It's the end of day one at Gamescom. In the distance, a glowing red booth lights up the business hall. It isn't just CD Projekt Red's base of operations for the next three days, but a beacon into something I didn't expect to find in Cologne. Sitting down in a small theater for 45 minutes, The Witcher 3: Songs of the Past isn't just a glimpse into a fresh Geralt adventure. It captures a feeling that's extremely palpable in the room: video games are amazing, aren't they?
Despite releasing over a decade ago, you can't tell how much time has passed as The Witcher 3 demo begins. There's no preamble or justification for Geralt's return; you simply pick up where it left us. CD Projekt Red could have made Songs of the Past a self-serious prelude to The Witcher 4, complete with time jumps and lore dumps to keep track of. Instead, its initial glimpse focuses on one thing: the people you keep close.
Geralt wakes up in the all-new region of Letten, an idyllic coastal town that feels like it should only exist on postcards. It's a beautiful addition to the game's regions, sitting somewhere between the regality of Toussaint and White Orchard's sprawling countryside. The night before, a fantastic banquet gives way to singalongs, drinks, and hangovers to last a century. Then, the sound of a familiar lute kicks off Songs of the Past's narrative.
There's only one person it belongs to: Dandelion. After a brief scuffle with a drunkard wielding the precious instrument, Geralt needs to return it to its rightful owner. As he runs through Letten, that familiar sense of awe begins to creep in. The town doesn't feel like a tacked-on location; it feels like a place that naturally belongs alongside the game's other locales. Farmers, fishermen, and market stall owners go about their business. Villagers gossip and get on with their routines.
CD Projekt Red's ability to breathe life into its environments wraps me in a cozy blanket, making me feel like part of the furniture rather than an observer. Even though this is a hands-off demo, I don't feel any less immersed. Running on The Witcher 3 Remastered, it doesn't offer the straightforward, no-thrills overhaul you might expect from a next-gen port. CD Projekt Red and co-developer Fool's Theory are instead working wonders to keep The Witcher 3 on par with current-gen juggernauts.
The list of upgrades is massive, with so many additions that it barely fit in the frame of the Gamescom trailer. In practice, though, the upgrades don't scream for your attention. It's all about the subtleties. Whether it's the way the sun kisses the environment, clouds cut through the sky, or improved textures bring more detail to the world, The Witcher 3 Remastered looks superb. I'm particularly curious to see how it holds up on Nintendo Switch 2. The Witcher 3 was never a bad-looking game, but in its new form, it can still hold its own against current-gen hardware.
As the demo progresses, I can feel a kind of magic in the room. That's down to the writing, which remains as sharp as ever, with plenty of room for nuanced character beats. An exchange with Dandelion's cousin, Lilla, amplifies that. CD Projekt Red embraces the player and their choices, whether that means Geralt throwing sexually charged glances her way or stumbling into the lovably awkward humor instigated by 'Grandmama,' who appears to be Countess de Lettenhove. These interactions work because CDPR isn't afraid to hand you the keys and let you have some fun.
I won't spoil too much about why Geralt interacts with the Lettenhove family, but let's just say Dandelion needs our help. That leads us to the Garden of Thorns, a gothic forest that makes me second-guess Letten's otherwise beautiful lands. If Geralt doesn't accompany you, it's the kind of place you won't escape alive. This section of the demo also shows off some of the biggest ways The Witcher 3 Remastered spices things up.
First of all, unless this only applies to the demo, Geralt can switch between signs without opening a radial wheel. He swaps between Igni, Quen, and Aard with ease, and I'm curious whether CD Projekt Red intentionally added the feature or simply included it to keep the presentation moving. Either way, combat feels rejuvenated thanks to crunchy finishing moves, sleeker animations, and a new addition to Geralt's arsenal.
The silver chain closes the gap between enemies, bringing its own set of devastating moves and finishers to decimate monsters. It's very Ghost Rider-flavored, and I can't wait to try it out myself. New enemy types like the Swarmion prove to be utter bastards. Using shields made of hornets, their presence is accompanied by deadly flowers called Thornblooms. It's only a taste of what horrors await as Geralt and Lilla go deeper into the forest.
However, for all the polish and fun that comes with returning to The Witcher 3, I left the theater with one question: why does Songs of the Past exist? Before it was officially announced, Pocket Tactics's Kayleigh Partleton made an argument against bringing back Geralt in her The Witcher 3 DLC wishlist. Could she be right? Forty-five minutes obviously isn't enough time to answer that, and I suspect the full expansion will make a stronger case for itself.
What I do know is that the demo reminded me why The Witcher 3 has endured for so long. It isn't just that Letten looks great or that the combat feels better than it did before. It's the way all the little details come together. Even after all these years, CD Projekt Red can still make The Witcher 3 feel like somewhere you need to spend time.