Its producer, CD Projekt RED, created the first Witcher game for PCs only, whilst their third instalment in the series is set to be released on next-gen consoles – PlayStation 4 and Xbox One – as well.
The popularity of the books is not the only factor behind the games' success – not all of the novels have even been translated into English. Starting with the first Witcher game in 2007, CD Projekt RED were able to capture the unique spirit of Sapkowski’s works. Two aspects of the Witcher series are crucial for its popularity among gamers all over the globe: the hero and the game world, and their interactions with each other. They clearly stand out from those of other fantasy games.
The most unusual aspect that draws fans towards the books and games is the hero himself – Geralt of Rivia, the witcher. “Witcher” is the rough English translation of the term “Vedmak” from Slavic mythology, which comes from Proto-Slavic “vědě” ("to know"). This type of hero is also known in western folklore, especially in Britain, where they were known as “cunning folk”. Sometimes they were named “white witches” – though this was used more rarely, mostly by folklorists and not ordinary people, because the term "witch" generally had connotations of evil.
Similar figures also appear in the folk tales of many European countries – for example, in Sweden they are called “klok gubbe” ("wise old man") and in Italy they have several different names: include praticos (wise people), guaritori (healers), fattucchiere (fixers) or even simply mago, maga or maghiardzha (sorcerers). Vedmaks were believed to be male witches, but less vile then their female counterparts. They were practitioners of folk magic and medicine, could lift curses or protect crops from failure, and provided aid to villagers in medieval times.
The witchers of the books and games are based on these beliefs but Sapkowski expanded their role. Geralt is one of many witchers who travel across the country – and they are not simply folk healers but a mixture of alchemist, magician and warrior, trained from childhood in a special academy to be professional monster-slayers who protect commoners and livestock from predators.
Still from The Witcher 3. Photo: press release Although this may sound familiar, witchers are not some kind of paladin or Tolkien’s Rangers of the North. The world of the franchise belongs more to dark fantasy than typical western high fantasy settings. Nobody wants to become a witcher – new candidates are mostly orphans or children taken from their rightful parents in lieu of payment for solving a monster problem. This is called The Law of Surprise. Many villagers heard enigmatic words from witchers that a reward should be something they "had left at home without knowing or expecting it". In Slavic mythology, The Law of Surprise was originally a form of payment for the services of a demon, and witchers were believed to be the servants of the devil. It is also a common trope in fairy tales. Sapkowski even refers to one of these – in the short story A Question of Price, Rumplestelt the gnome is mentioned – he is clearly an allusion to the fairy tale Rumpelstiltskin by the Brothers Grimm, wherein a vile creature helps a princess in exchange for her newborn child.
And as if that was not enough, one does not simply become a witcher by being an orphan and undergoing extensive training. Young boys (girls are exchanged with dryads, who also capture children) are subjected to intense alchemical procedures involving mutagenic compounds. They gain resistance to disease, a boosted immune system and quick healing, as well as increased strength, speed and reflexes which allow them to excel in combat – if they survive the process.
Witchers are also capable of using some basic magic and alchemy. But everything comes with a price – as creations of primitive genetic experiments they are also completely sterile and unnaturally long-lived. They are less like humans and more like mutants created to be perfect killing machines and easily recognized by their cat-like eyes. They are hated and feared by regular people as much as the monsters which they fight, partially because unlike other fantasy heroes, witchers never work for free. They try to stay neutral in conflicts and avoid errands which involve killing humans. But they are still handy to have around – although politicians and rulers view them as dangerous and unpredictable. Witchers rarely stay around after the job is done – their destiny is to be travelling mercenaries, and they never question this path. The exception is Geralt – the main protagonist of the books and games – who, despite his rigorous training and mutagenic transformation, has some human emotions left…
