Starfield vs The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

• Perspective: First-Person (Default), Third-Person (Optional)
• Multiplayer: None (Single-Player Only)
• Setting: The Settled Systems (Approx. 50 light-years around Sol), Year 2330
• Platforms: PC, Xbox Series X|S
• Unique Feature: Extensive Spaceship Customization & Combat, Over 1000 Explorable Planets, Deep Character Creation & Skill System, Outpost Building, 'NASA-Punk' Aesthetic.

• Perspective: Third-Person
• Multiplayer: None (Single-Player Only)
• Setting: The Continent (Velen, Novigrad, Skellige Isles, Kaer Morhen, Toussaint - DLC)
• Platforms: PC, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, Nintendo Switch
• Unique Feature: Deep Branching Narrative with Meaningful Choices, Mature Storytelling, Gwent Card Game, Witcher Signs Combat, Extensive Alchemy & Crafting, Monster Contracts.

• Constellation Members (Sarah, Sam, Andreja, Barrett): Core companions who can follow the player, participate in combat, carry gear, and have unique dialogue and personal quests. Each has a set of skills that provide bonuses to the player or their ship when assigned as active companion or crew. Romance options are available with these four.
  Human
• Vasco: A loyal robot companion available early. Provides combat support and significant ship-based skill bonuses (Aneutronic Fusion, Shield Systems, EM Weapon Systems). Cannot be romanced.
  Robot (Constellation Expeditionary Model)
• Hirable Crew Members: Numerous NPCs can be hired from bars and spaceports across the Settled Systems to serve as crew on the player's ship or at outposts. Each has a unique set of skills (e.g., Piloting, Weapon Systems, Outpost Engineering, Gastronomy) that provide passive bonuses when assigned to relevant posts. Some named recruitable characters have more personality than generic hires.
  Human (Various Backgrounds)
• Adoring Fan (Trait-based): If the 'Hero Worshipped' trait is chosen during character creation, this overzealous NPC will randomly appear and offer to join the player's crew. He is enthusiastic, provides gifts, and has combat skills, but his constant adoration can be a humorous annoyance.
  Human

• Ciri (Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon - Temporary Playable & AI): During specific story segments, the player takes control of Ciri. She has a unique combat style focused on teleportation (Blink), fast sword attacks, and powerful Elder Blood abilities. When not playable, she sometimes fights alongside Geralt as an AI companion in key narrative moments.
  Human (Elder Blood User)
• Story-Specific AI Companions (Yennefer, Triss, Eskel, Lambert, Zoltan, Vesemir, Roche, Letho, etc.): During various main story quests and major side quests, key characters will temporarily join Geralt as AI-controlled companions. They provide combat support according to their abilities (e.g., Yennefer uses powerful magic, Lambert fights with Witcher skills, Zoltan uses his axe). Their presence is scripted for those missions and they are not persistently commandable.
  Human, Witcher, Dwarf, Sorceress
• Roach (Geralt's Horse): Geralt's loyal steed and primary means of long-distance travel. Can be called almost anywhere in the open world. Allows for mounted combat (swinging swords, using Signs/crossbow from horseback). Can be equipped with saddles (stamina), saddlebags (inventory capacity), and blinders (reduce panic). Trophies can be attached for passive buffs.
  Equus caballus (Various Breeds/Colors)

• Snow Globes (Earth Landmarks): Unique snow globes depicting famous landmarks from Old Earth (e.g., Empire State Building, Pyramids, London Shard). Finding them often requires reading specific books or notes that provide clues to their location across various planets.
• Skill Magazines (Constellation Guides, Grunt Issue, Kryx's Journal, etc.): Magazines found throughout the Settled Systems. Each one picked up for the first time provides a permanent small buff to a specific skill or character stat (e.g., +5% pistol damage, better prices, increased carry capacity).
• Antique Earth Relics: Various trinkets and items from Old Earth (e.g., antique guns, baseballs, vinyl records) that can be found and sold for credits or kept as mementos. Some are tied to specific points of interest or minor quests.
• Unique Weapons & Armor Pieces: Named legendary items with unique appearances, stats, and powerful pre-set enchantments. Found as rewards for completing difficult quests, defeating powerful enemies, or hidden in high-level areas or locked containers.
• Slates (Audio Logs & Notes): Data slates containing text logs, audio recordings, or notes that provide lore, backstory, environmental storytelling, or clues to quests and hidden items. Found extensively throughout all locations.

• Witcher Gear Diagrams (Scavenger Hunts): Hidden diagrams required to craft and upgrade Witcher School armor and swords. Found by following Scavenger Hunt quests, often in dangerous ruins, caves, or monster lairs across all regions.
• Places of Power: Glowing standing stones found throughout the world. Interacting with one for the first time grants Geralt one Ability Point and a temporary significant buff to a specific Witcher Sign. Marked on the map once discovered nearby.
• Gwent Cards: Collectible cards for the in-universe card game, Gwent. Acquired by winning matches against NPCs, purchasing from merchants, or as quest rewards. There are hundreds of cards across different factions (Northern Realms, Nilfgaard, Scoia'tael, Monsters, Skellige - DLC). A major side activity with its own questline ('Collect 'Em All').
• Hidden Treasures & Smuggler's Caches: Marked on the map as '?' points of interest, often guarded by enemies or monsters. Contain loot chests with gear, crafting materials, money, or diagrams. Smuggler's Caches are typically found underwater in Skellige.
• Monster Nests & Bandit Camps: Locations overrun by monsters or bandits. Geralt must defeat all enemies and destroy the nest (for monsters) or loot the main chest (for bandits) to clear the area, earning XP and rewards.
• Guarded Treasures: Specific locations marked on the map, usually guarded by a powerful monster or group of enemies, protecting a valuable loot chest.
• Persons in Distress (Rescues): NPCs captured by bandits or monsters. Rescuing them often unlocks new merchants, Gwent players, or provides other minor rewards. Marked as '?' until approached.
• Spoils of War (Underwater Treasures): Sunken ships or chests in bodies of water, particularly around the Skellige Isles, containing valuable loot. Often requires use of the crossbow against Drowners.
• Books, Letters, Notes (Lore Items): Found extensively throughout the world in houses, ruins, on corpses, etc. Provide rich lore, backstory, hints for quests, or initiate new quests. Contributes to the in-game glossary.

• Space Exploration
• Discovery
• Sci-Fi
• The Future of Humanity
• Mystery
• Faction Politics
• Colonization
• Adventure
• Hope
• Existential Questions
• Artifacts

• Monster Hunting
• War & Politics
• Moral Ambiguity & Choice
• Destiny & Prophecy
• Found Family
• Love & Loss
• Prejudice & Xenophobia
• Folklore & Slavic Mythology
• The Lesser Evil
• Nature vs. Civilization

• Ballistic Weapons (Pistols, Rifles, Shotguns, SMGs, Heavy): Firearm (Projectile-based)
  Wide variety of conventional firearms using physical ammunition. Includes pistols (Eon, Sidestar), rifles (Grendel, Beowulf, Lawgiver), shotguns (Coachman, Pacifier), and heavy weapons. Can be modified extensively for different ammo types, barrels, stocks, sights, etc.
• Energy Weapons (Laser Pistols, Laser Rifles): Firearm (Directed Energy)
  Weapons firing laser beams, effective against robots and some enemy types. Includes pistols (Equinox, Solstice) and rifles. Use energy cells as ammunition. Modifiable.
• Electromagnetic (EM) Weapons (EM Pistols, EM Rifles): Non-Lethal Firearm (Stunning/Disabling)
  Weapons designed to incapacitate targets by dealing EM damage, draining their 'stun' meter rather than health. Useful for non-lethal takedowns or capturing ships. Includes Novalight pistol, Novablast Disruptor rifle.
• Particle Beam Weapons (Particle Pistols, Particle Rifles, Particle Shotguns, Heavy): Advanced Firearm (Energy/Ballistic Hybrid Damage)
  High-tech weapons that deal both energy and physical damage simultaneously. Very effective against a wide range of targets. Includes Va'ruun Inflictor, Big Bang, Magshear, MagSniper. Uses specialized particle ammunition.
• Melee Weapons (Knives, Axes, Cutlasses, Rescue Axe, Tanto, Va'ruun Painblade): Close Quarters Combat
  Various bladed and blunt weapons for close-quarters combat. Damage and speed vary by type. Some unique melee weapons have special properties.
• Explosives (Grenades, Mines): Throwable/Deployable (Area of Effect)
  Includes Frag Grenades, Incendiary Grenades, Impact Grenades, various types of Mines. Used for area denial, crowd control, or dealing heavy damage.
• Unique & Legendary Weapons: Varied (Named Special Versions)
  Special named versions of standard weapons with unique appearances and pre-set powerful enchantments (e.g., increased damage, elemental effects, special properties). Found as quest rewards, loot from powerful enemies, or in specific locations.

• Steel Swords: Melee (Primary vs. Humans & Non-Monsters)
  Geralt's primary weapon against human opponents and common animals. Various types exist (e.g., Longclaw, Vitis, various relic swords) with different stats, rune slots, and appearances. Can be crafted or found.
• Silver Swords: Melee (Primary vs. Monsters)
  Geralt's specialized weapon for fighting monsters, as silver is effective against most supernatural creatures. Similar variety and upgrade paths as steel swords (e.g., Aerondight, various Witcher school silver swords).
• Crossbows: Ranged (Utility/Underwater)
  A secondary ranged weapon. Primarily used for grounding flying enemies, underwater combat against Drowners, or triggering environmental interactions. Various bolt types can be crafted (standard, broadhead, explosive, tracking).
• Bombs (Grapeshot, Samum, Dancing Star, Northern Wind, Dimeritium, Moon Dust, Devil's Puffball): Throwable (Area of Effect, Debuff, Utility)
  Craftable alchemical explosives with diverse effects: Grapeshot (shrapnel damage), Samum (stuns), Dancing Star (fire), Northern Wind (freezes), Dimeritium (blocks magic/mutations), Moon Dust (reveals invisible foes), Devil's Puffball (poison cloud).
• Fists (Brawling): Melee (Unarmed)
  Geralt can engage in unarmed combat, particularly during fist fighting side quests and tournaments.
• Witcher Gear Swords (Feline, Griffin, Ursine, Wolven, Viper, Manticore): Craftable/Upgradable (Steel & Silver)
  Specialized sets of swords belonging to different Witcher schools. Each set offers unique stat bonuses and visual styles, often complementing the armor sets of the same school (e.g., Feline swords for fast attacks and bleed, Ursine for strong attacks and adrenaline).
• Relic & Magic Weapons (Unique Named Items): Varied (Steel & Silver)
  Unique named swords found as quest rewards, loot from powerful enemies, or in hidden locations. Often have special properties, higher base damage, or unique visual designs (e.g., Aerondight, Iris, Winter's Blade).

• Spacesuits: The primary protective gear. Provides physical, energy, and EM damage resistance, as well as protection against environmental hazards (thermal, corrosive, airborne, radiation). Spacesuits have various stats, mod slots, mass, and value. Tiered from common to legendary with special perks.
• Packs (Boost Packs): Equipped alongside spacesuits. Provide additional damage resistances and environmental protection. Crucially, they enable boosted jumps and short bursts of flight (jetpack functionality), essential for traversal. Can be modded for different boost types and stats. Tiered.
• Helmets: Complete the spacesuit ensemble. Offer damage resistances and environmental protection, particularly for airborne hazards. Can be modded. Tiered.
• Apparel (Underneath Spacesuit): Clothing items worn under the spacesuit when in hazardous environments, or as standalone outfits in safe, breathable locations (cities, ships, outposts). Apparel items can offer minor stat boosts (e.g., +persuasion chance, +O2 capacity) or perks. Huge variety of styles.
• Armor Tiers & Quality (Common, Calibrated, Refined, Advanced, Superior / Legendary Perks): Spacesuits, Packs, and Helmets come in different quality tiers (e.g., Common, Calibrated, Refined, Advanced, Superior for base stats) and can also have up to three legendary perks (e.g., Chameleon, Incendiary, Sentinel) that provide powerful passive effects.

• Witcher School Gear Sets (Feline, Griffin, Ursine, Wolven, Viper, Manticore): Sets of matching Chest Armor, Gauntlets, Trousers, and Boots belonging to different Witcher schools. Each set offers specific stat bonuses tailored to a playstyle (e.g., Feline for light armor/fast attacks/crit, Ursine for heavy armor/strong attacks/adrenaline, Griffin for medium armor/Sign intensity). These sets can be crafted using diagrams found via Scavenger Hunt quests and upgraded through multiple tiers (Basic, Enhanced, Superior, Mastercrafted, Grandmaster - with DLC).
• Common, Magic, Master, Relic Armor Pieces: Non-Witcher gear armor pieces found as loot, purchased from merchants, or crafted. Categorized by rarity (Common - grey, Magic - blue, Master - yellow/orange, Relic - gold/brown) which influences their base stats, number of rune slots, and potential for unique perks. Can be mixed and matched.
• Armor Runestones & Glyphs: Enhancements that can be socketed into armor pieces with available slots. Runestones (typically for swords) and Glyphs (for armor) provide passive bonuses like increased Sign intensity, elemental resistance, health regeneration, or reduced damage from specific enemy types.
• Heavy, Medium, Light Armor Types: Armor pieces are generally classified as Light, Medium, or Heavy, affecting Geralt's stamina regeneration rate (Light armor regenerates stamina fastest, Heavy slowest). Certain character skills in the General tree can mitigate these penalties or provide bonuses based on armor type.

• Apparel Sets (Outfits): Various complete outfits that can be worn in breathable environments (cities, ships, outposts). These range from casual wear (street clothes, corpo attire) to faction uniforms (UC SysDef, Freestar Ranger, Ryujin) and specialized clothing (miner gear, scientist outfits). Some provide minor perks or stat boosts.
• Individual Apparel Pieces: While not as granular as some games, players can often find individual pieces like hats, glasses, or specific clothing items that can be mixed, though the primary 'armor' system revolves around the Spacesuit/Pack/Helmet combination.
• Spacesuit Visuals: Different spacesuits, helmets, and packs have unique visual designs, reflecting their origin (e.g., UC Marine, Freestar Militia, Constellation, Pirate, Ecliptic Mercenary) or manufacturer. Players often choose these for their stats and perks, but aesthetics also play a role.

• Witcher School Gear (Armor Sets: Feline, Griffin, Ursine, Wolven, Viper, Manticore, Grandmaster variants): Geralt can craft and upgrade full sets of armor (Chest, Gauntlets, Trousers, Boots) belonging to different Witcher schools. Each set provides unique stat bonuses tailored to specific playstyles (e.g., Feline for light armor/fast attacks, Ursine for heavy armor/strong attacks, Griffin for Sign intensity). Visuals change with each upgrade tier (Basic, Enhanced, Superior, Mastercrafted, Grandmaster).
• Common, Magic, Master, Relic Armor Pieces: A vast array of non-Witcher gear armor pieces found as loot, purchased, or crafted. These include gambesons, leather jackets, plate armor pieces, trousers, boots, and gauntlets. Categorized by rarity, influencing stats and rune slots. Can be mixed and matched.
• Formal Attire (Doublets, Pourpoints - e.g., for Novigrad/Toussaint noblesse): Specific outfits required for certain quests or to fit in with high society, particularly in Novigrad and Toussaint. Often more ornate and less combat-focused.
• Dyes (Blood and Wine DLC): The Blood and Wine expansion introduced armor dyes, allowing players to change the color of most Witcher gear and some other armor pieces using specific dye formulas and ingredients.
• Hairstyles & Beards: Geralt can visit barbers in towns and cities to change his hairstyle and beard style. His beard also grows dynamically over time if not shaved.
• Trophies (Monster Trophies for Roach): Defeating certain powerful monsters or winning horse races can reward Geralt with trophies that can be equipped to his horse, Roach, providing small passive bonuses (e.g., +% gold, +% dismemberment chance). These are also visually displayed on Roach.

Player progression uses a skill system divided into five trees: Physical, Social, Combat, Science, and Tech. Each skill has multiple ranks that are unlocked by spending skill points (earned by leveling up) and then completing in-game challenges related to that skill. Research projects at workbenches unlock new crafting recipes for weapon mods, suit/pack/helmet mods, outpost components, and chems/food. Powers, akin to space magic, are unlocked by finding and interacting with alien temples.

The game features several large, distinct open-world regions rather than one single contiguous map. These include: White Orchard (prologue area), Velen & Novigrad (a massive combined region of swamps, forests, battlefields, and the large city of Novigrad), Skellige Isles (an archipelago of mountainous, Viking-inspired islands), Kaer Morhen (a smaller mountainous region with the Witcher keep), and later through DLCs, Toussaint (a vibrant, fairy-tale duchy). The total landmass is estimated to be very large (e.g., Velen/Novigrad alone is often cited as over 100 sq km, with Skellige adding another significant portion). Each region is densely packed with quests, points of interest, monster nests, and hidden treasures.

• Player Starships (Various Manufacturers & Classes): Customizable Spacecraft (Primary Vehicle)
  The player's primary means of interstellar travel, combat, and mobile base. Ships come in various classes (A, B, C - determining module compatibility and reactor power) from manufacturers like Stroud-Eklund, Deimos, Nova Galactic, Taiyo Astroneering, HopeTech. Can be heavily customized with different weapons (lasers, ballistics, missiles, particle beams, EM), shields, engines, grav drives, reactors, cargo holds, hab modules, and cosmetic parts. Can be stolen, bought, or awarded.
• Boost Pack (Jetpack): Personal Traversal Gear
  Equipped as part of the 'Pack' armor slot. Allows for boosted jumps, short bursts of flight, and maneuvering in low-gravity environments. Different types of boost packs offer varying thrust, duration, and control.
• Ground Traversal (On Foot): Player Locomotion
  Primary means of exploring planetary surfaces. Player movement includes walking, running, sprinting (uses O2), jumping, and using the boost pack. There are no player-controlled ground vehicles like rovers or bikes in the base game for planetary exploration.
• Enemy/NPC Starships: AI Controlled Spacecraft
  Various starships piloted by factions (UC, Freestar, Crimson Fleet, Spacers, Ecliptic, Va'ruun), traders, and civilians. Encountered in space for combat, piracy, or peaceful interactions.

• Roach (Geralt's Horse): Primary Mount / Living Vehicle
  Geralt's loyal and ever-present horse (regardless of how many times a 'Roach' might perish, the next one is also named Roach). Essential for traversing the vast open world. Can be called with a whistle. Allows for mounted combat, and can be equipped with saddles (for stamina), saddlebags (for increased inventory weight), blinders (to reduce panic), and trophies (for passive buffs).
• Boats (Skiffs, Sailboats): Watercraft
  Used for navigating rivers, lakes, and the seas around the Skellige Isles. Includes small rowboats/skiffs and larger sailboats. Some boats are equipped with a fast travel point. Vulnerable to Sirens and other aquatic threats.
• Fast Travel (Signposts): Map Traversal Mechanic
  Once Geralt discovers a Signpost in the world, he can use it (or any other discovered Signpost) to instantly travel to any other known Signpost location, greatly reducing travel time across large distances.

• Ashta (Akila): Canid-like Predator
  Hostile Apex Predator on Akila, resembles a wolf/hyena hybrid.
• Terrormorph: Apex Xenomorph
  Extremely Hostile, Powerful, and Feared Alien Creature, central to a major faction questline.
• Hunting Grazer / Flocking Filterer / Herding Herbivore (Generic Procedural Types): Various Procedurally Generated Fauna
  Common herbivores found on many planets, varying in appearance and behavior. Primary source for organic resources and XP via scanning/hunting.
• Hunting Swarmer / Flocking Scarab / Herding Beetle (Generic Procedural Types): Various Procedurally Generated Insectoid/Small Fauna
  Smaller creatures, often in groups, some may be passive or mildly hostile. Source for specific organic resources.
• Apex / Scavenger / Hunter (Generic Procedural Predator Types): Various Procedurally Generated Carnivores
  Predatory creatures found on many planets, ranging from pack hunters to solitary apex threats. Their aggression and abilities vary widely.
• Floating Gas Bags / Filter Critters (Generic Procedural Aerial/Aquatic Fauna): Various Procedurally Generated Aerial/Aquatic Life
  Creatures found flying in atmospheres or swimming in bodies of water on different planets. Some may be passive, others defensive.
• Unique Handcrafted Creatures (Planet Specific): Various Named Species
  Specific, named alien creatures found on handcrafted planets or involved in quests, with unique designs and behaviors (e.g., Kreet Stalker, Sirens of Titan).

• Player Character ('The Captain' / 'Dusty'): Protagonist / Member of Constellation
  A customizable character (appearance, background, traits) who starts as a miner for Argos Extractors. After touching a mysterious alien artifact, they experience visions and are recruited into Constellation, an organization of explorers seeking to unravel the universe's greatest mysteries.
• Sarah Morgan: Ally / Companion / Chair of Constellation
  The dedicated and composed leader of Constellation. A former UC Navy officer and navigator, she is driven by exploration and the pursuit of knowledge. One of the first main companions available.
• Sam Coe: Ally / Companion / Constellation Member
  A former Freestar Ranger and descendant of Solomon Coe, the founder of Akila City. He's an adventurous space cowboy type, accompanied by his young daughter, Cora Coe. Offers piloting and rifle certification skills.
• Andreja: Ally / Companion / Constellation Member
  A mysterious Constellation operative with a shadowy past and connections to House Va'ruun. She is pragmatic, skilled in stealth, particle beams, and has a guarded personality. Offers stealth and particle weapons skills.
• Barrett: Ally / Companion / Constellation Member
  An adventurous and eccentric Constellation scientist and explorer who first encounters the player at Argos Extractors. Known for his witty banter and engineering skills. Offers starship engineering and particle beam weapon skills.
• Vasco: Ally / Companion / Constellation Robot
  A modified expeditionary robot belonging to Constellation, one of the earliest companions. Loyal and capable, providing combat support and ship system bonuses. Offers Aneutronic Fusion, Shield Systems, and EM Weapon Systems skills for the ship.
• The Hunter: Antagonist / Starborn
  A powerful and relentless Starborn who believes in a 'survival of the fittest' approach to acquiring artifacts and reaching the Unity. Serves as a recurring, formidable antagonist.
• The Emissary: Antagonist/Neutral Figure / Starborn
  Another powerful Starborn who represents a more ordered or controlled approach to the Unity and the artifacts, often clashing with The Hunter and the player. Their identity is a key reveal.
• Walter Stroud: Ally / Financier of Constellation
  The co-owner of Stroud-Eklund, one of the major starship manufacturers, and the primary financial backer of Constellation. A pragmatic businessman with a keen interest in their discoveries.
• Vladimir Sall: Ally / Constellation Member / Former Crimson Fleet Pirate
  Resides on 'The Eye,' Constellation's space station. He helps locate temples and artifacts and has a colorful past as a pirate.
• Commander Ikande (UC SysDef): Faction Leader / Potential Ally or Antagonist
  Leader of UC SysDef, dedicated to eradicating the Crimson Fleet. The player can choose to work with him or against him during the Crimson Fleet questline.
• Delgado (Crimson Fleet): Faction Leader / Potential Ally or Antagonist
  Leader of the Crimson Fleet pirates. The player can choose to infiltrate or genuinely join his faction.

• Geralt of Rivia: Protagonist / Witcher (School of the Wolf)
  The main playable character. A renowned professional monster slayer, mutated and trained from a young age. He is searching for his adoptive daughter, Ciri, while navigating complex political conflicts and personal relationships. Known for his dry wit, pragmatism, and combat prowess.
• Ciri (Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon): Deuteragonist / Child of Prophecy / Witcher Trainee
  The ashen-haired princess of Cintra and possessor of the Elder Blood, granting her immense magical power, including the ability to travel through space and time. Geralt's adoptive daughter, pursued by the Wild Hunt. Playable in specific story segments, showcasing her unique teleportation-based combat style.
• Yennefer of Vengerberg: Ally / Sorceress / Geralt's True Love
  A powerful and ambitious sorceress from the Lodge of Sorceresses, Geralt's on-again, off-again lover, and a mother figure to Ciri. Known for her striking beauty (violets and gooseberries scent), sharp intellect, and complex morality.
• Triss Merigold: Ally / Sorceress / Geralt's Friend & Potential Love Interest
  A skilled Temerian sorceress, close friend to Geralt and Yennefer, and another important figure in Ciri's life. Known for her kindness, loyalty, and powerful fire magic. A potential romantic interest for Geralt.
• Vesemir: Ally / Witcher Mentor (School of the Wolf)
  The oldest and most experienced Witcher at Kaer Morhen, serving as a father figure and mentor to Geralt and other Witchers. Wise, grizzled, and highly skilled.
• Dandelion (Julian Alfred Pankratz, Viscount de Lettenhove): Ally / Bard / Geralt's Best Friend
  A flamboyant and renowned poet, minstrel, and Geralt's loyal (if sometimes troublesome) best friend. Often provides comic relief and narrates parts of the story through his ballads.
• Zoltan Chivay: Ally / Dwarf Warrior / Geralt's Friend
  A boisterous and fiercely loyal dwarven warrior and friend of Geralt and Dandelion. Always ready for a fight or a game of Gwent.
• Emperor Emhyr var Emreis (The White Flame Dancing on the Barrows of his Foes): Antagonist / Ruler of Nilfgaard / Ciri's Biological Father
  The powerful and ruthless Emperor of Nilfgaard, waging war against the Northern Kingdoms. He is Ciri's biological father and seeks to find her for political and personal reasons.
• Eredin Bréacc Glas (King of the Wild Hunt): Main Antagonist / Leader of the Wild Hunt
  The fearsome king of the Aen Elle elves from another dimension, leader of the spectral Wild Hunt. He relentlessly pursues Ciri to harness her Elder Blood power for his own purposes.
• Imlerith & Caranthir Ar-Feiniel: Antagonists / Generals of the Wild Hunt
  Two of Eredin's most powerful generals. Imlerith is a brutal warrior, while Caranthir is a skilled mage specializing in ice and teleportation.
• Phillip Strenger (The Bloody Baron): Key NPC / Warlord of Velen
  A complex and tragic figure, a former Temerian soldier who has become the self-proclaimed ruler of Velen. His questline to find his missing wife and daughter is a major, dark storyline.
• Keira Metz: Ally / Sorceress / Former Advisor to King Foltest
  A sorceress hiding in Velen after the witch hunts. She assists Geralt with information and magic, and has her own ambitions.
• Sigismund Dijkstra: Key NPC / Former Head of Redanian Intelligence / Novigrad Underworld Figure
  A cunning spymaster and influential figure in Novigrad's criminal underworld. Often an information broker for Geralt, with his own political agenda.
• Crach an Craite: Ally / Jarl of Clan an Craite (Skellige)
  A powerful and honorable Skellige Jarl, uncle to Ciri through his sister Calanthe, and a friend to Geralt and Yennefer. Father of Hjalmar and Cerys.
• Avallac'h (Crevan Espane aep Caomhan Macha): Key NPC / Aen Saevherne (Elven Sage)
  An ancient and knowledgeable elven sage with a deep connection to Ciri and the Elder Blood. His motives are often enigmatic, acting as both a guide and a manipulator.

• Main Questline (Constellation & The Artifacts)
  A series of core story missions following the player's journey with Constellation to find and understand mysterious alien artifacts, leading to encounters with the Starborn and revelations about the universe and the Unity. This questline culminates in a major decision impacting the player's progression into New Game Plus.
• Faction Questlines (UC Vanguard, Freestar Rangers, Ryujin Industries, Crimson Fleet)
  Extensive, multi-part storylines associated with the major factions in the Settled Systems. Players can choose to join one or more of these factions (though some choices may have consequences for others). Each offers unique missions, characters, rewards, and moral dilemmas (e.g., UC Vanguard involves fighting Terrormorphs; Freestar Rangers act as space western lawmen; Ryujin Industries focuses on corporate espionage; Crimson Fleet involves piracy and a choice to betray or fully join them).
• Companion Quests
  Personal quests related to the four main Constellation companions (Sarah, Sam, Andreja, Barrett). Completing these deepens the relationship with the companion, reveals their backstory, and can lead to romance or commitment.
• Side Missions (Activities & Miscellaneous Quests)
  A vast number of smaller, optional quests found by exploring cities, settlements, space stations, or by overhearing conversations and reading slates. These range from simple fetch quests to more involved local stories, bounty hunting, or resolving minor conflicts.
• Outpost Establishment & Resource Management
  Missions or self-directed objectives related to building and managing outposts for resource extraction (mining minerals, harvesting flora/fauna, generating power) and crafting. This includes setting up cargo links between outposts.
• Ship Combat & Bounty Hunting (Mission Board)
  Engaging in space combat against pirates, spacers, or faction enemies. Players can take on bounty hunting missions from mission boards to track down and eliminate or capture wanted ships and individuals.
• Planetary Survey & Exploration
  Fully surveying planets by scanning all their unique flora, fauna, resources, and discovering all planetary traits. Survey data can be sold for credits. Exploration can also lead to finding hidden points of interest, caves, abandoned facilities, and unique encounters.

• Main Questline (The Wild Hunt & Ciri's Fate)
  A sprawling narrative following Geralt's search for Ciri across Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige, while evading and eventually confronting the otherworldly Wild Hunt. Involves major plot points, character reunions, political intrigue, difficult choices, and epic battles. Culminates in one of several possible endings based on player actions.
• Witcher Contracts
  Monster hunting assignments taken from notice boards or directly from NPCs. Geralt must investigate the monster sighting, track the beast using his Witcher Senses, learn its weaknesses from the Bestiary, prepare accordingly (oils, potions, bombs, Signs), and then slay or deal with the monster. Rewards include coin, XP, and sometimes unique items or diagrams.
• Secondary Quests (Major Side Storylines)
  Often lengthy and narratively rich optional questlines that delve into the stories of key supporting characters (e.g., Yennefer, Triss, Keira Metz, The Bloody Baron, Crach an Craite's children Hjalmar & Cerys, Vernon Roche, Sigismund Dijkstra) or explore significant political or social issues within a region. Many feature impactful choices.
• Treasure Hunts & Scavenger Hunts (Witcher Gear)
  Quests initiated by finding maps or notes that lead to hidden stashes of valuable loot (Treasure Hunts) or diagrams for crafting powerful Witcher School gear (Scavenger Hunts). Often involve exploring ruins, caves, or solving light environmental puzzles.
• Gwent Quests (Card Collection & Tournaments)
  A series of quests related to playing and collecting Gwent cards. Includes challenging unique NPCs to matches to win their rare cards, participating in major Gwent tournaments (like the one at the Passiflora in Novigrad), and ultimately aiming to 'Collect 'Em All'.
• Fistfighting Championships
  A series of unarmed brawling tournaments across Velen, Novigrad, and Skellige, where Geralt fights progressively tougher opponents to become champion of each region.
• Horse Races
  Participate in horse races against NPCs in various regions. Winning races rewards unique horse equipment (saddles, saddlebags, blinders) and money.
• Points of Interest Clearing (Bandit Camps, Monster Nests, Guarded Treasures, etc.)
  Numerous '?' markers on the map that represent small combat encounters or explorable locations. Clearing these provides XP, loot, and contributes to regional completion.
• Hearts of Stone DLC Main Questline
  A dark and compelling new main story involving Geralt making a pact with the enigmatic Gaunter O'Dimm (Master Mirror) to fulfill three impossible tasks for Olgierd von Everec, an immortal nobleman. Set primarily in the northeastern Velen/Novigrad region.
• Blood and Wine DLC Main Questline
  Geralt travels to the vibrant, idyllic duchy of Toussaint to investigate a series of brutal murders. This expansion features a new massive region, a complex storyline involving vampires, knights, and courtly intrigue, and introduces new game mechanics like vineyard management (Corvo Bianco) and Mutations.

Available in Standard Edition, Premium Edition (included 'Shattered Space' story expansion upon release, Constellation Skin Pack, digital artbook & soundtrack, and 5 days early access), and the Constellation Edition (physical collector's edition with a SteelBook display case, Constellation patch, Chronomark watch & case, credit stick with game code, and all Premium Edition digital content).

Available in Standard Edition. A Collector's Edition included a Geralt vs. Griffin statue, SteelBook, artbook, medallion, map. Later, a Game of the Year Edition (or Complete Edition) was released, bundling the base game with both major expansions ('Hearts of Stone' and 'Blood and Wine') and all free DLCs. The Next-Gen Update (Patch 4.0) was a free upgrade for existing owners on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.

The first major story expansion, 'Shattered Space,' is confirmed and included in the Premium/Constellation Editions, expected in Fall 2024. Bethesda has also stated plans for ongoing support with new content, features, and official mod support (Creations).

CD Projekt Red released 16 free DLCs (cosmetic items, small quests, New Game+). Two major paid expansions were released: 'Hearts of Stone' (a lengthy, dark, and story-focused adventure with new characters and a compelling narrative) and 'Blood and Wine' (a massive expansion set in the new region of Toussaint, with a new main storyline, numerous side quests, new monsters, gear, and a player home vineyard). Both expansions are critically acclaimed.

• Q: How many planets are in Starfield?
  A: Starfield features over 1,000 planets and moons across approximately 100 star systems that players can explore.
• Q: Is Starfield a direct sequel to Fallout or Elder Scrolls?
  A: No, Starfield is a completely new intellectual property (IP) from Bethesda Game Studios, set in its own unique universe, distinct from their Fallout and The Elder Scrolls series.
• Q: Can I fly my spaceship seamlessly from space to planet surfaces?
  A: While you can fly in space and select landing spots on planets from orbit, the transition from space to being on the planet surface (and vice-versa) involves a short loading screen/cutscene. You cannot manually pilot your ship through a planet's atmosphere down to the ground in a seamless manner like in some other space games.
• Q: Is there base building in Starfield?
  A: Yes, players can establish and build Outposts on many planets and moons. These outposts can be used for resource extraction, crafting, storage, and as player homes. They can be customized with various modules, defenses, and crew assignments.
• Q: How does spaceship customization work?
  A: Starfield features an extensive ship builder. Players can buy pre-built ships or heavily customize existing ones by adding, removing, and modifying various modules like cockpits, engines, weapons, shields, cargo holds, habs (living quarters), and structural components. Ships can also be painted and decorated.
• Q: Are there aliens to interact with besides hostile creatures?
  A: The game focuses on human factions and the mystery of alien artifacts. While there is abundant alien flora and fauna, and enigmatic precursor alien technology, there are no sentient, spacefaring alien civilizations to interact with in the traditional sense (like in Mass Effect) within the base game, aside from the Starborn.

• Q: Is The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt the end of Geralt's story?
  A: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its 'Blood and Wine' expansion are considered the definitive end of Geralt of Rivia's saga as told by CD Projekt Red. While the Witcher universe continues in other media, the developers have stated this game concludes Geralt's main storyline.
• Q: Do I need to play The Witcher 1 and 2 before The Witcher 3?
  A: While The Witcher 3 is designed to be accessible to newcomers, playing the previous games (or at least being familiar with their stories) significantly enhances the understanding of the characters, world politics, and recurring plot threads. The game does allow importing saves from The Witcher 2 on PC to reflect some past choices.
• Q: What is Gwent?
  A: Gwent is an in-universe collectible card game that Geralt can play with numerous NPCs. It involves building decks for different factions (Northern Realms, Nilfgaard, Scoia'tael, Monsters, Skellige) and strategically playing unit and spell cards across three rows to win two out of three rounds. It became so popular it spawned a standalone Gwent game.
• Q: How important are choices in The Witcher 3?
  A: Player choices are extremely important and have far-reaching consequences. Decisions made in main quests, side quests, and even dialogues can affect character relationships, the fate of individuals and communities, regional politics, and ultimately lead to one of several distinct endings for Geralt, Ciri, and the world.
• Q: What are Witcher Contracts?
  A: Witcher Contracts are side quests where Geralt undertakes his professional duty: hunting down and slaying dangerous monsters for a negotiated fee. These typically involve investigation (tracking, examining clues with Witcher Senses), preparation (learning about the monster's weaknesses, brewing appropriate potions/oils), and a challenging boss fight.
• Q: What did the Next-Gen Update (Patch 4.0) change?
  A: The Next-Gen Update, released in December 2022, brought significant visual enhancements like ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, improved textures and foliage, faster loading times (on supported hardware), new camera options, integrated community-made mods, quality-of-life improvements, and new content inspired by The Witcher Netflix series. It also increased system requirements, particularly for PC.

Developed on Creation Engine 2, Starfield showcases Bethesda's 'NASA-Punk' art style, blending realistic near-future technology with rugged, functional designs. It features detailed planetary surfaces, diverse biomes, impressive lighting (especially in space and during sunrises/sets on planets), and detailed character/ship models. The scale of the universe and seamless transitions from space to planet (with a loading screen) are key visual aspects.

Powered by REDengine 3, The Witcher 3 was renowned for its stunning visuals at launch, showcasing vast, detailed landscapes, realistic weather systems, and expressive character models. The Next-Gen Update (Patch 4.0) significantly enhanced visuals on PC and current-gen consoles, adding ray-traced global illumination and ambient occlusion, improved screen space reflections, higher resolution textures, and denser environments, making it visually competitive with modern titles.

Original score composed by Inon Zur, featuring sweeping orchestral themes that evoke a sense of wonder, exploration, and epic adventure. Music is dynamic and adapts to gameplay situations. Sound design focuses on realistic weapon effects, spaceship sounds (engines, grav jumps, combat), and diverse alien creature vocalizations and environmental ambiances.

Original score composed by Marcin Przybyłowicz and Mikołaj Stroiński, featuring a blend of orchestral arrangements, Slavic folk music influences, and haunting ambient tracks. The soundtrack, particularly tracks like 'The Wolven Storm (Priscilla's Song)' and various battle themes, is highly praised. Sound design is immersive, with distinct monster sounds, environmental ambiances reflecting different regions, and impactful combat effects.

Features a clean, sci-fi 'NASA-Punk' aesthetic HUD displaying health, oxygen, ammo, and a compass. Menus for inventory (grid-based), skills, ship management, starmap, and missions are navigated through a wrist-mounted device interface. Scanning mode highlights resources, flora, fauna, and points of interest.

Features a customizable HUD displaying health, stamina, toxicity, equipped Signs, and a mini-map. A radial menu allows quick selection of Signs, potions, bombs, and pocket items. Inventory, character (skills, gear), alchemy, crafting, journal, and world map are accessed through a comprehensive menu system. The Bestiary provides information on monsters and their weaknesses.

Includes options for subtitle customization (size, background, speaker names), control remapping (PC), adjustable text size, aim assist toggle, options to change hold-to-activate to a toggle, large menu fonts, and various gameplay settings to tweak difficulty and visual effects like motion blur and film grain.

The original release had limited accessibility options. The Next-Gen Update and subsequent patches improved this, adding features like customizable subtitles (size, background), options for font size, HUD scaling, control remapping (PC), options to reduce camera motion/head bob, and gameplay settings like auto-looting and alternative QTE inputs.

• Official system requirements from Bethesda. Performance can vary significantly depending on specific hardware, settings, areas in-game, and background applications. An SSD is MANDATORY. The game is known to be CPU intensive.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop models of listed desktop GPUs may work if their performance is comparable, but TGP (Total Graphics Power) and cooling are extremely critical for this demanding title. **Starfield is a very graphically and CPU intensive game; high-end laptop hardware is required for enjoyable experiences, especially at higher resolutions/settings. Upscaling is highly recommended.**
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Maximum TGP is crucial for performance.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Excellent cooling is essential to prevent severe thermal throttling.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: Laptops with sustained high CPU power limits will perform better, as Starfield is CPU-bound in many scenarios.
• Laptop Consideration: R A M Speed Dual Channel: Fast dual-channel RAM (DDR5 preferred) significantly benefits performance.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Using a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended for optimal framerates.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Supports AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 (FSR 2). NVIDIA DLSS support was added via official patch; DLSS 3 Frame Generation is also supported if your GPU allows. Intel XeSS may be available via mod or future update.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: Shadow Quality, Volumetric Lighting, Crowd Density, GTAO Quality, Grass Quality, Motion Blur, and Dynamic Resolution (if not using fixed FSR/DLSS percentages) heavily impact performance. Render Resolution Scale is the primary tool for performance tuning.
• Game Name: Starfield

• Official PC system requirements from CD Projekt Red. The game received a 'Next-Gen Update' (Patch 4.0) in December 2022 which significantly upgraded visuals (including ray tracing) and increased system demands. The requirements below reflect both original and updated recommendations where appropriate.
• Laptop Performance Note: Laptop models of listed desktop GPUs may work if their performance is comparable, but TGP (Total Graphics Power) and cooling are critical. **The Next-Gen Update makes the game very demanding at higher settings, especially with ray tracing.**
• Laptop Consideration: G P U T G P: Good TGP is important for consistent performance, especially with RT.
• Laptop Consideration: Cooling Thermals: Robust cooling is essential for sustained performance.
• Laptop Consideration: C P U Power Limits: A good CPU is needed for the dense world and NPC interactions.
• Laptop Consideration: R A M Speed Dual Channel: Fast dual-channel RAM benefits performance.
• Laptop Consideration: M U X Switch Optimus: Using a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended.
• Optimization Detail: Upscaling Tech: Next-Gen Update added support for NVIDIA DLSS (Super Resolution & Frame Generation), AMD FSR 2, and Intel XeSS.
• Optimization Detail: Key Settings Impact: NVIDIA HairWorks (very demanding), Shadow Quality, Foliage Visibility Range, Grass Density, Texture Quality, Ambient Occlusion, Water Quality, and Ray Tracing (Global Illumination, Reflections, Shadows, AO - Next-Gen Update) heavily impact performance.
• Game Name: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt

• Upscaling Tech: Supports AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution 2 (FSR 2). NVIDIA DLSS support was added via official patch; DLSS 3 Frame Generation is also supported if your GPU allows. Intel XeSS may be available via mod or future update.
• Key Settings Impact: Shadow Quality, Volumetric Lighting, Crowd Density, GTAO Quality, Grass Quality, Motion Blur, and Dynamic Resolution (if not using fixed FSR/DLSS percentages) heavily impact performance. Render Resolution Scale is the primary tool for performance tuning.

• Upscaling Tech: Next-Gen Update added support for NVIDIA DLSS (Super Resolution & Frame Generation), AMD FSR 2, and Intel XeSS.
• Key Settings Impact: NVIDIA HairWorks (very demanding), Shadow Quality, Foliage Visibility Range, Grass Density, Texture Quality, Ambient Occlusion, Water Quality, and Ray Tracing (Global Illumination, Reflections, Shadows, AO - Next-Gen Update) heavily impact performance.

• G P U T G P: Maximum TGP is crucial for performance.
• Cooling Thermals: Excellent cooling is essential to prevent severe thermal throttling.
• C P U Power Limits: Laptops with sustained high CPU power limits will perform better, as Starfield is CPU-bound in many scenarios.
• R A M Speed Dual Channel: Fast dual-channel RAM (DDR5 preferred) significantly benefits performance.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Using a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is highly recommended for optimal framerates.

• G P U T G P: Good TGP is important for consistent performance, especially with RT.
• Cooling Thermals: Robust cooling is essential for sustained performance.
• C P U Power Limits: A good CPU is needed for the dense world and NPC interactions.
• R A M Speed Dual Channel: Fast dual-channel RAM benefits performance.
• M U X Switch Optimus: Using a MUX switch or NVIDIA Advanced Optimus is recommended.