10 Things The Witcher Games Got Wrong (And 10 Things Better Than The Books)
With a new Netflix series on the way, The Witcher is about to be introduced to a wider audience. The Witcher games have proven to be a huge worldwide hit, with Wild Hunt selling millions of copies.
20 Worse: Making The World Realistic
The Witcher games are attempting to create a somewhat realistic experience, whereas the books are far grittier and have a far more solid foundation in realism, for example, Geralt is not some superhuman, but a real person who is vulnerable and not just a hero.
19 Better: Being Less Dark And More Fun
Although Andrzej Sapkowski’s novels are known for being dark and bleak, the games forego some of these darker themes in order to create a more enjoyable experience for players, who will be able to have more fun as they are not burdened by the overly depressing elements.
18 Worse: Humanizing Geralt To Make Him More Relatable
Geralt is depicted in the games as a superhuman heroic savior capable of defeating powerful enemies, which is a simplified version of his character that differs greatly from the novels, which depict him as a more relatable person with desires, vulnerabilities, and struggles.
17 Better: Having A Focused Story
Video games are better than books at keeping a more focused narrative; novels tend to branch out in a variety of ways, such as the world’s political situation, whereas video games have a more linear plot that is easier to follow and more fun to play.
16 Worse: Getting The Complex Morality Right
The morality of the world in The Witcher games is very different from that of the books; there is a more complex morality system in the story, with people doing what they have to do in order to survive, which adds depth and forces you to think about the characters’ actions.
15 Better: Characters End Up More Likable
Most characters in books have a more rugged and rough personality, which is not the case in video games where the world is a little safer. Characters in books, especially, require this kind of characterization to survive in such a dangerous environment.
14 Worse: Establishing The Backstory
With six novels and two short stories, author Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher series has been a huge success, providing far more material to digest than the games do.
13 Better: The Pacing Of The Story
Because of the complex political and philosophical themes, the central narratives sometimes take a back seat; however, this is not the case in the games, which better balance the narrative and non-sequitur sections.
12 Worse: Having A Huge World
Due to performance and time constraints, the developers were only able to fit so much in; however, the novels are free to travel from country to country as needed, and the Witcher games, especially CD Projekt RED’s Wild Hunt, have massive open worlds.
11 Better: Making Geralt Feel Like A Hero
Players do not want to control a weak character; instead, they want to be able to battle massive monsters and deadly foes, and the games portray him as a true hero and warrior.
10 Worse: Telling A More Complete Narrative
The books are able to provide a more complete narrative that gives readers a better understanding of everything that has happened to Geralt, whereas the games begin with Geralt having amnesia and knowing little about his previous life, so there isn’t as much emphasis on everything he has done.
9 Better: More Suited To A Western Audience
This is due to the fact that they have had to be translated from Polish into languages such as English, whereas games do not have this issue and are thus better suited to Western audiences.
8 Worse: Showing Different Characters Interacting
However, there are a number of other characters who play an equally important role in the story, and the books give you the opportunity to see them interact with one another rather than just with Geralt.
7 Better: Making Geralt An Effective Protagonist
Geralt of Rivia is a traditional protagonist in the Witcher games, which gives him a more appealing personality and allows players to easily put themselves in his shoes. He isn’t as sly or sarcastic, so you can easily assume his role and feel like you’re playing through the campaign.
Does playing the Witcher games ruin the books?
Because the games take place after the books, they will spoil a significant portion of the books, including the ending; however, after playing all of the games, you can make certain inferences about what happens to characters in the books, because so many of the characters are in the games and obviously the dead ones will not.
Is The Witcher accurate to the books?
The Witcher onscreen is actually a pretty faithful retelling of the Witcher on the page, based largely on Sapkowski’s first short story collection The Last Wish, with elements from follow-up Sword of Destiny (and not the videogames, which are set years after the entire series of books).
Are the Witcher games different from the books?
In the books, Geralt follows his own moral code of only killing monsters that pose a direct threat to others and allowing peaceful or intelligent monsters to live; however, in the games, Geralt has the option to do otherwise, and the difference between book Geralt and game Geralt comes down to player preference.
Will The Witcher 1 spoil the books?
Because the games take place after the books, they will spoil a significant portion of the books, including the ending; however, after playing all of the games, you can make certain inferences about what happens to characters in the books, because so many of the characters are in the games and obviously the dead ones will not.
Will reading the Witcher books spoil the show?
Season 2 will cover Blood of Elves and one of the short stories that were not adapted for the first season; it will spoil some things, but some things will be different; it is still worth reading.
Is Yennefer beautiful in the books?
Yennefer is beautiful and menacing in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the only game in the series where she appears, and the developers kept her raven black hair and spectacular violet eyes. Her beauty was mentioned even by those who despised or felt intimidated by her.
Was Yennefer a hunchback in the books?
Yennefer (then “Jenny”) is a hunchback girl from an abusive family who has had a difficult life and does not hold out much hope for her own future until she discovers her innate magical abilities, which leads her to Aretuza, the magical school of sorceresses.
Is Witcher Netflix same as game?
Yes, The Witcher is based on a series of novels by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, which you can read, but the tone, aesthetics, and story beats of Netflix’s The Witcher are more similar to the video game series than the books, so don’t play the games if you’re worried about spoilers.
Does the Wild Hunt appear in The Witcher books?
See The Wild Hunt (The Witcher 2) for the book from The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. For the book from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, see The Wild Hunt (The Witcher 3).
How old is Geralt?
Geralt of Rivia has seen a lot, which could explain why he needs a nap. According to IGN, The Witcher showrunner Lauren Schmidt Hissrich explained how old Geralt is in the first episode: u201cGeralt is almost 100 years old when the series starts, and we find him in the middle of a journey.u201d
Does Geralt use signs in the books?
Geralt rarely uses the signs in the books because they require a high level of concentration as well as the ability to execute each hand gesture flawlessly; the signs are intended to be low-level magic that anyone with the necessary knowledge should be able to use.
Does Witcher 3 have spoilers?
First and foremost, The Witcher 3 takes place several years after the conclusion of the saga’s last novel, The Lady of the Lake, and thus contains spoilers for the books, as well as future seasons of the Netflix show.