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As old and new players alike begin to experience the updated version of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, one of the first questions players will encounter is whether they should simulate a Witcher 2 save file. The short answer for nearly everyone who picks up the game will be yes, they should. While PC gamers have had access to The Witcher 2, the game has yet to be released on consoles. With this in mind, CD Projekt Red wanted to give console players the ability to decide how their Geralt would have made past choices.
Using this system, Geralt will be asked a series of questions at a relatively early point in the game. How Geralt answers these questions will determine several aspects of the world he inhabits. This entire interaction will take place once Geralt leaves White Orchard and heads to Vizima to meet with Yennefer and the Emperor.
Meeting With Morvran Voorhis
When Geralt arrives in Vizima, before he meets with the Emperor, General Morvran Voorhis informs him that there is paperwork that must be updated. This begins the "simulated save file" sequence of questions. Voorhis will present several questions that actually pertain to specific events in The Witcher 2, and how Geralt answers can change several things in The Witcher 3.
Knowing the context to the individual questions in this segment will help players have a better understanding of how The Witcher 3 continues Geralt's story from previous games. But it is worth experimenting and discovering exactly how the choices affect the game by playing it! With that in mind, spoilers will be kept to a minimum here!
Question 1: La Valette Castle
The opening of The Witcher 2 saw Geralt and King Foltest laying siege to La Vallette Castle. The commander they fought against was named Arryan. This opening section allowed Geralt to decide whether to kill or to spare him. Voorhis wants to know what Geralt decided.
Deciding to spare or kill Aaryn will only have minor consequences in The Witcher 3. Look for Aryan's mother during a certain horse race near the mid-game mark.
Question 2: Escaping Flotsam
As should be made clear by Voorhis' response to the previous question, many people believe Gerat assassinated King Foltest of Temeria. After the King was killed, Geralt had to go on the run, ending up in Flotsam. Here Geralt will have to choose how he made it out.
Vernon Roche is a Temerian freedom fighter and one of the few humans that actually believe Geralt is innocent. Iorveth is an Elf and leader of a rebel faction that believes in achieving equal rights by any means necessary. Geralt's choice here can have fairly serious consequences. Choosing Iorveth will ostracize Geralt from the human community, at least he'll be more ostracized. Choosing Roche will give Geralt access to his camp later in the game. Question 3 has some big differences depending on the choice made here.
Question 3: Who to Save at Loc Muinne?
With the Northern Realms in pieces after the assassination of King Foltest, the Summit at Loc Muinne was supposed to help restore order and stability to the region. Several paths diverge at this point in The Witcher 2, and this question reflects that.
If Geralt chose Roche, then he will have to choose between saving Triss or Anais, King Foltest's illegitimate daughter. If Geralt chose Iorveth in question 2, then Geralt has to choose between saving Triss and helping Saskia, a dragon in human form. These options have choices that are mostly narrative based, so don't be afraid to explore what each on does.
Question 4: The Explosive Fate of Sile de Tansarville
A powerful sorceress who had a hand in killing King Foltest, Sile de Tansarville made a run for it when she was found out. After discovering the megascope she used had been tampered with, Geralt had to decide to save her life or not. If Geralt chooses to have saved her, the repercussions will not be felt until much later in the game, during a dangerous prison break. If she died in the explosion, she leaves the world, never to return.
Question 5: The Last Known Whereabouts of Letho
The man who actually killed the king was a fellow witcher. Letho of Gulet, the Kingslayer, the man Geralt spent the entirety ofThe Witcher 2 trying to find, found his fate in the hands of Geralt of Rivia. On one hand, letting Letho die may be what he deserves at that time. On the other, if Geralt lets Letho live, he is setting up one of the best side missions in The Witcher 3. It is a mission that must be experienced to be appreciated. Perhaps some witchers deserve a second chance? We don't get to meet many graduates of the School of the Viper.
These questions represent the entirety of The Witcher 2 save simulation. Like so much else in The Witcher 3, they beg to be experienced more than once.
Choosing Not to Simulate a Witcher 2 Save File
Ultimately it seems that the long answer is still yes, you should use a Witcher 2 simulated save file. Should the player opt not to use a save file, the developers essentially decide for them. There is a pre-set list of choices that never changes. They are as follows:
- Geralt does not kill Aryan
- Geralt sides with Roche
- Geralt saves Anais
- Geralt lets Sile blow herself up
- Geralt kills Letho.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is currently available for PS5, PS4, Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One, Switch, and PC.