Can I finish Blood and Wine before main story?

Can I Finish Blood and Wine Before the Main Story?

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is an open-world action RPG that offers a vast playground for players to explore, with its vast world of Velen, Skellige, and Toussaint, each with their own stories, quests, and secrets. Among its many DLCs, the Blood and Wine expansion adds a whole new chapter to the game, with new quests, characters, and locations to discover. Players may be wondering if it’s possible to finish the Blood and Wine expansion before tackling the main story. Here, we’ll explore the relationship between the two and give you a definitive answer.

No, You Can’t Finish Blood and Wine Before the Main Story (Yet)

To provide a direct answer, unfortunately, no, you can’t finish the Blood and Wine expansion before tackling the main story. The storyline of Blood and Wine takes place later in the world, and many of its questlines rely on events from the main story. By design, the main storyline and Blood and Wine share narrative threads that unfold over the course of the game, and some quests in the DLC can’t be accessed without completing key events from the main story.

Consequences of Playing Blood and Wine Out of Order

If you choose to finish Blood and Wine before finishing the main story, here are a few potential issues you may encounter:

• Missing Quests: Some quests in Blood and Wine might not be accessible if you haven’t yet completed specific events in the main story. You won’t be able to retrieve key items or speak to certain NPCs, which might render the DLC’s main questlines incomplete or buggy.

• Inconsequential NPCs: Non-player characters (NPCs) in the Blood and Wine DLC may not be functional or fully fleshed out if you haven’t first experienced key events from the main story. This means some interactions or dialogue will be skipped or become repetitive.

• Inverted Narrative Chronology: Trying to complete Blood and Wine before the main story risks creating narrative inconsistencies. New events or characters introduced in the DLC might contradict previously established storylines or disrupt the chronology of events in the main game.

Can I Play Both Main Story and Blood and Wine Concurrently?

Now that we’ve ruled out finishing Blood and Wine before the main story, let’s explore the alternative: can you play both concurrently?

The Truth About Interweaving Stories

Yes, you can play both the main story and Blood and Wine together, and this is highly recommended. The game developers, CD Projekt RED, have intentionally designed the experience to be intertwined. Some quests from the main story might provide context or triggers for Blood and Wine questlines, and vice versa. Playing both concurrently ensures a smoother, more integrated experience, with a consistent narrative flow.

Pro Tips for Playing Both Storylines Concurrently

1. Prioritize your Questlog: Manage your questlog carefully to keep track of your progress, as quests from both stories can appear in the list simultaneously.

2. Use Fast Travel: Quick travel helps you move quickly between regions, reducing traversal time and allowing you to focus on the story and quests.

3. Complete Side Quests in Order: Complete side quests from both stories in their recommended order to ensure no quest dependencies are missed, and storylines unfold in a more coherent manner.

4. Pay Attention to World Events: Respond to global events, which often bridge the gap between the main story and the Blood and Wine DLC. These events can trigger side quests or provide insight into character motivations.

Conclusion: The Importance of Playing Main Story First

While there’s no strict requirement to play the main story first, completing the main questline will provide the richest, most cohesive experience in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Once you’ve finished the main story, you can turn your attention to Blood and Wine, knowing that all story beats and quests have been designed to be completable after the main campaign. The game’s flexible design and interconnected story allows for some flexibility, making it easier to navigate multiple storylines concurrently.

However, be aware that any inconsequential side quests or broken quests from playing Blood and Wine out of order are minor setbacks compared to the immersive, engaging experience playing both stories concurrently. Whether you decide to tackle both simultaneously or follow the primary narrative thread, the joy of exploration and combat await in the world of Velen, Skellige, and Toussaint.