You should install The Witcher 3’s 1.07 patch because it’s a real game changer

Released at the weekend, The Witcher 3’s 1.07 patch is its largest yet in terms of size and content. It adds a stack of new features and fixes, most of which significantly change the game for the better.

Though we didn’t see any frame-rate drops, Digital Foundry has reported loss of frames in some instances, particularly on Xbox One. That’s really the only reason why you should hesitate before installing 1.07, but from what we’ve seen it’s worth the upgrade.

Improvements to horse movements are very subtle, but they are welcome nonetheless. Sadly though Roach will still follow the wrong path when set to auto navigate.

There are far more interesting changes the patch brings though:

The alternative movement

This is the headline change in patch 1.07 but whether you adopt it or not depends on what you’re used to, and how you want to play the game. The new style of movement is much looser than before. Geralt had previously been a bit stiff and clunky, particularly in tight locations or where precision was required. Now he moves smoothly and it’s easy to navigate inside buildings.

You’ll notice the change in combat too, but some of us actually like the standard controls, which felt more considered and strategic in battle. Try it out for yourself, because the nice option is it’s not mandatory. If you’ve made your way through so much of the game already, do you really need to change the controls?

The Usable Items tab now actually contains only usable items

This is a big one. Pre-patch, the Usable Items tab would hold things like books and notes you find around the world, standing in your way every time you go looking for an oil or potion, of which there are many. This is not the case anymore, this inventory tab now only displays items you will actually be using. Oils, decoctions, potions etc..

The new Books tab

That’s right, the most obvious missing feature from the game’s inventory has been added. All books and notes now automatically go into the new Books tab to make it easier for anyone looking to sell, read, or dismantle books. The ones you’ve read will be marked grey and selecting them will reveal a small message advising you that you’ve already read this book, another welcome addition.

Inventory sorting options

In each inventory tab you now have the option of sorting by type, weight, value, durability, and rarity. This is particularly helpful in cases where you want to look for an item in a specific group, say oils or swords. Also helpful if you’re trying to identify the heaviest items in need of selling/ storing.

The player stash

I have no idea how CD Projekt RED didn’t think to ship the game with a player stash, but I sure am happy they decided to now. The patch adds a few chests to all of the game’s continents allowing you to store anything you carry. These are clearly marked by the green chest icon. Whatever you store into one appears everywhere, so you don’t have to worry about what was stored where. The size of the stash is large too so you can store anything you want there.

Crafting materials have lost their weight

You may have noticed that you suddenly lost some of the weight you were carrying after downloading the patch. That’s because crafting items no longer add to your burden. Meaning you can collect everything the earth produces and never worry about it. Collect and forget, basically. Because you know that some formula of some thing will need it.

The ability to pin a formula

Another major new feature is that you can now pin a crafting formula of any kind. This makes it so anytime you browse the inventory of one the game’s vendors, all ingredients will be highlighted. It will now take you two seconds to know if said vendors sells what you’re looking for or not. The advantage of this cannot be overstated. There’s no reason I should be writing down the name of a missing ingredient and carefully going through a vendor’s 50+ herbs to find it. Well, no more.

Equipped weapons and armour are highlighted in the repair screen

If you’re low on cash and visit a blacksmith to repair the armour you’re wearing and weapons you’re using, it can sometimes be hard to identify them from the repair screen. That’s because, pre-patch, that screen showed everything that can be repaired, not separating what you wear from the rest of the junk. Patch 1.07 elegantly highlights your two swords and armour pieces so you know exactly what to spend your money on.

All of these may seem small in the grand scheme of things, but are much-needed. After getting acquainted with the new stuff, you will have trouble imagining your life without them.