The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Hearts of Stone Review (Veggie Vader)
Hearts of Stone: Darkness, deals, and one damn good story!
Step again into the shoes of Geralt of Rivia, a professional monster slayer, this time hired to defeat a ruthless bandit captain, Olgierd von Everec — a man who possesses the power of immortality. This expansion to “The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt” packs over 10 hours of new adventures, introducing new characters, powerful monsters, unique romance and a brand new storyline shaped by your choices.
Story & Quests
Geralt of Rivia is hired to take on a contract involving a mysterious nobleman named Olgierd von Everec. What seems like a standard monster hunt quickly spirals into a dark and surreal tale.
This DLC introduces a new Main story, Side quests, Witcher Contracts and characters. Just like the main game, the story is well written with a lot of depth with an emotional impact. It also has strong character development. I really liked this story. Takes about 10-12 hours for most players.
Gameplay
The gameplay and combat is basically the same as the base game, with some additions. This DLC introduces Runewords and Glyphwords that are magical enhancements that drastically change gameplay mechanics. New gear and items, like weapons and armor sets are added. There are new enemies as well.
The Continent
This DLC does not expand the world map, but it adds new areas in and around Oxenfurt. There are some really unique and cool locations though, like the enchanted manor full of specters, a creepy auction house, a bizarre realm inside a painting, and a wedding party full of possessed guests.
Visual Design & Sound Design
Hearts of Stone adds a more gothic and surreal tone. Less emphasis on sprawling vistas, more on claustrophobic interiors, haunted ruins, and surreal locations (like the painted world or the wedding party in the Von Everec estate). There is a heavy use of mirrors, reflections, and dualities. Gaunter O’Dimm’s realm plays with impossible geometry, broken physics, and uncanny visuals.
The sound design is great as well, much the same as the base game. The score takes on darker, more tragic tones, often slower and more atmospheric. The voice acting is once again fantastic and expressive, and conversations feel natural.
Constructive Criticism
I would have liked a completely new area to explore. It felt a bit cheap that they only reused areas around Oxenfurt.
Even if the Runewright system adds some gameplay variety, it’s very costly to fully unlock (requires tens of thousands of crowns). It’s not always impactful either, as some Runewords feel gimmicky or don’t significantly change gameplay. It’s a bit unbalanced, with only a few enchantments being genuinely useful.
The Verdict
The flaws are generally outweighed by the excellent writing, atmosphere, and characters, but still worth mentioning. Another epic and dark love story with Geralt, but a bit short. If you like the base game, then you will surely like this. Basically more of The Witcher 3!
Rating: 9/10