Thanks to a successful Netflix show and a third installment that is one of the best-selling games of all time, Andrzej Sapkowski's The Witcher stories have reached a mass audience. For hardcore fans from English-speaking countries, there are translations of the books from the original Polish; however, most fans (outside of Poland) are familiar with Geralt from the CD Projekt Red games and the Netflix show. While the third game was explosively popular, the first never quite reached that level of success, though this is understandable.
The first Witcher game was somewhat of a risk for CD Projekt Red, as while The Witcher series was enormously popular in Poland, there were uncertainties about the game's international appeal. Sapkowski had no interest in video games and even chose to be paid upfront rather than in royalties, which shows how little faith there was in this game series. While the third game was a well-polished game all around, the first game has some bumpy edges that could be smoothed in a remake.
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The Witcher's Narrative
The first Witcher game is an important part of the larger story that the trilogy explores. In fact, the first game sets up some vital plot moments that influence the direction of the next two games. The games are set after the books, so although they borrow key story elements, they differ narratively. It is undeniable that the success of the third game attracted many new players to the series, and while the third and second games do include descriptions of the events from the previous games, it is no comparison to experiencing the game's narrative.
Geralt losing his memory and the introduction of Triss are just some of the elements of the first game that inform the entire rest of the series. Yennefer and Geralt's relationship is equally as complex in the novels as the game, but Triss' role is different. Since the events of the game are set after the novels, there is no such betrayal of Yennefer by Geralt (which is further complicated by his lost memory). There are a lot of relationship dynamics at play in the first game that continue throughout the series. As such, to fully experience the trilogy, the first game should be played too. However, as an older game with some clunky mechanics, the first Witcher is less attractive to contemporary gamers. Due to this disconnect, it would be an excellent choice for a remake.
While The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings brought with it more robust combat, the first game did have a strong grasp on having a morality meter. It is clear that the game takes heavy influence from the books here, which explore Polish folklore and philosophy. Even without the success of the third game, the first is worth playing as a piece of gaming history—an adaptation of a Polish novel that explores folklore and philosophy certainly makes it a unique game. As mentioned, the novels are hugely successful in Poland and well-beloved by many, so the video game adaptation is well worth experiencing. Playing this Witcher adaptation would be a much more pleasant experience if it had a remake, though, as it could update some of the less polished elements of the game.
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The Witcher's Gameplay
None of this is to say the first Witcher game wasn't successful or popular, but a remake would make the game a lot more accessible to a wider array of gamers. As mentioned, the combat is the first game isn't great, but it was also only released for PC. A console port of the game was planned but was later canceled, so for every gamer who only uses consoles, there is no way to play it. The mechanics of the game more broadly are rudimentary, and while the game is playable, it pales in comparison to the sophistication of the gameplay in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Still, as mentioned earlier, one strength of the game was a solid morality meter. A remake could give this achievement new life. As a popular inclusion in a huge array of games today, it is significant that The Witcher's morality meter deals so much in shades of grey and actively disavows any kind of moral absolutism or black and white, good versus evil thinking.
The Witcher was initially released in 2007, and obviously, gaming capabilities have come a long way since then. Although the AI and sprawling open map of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was cutting edge in 2015, even that game is now somewhat dated with the move to next-gen consoles. PC processing power has also increased a great deal, which means a remake could perform a lot better than the original. In comparing the three games of the series, it is abundantly apparent how CD Projekt Red has improved in terms of gameplay mechanics. Additionally, CD Projekt Red is still somewhat recovering its reputation after a rocky start for Cyberpunk 2077, so revisiting some of the earlier work could be a smart move for the developer.
The Netflix show has brought a great deal of attention to The Witcher, and fans of the series are hungry for more content. While the books are one obvious source of this, The Witcher could be a great game for someone entirely new to the medium. However, The Witcher would certainly need some updates before it would be accessible to non-gamers. The atmosphere and world created by these games, based on Sapkowski's novels, is one that people obviously love in all forms, so it seems a real pity that the original game would be out of reach without a decently performing gaming PC. Henry Cavill's love of the games has brought additional interest in them, so the most advantageous move would be to make the original more readily available to play while also refining some of its mechanics.
The Witcher is out now on PC.
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