The Witcher 3 is the most recent game in the Witcher series, but it’s not the first. After all, they’re a bit old, and many newer gamers may not have had a chance to play them.
As we eagerly await the release of Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, many of us are wondering if it’s necessary to play Witcher 1 and 2 before Witcher 3 games in the series.
In terms of its presentation, Witcher has appeared more as a franchise than a game. This story has been told through television, novels, and video game series. The Witcher 3 was developed by CD Projekt Red in a great way (unlike Cyberpunk 2077).
Short answer: Do you need to play Witcher 1 and 2 before Witcher 3? No. Making Witcher 3 a standalone game was an excellent achievement for CD Projekt Red. The storyline of Witcher 3 can also be adequately interpreted within the game itself.
In this post, we’ll take a look at whether you need to play Witcher 1 and 2 to enjoy Witcher 3 or not.
So, let’s get started!
What Is The Witcher?
Many people are familiar with ‘The Witcher’ as part of Netflix’s drama series, while others know it from the novels written by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. However, gamers refer to the game as a role-playing action game released in 2007.
This role-playing action game by CD Projekt Red does an excellent job of transforming The Witchers into a role-playing experience. They are all based on novels in the ‘The Witcher’ series.
It follows the events that take place on mainland Saga in the game’s plot. Geralt Rivia is the protagonist of this story set in a medical fantasy world.
He is a supernaturally gifted monster hunter who is magically enhanced. In this way, the name ‘Witcher’ was derived.
The Witcher: Rise Of The White Wolf
Geralt’s first major game project for CD Projekt Red is starting, not only his debut in the world of video games.
Based on Sapkowski’s novels and their incredibly deep lore, the studio decided to make an RPG after the events of Lady of the Lake, his last novel.
Geralt suffers from amnesia at the beginning of the game to help introduce new players to the Witcher’s world.
As the story progresses, players get to know Geralt’s backstory by interacting with friends, acquaintances, and enemies who remember him.
CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher was a success for many reasons, including its narrative choices that could affect players for several chapters into the game. The Witcher is top-down or over-the-shoulder perspectives.
Several players spent upwards of 60 hours completing the game’s main content, while most took around 35 hours.
The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings
A continuation of ‘The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf’, this second installment adds extra powers and abilities to Geralt and new traps and weapons.
Therefore, King Foltest assigns Geralt of Rivia the primary responsibility of always protecting him. A personal bodyguard is now assigned to the king by Geralt.
Baroness Mary Lousia La Valette, the king’s mistress, who has a secret relationship with the king, is engaged in a battle with his mistress troops.
Geralt’s story can be continued by exploring the newly-styled Continent. In general, players spent between 25 and 30 hours completing the main game. A full game completion took about 50 hours for those who wanted to complete it.
Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
Geralt first appears in a guest room at Kaer Morhen, an old keep where witcher training used to take place.
As the Wild Hunt suddenly appears at Kaer Morhen, one discovers that all these events are part of Geralt’s dreams. Vesemir and Yennefir follow up on Yennefir’s disappearance after discussing his dream.
Since the last battle in White Orchard, Yennefir has been missing, the long-lost lover of Geralt.
Geralt and Vesemir track down yennefer in the opening cutscene. With renewed abilities, Gerald is now prepared to take on this challenge. Before wraiths and phantoms can continue to destroy the world, Geralt must stop them.
Most players took between 50 and 100 hours to play through The Witcher 3 at a regular pace, with the main storyline able to be finished in under 50 hours.
A player who wants to complete all of the game’s quests and achievements might need around 200 hours.
In addition to the main game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt received two expansions.
Do I Need To Play Witcher 1 And 2 Before Witcher 3?
No, you do not need to have played Witcher 1 and Witcher 2 to enjoy The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
With its dynamic gameplay, immersive open-worlds replete with adventure, and distinctive, full-of-life characters, The Witcher 3 is nonetheless one of the best games you can play, regardless of whether you’ve played its predecessors.
Using dialogue and gameplay to reveal enough backstory without being overly info-dumpy, CD Projekt Red got new players up to speed without boring them by giving them a taste of the world and characters of the Witcher.
It even includes a datalog you can refer to should you get lost or need a quick review of something about the game’s history or a character’s backstory.
For hardcore gamers, skipping the first two parts will be most comfortable. Compared to the polished, dynamic combat in Wild Hunt, The Witcher 1’s combat system seems a bit wonky.
Most players will find the point-and-click combat utterly confusing. Instead of skill-based attack systems, combat relies heavily on timing-based attacks.
However, those less interested in the lore of the Witcher will be less enthralled by lower-spec graphics and a smaller scope than what is available in 2020 in the way of open-world games. While The Witcher 2 is certainly more on par with today’s action RPG meta.
Though 2 and 3 especially are interconnected, it is certainly possible to follow along and get a sense of Geralt, who he is, and the world in which he lives.
The Witcher 3 is an incredible action RPG that is free to dive into if you’re just looking for an incredible game.
Conclusion
We hope you found this article helpful. If you’re new to the Witcher series, we recommend starting with the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
It’s an incredible game that can be enjoyed without having played the first two parts.
With its dynamic gameplay, immersive open-worlds replete with adventure, and distinctive, full-of-life characters, The Witcher 3 is nonetheless one of the best games you can play, regardless of whether you’ve played its predecessors.
If you have other questions or thoughts regarding this article, feel free to let us in the comment section below.
Thanks for reading!
