Wasn't huge on Hearts of Stone (thought it was good, not great) but man I fucking loved this. To me, Toussaint is the best location in the game, bar none. Stepping into it for the first time and basking in its radiance feels unlike anything else in the base narrative and the story feels infinitely more rewarding than Hearts of Stone. The final Detlaff boss has a learning curve for sure but his monster form is so cool and it's incredibly satisfying when you finally come out on top. Wonderful ending too, being able to settle down with Yennefer for good felt like a beautifully bittersweet finale to my adventure. Ended my journey arriving back at my fully upgraded vineyard and mounting personal favorite collected swords and paintings in my home was lovely.

The second expansion to Witcher 3 - Blood and Wine, is a multi-hour adventure that expertly mixes all the things we know and love with very interesting novelties. The new land is breathtaking, the story and characters are enchanting and the interface finally is almost perfect. Every story needs an ending and this one is one of the most satisfying ever.

Blood and Wine is a massive expansion, and with content strong enough to stand on its own two feet, realizing it’s merely an addition to what is otherwise considered one of the best games ever is just a cherry on top.

Debatably the best expansion for any video game, ever, not just RPGs, and for good reason. Blood and Wine is a phenomenal narrative treat, nailing down all of the core pillars of what makes the universe of The Witcher tick, all while introducing a bountiful array of new content.

While Blood and Wine's story isn't as personal as Hearts of Stone previously, Blood and Wine is no slouch in the narrative department; the story is memorable and the vocal performances are phenomenal. While it's very easy to dive into spoilers involving Blood and Wine, I can just simply say it's nothing short of masterful and is definitely required for those who enjoyed the base game experience.

To add on top of the already amazing main story of Blood and Wine, it additionally introduces a new map, tons of side quests of many varieties, and even a new add-on to Gwent, so freaks like me can have a roaring good time experimenting with new cards and abilities in between monster-slaying and taking care of the seemingly time-sensitive main quest.

Like Hearts of Stone, and the base game of The Witcher 3, Blood and Wine made me laugh, craft a deeper connection with its characters, fall in love with CDPR's admiration for eloquent details, and it even had me search for the missing testicles of a statue, as well as posing for a heroic portrait that ended up being a glorified nude.

Simply fantastic, no better way of putting it.

now this is how you iterate on one of the greatest games of all time. you introduce a whole new biome to explore; add on gameplay elements that improve upon the existing mechanics; bring in new characters; and follow-up a story about the end-of-the-world, an otherworldly army, and an all-powerful elf girl the only way they could - by featuring vampires. and the ending/epilogue is the cherry on top that we all wanted for one of the greatest epics in the history of gaming. even if you don't want to play the base game, this is a 30-35hr self-contained experience worth playing!