5/5 ★ – Rukey's review of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt - Blood and Wine.

If The Witcher III main game is Geralt and Chums, then this is Geralt's Big Holiday. And what a brilliant idea. Rather than send the White Wolf to the end of the world or the land of the dead, the final chapter takes place in the sun-drenched duchy of Toussaint, where the wine, cheese and outrageous fashion is plentiful. I had always heard that the second dlc is like another game in the scale of the new explorable region and quests available, and again the hype around The Witcher III steered me correctly. In fact it's been interesting, seeing as CDPR has suffered such a hit to their reputation recently, to be simultaneously playing through one of the main reasons they're known for quality and generosity. This is not only vast, it's brilliant - first rate story, some of the best contracts and side quests, more rewarding POIs with vintner's contracts and vineyard infestations in addition to the usual treasure pickups and caves and suchlike, in fact more of everything that's great in the base game and to a very high standard of quality. The map feels a lot more inviting than Velen, No Man's Land and even the beautiful and windswept Skellige, despite crawling with high level monsters that sometimes need some new tactics and approaches. The city of Beauclair and the towns you visit are far more genial too. People halloo you as you pass rather than spitting at your feet, and you even get your own vineyard - which I spent a lot of time at, going to spend the night in my own bed rather than on the road, finishing all the renovations and hanging my paintings and displaying my Witcher gear. There's more top tier writing and voice acting on offer as well, with a gripping detective yarn that includes plenty of twists and turns. Although there aren't characters at quite the level of Gaunter and Olgierd, Regis and Anna Henrietta are both fantastic. The chatty and philosophical Regis is given a really warm, personable performance, and I want his voice actor to narrate my life to be honest, or just turn up to muse once in a while. Meanwhile the Duquessa genuinely sparkles with charm and wit. Depicting a ruler who is well-loved in what is basically a gritty medieval setting for the most part is a tall order, and I think they did a great job with her.