The year 2022 will mark the 15th Anniversary of The Witcher video game franchise. With the recent announcement for Witcher 4, our guide to the Witcher will tell you all that the World of Witcher has come up with in these years and the things you could check out to make the most of the next release from CD Projekt RED.
Our guide to the Witcher includes video games, novels, comics, a movie as well as the Netflix series! The WitcherCon held in 2021 also added a lot to the already vast world of The Witcher and here are the most important bits and more of a crash course than a super detailed deep dive that may pique your interest!
The Witcher Video Games
The Witcher began as a venture in the 1990s! The first Witcher games did not last very long as they were cancelled soon after. The stories by Andrej Sapkowsky titled ‘Weidzmin’ was turned into a video game series as CD Projekt RED’s first major game franchise which began with The Witcher that released in 2007. The Enhanced Edition was released in 2008.
The game first introduced the Continent as a mass of lands, kingdoms and territories and takes place majorly in Temeria and introduces many major characters in the series including Vesemir, Lambert, Eskel, Triss, Emperor Emhyr var Emreis of Nilfgaard, Dandelion and more!
The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings
The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings was 2012 that stepped up the popularity of Witcher 2 significantly with its expanded maps, game mechanics and easier interface to build Geralt’s character. Assassin of Kings begins with the Fall of Teremian King Foltest and the framing of Geralt of Rivia. The journey takes place along Flotsam, bringing in the infamous Sociatel, followed by Verden. It ends at Loch Muine and brings in more important characters in the story that include Philippa Eilhaart, King Radovid V, Letho, Zoltan Chivay and others.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt shattered records upon its release in 2015 and it’s still considered one of the best role-playing games. The open-world exploration game opens up Velen, Novigrad, Skellige, The White Orchard, The Palace of Vizima and also Toussaint in the expansion Blood and Wine (2016).
The base game is legendary enough which is loaded with main quests, side quests, treasure hunts and contracts. The search for Ciri and Yennefer is the centre of The Witcher 3 which then extend to the battle with the Wild Hunt that pursues Ciri for her Elder Powers.
The base game is followed by two spectacular expansions: Hearts of Stone (2015) and Blood and Wine (2016), both of which are critically acclaimed. The Witcher also has a collectable card game called Gwent which was popularised as an in-game feature within the Witcher 3 itself. The Witcher: Thronebreaker is also another release that takes one to the battle at Liria and Rivia where Geralt fights for the Queen of Liria and Rivia in an isometric gameplay style.
This Guide to The Witcher recommends playing the enhanced edition of Witcher 1 if at all being played. The game mechanics and interface are significantly challenging and may not appeal to a lot of players.
Witcher Novels and Comic Books
A Guide to The Witcher has to include the very birth of the series! The inception of The Witcher was with Andrej Sapkowski’s collection of short stories that later became a series of novels making the Witcher Saga. The first book is called Weidzmin. The books the Last Wish and The Sword of Destiny are both a collection of stories that introduce the Continent and recurring characters in the story.
The main Witcher Saga contains five books in the order:
- Blood of Elves
- Time of Contempt
- Baptism of Fire
- Tower of the Swallow
- Lady of the Lake
The standalone novel A Season of Storms acts as an epilogue to the Witcher Saga.
The comicverse of The Witcher is also quite elaborate! The Guide to the Witcher recommends checking out The Witch’s Lament! The 6-issue series follows Geralt on the road as he takes on a job and gets tangled in ominous things he did not expect.
The Witcher Omnibus by Paul Tobin contains the entire Witcher collection including House of Glass, Fox Children, Curse of Crows and Killing Monsters. The WitcherCon also announced the release of The Witcher Ronin Manga which blends Japanese Folklore into Geralt’s History!
The Witcher: Nightmare of the Wolf
Studio Mir released The Nightmare of the Wolf as a Netflix movie in august last year. The movie has Vesemir, Geralt’s mentor, in his youth. The life of Vesemir has him become a Witcher and also live through the pogrom that annihilated the Wolf School at Kaer Morhen. Vesemir was the only survivor of the incident along with a few young boys he trained into becoming witchers including Geralt, Eskel and Lambert. This is currently the only movie on the Guide to The Witcher.
The Witcher Netflix Show
At last, the Guide to the Witcher has the Witcher Netflix series that has caused quite the stir. The second season of the series was released in December 2021 and focused on Geralt and Ciri travelling to Kaer Morhen, the Wolf School’s stronghold in the snowy mountains of Kaedwin. Ciri needs to train with Geralt to be a witcher, learn about her Elder power and understand the meaning of her and Geralt’s destiny.
The series has a lot of notable characters from the games and novels but has also diverged from the content in places. The Netflix series is supposed to be following the books and stars Henry Cavil, Anya Chalotra and Freya Allen in the leading roles.
The announcement of Witcher 4 has opened a lot of possibilities! The teaser image linked the website of the Witcher which is yet to provide a release date or any development timelines for the release of the game which gives fans and non-fans ample time to familiarise themselves with all the Witcher content they want.
Our Guide to the Witcher has covered the basics of each kind of Witcher media. We have our own theories for Witcher 4 as well that you should definitely check out! Stay tuned for updates on the Witcher and all the good stuff from your favourite titles. As a true Witcher fan would say – Good luck on the Path!
