The Witcher becomes a towering global hit
Multimedia guide can help you catch up
With a second season, Netflix’s The Witcher rocketed to the top of everyone’s on- demand entertainment, even reportedly becoming the most in- demand TV show in the world, according to Parrot Analytics.
Author Andrzej Sapkowski became the pride of Poland after publishing a series of stories about Geralt of Rivia, the titular Witcher. Since the show’s debut, Witcher books and video games are seeing renewed chart-topping success. Here’s a little guide to books, games and Youtube video essays to best familiarize yourself with the lore of Sapwoski’s weird, bloody, sexy and sometimes satirical fantasy world.
Books
The Last Wish was published after the first book of the Witcher Saga, but this is the best starting point.
Each of the short stories were published in fantasy fiction magazines in Poland before they were compiled into book form in 1993. The English edition, finally released in 2007, made its first appearance on the New York Times Bestseller list in 2015, after the release of The Witcher 3 game.
Like many short story collections, The Last Wish is a quick and breezy read, and it’s filled with action as it follows Geralt through flashbacks of past adventures. Moreover, you get more details about the world’s politics and warring factions, which add context to the show.
Sword of Destiny should be your second read. The biggest criticism lodged against the show is its confusing setup of different timelines. Sword of Destiny offers more context to Geralt and Ciri’s bond.
After that, read the Witcher saga in the order they were published: Blood of Elves, Time of Contempt, Baptism of Fire, The Tower of the Swallow and The Lady of the Lake.
Games
Don’t be afraid of starting with the third Witcher game. CD Projekt Red won the right to continue Geralt’s story after Lady. Sapkowski’s expressed happiness with how the games treat his characters.
The first Witcher game was a PC exclusive from 2007, and it has not aged well. While its story presentation is still high quality, there are simply too many antiquated game systems for it to be enjoyable. Even on a high-end PC, the game’s outdated engine struggles.
❚ ❚ The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a different proposition. The elevator pitch: Think Mass Effect’s branching storylines mixed with a jankier version of Dark Souls combat.
The Witcher 3 is so good, it makes the other two games nonessential. CD Projekt Red wrote Geralt as an amnesiac in the first two Witcher games to write around introducing the universe to the player. By the third game, Geralt’s memory is restored, and he’s back to who he was at the end of The Lady of the Lake. The story also introduces characters only previously seen in the books.
The game’s main quest is meaty and well- written, but its many side quests are arguably better. You can ignore the main mission and familiarize yourself with a huge chunk of the Witcher’s continent, exploring three large maps and role playing as a freelancing Witcher.
If you’re a novice at games, its easy mode should be a cakewalk for casual players.
And as Forbes writer Paul Tassi wrote, this game already provides the best possible solution for an ideal ending, by letting you decide. The main Witcher 3 story ends on a saga- satisfying note. But the game’s subsequent downloadable content, Heart of Stone and Blood and Wine, provide even more closure, further rewarding players.
In other words, there is no risk for a finale fiasco like Game of Thrones or Star Wars. The best endings already exist.
Video explainers
Youtube videos are a great way to catch up. It’s worth starting with the Shoddycast nine- part documentary on the Witcher universe. Each video is less than 10 minutes, and broadly covers important aspects of the universe, from the commanding role of sorceresses to the origins of all those dang monsters. After you’re a bit more familiar with the universe, it’s worth doing deeper dives into the characters. Youtuber Proper Bird has a playlist with dozens of videos on several characters throughout the books and games.