The Witcher 3: 8 Things You Should Never Do (2024)

Like with most RPGs, The Witcher 3 gives you plenty of freedom. You can choose where to go, what to buy, and which choices to make. The flexibility is nice, but it means you're susceptible to making the odd error. And along with allowing you to tailor your own experience, the game is known for punishing anyone who makes certain mistakes.

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If you make enough of these blunders, The Witcher 3 becomes a less fulfilling experience than the title should be. You should, of course, still, play the game in the way you desire. But it can't hurt to get a heads-up on some of the things you most want to avoid.

8 Going Into Big Fights Without Using Oil

There are some difficult bosses in The Witcher 3 alongside a bunch of other challenging enemies. Luckily, Geralt has several ways he can prepare for the toughest battles. One of them includes covering his sword in an oil that is effective against his upcoming opponent.

These oils, especially the higher-level versions, give you a significant advantage in every fight. So, you should be using them for pretty much every big battle, particularly if you're playing on the harder difficulties.

7 Selling To The Wrong Merchants

Throughout the game, you will need to sell some of the gear you're no longer using. And thankfully, many merchants in the world of The Witcher will buy your unwanted items. However, not all of them are willing to spend the same amount of coin. Certain buyers will pay you a lot more than others.

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As a general rule, someone who deals with the item you're selling will typically drop more crowns on it. For instance, blacksmiths will pay more for weapons than an innkeeper. Plus, it's smart to sell most of your loot in places like Novigrad and Oxenfurt, as merchants in those places usually offer a lot.

6 Trying To Romance Both Triss And Yennefer

Geralt has several romantic options in The Witcher 3. Triss and Yennefer are the two main ones, however. And the title allows you to pursue them both separately. Yet, the game never mentions the risks involved.

It turns out if you attempt to woo them both, Geralt is put into a difficult situation and ultimately loses the two sorceresses. Interestingly, you can still have two lovers in the game. It seems neither Triss nor Yennefer mind sharing you with a secondary love interest - or they just never find out about it.

5 Starting Gwent Tournaments Before Building Up Your Desk

Gwent is one of the most enjoyable aspects of The Witcher 3, and it's exciting anytime it's included in a quest. In most of those cases, a simple game occurs between Geralt and a friend when they're waiting for something. But there is a couple of quests where you participate in a Gwent tournament.

The competitions are surprisingly hard to win. So, before taking them on, make sure you've got a strong deck. To the game's credit, you don't automatically fail those quests by getting knocked out of the tournament, but it's more satisfying to win the whole thing.

4 Accepting Emhyr's Payment

The game's main narrative truly gets underway once Emperor Emhyr hires you to find Ciri. Of course, Geralt doesn't need any financial incentive to locate his adoptive daughter and keep her safe.

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However, at one point in the game, you might get the chance to accept his payment. You should avoid taking him up on his offer. For one, he doesn't give you an incredible amount of crowns. Most of all, though, it can lead to a disastrous ending for a beloved character.

3 Sticking Solely To The Main Story

While playing through The Witcher 3, it's easy to get caught up in the main story. After all, the game tells a compelling tale. Yet, if you don't take some time away from your search for Ciri to enjoy side quests, then you're missing out.

The optional content is a big reason why The Witcher 3 is considered among the best RPGs in recent memory. Most of them tell interesting, smaller tales and include a litany of fascinating characters.

2 Looting In Front Of Guards

You'd be forgiven for thinking there's no punishment for stealing in The Witcher world as Geralt can just walk into people's homes and loot all of their belongings. The victims don't even protest your actions.

You only find out the dangers of theft when you're stealing in front of guards. If they see you looting, they'll try to attack. Thankfully, regular guards aren't the most dangerous foes in the game. Still, they don't generally sit beside chests that have great loot in them, so angering the guys isn't usually worth it.

1 Starting The Isle Of Mists Too Early

Towards the end of act 2, you receive a quest called The Isle Of Mists. It serves as a big moment in the story. And one that you will be anxious to do straight away. But the quest serves as a sort of point of no return.

You do get the opportunity to free-roam after it's over, but many quests will auto-fail when you start it. Therefore, you should hold off from getting it underway until you've dealt with most of your other commitments.

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