Modder ‘Ard Carraigh’ has released a pretty cool mod for The Witcher 3 Next-Gen. As the title implies, this mod will improve the ambient occlusion effect for the grass.
What’s interesting here is that the mod works with pretty much all AO settings. Yes, the mod can even enhance the quality of RTAO. It also works with both the DX11 and DX12 APIs. Not only that, but it does not come with a massive performance hit. In fact, the modder claims that there is zero performance penalty. As such, it’s a must for pretty much everyone.
You can download the mod from this link. At the end of the article, you can find some comparison screenshots between the vanilla RTAO and the modded RTAO. The vanilla shots are on the left and the modded shots are on the right. As you will see, the modded version looks better. It’s a subtle improvement, but it’s there.
Speaking of The Witcher 3 Next-Gen, you can also download some other cool mods for it. For example, there is a really cool first-person mod. Then we have the must-have HD Reworked Project. The Characters Reworked Project is another interesting mod that improves the quality of over 100 characters. Let’s also not forget this mod that lets you kill most in-game NPCs. Then we have this mod that overhauls the game’s combat with better animations, better targeting and new dodging mechanics. In July 2024, we also shared mods that restored the boat races and added 15 new quests. Plus, a modder has restored the reputation system that CDPR cut from the game.
In December 2023, we shared this mod that restores content that was cut from all previous The Witcher games. Then, in February 2024, we shared a mod that attempted to remove the fake “hero” light from the game’s cut-scenes. There is also this mod that allows you to explore a part of the world from the first The Witcher game in TW3. Oh, and don’t forget this mod that allows you to ride a Griffin. Or how about this Sekiro-inspired combat mod?
We also have some mods for those playing with Ray Tracing. In theory, these mods should be compatible with this AO Mod. The RTX Mirrors Mod adds proper reflections to the game’s mirrors. Then we have this mod that improves the fire effects via Ray Tracing Global Illumination. Plus, this mod fixes the Ray Tracing bleach issues.
Enjoy and stay tuned for more!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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Nice. Subtle but good. I need to make a list of the cool mods you've been posting for my next playthrough. TW3 really aged like fine wine with RTGI.
Too bad the gameplay is utter cow sh*t.
Rly?? Not even a combat overhaul mod saved it for ya?
I’ve been a consistent Witcher 3 hater since 2015.
They downgraded the graphics and removed environmental physics because of consoles. You could use Aard to shatter glasses and break doors, you could also use Aard to toss tables and chairs around but they removed 99 percent of physics related features.
They removed the arkham style inspired combat system in early builds and replaced it with typical souls f4ggotry that console f4gs enjoy. So you tell me what’s there to save?
90 percent of combat is player spamming dodge and roll buttons, every swing looks, feels and sound weak and floaty.
Dont look good, a pitch black shadow next to a sunday light road.
Yeah but do the trees still blow like wild whomping willows every time there is a wind gust? Can't believe they never fixed that.