There’s a lot of magic in a fantasy map.
Whether its a sprawling fantasy epic like The Wheel of Time or a multi-hundred hour RPG like Skyrim, world maps have a way of bringing an enchanting universe to life. The maps let us pinpoint our adventures and trace paths through sprawling continents, trekking through misty mountain highlands, tropical sunny coasts, and everything in between.
That same grand splendor is clearly evident in the atlas for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, which depicts a vast fantasy world filled with kingdoms, magic, and faraway lands.
The Witcher 3’s world map is incredibly handsome, and reminds me of Morrowind’s beautifully crafted atlas.
To get the beautifully illustrated Witcher 3 map you’ll have to pre-order the game’s official collector’s edition strategy guide from GameStop, which is priced at a hefty $40. The guide also comes with a neat 90-page “grimoire” that has extra details about the monsters and peoples of the world.
CD Projekt RED has touted the massive scope of the The Witcher 3‘s open-world for quite some time.
According to the developers, the game will take over 200 hours to complete in its entirety, including all of the various quests, collectibles, and side missions.
As far as size, the Witcher 3‘s in-game world is comparatively scaled to be 30 times bigger than the area in Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Put alongside other epic RPG’s we see that the game is 20% larger than the frosty continent of Skyrim.
Witcher 3 is full of beautiful scenic vistas with varying environments, from alpine mountainscapes to exotic islands and sprawling cities.
To traverse this incredible expanse, Geralt of Rivia will be able to ride on horseback across land and reach outlying island regions like Shelliar via sailboat. Players will also be able to explore full-scaled underwater regions by diving underwater and swimming in the wave-cresting seas.
The atlas maps out the Witcher 3‘s entire world, depicting every city, kingdom, river, and zone in the game.
From the Grassy Knoll and Gustfields in the north the Crow’s Perch and swampy Mire to the south, the map highlights every exotic location that players can visit in their journey.
Geralt can only reach certain areas by sailboat, and he’ll also be able to swim and dive to search for undersea treasures.
Three major continental zones include the wide expanse of the Northern Realm, the island chains of Shelliar that can only be reached by boat, and the faraway White Orchard that’s cut by a wide river.
All of these regions feature CD Projekt RED’s dynamic day-to-night transitions and real-time environmental effects including rain, storms, snow and more to deliver an authentic immersive feel.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is slated to release May 19, 2015 for PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
