Here's an hour and a half of Geralt standing by a tranquil lake as peaceful music plays

Everyone needs to take a break now and then—even the world's foremost monster hunter. Toussaint is a land of exotic wonder and there's no end of sights and sounds in the free city of Novigrad, but sometimes the path to tranquility is simplicity: Blue skies, clear water, and the distant, gentle rush of wind playing through nearby trees. And thanks to a new video shared by CD Projekt ahead of the release of the big Witcher 3 next-gen patch, we can all take a moment to find that peace on the Path.

The full video runs 1:36:46, and through it all there's nothing to do but enjoy the scenery and listen to the gentle music and ambient audio. Despite the placid environment, things do happen, but they're calm, harmless: The sun sets and rises, birds flap through the sky, a child rushes out to play in the water, now and then a fisherman rows by—and through it all, Geralt stands stoically on the shore, gazing across the water and into the distance, no doubt pondering the life that brought him to this point, and where it might take him next.

There are glitches to be seen, too. Nothing quite as overt as Roach standing on the roofs of houses, but little things here and there, like a man rowing a boat with no oar, or a rider on a horse suddenly disappearing into nothingness. It doesn't take away from the overall soothing effect, but it is a fun little reminder—almost like an Easter egg—that despite its well-deserved acclaim, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is not without its own share of oddities.

If you'd like to see this spot for yourself, head for the Upper Mill, found across the lake from the village of Brunwich, which lies well east of the city of Novigrad. If it's your first time there, be sure to approach from the south—the chapel across the bridge to the north is cursed.

The Witcher 3's big, free next-gen update goes live at 4 pm PT/7 pm ET on December 13, which is just a few hours from now—there's a good chance it'll already be live by the time you read this. For the full lowdown on what it brings to the table, including the PC-exclusive Ultra+ graphics setting, be sure to have a look at the patch notes.

Andy Chalk

Andy has been gaming on PCs from the very beginning, starting as a youngster with text adventures and primitive action games on a cassette-based TRS80. From there he graduated to the glory days of Sierra Online adventures and Microprose sims, ran a local BBS, learned how to build PCs, and developed a longstanding love of RPGs, immersive sims, and shooters. He began writing videogame news in 2007 for The Escapist and somehow managed to avoid getting fired until 2014, when he joined the storied ranks of PC Gamer. He covers all aspects of the industry, from new game announcements and patch notes to legal disputes, Twitch beefs, esports, and Henry Cavill. Lots of Henry Cavill.

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