Background

The Witcher game series is based upon the short stories and novels of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski, and tells the tale of the "Witchers" -- professional monster hunters who (through special training and body modification) develop supernatural abilities at a young age in order to very effectively battle deadly monsters who are a plague for villagers and city dwellers alike.

The novels have been adapted into both movie and television series, but our interest is in their treatment as a video game series.

There are now three games in the series - the original The Witcher, The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings, and now The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. All of the games have a fairly close connection to the stories told in the novels and shorts.

In The Witcher, we are introduced to Geralt of Rivia, one of the few remaining "Witchers" still practicing their trade.

Gifted with unnatural powers and skills that were acquired through a lifetime of training, Geralt's adventures in the first game were a morality tale (the game leveraged a moral-choice scheme that altered the story as it unfolded based on the choices made by the player), with a particularly effective system of time-delayed events that would often reach out and bite the player long after they made their decision.

The story opens with Geralt having accepted the job of curing the King’s daughter of a curse that transforms her into a feral monster - a dangerous monster at that. But that is part of what Witchers DO, so no hoo-hoo!

As the story unfolds based on the moral value of the decisions that the player takes, they follow one of three possible story lines, eventually allying with one of three factions in the story: the Scoia'tael (aka the Squirrels), who are a guerrilla freedom-fighting group of Elves and other non-humans; The Order of the Flaming Rose, a group of knights who are sworn to protect the country of Temeria; and finally, opting not to form an alliance with either group - which is the Neutral path.

Geralt having lost his memory sets out on a trek to both recover it and solve the various tasks that he is presented with and more than a few mysteries. He is aided in this by the sorceress Triss Merigold, with whom he forms a close relationship.

Much of the story and player effort is taken up with defeating the Salamandra, but more than a few surprise twists in the plot leave the player feeling wet, sticky, and confused by the time they reach the end!

The first game released on PC and was in the process of being ported over to console when the port was canceled as the studio began production of the sequel - The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings - which was also released on PC but also on Xbox 360 games console.

In The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings Geralt returns, as the game is the direct sequel to the first game.

The sequel begins with Geralt in prison under suspicion of assassinating the king of Temeria. That is just ludicrous as it was Geralt that tried to SAVE the King, but hey, each story has to have a starting point, right?

Fortunately however after interrogating Geralt, Commander Roche realizes that he is innocent, and then opts to help him both to escape and, along with sorceress Triss Merigold, they go in search of the real kingslayer.

As they travel they learn that a Witcher who is believed to have assassinated the King of the neighboring country of Aedirn is in league with the rebels - and that king-slaying is all part of a larger plan.

Geralt discovers that the true kingslayer, a Witcher called Letho, is not playing straight with the rebels or the deeper crew that hired him and that he means to betray them as well. Once Geralt convinces them of this, things finally start to get rolling.

Unfortunately at the confrontation Letho kidnaps Triss and forces her to teleport both of them to Aedirn, so the chase is not fully on!

Things get strange and complicated for a while - but we cannot really go into that since if you have not actually played the game, that would basically constitute spoilers and we are not going to do that... Just suffice it to say that things work out in the end, and if the player makes the right choices they get reunited with their close friend.

Along the way Geralt learns a lot about himself - which if you think about it and considering that that quest is the OTHER plot of the game, that is a good thing too.

Which brings us to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt...

Know that this is a direct sequel to the second game - so in effect it is also a sequel to the first - and that it tells the remaining conclusion bit of Geralts story.

Geralt has now moved on with his own life, and has embarked on a new and personal series of missions in the midst of a world that is changing in ways that call into question his own profession.

Then the mysterious army known as the Wild Hunt invades the Northern Kingdoms, and Geralt - The Witcher - becomes more important than ever!

And there you go mates, you are now in the know enough so that you can play and most of what you see will make sense!