A Few New Additions To The Formula For the most part, Hearts of Stone is a continuation of the extremely enjoyable gameplay introduced The Wild Hunt. However, there are some notable additions to the Witcher formula. The Runewright is one of them: a special new craftsman hailing from Ofieri, who may imbue your items with magical Runewords giving them powerful new properties. In contrast to the regular blacksmiths, there is only one Runewright, and a book icon marks his location on the map. The Runewright can only enchant items with three upgrade sockets and previously installed runes or glyphs are destroyed when he plies his trade. There is a fairly enjoyable quest line associated with strengthening the Runewright's capabilities: by aiding him financially and--in a new gameplay addition--mining for suitable materials. However, the degree to which it revolves around money has the potential to turn it into a poorly paced chore if you don't already have the money required (30.000). Although the Runewright is a nice inclusion, at no point during Hearts of Stone did it seem critical to have him imbue your items. However, when you consider his inclusion in regards to world-building and expanding the overall Witcher lore, it becomes a different matter entirely--fans of the series will love to learn more …show more content…
As in The Wild Hunt, these optional activities are merely an hors d'oeuvre to the delectable main course that are the intriguing main quest lines. There are some new monsters as well, and they present a fresh challenge requiring a tactical approach to dispatch. Take for instance the Arachnomorphs, large and quick spiders preferring to keep their distance until successfully hitting Geralt with a shot of their sticky webbing and then lunging at him while he is briefly