The Witcher – Gaming Legend Born From Books
Few gamers will argue that The Witcher 3 is one of the greatest video games of modern times. The game was, and remains, so popular that it has all but been crowned the best game ever made. Having an enormous, sprawling world, an immersive storyline, incredible graphics, and an excellent RPG system, there is virtually nothing that The Witcher 3 did not excel in.
Few, however, realise that The Witcher story was born from a series of books, written by author Andrzej Sapkowski. The books themselves were not popular on a global level, but the character of Geralt of Rivia is still undeniably plucked from the pages of these novels. And, it need not be said, the books have seen an enormous increase in popularity due entirely to the success of the games.
But just how accurately do the Witcher games follow the books from which they were born, and what tips and tricks have been used to make them more intriguing?
Are The Games Accurate?
Many have said that the first Witcher game was far more closely related to the books than the two sequels. The first Witcher game was, however, the least successful of the franchise. Released back in 2007, the first Witcher game saw only limited success, although being praised for it’s deep, morality driven story line.
Beyond the first game, however, the games deviate so far from the books that it can be difficult to relate the one to the other. The most notable change from the books is Geralt being portrayed as “heroic monster slayer” in the games, but is a far more subdued, philosophical character in the books. The Geralt in the books, in fact, hates being a Witcher, and very much wishes he could more easily pursue other work.
Is The Story Accurate?
Even the storyline followed in the games is far removed from the storyline told in the Witcher books. The events in the books, most notably the third, are completely separate from the books. To such an extent, in fact, that it can be said the two are not related, other than the characters sharing the same names. Again, only the first Witcher game even makes an effort to follow events that occurred in the books.
Is The Separation Bad?
Fans of The Witcher books have expressed some dissatisfaction with the games portrayal of Geralt of Rivia and the world of The Witcher, and perhaps they’d be better off enjoying wagering at betting sites rather than playing. However it should be kept in mind that with The Witcher being a video game, certain changes had to be made in order to make the story an enjoyable playing experience.
The games could perhaps made more of an effort to follow the stories told in the books, but it seems only fair that the game makers broke off and told their own story. After all, the game would have offered very few twists if the readers of the books had known exactly how things were going to turn out. It’s perhaps best to think of the Witcher games as being based on the books, and not a telling of them.
