Witcher 3's Hardest Mod Feels like a Sequel

[@JoeHickson]

Had a lot of fun making this even though it’s very different to my normal stuff. Very tempted to do a ‘100 days’ vid laced with my usual style of editing, so let me know if that sounds like your kind of thing:))

[@enemystand2981]

100%, dae it. I’ll sub if you do ;)

[@edoros2520]

That was so good and this type of witcher gameplay i love it keep it up man

[@MadeOfEarth1]

I was thinking of playing again. Is there a mod that helps the game run better with RT on?

[@Buzzerker_1775]

Hell yeah, do it

[@thespiffingbrit]

Lovely use of free bird as a bird frees your limbs from your body

[@6MyUsername9]

Quite spiffingly British to see you here, sir

[@Fishingrod2538]

GUH

[@hellno6844]

Hmmm do I hear a The witcher 3 Exploit video coming ... ... maybe Hodd Toward found a new universe

[@victor1945]

Btw I played this mod once and as I remember potions work longer and cost less toxicity when you take them while meditating. This is something that ties back to the second game where that was the way of consuming them, preparing for a battle instead of in the heat of it. They may have changed it but try it out and see.

[@JoeHickson]

Oooh thanks! I’ll have to check cause I have not been doing that haha

[@Rythian]

The soundtrack in this is absolutely on point. Great video.

[@JoeHickson]

Thanks dude :) can't believe it took me until this year to discover Bardcore music haha

[@timmm_]

ooo, i think i finally gotta dive into Witcher 3 for real. Phenomenal video, and hot damn what a music selection!

[@BannaChew]

Somehow you knew I was trying to play the Witcher 3 again and gave me a good mod to refresh the experience

[@JoeHickson]

Doooo it! I’m now like 20 hours into it, now that I’ve got to grips with the mod I’m gonna have to crank up the difficulty hah

[@BannaChew]

​@@JoeHickson Tried it last night and it's exactly what I wanted. I hate RPG level numbers and the changes to alchemy and actually requiring prep make it so much more immersive

[@6MyUsername9]

Best W3 mod. I've been playing it since before there was a "Redux." Tried Ghost Mode and FCR3 and they just didn't do it for me.

[@MXHAUS]

This was so fun to watch! The editing style, the music, your way of story telling. So good. Gave me a few laughs. I would love to see more of these!

[@akolyadin]

Am I only one or did youtube actually started recommending me relevant smaller channels in 2025?

[@JoeHickson]

🙌 I’ve been getting that too, its so good!

[@PeterMisch-px7xi]

I was wondering the same. Caused some truly sympathetic fellows to appear on my radar already. Seriously. No cynicism here.

[@bappo2693]

No, it’s real

[@soffeebeans]

I love this format, this travel-log style narrative. Whether its more TW3:EER or other open-world-y type games, I would love to see more! It's always really fascinating when a top tier producer and editor takes on something outside of their wheelhouse and you did it perfectly.

[@JoeHickson]

@@soffeebeans good to hear! Will be excited to do another similar vid that is less ‘mod info’ focused and all about the narrative:)

[@LegsON]

FINALLY someone bringing EE Redux to the limelight!

[@JoeHickson]

🙌

[@Vs-ub4tq]

Loved this video! Your storytelling along with the editing is top tier.

[@throrthegreat6482]

This is great Joe! As someone who’s got hundreds of hours in the Witcher 3, seeing this Enhanced Edition mod is super cool! Would love to see you tackle more of the game like this! Also props on the editing on this vid. Top tier!

[@TheManodeep]

I was looking up for a video about the mod. But good god, the filmmaking skills on this video! Amazingly well done, I'd urge you to make more of them :D

[@hangover89]

Damn, really good work on this video, great editing. Excellent music choices as well

[@Aldrahill]

Goddamn this video was well made. I loved the editing, the cuts, and the use of obscenely good and fitting music, it was so enjoyable to watch. I've still yet to play the Witcher 3 all the way through, I need to just spend some time and do it! Then maybe I'll have to give this mod a try!

[@WrightsFragment]

Fantastic video Joe! I really want to see more Witcher content, especially with the new game on the horizon

[@JustDibblePlz]

I've been watching your content for years and honest to god this is my favourite video you've ever done. Your editing style implemented into this kind of video is such a pleasing experience.

[@JoeHickson]

@@JustDibblePlz damn thanks!

[@LePtitCaillou]

WOW this video is really really good . I mean the "roleplay" and the presentation of the mod at the same time with beautiful musics and an incredible montage ty for this video

[@Buzzerker_1775]

Great use of music, and I'm glad someone is creating content for this mod

[@lukewren6595]

Loved the format of this video. great job!

[@jayphillips4167]

I literally started another Witcher 3 save in the beginning of December in hopes to FINALLY get around to the DLC's... Don't you dare make me start again Joe, this mod looks so cool! Great video as always anyhow. :)

[@sergicrisan5564]

Now THIS feels more like book accurate and how I imagined. All has a point now. Awesome. Great job, modders.

[@Rychlas]

I love the use of Bardcore, kudos for that. You've really sold me the idea of playing the Witcher 3 game on these mods. To be honest... I never played it before. Always had the excuse of "I want to play it once I have better gpu", "I need to play the previous ones first", etc. and I've ended up now, in 2025 just getting ready to play it this year finally. Perhaps it was worth the wait, considering the community rebalanced and polished it? Cheers bud.

[@Falco_77]

Maybe I should give this game another try

[@TarnishedGoose]

just play it at your own pace

[@davidhunter8916]

Great video! I love the editing, music, and your story telling.

[@JoeHickson]

Thanks :))

[@Fishingrod2538]

We need a part 2

[@Teh-Penguin]

Very fun edit. Like a short adventure vlog. No notes.

[@AG19901990]

I discovered this mod some time ago and had a blast. It really makes you think about what your next steps, and the equipment and leveling overhaul are top features. It took me 200 hrs to do a base game+dlcs. Highly recomment it.

[@Grindeddude]

I did not like mod, feels like Geralt gets tired too quick like a normal person

[@JoeHickson]

you can change the stamina settings in the menus to suit how you like to play, can even disable stamina all together if you want :)

[@thomasnewman4445]

Joe this was a really cool and really well made video. Thanks for sharing.

[@Captain_Punch]

Nice video bro! I like the editing and text you added. Also, was that a medieval instrumental cover of "Pumped Up Kicks" I heard in the background? xD

[@macarotto]

Trying this mod out after watching this, it put me right into the mood to play Witcher 3 again. I love it so far, I like how the combat feels closer to the books and any pack of monsters is a real dangerous threat that'll punish you if you're careless, rather than Geralt being a beyblade of death. The removal of level requirements is lovely as well, looking forward to getting some armour sets to try build up a proper playstyle.

[@branflakez4742]

Just finished replaying but ill have to give this mod a go next time Great editing and the medieval remixes went hard

[@helmut9313]

i absolutely adore this mod, glad you covered it

[@Ali-ey9sz]

I'm actually just at the start of the game again, and ngl this looks really tempting

[@JoeHickson]

Do it!! You won’t regret it :))

[@NicholasKlvanaHooper]

Pumped up kicks medieval starts playing: Ah yes, my kind of video 😌

[@TheSpoxez]

lmao the choice of musik throughout the video is peak

[@dazuk2630]

Loved this video would love to see more episodes

[@bobmnz6914]

I always sail a boat across to Oxenford after the 1st meet with the soldier Troll wanting paint. Oh! Hell, back to Witcher enhanced gameplay, is it? Sword fighting to music, dance anyone?

[@Bruno-cb5gk]

I hate most leveling systems, so this sounds very tempting. It completely breaks my immersion and makes the world feel artificial.

[@jakewilson5418]

Bardcore of modern songs is my vibe. Nice video :) I hope you are enjoying playing games and making videos again :)

[@JoeHickson]

I am thanks :)

[@chumkelly9080]

Just before the final battle, does he get out the wrong sword?

[@krandemir]

I realised that too lol

[@Codsworth_]

Never properly played the Witcher games but i watched this whole video and it was awesome, i then clicked on your channel to realise you are Joe from the Yogscast! Lol youtube algorithm really worked some magic for me today.

[@-nikatho-9267]

I recommend everybody always go on high difficulty if the combat is challenging and you have to aware about ressources and mechanics then you will start to fully immersioned into the role of character and the world! The Devs should more encourage you to play their on challenging mode and i have give up many games before i realized that.

[@lonesomealeks4206]

I really hope that music in the video is not the actual ingame music

[@swashbukk]

Yeah, I also tried this mod a while ago. It is hard, really hard. But to me, it feels more like the way, the game should have been in the first place. Especially that everything and everyone is on the same level, so you can pick your fights and your loot accordingly to your current style and mission.

[@Theethan2929]

Impressive editing

[@candle2005]

Such an interesting video, loved it

[@RobertHighwind]

Shout out to the fantasy folklore inspired pop and hip hop song remixes. Such a great and fun addition.

[@hellxapo5740]

One thing that always bugged me was Geralt dealing massive damage to golems and construct with a fragile sword! Does the mod address that? I know it's a fantasy world with magical silver sword and not everything should be taken seriously though.

[@JoeHickson]

Yup, light attacks basically do nothing, so using a heavy attacks / corrosive oils / maces or anything else amour piercing is needed

[@PeterMisch-px7xi]

Just to see Geralt walk like an injured person after a fight, his really being seen gathering those herbs.... Nice. Unfortunately, this great game only runs at 45 fps on my system, without any mods installed. I am running the game with ultra-settings, so can turn down things here and there. I am attached to the distant views in super resolution. The moment one starts to play at death march difficulty level with enemy upscaling enabled already increases the sense of immersion by a long shot. This, for instance, also requires you to avoid travelling at night, especially in the beginning of one's play-through.

[@saprelik]

OMG, if just a simple Archgriffin from the contract is so much pain how do you fight bosses in this mod?

[@sovafps6381]

nice choice of music Love bardcore vertions of popular songs

[@bggus458]

Can you please show your full mod list?

[@simondelavega1938]

I would actually mod the combat so that geralts swings are slightly faster and closes distant more quickly. He is a witcher after all normal humans are no problem for a monster hunter who hunts werewolves and vampires from time to time.

[@TheWetToaster]

I had no idea there were bardcore versions of Pumped up Kicks, Black Betty, X Gon’ Give it to Ya, and Freebird. Day 5 sounds familiar but I can’t place it

[@JoeHickson]

me neither until making this vid haha

[@Jerrymaguirefan]

It looks like he kept using steel sword on griffin. I think that was the problem.

[@Fishingrod2538]

No the mod makes it so on normal monsters like non magic ones like griffins you use steel for

[@e_laina]

I hope he plays hot to go This is a Witcher 3 modded playthrough 9:03

[@SAMLovesSan96]

This is cinema!

[@AwsomeALEC72]

Was there a reason you used the steel sword during the griffin fight?

[@JoeHickson]

The mod makes it lore friendly, only need silver for specific creature like werewolves and spectres :)

[@dnelson1676]

The Kanye West power remix is odd but i like the medieval spin on it 😂

[@ukrainianmusic4649]

Why were you fighting the griffin with the steel sword?

[@JoeHickson]

the mod makes swords lore friendly, only need sliver for specific creature that are week to it, otherwise its steel all the way :)

[@pavlenikic9712]

How about a permadeath run? :D

[@DexerF]

Video is nicely done. Speaking of mod itself: i hate when all "difficulty" comes from souls-like balance, where you deal tiny damage but die from 2 hits. Does this mod solve this? If I'm fighting a wolf I don't mind taking a lot more damage given that it doesn't take me 10 hits to kill him in return. I get that with something like golem, you need to be creative, but i expect "meat" enemies to be a bit more vulnerable to sharp piece of metal going through their flesh 😅 And I don't get why griffon doesn't take fire damage. Seems unreasonable to me. Can you change that?

[@JoeHickson]

Yup I hate damage sponges too! If you play well everything dies quickly, play bad you die quick :) I quite like adjusting the damage values in the settings to intensify that feeling more so

[@DexerF]

@JoeHickson adjustable damage seems like a perfect option to actually get the balance you want. I'll try this mod, just had some plans to replay Witcher, hope this will freshen up the feeling a bit. Otherwise even NG+ hardest vanilla difficulty is easy once you learn how to dodge most of attacks

[@straight_man]

Lovely editing. I am eager to know your mod list.

[@JoeHickson]

w3ee redux in this vid it’s linked in description:)

[@straight_man]

I meant your overall modlist.

[@JoeHickson]

@@straight_man nothing extra in this vid, colours/lighting may look different as I colour grade all my footage when editing Since the vid though a few ive been enjoying are; Better Horse Controls, Container Glow, and Guiding Winds

[@straight_man]

@@JoeHickson I see. Thank you.

[@abstractnonsense3253]

This looks great. One of the few flaws of the Witcher 3 is poor difficulty scaling. By making the combat more difficult and souls-like it looks like that problem is solved. This is huge provided it's well balanced. I'm not so sure about all the herb picking. Regardless, this is very promising.

[@JoeHickson]

Don't worry about the herbs, you slowly rack up a tonne of ingredients just from playing :)

[@RSL1836]

Great video. Played like a true witcher- until you pulled out the steel sword! haha

[@JoeHickson]

Should have mentioned the mod makes swords lore friendly too! Only really need it for specific creatures :)

[@andreifarcas1920]

So given this mod, do you still get bonus points and improve you're skills?

[@JoeHickson]

Yup, kinda like Skyrim the more you do a thing the more it levels up. It doesn’t feel like you get OP but your personal play style becomes more reliable / less tedious

[@andreifarcas1920]

@JoeHickson I always tought that leveling thing ruins games like The Witcher or Assassins Creed.

[@muscovido974]

did you use any lighting mods?

[@JoeHickson]

nope, but did a lot of colour grading in the edit :)

[@Acronimz]

honestly, it doesn't look more fun than the vanilla game...

[@Monkas]

good stuff

[@jirim727]

Make the whole month in a Witcha 😃

[@JoeHickson]

mmmmmmmaaaybe I am already...

[@majorbombas]

I don't understand why people are modding combat to be harder. Geralt is kinda like doomslayer, he is skilled enough to rip apart every enemy he faces. It's kinda lore unfriendly to make him weaker and easily being drained out of stamina.

[@JoeHickson]

you can change the stamina settings for the mod for your preference. I just really like the extra control over attacks :)

[@TheGeorgyP]

10/10 top vid

[@macwilson6792]

Am I the only one that noticed you were using the wrong sword when fighting the griffin

[@brandonmunson9781]

W3EE Redux is how Witcher 3 should be played. Been playing for 2 years now with this mod, after having beaten W3 NG and NG+ on DM.

[@moonknightish]

It's incompatible with a lot of better mods

[@JoeHickson]

@@moonknightish I would love to know which you prefer, might have to check em out :)

[@brandonmunson9781]

@@moonknightish That's your own preference. For me, I can safely say that W3EE Redux is the peak of Witcher gameplay. I am yet to find an overhaul mod that does this job better.

[@moonknightish]

@@JoeHickson First thing that comes to mind, in regards to the Alchemy, is Primer. It changes the alchemy into a system closer to what was developed for The Witcher 1.

[@_tsu_]

Does the mod also give you good money for the contract? Otherwise it's not really worth the hassle of going through all this for just 360 coins you get for this. But if you get real witcher's money for the real witcher's work that i put in, this is a game changer. Anyhow, nice gameplay.

[@JoeHickson]

The economy if fully rebalance and you can change it to your liking :)

[@youtubefiend1183]

Nice video and really well done. But tbh this mode looks like the most boring way to play the game :D

[@tristan_maeder]

The griffin was super hard because you were using your steel sword instead of silver sword. Steel for humans and beasts, silver for monsters.

[@JoeHickson]

The mod makes sword choice lore friendly too, only really need silver for things like cursed ones and spectres :))

[@DaiiKengo]

You sold the elves, you did it with no remorse, on camera, full commentary.. Shame

[@bilbobeuli]

This seems both so fake and laughably contrived

[@Fishingrod2538]

Wdym?

[@Blackpanther-cr2vr]

bad mod bro the original game is already hard enough on death march why should we make this game even harder? especially with all these alchemy things bro come on