The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine's Graphics "Revive the High Points" of E3 Demo

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt's visuals didn't quite live up to what was seen in the demo shown at E3 2014. However, developer CD Projekt Red has said that the upcoming expansion, Blood and Wine, will feature better graphics than what was seen in the base game, and tech outlet Digital Foundry has found in a new video that the PC version is a lot closer to original demos.

Digital Foundry notes that "the real test" will be on the PS4 and Xbox One, as both consoles had issues at launch with drawing in objects. It caused the performance to stutter, though CD Projekt Red's new technique of loading less textures and maximizing the quality at the same time should improve this if it works as advertised. On the PC side of things, Digital Foundry's Tom Morgan said "the prospects look good for the final update to The Witcher 3's world."

"In terms of the best case on PC, Toussain'ts castle town is a rosy, gorgeous-looking area. Of course, it runs on a very different theme to the harbor battle of Novigrad," he said. "But that high density of detail, the vibrant color palette, and broad draw distances are all there. And in its own way, it revives the high points of that E3 2014 showing."

Morgan noted that the performance and visuals on the consoles are still up in the air. He wonders whether certain details, like the "crisp, high resolution murals" and draw distance, will be present on the PS4 and Xbox One.

The Witcher 3: Blood and Wine expansion releases for PS4, Xbox One, and PC on May 31. Owners of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can purchase it on its own or in the Expansion Pass. Additionally, PS4 players can take advantage of a sale that bundles both the game and Expansion Pass for $52.49 (PS Plus: $48.74).

GameSpot's review-in-progress says "Blood and Wine is quite good, quite big, and quite likely to make you glad to return to one of video games' most engaging worlds." A full review will be available when critic Kevin VanOrd finishes the expansion.

You can check out more of GameSpot's Blood and Wine coverage through the links below:

• Blood and Wine DLC Launch Trailer
• Touissant's Unique Monsters and Places Featured in New Video
• Blood and Wine Is 10-15 GB, Main Theme Released
• See Beautiful But Deadly Region of Touissant in New Video
• Blood and Wine Is Definitely the End, Says Devs