Are All 3 Witcher Games Connected? A Definitive Look
As a hardcore gamer and Witcher enthusiast, one of the most common questions I see is "Are the 3 Witcher video games connected?" So let me provide a definitive, insider perspective!
The short answer is yes, the Witcher game trilogy is directly connected through story, character choices, and save imports. But each title can also stand alone, so new fans can jump in wherever they want.
Here‘s a deeper dive into both how the critically-acclaimed[1] Witcher titles link together and where newcomers can get started.
Tracing the Witcher Story Across Books and Games
Before analyzing the connections between games, it‘s important to understand the full timeline of Witcher stories across both the novels by Andrzej Sapkowski and CD Projekt Red‘s video game trilogy[2]:
| Year | Book/Game Title | Story Summary |
|---|---|---|
| 1990s | The Last Wish (short story collection) | Introduces Geralt, Yennefer, Ciri early adventures |
| 1990s | Sword of Destiny (short story collection) | Geralt claimed Law of Surprise, gaining Child of Destiny (Ciri) |
| 1999+ | The Witcher Saga novels | Details Geralt & Ciri‘s intertwined destinies to save world |
| 2007 | The Witcher | Geralt struggles with amnesia, recalled past slowly through allies like Triss Merigold |
| 2011 | The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings | Geralt continues to regain memory, fights kings and hunts down the Wild Hunt |
| 2015 | The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt | Geralt reunites with Ciri against apocalyptic Wild Hunt while Yennefer hunts her down |
Now let‘s analyze the connections across the books and games more closely.
The Witcher Games as a Non-Canonical Sequel
The Witcher games serve as a non-canonical sequel to Sapkowski‘s novels – inventing their own adventures but frequently referring back to the books‘ events and prophecies around Geralt of Rivia.
In fact, Geralt begins The Witcher 1 with amnesia – allowing developers CD Projekt Red to craft their own distinct storylines informed by past novel events. Players uncover more of Geralt‘s forgotten history across the trilogy – creating some excellent story continuity!
Lasting Impacts of the Books
Many core novel characters like Ciri, Yennefer, Triss Merigold, and Emhyr var Emreis play major roles across all three Witcher games.
The games also frequently reference the novels‘ prophecy around Ciri‘s role as a "Child of Destiny" which portends the imminent apocalypse. Stopping this downfall Servesat the heart of the games‘ overarching story.
So in summary, the novels introduce characters critical to the games and establish a rich lore backdrop that CD Projekt Red expanded upon. You don‘t need to read the books, but they certainly enhance enjoyment of the games!
Seeing Your Choices Carry Over
One of the coolest parts of playing the Witcher games in order is seeing how your choices carry over across titles.
Romances with either Triss Merigold or Shani in The Witcher 1 impacts dialogue references and interactions in later games.
How you resolve The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings – supporting either King Henselt or Saskia the Dragonslayer – shapes the state of the Continent in The Witcher 3.
Several major sorceresses can live or die based on your actions – influencing their appearances and storyline roles in subsequent games.
And tons of more subtle references to quest outcomes and character relationships permeate the series.
So playing the trilogy chronologically creates a tailored, personalized adventure that really pulls you in!
The Witcher games let you import saves for a customized experience.
However, the downside is you do need to play 80+ hours of Witcher 1 & 2 content to enable this feature. So next let‘s examine…
Weighing Play Order vs Jumping into Witcher 3
Since the Witcher games are connected by imported saves and choices, should newcomers start with the first game and play in order? Or just dive into the more advanced Witcher 3 which stands on its own?
Let‘s compare the pros and cons:
| Play in Order | Start with Witcher 3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Pros | Tailored experience carrying over romances, story choices, and references | No need to play 80+ hours of early games to "catch up" |
| See full storyline and character arcs develop Gain richer understanding of backstory and lore | Best graphics, gameplay, writing, & acting in series Easily stand-alone introduction | |
| Cons | Dated visuals/gameplay in early games 80+ hour time investment | Lose customized world state and callbacks to previous games Less context for some references |
| My Recommendation | Play in order to get the definitive, chronological experience if you love RPG story continuity | Start with The Witcher 3 if you just want to dive into the very best content |
So in summary – gamers craving story customization and continuity should play The Witcher arc in order. More limited on time? Just dive into the stellar adventure of Witcher 3! You really can‘t go wrong either way.
And there you have it – the definitive look on whether all 3 Witcher games are connected! They certainly are through choice imports and plot carryovers. But each game stands alone well also for new fans.
Hopefully this insider perspective helps you decide where to jump into The Witcher trilogy and gets you hyped to play one of gaming‘s best RPG franchises! Let me know if you have any other questions in the comments!
Bio: Tim is a lifelong gamer with a passion for RPGs ranging from Elder Scrolls to the Witcher. He runs the blog wellplayed.games providing reviews and strategic guides to help gamers get the most out of their favorite titles!
![Witcher Games Connected Footnotes] Sources:
- The Witcher 3 holds Over 200 Game of the Year Awards: click here
- Witcher Game Trilogy Sales Top 65 Million: click here
