The Witcher 3 gives players plenty of options throughout its 100+ hours of gameplay, but some of them are much more important than others. While some choices determine the course of a single quest or how Geralt faces a specific monster, others can have lasting impacts on the rest of the game. With The Witcher 4 following Ciri after the events of The Witcher 3It will be interesting to see if The predecessor's biggest choices also influence the new game.
In The Witcher 3, decisions impact the rest of the continent. As Geralt often finds himself involved in political issues throughout the game, his choices can carry a lot of weight. Your personal choices also have a huge impact on the player's experience, even if they don't have as much impact on the overall game world. The Witcher 3The biggest choices come with consequences.
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The choice of events in The Witcher 2 affects the story of The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3 allows players to simulate the previous game
Some of the biggest decisions in history that affect The Witcher 3 occur in The Witcher 2. Depending on Geralt's actions in the previous installment, certain characters will not even appear in the game. The Witcher 3while others may have very different opinions about it. However, there is no need to play The Witcher 2 to make these decisions.
Before the game starts, The Witcher 3 allows players to simulate a game play The Witcher 2. This allows players to shape their gameplay experience around the choices they hypothetically would have made if they had played the second game. This could provide Geralt with a better relationship with Roche at the start of the third game. Certain NPCs are only available if players choose to save them. Before jumping to The Witcher 3you may want to look for the best options for your ideal game.
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Bringing Ciri to Emhyr could change the course of history
Ciri could become Empress of Nilfgaard in The Witcher 3
For a large portion The Witcher 3Geralt is searching for his adopted daughter Ciri. At the beginning of the game, Ciri's biological father, Emperor Emhyr of Nilfgaard, asks Geralt to bring Ciri to him. Deciding to go through with it when meeting with Ciri will significantly change the course of Ciri's future.
Upon arriving in Nilfgaard with Ciri, Emhyr offers to pay Geralt for rescuing her. This will make Ciri feel betrayed and harm her relationship with Geralt. This could also lead to an ending in which Ciri rules Nilfgaard, something she is unsatisfied with.
Initially, this seemed like one of the biggest decisions to make in The Witcher 3. However, this may no longer matter. Based on reveal trailer for The Witcher 4it seems the ending in which Ciri becomes a witch will be the only canonical one. Players will have to wait until the new game arrives to see if this choice is still as important as it initially seemed.
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Choosing who to date has consequences
Geralt can't date Triss and Yennefer
The Witcher 3 offers lots of opportunities for Geralt to become romantically involved with other characters. However, most of these romances end up not having a huge impact on the game. Geralt can date five different NPCs and visit brothels as much as he wants, and it won't affect his relationships with any of the game's main love interests, Yennefer and Triss. However, be careful when deciding which of the two sorceresses to settle down with.
Geralt can decide to date Triss or Yennefer based on personal preferences. Alternatively, neither of them need to be boyfriends and Geralt could end up alone. However, if Geralt tries to date both characters, the sorceresses will punish him.
If Yennefer and Triss are dating, the pair invite Geralt on a seemingly romantic getaway involving the three characters. This leaves Geralt tied to a bed in an inn. Getting this scene means there is no hope of repairing Geralt's relationship with Triss or Yennefer.
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Sharing information with Dijkstra allows Geralt to influence the war
Not fighting Dijkstra too early could help Geralt save Temeria
During the main story mission “Blindingly Obvious”, Geralt needs to rescue Philippa from Dijkstra's bathhouse. After a brief fight against a fire elemental conjured by the sorceress, Geralt manages to calm Philippa. However, Dijkstra is unwilling to allow Geralt to take Phillippa out of his custody.
Taking Philippa by force results in Geralt fighting Dijkstra. This will block access to the “Reason of State” mission, which requires Geralt to work with Dijkstra, at least temporarily. Alternatively, players can offer to share information about Emperor Emhyr, which will keep Geralt in Dijkstra's good graces. This option allows Geralt to take on the mission “Reason of State”, which helps determine the outcome of the war between Redania and Novigrad, and the fate of Temeria.
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Deciding who should rule Skellige can help avoid conflict
Geralt helps one of the three candidates to assume the throne
While Geralt attends a feast in Skellige, a bear attack kills many would-be new rulers. The blame is placed on the host, Crach an Craite, Geralt's friend. Geralt has the option of helping one of Crach's sons ascend the throne and also clearing the family name of any wrongdoing by finding out who caused the attack.
If Geralt decides to help put Crach's son Hjalmar on the throne, they manage to regain the family's honor, but they fail to find the true culprit. Helping Cerys rise to power allows Geralt to do both. Alternatively, if Geralt ignores both quests, Svanrige an Tuirseach becomes king and the an Craite name is never erased.
The choice of ruler also determines the fate of the people of Skellige in The Witcher 3. Svanrige ends Skellige's electoral system, instituting a hereditary line of succession and killing some of his subjects to get away with it. Hjalmar isn't too bad, but he chooses to lead more attacks against Nilfgaard, which results in heavy losses. Cerys is a more peaceful ruler than the others, choosing to focus on Skellige's prosperity. instead of conflict.
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A casual snowball fight has important implications
Raising Ciri's spirits is the key to saving her
After Vesemir's death in the battle of Kaer Morhen, Ciri is understandably upset. This isn't helped by the fact that she has difficulty learning to use her powers and feels pressured to improve. Geralt has the seemingly low-risk option of telling her that she “[doesn’t] you have to be good at everything”, or say that “you know[s] what can lift [her] spirits.” The first option results in the two drinking and talking, and the second results in a snowball fight.
Although the choice seems harmless, this moment is used to suggest what types of interactions Geralt should have with Ciri to achieve a good endgame. If the two commiserate over a drink together, the game will cut to a clip of a cat eating a bird to suggest the approaching danger. The snowball fight results in a happy scene without bad omens. This means that the snowball fight is the option that will help lead to a good ending.
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Deciding who to help in the “reason of state” influences the end of the war
Geralt's choice to save his friends has important implications for the continent
After unlocking the “Reason of State” mission, providing Dijkstra with information about Emhyr, there are more important decisions to be made about the fate of the continent. During the mission, Geralt will help the Temerian patriots kill Radovid. It is later revealed that this helped Temeria negotiate peace with Nilfgaard and once again gain its status as a nation, albeit as a vassal state of Nilfgaard.
Unsatisfied with the result, Dijkstra reveals that he plans to kill the Temerians and take control of Redania, leaving Geralt with a choice: protect Roche, Thaler and Vas from Dijkstra or allow Dijkstra to take power. If Dijkstra kills the Temerians, he will become the leader of Redania and eventually win the war, subsequently executing Emhyr. Saving the Temerians allows the treaty to be approved, helping Nilfgaard win the war and preserving Temeria. If the quest is ignored, Radovid will live and Redania will win, leaving Emhyr dead and Temeria ceasing to be a country.
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Geralt decides the fate of Keira and Lambert at the same time
If Geralt doesn't send Keira to Kaer Morhen, two characters will die
At the beginning The Witcher 3Geralt is reunited with the sorceress Keira Metz. After a short series of quests, Keira tricks Geralt into telling her where she can find notes about Catriona's plague and goes looking for them. When Geralt confronts Keira, she reveals her plan to use the notes to negotiate with Radovid for his life. This leaves Geralt with three options: kill Keira for her betrayal, let her go, or tell her to go to Kaer Morhen.
If Geralt allows Keira to negotiate with Radovid, she will be executed for using magic. However, if she is sent to Kaer Morhen, she will survive and eventually discover a cure for the plague. Additionally, Keira saves Lambert's life during the Battle of Kaer Morhen. If she's not there, Lambert dies, no matter what choices are made.
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Geralt must decide whether to help the mages in Novigrad
Not helping the mages prevents Geralt from several missions
During the “Now or Never” quest, Geralt must decide whether to help Triss smuggle a group of mages out of Novigrad to avoid persecution. If Geralt doesn't help, the mages will be killed and several other important aspects of the The wizard 3 the story will be ignored. For example, there is no option to romance Triss if Geralt doesn't help her here. This also blocks several future missions.
Perhaps the biggest consequence of not doing this search is that prevents players from finishing the Gwent collection. Missing future missions means never meeting the Thaler spy. Thaler is the only way to get the Geralt Gwent card.
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Allowing Ciri the freedom to do whatever she wants leads to the best ending
There are multiple endings for Ciri in The Witcher 3, including her death
After the snowball fight, three important father-daughter moments between Geralt and Ciri determine whether her story will end badly. The first occurs during the mission “Final Preparations”, when Ciri has to meet with the Sorceress' Shop. Geralt can give Ciri the confidence to face them alone or go with her. Going with Ciri causes her to lose confidence in herself and is another step towards the game's bad ending.
The next moment comes in “Child of the Elder Blood,” when Ciri discovers Avallac'h's laboratory, which is dedicated to studying her. Frustrated that she seems to be just a research project for him, Ciri decides to destroy the place. If Geralt tells Ciri to calm down, she will respond “Shouldn’t you cheer me up?” a clear indication that Geralt made the wrong choice. To get one more point for the good ending, Geralt should let Ciri take out her frustration in the laboratory.
The final important decision to ensure a good ending for Ciri in The Witcher 3 is to allow her to visit Skjall's grave. Skjall was a young man who helped save Ciri from the Wild Hunt and ended up dying for helping her. All of the decisions that lead to the good ending revolve around Geralt supporting Ciri emotionally and helping her grow.
Source: The wizard / YouTube