These are the best quests in The Witcher 3. Some of these are main quests associated with the story and others are optional.
In more ways than one, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a masterpiece. The masterful quest design of the game is part of the reason why it’s such a good game. One of the things that I personally find very captivating about the game is how its side quests are also as compelling as the main quests. Truly, the game feels like a long and adventurous journey.
The inclusions in this article are what I consider to be the greatest quests in the game. I will only include quests from the base game here, and it’s not in any particular order. This article will contain spoilers for the quests mentioned.
One last thing before we get into it. A huge free update and upgrade for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is out now on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S. It features new quests, new equipment, and overhauled graphics and accessibility.
Where the Cat and Wolf Play…
This quest starts off as another Witcher contract. After a while though, you learn that another Witcher had his hands on this quest as well. He was from the Cat school. It eventually becomes clear that the villagers tried to kill this Witcher without paying him. A big mistake to attack an armed Witcher and of course, it ended as anyone would expect it to end. The Witcher slaughtered the entire village. One little girl from the village was left alive and Geralt takes it upon himself to take her to the home of her aunt. And you can also find the Cat school Witcher responsible for the slaughter. It’s your choice whether to let him go or kill him.
Carnal Sins
After meeting with Dandelion, this optional quest unlocks. The singer Priscilla gets attacked by someone and you eventually learn that a killer roams the bustling streets of Novigrad. This quest feels like its straight out of a detective novel and you need to carefully choose the right dialogue options to actually find the real killer. You also uncover the shady and inhuman acts of a high-ranking member of the clergy in Novigrad. He’s the main suspect in the murders and assaults at first, but it’s eventually revealed that a higher vampire who definitely seems clinically insane is the one who commits these heinous crimes.
Bloody Baron Questline
The tragic story of the self-appointed ruler of Velen is one of the most well-written quests not only in The Witcher 3 but in the history of video games. It’s a part of the main story, and it’s twisted and mysterious. The subjects of this questline are grim and disturbing. You uncover that the Baron used to beat his wife when he was drunk and how his daughter was caught in the midst of these conflicts. The household abuse went on and became problems that would later prove to be hazardous not only to the Baron’s family but to Velen.
The Ladies of the Woods is connected to this questline and it’s revealed that the woman who cares for the children at Crookback Bog (where the Ladies reside) is none other than the wife of the Baron. Geralt gets caught up in the extremely complex and mind-boggling case of family troubles and he must make choices that anyone may regret making afterward. It’s a tale of morals, rationality, and tragedy.
The Baron himself means well at some points. It’s really, really difficult for the player to decide what’s right and what’s wrong. It seems like he really repents his actions and that he wants to be a better man. But it sometimes seems too late.
Return to Crookback Bog
Return to Crookback Bog is a direct follow-up to the Bloody Baron main questline. Even though it’s a side quest, it’s just as important as the main quest itself. The conclusion of this quest is a bittersweet ending or a downright bad ending for the tragic tale of the Baron and his family.
You can see how much of a hassle a family issue (a major one) had caused. The Crones – who are more or less gods (or demons) – are connected to the story; it makes it all the more difficult to solve this as ordinary humans would. It is in this quest that you’ll see just how much the Baron regrets everything and how much he wants his family back together.
The Cave of Dreams
This is one of my personal favorite quests set in the isle of Skellige and one of the best side quests in the game, overall. It’s a tale of a fragile and somewhat abusive relationship between a son and a father, and also about the worst fears of some people.
You can witness first-hand what another person goes through in his mind which plays tricks on him. It’s also quite beautiful; the visuals take somewhat of a hallucinative turn, which is not very common in The Witcher 3. In the end, you also witness Geralt’s worst fear, which is associated with Ciri and her fate.
The whole quest feels really personal and makes you sympathize with everyone who travels with you in the cave.
The Battle of Kaer Morhen
The Battle of Kaer Morhen is a quest where the choices you made previously in the story feel more impactful than ever. You’ll regret making or not making some choices and you’ll also be thankful that you did make some choices that would turn the tide of this important and inevitable battle. It’s a great instance where people really need to be together, and let go of their feuds if only for but a few hours. The conclusion of the quest is quite tragic and demotivates many members who engaged in the battle.
It is after this quest that Ciri truly understands her powers and the story of the game reveals to be the story of Ciri, not of Geralt.
High Stakes
If you focused on making a good Gwent deck, you might not have missed this absolute thrill ride of a quest. There’s gambling, romance, and action; it feels like an old thriller movie, sometimes.
At first glance, it seems like just another quest where you play cards, win and walk away with a lot of money. While it does have that vibe, it really isn’t that simple.
There are twists and turns in the quest that makes it seriously enjoyable and compelling. This quest which is associated with a card game proves that in some games, even minor activities can be turned into some of the most awesome missions.
