The Witcher 3 Remastered is looking better and better each time we see it. It’s going to be very tempting to return for a fresh playthrough of one of the best RPGs on PC, even before we factor in the Songs of the Past expansion launching in 2027. One thing that might have put me off was thinking about the more awkward elements of inventory management and menu navigation, but CD Projekt Red has just wiped away those excuses with an impressive suite of accessibility features to lift The Witcher 3’s most annoying restrictions.
The Witcher 3 Remastered delivers a gorgeous visual overhaul, and noted modder ‘Halk Hogan’ (creator of the HD Remastered Project) has confirmed they cooperated with CDPR to incorporate their work here. Even more exciting, however, is the introduction of what the team is calling ‘Bard’s Ballad,’ a set of accessibility tools that lets you throw out annoying mechanics and just enjoy the best bits of Geralt’s adventure.
Director of Player Experience and Safety Karolina Niewęgłowska walks us through exactly what this offers. “We basically wanted players who are tired, or they are running out of attention, to be able to experience the game, follow the story, and immerse themselves in the world.” Whether you’re a busy parent, someone with only half an hour to play in the evening after an exhausting work schedule, or are simply overwhelmed by the flood of information we all get hit with on a daily basis, Bard’s Ballad is here to help.
There are a selection of accessibility tools that you can flip on in The Witcher 3 Remastered. Hate dealing with underwater sections? Give yourself infinite breath. Had it up to here with items breaking? Turn off durability. Constantly frustrated by notifications that you’ve reached Geralt’s carrying capacity? Say goodbye to item weight. You can also turn on auto-looting, increase boat speeds, or apply a vitality regeneration boost that kicks in when you reach the health percentage of your choosing.
The Bard’s Ballad toggle will offer some preset ‘accessibility loadouts’ that are designed to let you quickly tailor the experience to suit your needs. “I wanted to give them a name,” Niewęgłowska explains during CDPR’s Gamescom livestream, “because people sometimes are shy to use accessibility settings. They think, ‘Oh, it’s not for me, I shouldn’t.’ Sometimes people want to relax, or just want to focus on something beautiful.”
The Witcher 3 Remastered releases on Tuesday September 29, and it’s a free upgrade for anyone who owns the game. It will also include the original two expansions, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. This is just the beginning, as there are plenty more welcome features to be discovered. Personally, I’m most excited to hear that we’ll be able to ‘group loot’ from all the containers in an area without having to interact with each one individually. It’s just as well I can make Geralt’s pockets limitlessly large.
