I finished the main game for a first play-through and was so excited to start Hearts of Stone. Several hours in and I am disappointed. It’s not a bad DLC, it just feels very distant from the base game.

The writing is so modernized that it feels jarring. I feel like I heard someone say “You betcha” or something equally inane. Also, the dialog with Shani (plus her atrocious cosplay and haircut) was filled with modernisms. I loved the concept of Gaunter coming into a central role, but he’s equally anachronistic.

Does it get better? I just finished the third request from Von Everec but I’ve been frustrated at constantly having my immersion broken. I feel like I’m watching a Joxer episode of Xena.

I was so impressed with the main games’ story and writing. It felt unified, clean, and true to the characters. I don’t even feel like the true Geralt is in this arc since his tone and writing are so different in Hearts of Stone.

EDIT: Love this game and love the community. Sorry if my post was too vague. I’ll update with some examples but my memory for quotes is trash, so I’ll have to replay a bit. Main issues were style, tone, and writing changes, which I think there are plenty.