“Songs of the Past” brings new stories, a new region, and fresh combat mechanics. But above all, the demo reminded us why The Witcher 3 was such a hit over ten years ago.
A stroll through a late-summer idyll and a fistfight against a hungover wannabe bard. That’s all it took in the demo of the Witcher DLC “Songs of the Past” at gamescom to catapult us right back into the universe of Geralt and Dandelion.
More than ten years after its release, however, the RPG looks highly polished graphically. After all, in addition to new content, there’s also a remaster under the hood. It’s being released as a free update and also includes the two previous expansions, “Hearts of Stone” and “Blood and Wine.”
Latvia, the new region, showcases the new visuals beautifully. At its center, a huge lake glistens in the sun, surrounded by colorful villages and forests. With its warm colors and Mediterranean-style idyll, “Songs of the Past” is reminiscent of its predecessor, “Blood and Wine.” However, Letten—inspired by Poland—quickly develops an identity all its own.
A New Story in the Witcher Universe
Story-wise, the beginning of the DLC doesn’t reinvent the wheel. Dandelion has disappeared once again—this time from his family’s home. Accompanied by the bard’s cousin, Lilla, Geralt sets out to find him.
The Witcher quickly leaves the rosy meadows of Letten behind. They give way to a rose garden that’s actually more of a thorn garden. The sunny harvest festival atmosphere turns into a gloomy setting—full of new monsters.
A family legend tells of a mad ancestor who is said to have once wiped out an entire village here. In typical Witcher fashion, there’s a grain of truth to it. At the end of the demo, Geralt must face Ritterthorn’s ancestor.
Geralt Shows Off His Cowboy Skills
To do this, Geralt has a new tool in his arsenal: a chain. It’s used a bit like Indiana Jones’s lasso in the Indiana Jones movies. Either the Witcher uses it to directly attack his enemies—exploiting a new weak point system—or he pulls them toward him.
The 45-minute demo didn’t reveal just how much gameplay depth this feature actually offers. However, at least one creature demonstrates how the new tool can change combat. It’s surrounded by a swarm of bees and can be pulled out of the swarm with the chain. This allows Geralt to deal damage without having to expose himself to the aggressive bees.
Aside from the chain, the combat feels largely familiar, though the remaster stages it more effectively. Signs and bombs explode in larger, more powerful particle clouds, while finisher animations are meant to be the icing on the cake. In the demo, the developer shows one of these using the chain. It looks good—but also seems a bit scripted in the presentation.
The classic Witcher feel
We don’t want to pass final judgment on the combat system after just a 45-minute hands-off presentation by the developers. Details in particular can make a big difference here: How easy is it to target weak points with the chain? How often do finisher animations occur?
There haven’t been any answers to these questions yet. The fact that the talent system has been revamped was also barely touched upon in the demo.
In terms of presentation, however, “Songs of the Past” makes a strong first impression. With polished graphics, Letten entices players not only with new stories but also with the promise of exploring yet another unique and vibrant region. After just a few minutes, we were reminded of why we loved playing The Witcher 3. “Songs of the Past” captures that feeling.
We asked the developers at gamescom how they felt about returning to The Witcher universe, what challenges they faced, and what to expect from “Songs of the Past.”
