There are two different ways to read “after the main story ends”: you may want a completely new open world, or you may want substantial narrative content in a game you already own. For a fresh, authored fantasy adventure, choose The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and its two major expansions. For a futuristic city and a spy-thriller setting, choose Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty. For demanding combat, horseback exploration and dangerous secrets, choose Elden Ring with Shadow of the Erdtree. The right pick depends on whether your priority is story, setting, or combat rather than on a universal ranking.
First decide what “after the story” means
Finishing a campaign can leave you with two very different needs. One is a new-game reset: you want another world, cast and progression system to learn. The other is more substantial content in a game you already own: new quests, locations and characters without abandoning your current save or setting.
| # | Preview | Product | Price | |
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| 1 |
![NAMCO - CD Projekt Red - The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt - Complete Edition, Playstation 5 [English Edition]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51dWUfwFl5L._SL160_.jpg)
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NAMCO - CD Projekt Red - The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt - Complete Edition, Playstation 5 [English Edition] | $37.16 | Buy on Amazon |
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Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition - Xbox One | $27.99 | Buy on Amazon |
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These recommendations cover both situations. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is the clearest choice when you want another authored fantasy narrative and can buy or already own the Complete Edition. Cyberpunk 2077 is a change of genre and atmosphere, moving into a dense science-fiction metropolis with the Phantom Liberty story expansion. Elden Ring is the outlier for players who value discovery and difficult action-RPG combat over a guided, character-led campaign.
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- “I want another story I can follow.” Start with The Witcher 3.
- “I want a radically different setting.” Start with Cyberpunk 2077.
- “I want to explore and fight my way through surprises.” Start with Elden Ring.
- “I still want the game I finished, just with more of it.” Check the relevant expansion and your edition before purchasing a new title.
At-a-glance comparison
| Game | World and tone | What the additional content adds | Best for | Ownership question |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Dark, authored fantasy across the Northern Kingdoms | Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine add major story content; the Complete Edition includes both | Players who want character-driven quests and a directed narrative | Check whether your edition includes both expansions; the official page says owners of the base game receive them at no extra cost under that offering |
| Cyberpunk 2077 | Futuristic Night City and the Dogtown district | Phantom Liberty adds a spy-story thread, Dogtown and agent Solomon Reed | Players who prefer science fiction, urban density and a new cast of conflicts | Confirm that your platform and edition support the expansion |
| Elden Ring | Open fantasy landscapes, ruins and hidden mysteries | Shadow of the Erdtree adds territories, characters and foes | Players who want exploration, build experimentation and demanding combat | Verify expansion entitlement and access requirements on your storefront; the cited description does not establish a universal post-ending order |
The table describes the supported differences, not a scorecard. None of the cited material establishes comparative completion times, performance rankings or a value-per-hour winner, so those are not useful grounds for choosing among them.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt: the strongest story-first choice
Why it suits a narrative-focused player
CD PROJEKT RED describes The Witcher 3 as an open-world role-playing game in which Geralt searches for Ciri across the Northern Kingdoms. That premise gives the game a clear personal objective while leaving room for regional quests, political conflicts and smaller character stories. If the reason you finished your last RPG was to reach the end of a long, authored journey, this is the most directly supported recommendation in this group.
The attraction is not simply “a big map.” Geralt’s investigation, contracts and relationships provide a narrative framework for moving through that map. You can pursue the central search while taking detours into local problems, or let optional stories become the reason you spend another evening in a particular region. This makes the game a natural follow-up when you want the next RPG to feel written and directed rather than assembled primarily from combat encounters.
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsWhat the two expansions provide
The Complete Edition includes Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine. PlayStation’s description also identifies both add-ons as part of that edition. Together they are the important distinction between buying the base adventure and buying the version intended for someone who wants the fullest established Witcher 3 package.
The official product page says owners of the base game can receive the two expansions at no extra cost under the offering described there. That is an entitlement statement tied to the page’s offer, not a promise that every historical, regional or platform listing uses identical packaging. Check your account and storefront before assuming an expansion is attached to a particular copy.
How to start an expansion
The official page says each expansion can be started separately from the main menu. This matters if you have completed the campaign and want to move directly into new narrative material, or if you are returning after a long break and do not want to replay the entire story first.
- Open the game’s main menu.
- Look for the separate entry for the expansion you own.
- Choose the expansion-start option shown by your edition and platform.
- Read the on-screen level or save instructions before confirming, because the exact setup can depend on the version installed.
Starting separately is a convenience, not a reason to assume that every quest, choice or save-state relationship works identically to a continuous campaign. If you care about carrying decisions forward, use the game’s own save and expansion guidance on your platform.
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Which edition to choose
The Complete Edition is the simplest purchase for a new player who wants the base game and both major expansions in one package. If you already own the base game, first inspect its add-on or upgrade page: the official offer may already provide the expansions, while another storefront may list a separate bundle.
- Confirm the platform: PlayStation, Xbox or PC listings can use different edition names.
- Check that “Complete Edition” or the two expansion names appear in the contents list.
- Verify that the account buying the add-on is the account that owns the base game.
- Do not infer a price or entitlement from a physical box, used copy or another region’s listing.
Cyberpunk 2077: a science-fiction reset in Night City
Why the setting changes the experience
PlayStation describes Night City as a labyrinthine futuristic metropolis. That setting is a useful answer to the reader who has just completed a medieval or high-fantasy RPG and wants the next world to feel unmistakably different. Instead of forests, castles and old kingdoms, you navigate a vertical urban environment shaped by technology, corporations, gangs and surveillance.
The city’s density also changes how “open world” feels. Your next destination is not merely another distant wilderness landmark; it can be a neighborhood, building interior or district with its own social pressure and visual language. Choose this game when atmosphere and a science-fiction identity matter as much as the number of quests.
What Phantom Liberty adds
PlayStation says Phantom Liberty expands the story with Dogtown and secret agent Solomon Reed. Dogtown gives the expansion a distinct area inside the broader Night City setting, while Reed supplies a spy-thriller perspective that differs from a standard street-level mission chain.
This makes the package a good fit if you want more story in a game you already have, or if you want a new RPG whose central appeal is a futuristic city rather than a broad natural landscape. The expansion’s named characters and district are established features; the available source does not establish a universal sequence for playing it after the ending or require a single order for every player.
How to plan your purchase
If you are buying for the first time, compare the base-game listing with the edition that explicitly includes Phantom Liberty. If you already own Cyberpunk 2077, open your platform’s add-on page and verify that the expansion is compatible with your edition and region. Avoid relying on a retailer headline alone: the contents panel is the part that determines what your account receives.
- Look for Phantom Liberty by name in the included-content list.
- Check whether the listing is a complete bundle or an expansion requiring the base game.
- Confirm that you are signed into the same platform account used for the base game.
- Install the expansion and any required game update before troubleshooting missing content.
Because the cited description does not define a single post-ending route, treat the expansion as additional story content rather than promising yourself a particular “true ending” sequence. Follow the prompts and save guidance shown in your own version.
Rank #2
- If you buy this game, you will receive a free next-gen update on December 14th!
- Play as a highly trained monster slayer for hire.
- Built for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth and complexity.
- The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Game of the Year edition brings together the base game and all the additional content released to date.
Elden Ring: choose exploration and combat over a guided sequel
What makes it different
PlayStation describes Elden Ring as an open world that can be crossed on foot or horseback, filled with secrets and mysteries. Its strongest appeal in this comparison is the act of finding the next place to go and learning how to survive what is there. The game is a better match for a player who wants the world to resist them than for someone looking for a continuously signposted drama.
Travel itself is part of the challenge. A visible landmark may hide a route, a trap or an enemy that your current build cannot comfortably defeat. You can change direction, experiment with equipment and return later, making exploration and combat decisions inseparable.
What Shadow of the Erdtree contributes
PlayStation identifies Shadow of the Erdtree as an expansion with new territories, characters and foes. Those additions support the choice for players who have already exhausted their familiar routes and want another large set of places and opponents to decode.
The available description does not say that the expansion is specifically post-ending content, and it does not establish that every player must finish the main game before accessing it. Do not buy it on the assumption that “after the final boss” is the only supported entry point. Check the current platform instructions and the requirements shown for your edition.
Who should pick it
- Choose Elden Ring if learning enemy patterns is satisfying rather than frustrating.
- Choose it if you enjoy reaching a location without knowing whether it contains a reward, shortcut or lethal encounter.
- Choose the expansion when new territories and foes matter more to you than a conventional, linear continuation.
- Choose another game first if you want frequent cinematic direction and an explicitly authored quest path.
Match the recommendation to your preferred experience
If story and characters come first
Pick The Witcher 3. Its premise is organized around Geralt’s search for Ciri, and its Complete Edition packages two major story expansions. It is the most straightforward answer to “what should I play after I finish a story-heavy RPG?” when you want another long-form fantasy narrative rather than a mechanical challenge.
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If you want a hard genre change
Pick Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty. Night City and Dogtown provide the sharpest tonal break from medieval fantasy, and Solomon Reed’s secret-agent storyline supplies a different kind of dramatic conflict.
If discovery and difficulty are the point
Pick Elden Ring. Its on-foot and horseback traversal, hidden locations and demanding foes make it the most exploration-led option here. The expansion broadens that formula with additional territories, characters and enemies rather than promising a conventional epilogue.
If you are not ready to leave your current game
Start with the expansion attached to the game you already own. The Witcher 3 is especially convenient because its official page says both expansions can be launched separately from the main menu. For Cyberpunk 2077 and Elden Ring, confirm the edition, platform and in-game access instructions instead of assuming that an expansion follows the credits in one universal way.
A practical buying and setup checklist
Open-world RPG bundles often use similar names while containing different products. Use this checklist before paying:
- Identify the base game. An expansion normally requires ownership of its associated game, while a complete edition may combine both.
- Read the included-content panel. Look for the exact names Hearts of Stone, Blood and Wine, Phantom Liberty or Shadow of the Erdtree, not just a vague “bonus content” label.
- Match the platform and region. Console generations, PC stores and regional storefronts can list different entitlements.
- Check the account and disc status. A used physical copy, a borrowed disc or a different account may not grant the digital add-on you expect.
- Install updates. If an owned expansion does not appear, finish the base-game update, install the add-on separately when required and restart the game.
- Use the game’s own menu. The presence of an expansion in your library does not always mean its entry is visible in the same menu as the base campaign.
These checks prevent the most common disappointment: purchasing content that is tied to a different platform, edition or account. They also avoid making a price claim that may be obsolete or region-specific.
What is announced for The Witcher 3 next?
On May 27, 2026, CD PROJEKT RED announced Songs of the Past, a third Witcher 3 expansion planned for 2027 on PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S and PC. The company’s press-center description says it will introduce a new region, quests and characters, and take Geralt to Letten, described as Dandelion’s homeland. Xbox Wire also reported the planned 2027 release in an August 25, 2026 article.
This is announced future content, not an expansion currently available to play or buy on the basis of those announcements. Do not treat it as part of today’s Complete Edition, and do not plan a purchase around a retailer listing until the release and edition details are confirmed for your platform.
CD PROJEKT RED’s May 27 announcement also reported that The Witcher 3 had sold more than 60 million copies since its 2015 release. That figure is the publisher’s own report and should be understood as publisher-reported rather than independently audited.
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| Your priority | Recommendation | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Authored fantasy quests and major story expansions | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Complete Edition | It combines the base adventure with Hearts of Stone and Blood and Wine; the expansions can also be started separately from the main menu according to the official page. |
| A futuristic metropolis and spy-fiction atmosphere | Cyberpunk 2077 with Phantom Liberty | Night City, Dogtown and Solomon Reed provide the clearest science-fiction change of scenery. |
| Exploration, build experimentation and punishing fights | Elden Ring with Shadow of the Erdtree | Its open world supports travel on foot or horseback, hidden discoveries and additional territories, characters and foes. |
| More content without starting a new game | The expansion for the title you already own | Verify your edition and platform first; access rules and entitlements are not identical across storefronts. |
For most readers asking this question without a preferred genre, begin by choosing between the first three rows rather than searching for a single winner. The games solve different problems: a richer authored fantasy, a futuristic city or a more demanding exploration loop.
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