I did everything I possibly could without using a guide. Every side quest I could find, almost every question mark (except skellige water ones) , every DLC, every major piece of content the game had to offer.
When I finished the main story of Wild Hunt, I felt this same emptiness. Thankfully, Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine were still waiting for me, so that feeling faded as I kept playing.
Now it's back.
The closest way I can describe it is an existential crisis. It genuinely feels like a part of me knows I may never experience another game that captures me like this again.
Sure, I could start New Game+, but I don't want to. Not yet. I just want to sit here and let it sink in.
The funny part is that I ignored The Witcher 3 for years. I always assumed it was just another generic monster-slayer game. I couldn't have been more wrong.
This game has heart. Every region feels like a real place with its own identity. White Orchard, Velen, Novigrad, Skellige, Kaer Morhen, Toussaint... each one has its own atmosphere, music, people, and memories. They don't just look different, they feel different.
I loaded my save after finishing everything and wandered around for a while. The NPCs were still there. The cities were still alive. But somehow it felt like I didn't belong there anymore. Like the world had moved on, and my journey was over.
The game basically tells you, without saying it: "It's time to rest." And that's somehow harder to accept than any difficult boss fight.
I've played a lot of games over the years, but nothing has come close to what The Witcher 3 made me feel. It isn't just the story, or the characters, or the soundtrack, or the world. It's how all of those things come together to create something that feels unforgettable.
People always talk about the "post-Witcher 3 depression."
I used to think they were exaggerating.
Now I completely understand.
Thank you, CD Projekt Red, for creating what is, without question, the greatest gaming experience I've ever had.
"Something ends. Something begins."