The Witcher 1 & 2

Monster slayer, mutant, mercenary, butcher, hero; these terms have all been used to describe Geralt of Rivia, protagonist and star of The Witcher and The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Based on the works of Polish fantasy author Andrzej Sapkowski and developed by the likewise Polish game studio CD Projekt RED, the Witcher games have achieved critical acclaim and commercial success worldwide. In this writer’s opinion, deservedly so! I recently took the plunge into this dark fantasy world, and I am pleased to be able to share my thoughts and excitement with the readers of Fantasy-Faction, some of whom may be unaware of this fantastic series!

The world of The Witcher is a bleak and dark place. Humans oppress elves and dwarves, elves and dwarves rebel and murder their oppressors, monsters roam the land, and kings battle for the spoils of these endless and bloody conflicts. Through this madness roam the Witchers, monster-slayers-for-hire who protect common folk and highborn alike from the ferocious beasts which stalk the land.

Orphans to the last, Witchers are raised from childhood to train with blade, magic, and alchemy in order to carry out their thankless duties. Subjected to mutagenic treatments, they develop beast-like reflexes, night-vision, and superhuman pain tolerance. These abilities, while useful in slaying monsters, make them naturally outcast from the people they are sworn to protect, and they are often feared as greatly as the beasts they hunt. Witchers are very often needed, yet rarely tolerated, this leaving them few friends, and as a result of their mutations, utterly infertile and unable to sire children. Witchers are true outcasts, no place in the world unless it be among the monsters they hunt or their fellow Witchers.

Perhaps the most famous Witcher in recent memory is Geralt of Rivia, who by all accounts was slain defending non-humans during a vicious race riot in the town of Rivia. During the first few moments of the Witcher game, Geralt is fleeing through the forest, voices calling his name as he eventually stumbles and falls with exhaustion, and we see figures moving towards him as he lapses into unconsciousness.

Geralt awakens in the ancient castle of Kaer Morhen, a training ground for Witchers, and where he himself was trained as a youth. Geralt has no memory of his life before that moment, though he instinctively recognizes that he should know those who found him in the forest as fellow Witchers and comrades.

From there events unfold which lead Geralt to rediscover his abilities and attempt to recover his memories. He meets friends and enemies who know him well, though he has little to know recollection of them. All are stunned to see him alive, as his death in Rivia is a well-known fact.

Geralt himself is a fascinating and complex hero for the player to inhabit. He drinks heavily, beds any woman he can find, gambles, engages in fist-fights for coin, and brutally slays any monsters he encounters. Yet within this hard and coarse man abides a deep sense of nobility, and Geralt will never allow innocents to come to harm if at all possible.

For all his faults, Geralt takes his duties as a Witcher very seriously, and is all-too-willing to stand between the innocent and the darkness which threatens them. It is this nobility which affords Geralt his few true friends; the bard Dandelion, the dwarf Zoltan, and the sorceress (and Geralt’s erstwhile lover) Triss Merigold. These three factor heavily in both games, and serve to humanize the driven Witcher. Geralt is a dark character, but his nobility and courage shine through at key moments in the story, serving to draw the player in even further.

Simply put, these games are awesome. The depth and detail of both is staggering at times, even when the production values (notably in the first game, where the voice acting can get a little Renaissance Fair-y and you encounter the same NPC model dozens of times) fall short. Both games though are gorgeous to behold, with stunning landscapes and spectacular detail. Castles are dark and dingy, peasants are grimy, knight armor is shiny, and heavy rain makes it hard to see. When it rains, townsfolk race for nearby overhangs to avoid getting wet, and the beasts you encounter have no discernment as to their victims, even killing quest-givers should Geralt not act quickly enough. None of this is game-breaking, however, and the only thing that can actually stop you from progressing is if Geralt himself dies.

And that will happen. Without careful preparation and a variety of weapons combat can be quite punishing and you will find yourself re-loading saved games fairly often. On anything but the easiest level, your alchemical skills are essential, providing potions and weapon oils which allow you to both survive the worst attacks and also to defeat tricky opponents. Fighting a specter? Use specter oil and a silver sword or you will find it hard to even wound your foe. Fighting several human opponents? Utilize your ‘group’ fighting style and a steel blade or find yourself overwhelmed quickly. The game rewards careful preparation and adaptation, and it is quite fulfilling to bring down a particularly nasty enemy once you’ve discovered the key to defeating them.

The lore behind the game is immense, with dozens of in-game books to buy and peruse. Unlike the Elder Scrolls games, though, these books are rarely just fluff, and are often essential to completing certain quests! Heck, if you are hired to collect ghoul blood, you can’t even begin until you’ve found the proper book which teaches Geralt how to collect the stuff!

With the majority of Fantasy-Faction visitors being avid readers, you’ll be pleased to hear that the storyline in both games is fantastic, with the most innocuous of decisions affecting future events in surprising ways. A key feature of the story is the ‘delayed response’ to your decisions. Choose to kill the wrong person, and it can bite you later on, forcing you to carefully consider your decisions along the way. The series rewards multiple play-throughs, the second game in particular provides an entirely different second Act should make alternate choices in Act 1.

Of course, with the first game being a few years old, it certainly has its flaws, but once you progress far enough, you barely notice them anymore. Even better: Witcher 2 is quite simply gorgeous to behold, and will recognize decisions made in The Witcher 1 should you choose to import your saved game. Faction readers, I implore you, if you are a gamer and have not played the Witcher, do yourself a favor and get lost in the world of Geralt of Rivia. The rewards are well-worth the rather steep learning curve.

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