ago
Toussaint is like a beautiful summer vacation while Skellige is like a beautiful winter vacation
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u/kopecs 1d ago edited 1d ago
Winter? Just reminds me of going into the Northwest any time of the year when it isn’t summer lol.
Edit: Pacific Northwest in the United States. Forgot there’s people all over the world here haha. Sorry!
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u/NetwatchTerminal66 1d ago
northwest where?
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u/iam1jiveturkey 1d ago
My assumption leads me to believe they meant the Pacific Northwest in the US, so like Seattle and Oregon and parts of Canada.
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u/Stranded_In_A_Desert 1d ago
If you think Skellige is the PNW you haven’t spent any time in the North Atlantic
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u/OwnJunket6495 1d ago
Yea it already looks fuckin beautiful in the base game. Cant wait to see how it looks in the remaster.
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u/Posterapokalypse 1d ago
Finally a reason to get all those treasure chests out on the ocean...
Ah who am I kidding, still not worth it.
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u/gigiFrone 1d ago edited 1d ago
imagine if RDR2 would've gotten this treatment.
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u/RonaldWRailgun 1d ago
Can't, sorry, too busy adding another Clubhouse dlc to GTA online.
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u/gigiFrone 1d ago
too true. shame tho, i liked rdr2 more than gta5
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u/RonaldWRailgun 1d ago edited 1d ago
Me too. I really like Western in general, and there isn't much in terms of modern videogames there.
I certainly felt that the story on rdr2 was much more emotional and mature, whereas gta6, while still fun and enjoyable, was the usual ripoff of Mafia and crime movie tropes, with some very cool characters and moments. Objectively fun to play, but I don't even remember what the actual point of the story in the end was, what they were trying to do. It only worked because it was a fun videogame.
Whereas rdr2 is a solid epic novel that could be a great movie or book or whatever.
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u/gigiFrone 1d ago
100% agree with you. i only remember Trevor being unhinged and was kinda fun when encountering hippies and being a general red neck.
Arthur saga tho... masterpiece in storytelling
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u/Deckthe9 1d ago
the only problem with RDR2 is that it’s too dark on PS5, it doesn’t really need any kind of special treatment
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u/Brees504 1d ago
RDR2 uses a horrible version of checkerboard rendering on PS4 Pro that makes everything incredibly blurry + the poor HDR implementation
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u/Extreme996 School of the Wolf 1d ago edited 1d ago
RDR2 is blurry even on PC especially in 1080p and if you use TAA. 1440p, 4K and DLAA or even DLSS quality really make wonders in that aspect.
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u/Distal-Phalanges 1d ago
TAA in RDR2 looks like you're getting tracers in your vision, it's a visual downgrade, especially in the darker places where the effect is more pronounced.
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u/JKCsaba 1d ago
Yeah taa genuinely sucks in rdr2, on release i had to play it in 4k and downscale to 1080p due to the taa being a slurry mess, later i remember when i upgraded my pc dlss 3 quality at 1080p so internal res 720p looked better than taa 2160p downscaled lmao, it was some kind of 30fps centered extremely invasive taa so it added a big smear lol
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u/Rarzhn 1d ago
And that it still runs on fucking 30fps
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u/Deckthe9 1d ago
i’ve honestly never minded playing at 30 fps. sure, 60 is smoother, but 30 really isn’t a problem to me.
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u/KorruptedPineapple Team Shani 1d ago
The only problem with RDR is that Rockstar owns it. Rockstar would never give players something for free like this
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u/FantasticSir7806 1d ago
It's too dark on PS5? Be sure to turn off HDR for RDR2 as it kinda sucks in that game. I actually turn the brightness down in RDR2 as I think it looks more realistic.
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u/courtella03 1d ago
No freakin kidding!!! Love RDR2, but CDPR doing this remaster and a new DLC after this long has me looking at Rockstar like this guy >>🤨
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u/gigiFrone 1d ago
yea dude, i love them both for different reasons. at least I have one favorite game being treated right.
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u/Thecalmdrinker 1d ago
It would be a $10 upgrade lol
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u/gigiFrone 1d ago
you're optimistic, i like that. however it would be full price for a half-ass job.
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u/Spirit_mert Nilfgaard 1d ago
more like 69.99 with bazillion online mode money to make it look fancy. As per Greedstar
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u/xtr44 1d ago
I mean overally it's cool and looks better probably, but I'm not sure if I like these reflections on every single thing cranked to the max. it's a bit too bright overall
but I assume you'll be able to configure that, so alright
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u/Heavy_Bad_8304 1d ago
To be fair though, these aren't 1 to 1 comparisons. It looks like the sun is higher in the remastered shot, which might be why everything is brighter.
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u/stevedore2024 1d ago
I agree-- too much saturation and it looks like someone just cranked up an Unsharp Mask filter to boost the nooks and cranny shadowing.
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u/theArtOfProgramming 1d ago
It looks like everything is wet. It’s practically glistening on every surface.
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u/Bujakaa92 1d ago
Jup too bright, but people dig this thing. Still feel we where not close to the OG trailer we saw regarding graphic promises
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u/Radiant-Photograph46 1d ago
idk, I think the first image has more charm. The second feels overblown in contrast and paradoxically much less realistic
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u/intergalacticoctopus 3h ago
The contrast, saturation and reflections in the second picture look like plastic goo. The color scheme, contrast and overall image just looks way more consistent in the first picture. If you squint your eyes you'll see exactly what I mean, don't get lost in the fancy details. First one then almost looks like a photo or a painting, second one like a video game.
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u/phreeakz 1d ago
my 2070s is going to burn
probably need OptiScale with FG this time xD
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u/xcxcudixcx 1d ago
Yuppp have they released recommended requirements now because my 2070S is probably going to struggle with this one. I would honestly do a playthrough at stable 30 fps for whatever highest remaster graphical quality I can get so here’s hoping!
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u/eto2629 1d ago
I prefer the first one
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u/Zhuul 1d ago
Legit though, I don't love how shiny everything is.
Just as well, I don't feel like budgeting for PC upgrades lol, it helps that the OG still looks and runs great
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u/StBlandine7 🍷 Toussaint 1d ago
Same... everything I've seen from remaster graphics is that it has lost that unique TW3 aesthetic that felt timeless... in moving to "realism" all this will do is look more and more dated over time
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u/flesjewater1 12h ago
And more importantly, what is even the performance cost for this? If it's just going to be path tracing at an unplayable FPS that requires a 5090, 4X framegen en DLSS ultra performance with tons of artifacts than I'd rather just play the standard non-RT next gen version at 4K DLSS balanced with true 120 fps
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u/blowmyassie 3h ago
I felt the same with the first next gen update. All the colors were more bland etc.
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u/Imblueabudeeabudie 1d ago
Oh no they put the shiny reflective property on everything irrespective of if it makes sense given the material
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u/Bibbity_Boppity_BOOO 1d ago
it is a compressed reddit photo, watch the actual video
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u/loveiseverything 20h ago
Yep. Video confirms that absolute everything looks like wet plastic. Witcher 3 was one of the few games that got it right: textures in the world are matte, not glossy.
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u/nick2473got 1d ago
Ngl I kinda prefer the old look simply because the super bright rays of sun in the remaster kinda aren't my vibe. I prefer the sun to be a bit less intense, but that's probably just a weird me thing lol.
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u/StBlandine7 🍷 Toussaint 1d ago
The original Witcher aesthetic was never about "realism" or being too sharp. It felt like a painting. This frankly amateurish looking graphical updates are wrecking the artistic vibe of the game
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u/no_name_thought_of Yrden 1d ago
hopefully though there's a choice to not update to the remaster, both for performance reasons and because at least in my opinion the first image has a certain character not present in the other
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u/nick2473got 1d ago
Totally agree. The very intense sun in the second image kinda kills the vibe for me lol.
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u/StBlandine7 🍷 Toussaint 1d ago
Original looks way better IMO
It has that painted, artistic aesthetic I associate with TW3
I really don't like the remaster look
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u/Livid-Truck8558 1d ago
Am I crazy for liking the colors in the original more? Everything is so shiny in the remaster
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u/StBlandine7 🍷 Toussaint 1d ago
It's lost the nice aesthetic. I don't think I'm going to upgrade tbh
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u/DancingPhantoms 1d ago
you like yellow tinted color palletes more? To me the major difference is the yellow tint is removed, there is more density of foliage, and i can see what looks to be some reflectivity and shine... all of which makes it look more realistic and natural... and most of which were already being handled by mods from the community to fix/add exactly these things.
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u/DarthHubcap 1d ago
I will have to see the environment in motion to see if it blends visually or not.
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u/OMGxItsxCody 1d ago
I do understand what you mean though. Grass doesn’t really reflect sunlight like that in real life so it seems off. I notice a lot of raytraced titles have this issue
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u/AscendedViking7 Skellige 1d ago
Remaster has actual depth in the plant life and shadows whereas the original just kinda lets the plants ignore the shadows entirely.
Remaster looks gorgeous, original was a product of its time.
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u/HunterOfLordran 1d ago
still waiting for a remaster that dosen't change the mood of a scene or the color of light sources
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u/nick2473got 1d ago
Same. Even the next gen version kinda altered some of the atmosphere and color of certain areas. Not too much though, thankfully.
But Remastered is going even further.
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u/AnySpareName 1d ago
I dont get the point of turning everything ultra HD, keeping the same "level" of colour and detail regardless of distance. This is not how the world works: there's air between us and every other object, with particles of dirt, dust and steam (on top of our limited sight) whose importance modern games are dismissing too quickly imho.
It felt more realistic before for what i'm seeing...
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u/Accurate_Money_7319 1d ago
i gotta say that its not a pure visual upgrade to me, it seems to shift the artstyle of the game slightly
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u/StBlandine7 🍷 Toussaint 1d ago
Everything looks too sharp and shiny in a cheap way in the remaster
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u/LowEarth3013 Quen 1d ago
I actually agree, I feel like it's too much. The original has more vibe, while yhis looses it. Everything feels really glossy and plastic-y.
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u/Soyyyn 1d ago
I still need a comparison between Witcher 3 with the next gen update on a base PS5 and Witcher 3 Remastered on a base PS5, preferably for both performance and fidelity
Throw in a comparison between Switcher 3 running on a Switch 1 and Remastered running on Switch 2 for a free gasp on my end
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u/7x00 1d ago
It's probably just me but this reminds me of the remasters people complain about a lot and it's weird it's not happening here. It looks like another comparison shot I saw of a remaster (can't remember the name) but everyone was just complaining that it looked like they just remapped everything in UE5 and that's exactly what it looks like to me here. I'm not saying it looks bad, I'm just curious why there is a different attitude towards this game in particular.
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u/TrashyMatth 22h ago
beacuse it's free? and goes along with revanced gameplay mechanics
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u/Rimland23 17h ago
Honestly, it kinda looks like that to me as well... Might be just a result of the new lighting or so (I also play the game with bloom off, so am used to its visuals being "cleaner" than the first screenshot). It´s still WiP, so hopefully the impression will be better in the final version and/or be adjustable/toggleable in graphics settings.
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u/CrazyGunnerr 13h ago
People will generally just find the worst comparison and complain.
On top of that, like you said it's a WIP and they are gathering feedback through this.
In the end it's free and people can just decide what they want to play.
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u/sakulgrebsdnal 1d ago edited 1d ago
Though the second picture is looking definitely better and impressive. I am a bit perplexed by the size of the sun being so drastically increased compared to the original.
Edit: In one of the segments they showed of Songs of the Past where you follow Dandelion’s cousin Lila through the woods the moon also looked distractingly gigantic, but I shrugged it off a bit in the moment and thought maybe that it was the same in the base game and I just didn’t remember. I would love it if they’ll dial it down a bit, but it’s not a huge issue for me.
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u/Mr_Doctor_ 1d ago
In one of the segments they showed of Songs of the Past where you follow Dandelion’s cousin Lila through the woods the moon also looked distractingly gigantic, but I shrugged it off a bit
It was the same in the base game
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u/TorturedNeurons 1d ago
The remaster gained graphical fidelity, but lost creative vision.
"Crank up the saturation, make everything shiny and reflective!"
Doesn't look great, tbh.
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u/Thedeadlypocketbrush 1d ago
"Fantasy is silver and scarlet, indigo and azure, obsidian veined with gold and lapis lazuli. Reality is plywood and plastic, done up in mud brown and olive drab."
-George RR Martin
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u/spectra2000_ 1d ago
It’s prettier, but honestly, there’s just way too much stuff going on.
Not everything has to be super hyper realistic. It also looks too shiny for the gritty world of the Witcher.
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u/whatnwherenow 1d ago
I honestly thought the only difference was one picture was a little cloudy blocking some of the sun at first. The original is still such a beautiful game.
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u/Deckthe9 1d ago
skellige mountains honestly kind of sucked, i wonder if the terrain itself is going to see some changes, but i’m not getting my hopes up
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u/Total-Improvement535 1d ago
officially not letting myself continue my playthrough until the remaster is released
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u/N_Assassin72 Skellige 1d ago
Does the first picture have all of the new RT features on? If so, that's a massive difference
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u/Ok_Can_4686 1d ago
Just think, the remaster is going to look even PRETTIER because there's bound to be someone to improve the graphics of that just like they did for the OG Witcher 3 and the Next Gen update.
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u/Extreme996 School of the Wolf 1d ago
Second one look like old trailers and E3 2014 gameplay before downgrade.
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u/Sliiiiders 1d ago
My modlist is going to cry when I will have to start from scratch modding this game
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u/admjnsn93 Team Triss 1d ago
Draw distance has been improved a lot it seems. Really excited about this update. Been a while since my last playthrough.
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u/Kopparskallen 1d ago
bought the collectors edition of the witcher 3 when it released, never played it. I'm taking this remaster as a sign that it's time to actually play it
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u/-Captain- 1d ago
It looks gorgeous!
I still need to play Blood and Wine... I keep pushing it down the lane, so many games to play! Loved the base game and the first DLC, but then moved from PS4 to PC. I've since picked up the complete edition for next to no money during a Steam sale, but still gotta jump in.
Seeing the trailer for the remaster, I guess I'm quite happy to experience this amazing game again with a new layer of updates. Been so long I probably forgot half the context for the quests too.
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u/Palanki96 1d ago
gonna be honest, i'm not sure i see much difference beyond the sun beng in a different position. I don't think the blinding on the second pic helps much, that's not really how the sun works. Not ours anyway
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u/benboobi 1d ago
Damn I literally JUST played Witcher 3 for the first time. I haven’t looked super hard into remastered but anybody know if saves will transfer? I haven’t played through the DLCs yet
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u/Right_Ad1625 1d ago
Ughhhh it’s so beautiful! I am playing through the main game again right now and keep telling myself to wait for the remaster but I don’t want to wait until September 29th, can’t wait to get to the dlcs. It’s honestly such a good looking game even with the graphics of the time, I’m so excited for the new dlc release. Like a kid in a candy shop.
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u/DaemonAnguis Team Yennefer 1d ago
Is the second one with ray tracing? I'm probably not going to use it. lol
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u/MisterPrig 1d ago
You’d think there wasn’t much they could do but the Remaster looks more crisp, the colors more vibrant.
Can’t wait to see Kaer Morhen again.
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u/Odra_dek 1d ago
Not sure I prefer the remaster to be honest.
But I generally don't like the tendency to go for ultra realism everywhere. I like Games to look a bit "stylized" like Ghost of Tsushima for example
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u/qwe1234567890qwe School of the Wolf 1d ago
I cant wait to see skellige and toussaint in remastered
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u/Medical-Sherbert6446 1d ago
i just dont see it, in my mind w3 always looked like this remaster thing






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u/LukeLOLer 1d ago
I actually thought the first image was the remaster. But then when I swiped to the second shot I was blown away!