Witcher 3 On Switch Story Recap: Background And Characters To Know Before Starting

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt stands as a landmark achievement in modern gaming, though newcomers jumping into the Switch version may feel initially overwhelmed by its dense narrative tapestry. This comprehensive world contains intricate political dynamics, morally ambiguous characters, and centuries of established lore that directly impact your gameplay experience. Mastering the essential backstory will transform your adventure from confusing to completely immersive.

For additional Witcher 3 Switch guidance, explore our detailed primer covering essential beginner strategies every player should master. Our comprehensive performance analysis is forthcoming, but you can watch our initial impressions discussing how the portable adaptation performs in the embedded gameplay footage.

Let’s establish the foundational concepts: Geralt of Rivia belongs to an elite class of professional monster slayers known as Witchers. These warriors undergo brutal transformation rituals during childhood, most notably the lethal Trial of the Grasses where candidates receive mutagenic alchemical treatments. The survival rate remains tragically low, but successful initiates emerge with enhanced physical capabilities, heightened senses, and accelerated reflexes. The commonly held belief suggests that Witchers sacrifice emotional capacity during this process, though Geralt consistently demonstrates this isn’t entirely accurate in his case.

What distinguishes Geralt from typical fantasy protagonists? Interestingly, he lacks any prophesied destiny or inherent superiority over fellow Witchers. His significance stems from connections forged through choice and circumstance, particularly his bond with the universe’s most powerful entity, Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon—conveniently abbreviated as Ciri by most characters.

The third installment’s narrative engine revolves around Geralt’s paternal relationship with Ciri, though she isn’t his biological offspring. Witchers cannot reproduce due to their transformative trials. Their connection originated when Geralt employed the ancient Law of Surprise after curing her father Duny of a magical affliction. This traditional reward entitles the claimant to “that which you have but don’t know”—in this instance, Duny’s unexpected parenthood following his lover’s pregnancy revelation.

After a six-year interval, Geralt revisited to claim his due from Duny and Queen Calanthe but ultimately declined to separate Ciri from her family. The political landscape shifted dramatically when the Nilfgaardian Empire conquered Cintra, prompting Geralt to finally assume his role as Ciri’s guardian and mentor at the Witcher stronghold Kaer Morhen.

Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, commonly known as Ciri

You might question: “What motivated Geralt to conceal Ciri from Nilfgaardian forces?” The answer connects directly to Duny’s true identity: Emperor Emhyr var Emreis of Nilfgaard. Regardless of Ciri’s personal desires, she represents the legitimate successor to the most powerful empire on the continent, carrying immense political and magical responsibilities.

These developments bring us to the starting point of the first Witcher novel, Blood of Elves. Ciri undergoes sequential training under Geralt’s supervision followed by magical instruction from sorceress Yennefer before circumstances separate them. Evading Nilfgaardian pursuit and other dangerous factions, Ciri spends significant time with a outlaw group during the book series. Concurrently, Geralt embraces his paternal role while desperately searching for his missing ward.

The literary source material contains substantially more character depth and narrative complexity, so if these elements intrigue you, we strongly encourage exploring the books. To preserve your reading experience, we’ll avoid specific spoilers regarding the series conclusion. The narrative culminates with Ciri’s mysterious disappearance from the known world. Despite her centrality to the literary saga, she remains absent throughout the first two Witcher video games. The Witcher 3’s central premise activates when Ciri unexpectedly reappears, compelling Geralt and Yennefer to locate her at her biological father Emperor Emhyr’s insistence.

For Switch players embarking on this epic journey, understanding these core relationships will dramatically enhance your gameplay decisions. The father-daughter dynamic between Geralt and Ciri influences numerous narrative branches and ending variations. When encountering key characters like Yennefer, Triss Merigold, or Dandelion, recognize that your dialogue choices carry weight based on established history.

Common newcomer mistakes include rushing through main story quests without exploring character interactions, misunderstanding the political landscape’s impact on side missions, and underestimating how character backstories affect available gameplay options. Allocate time to read character entries and glossary terms in your journal—these provide immediate context for the complex web of alliances and rivalries you’ll navigate.

Optimization strategy: Focus on main story progression during shorter play sessions while reserving exploration and side content for longer gaming periods. This approach maintains narrative coherence while allowing you to experience the game’s renowned open-world depth. For comprehensive gameplay systems mastery, consult our Class Guide for strategic character development insights applicable to Witcher 3’s skill tree system.

Advanced players should note that certain dialogue options reference events from previous games and books—selecting these typically yields additional context and character development opportunities. The game’s morality system responds to your understanding of character motivations and historical context.

For comprehensive character backgrounds, the in-game glossary provides extensive details, though the summaries above give you sufficient context for initial gameplay decisions and interactions.

With that foundational character knowledge established, you might wonder how The Witcher 3’s storyline integrates these figures. The adventure unfolds across the war-ravaged Temerian-Redanian borderlands and the rugged Skellige Isles. Your primary mission centers on locating Ciri before the spectral Wild Hunt captures her, all while navigating territories consumed by violent conflict between Temerian loyalists and Nilfgaardian invaders. These battle-scarred regions feature corpse-strewn fields and displaced civilian populations struggling for survival.

The geopolitical situation might initially overwhelm new players, but this complexity serves deliberate design purposes. As a professional monster hunter, Geralt ideally maintains political neutrality—though circumstances frequently challenge this principle. The game deliberately avoids clear moral binaries; instead, you encounter monarchs exploiting peasant populations for military gains. This mirrors real-world political messiness, creating a believably gritty setting where even completing the entire game might leave you uncertain about the exact causes behind the Nilfgaard-Temeria conflict, which actually enhances the authentic role-playing experience.

Many players struggle with the intricate political webs, but this challenge reflects intentional game design with several strategic benefits. Firstly, Geralt’s witcher code emphasizes political non-involvement, creating natural narrative tension when he’s drawn into conflicts. Secondly, the game rejects simplistic good-versus-evil dichotomies, instead presenting rulers who manipulate underclasses for personal power. Finally, authentic world-building requires messy politics—just like real historical conflicts often lacked clear moral boundaries. You could complete the entire campaign without fully comprehending Nilfgaard’s precise motivations for invading Temeria, and that’s perfectly acceptable. The heart of The Witcher 3 revolves around Geralt, Ciri, and their companions. While deeper contextual understanding enhances immersion, some confusion about world affairs actually strengthens the intended experience of being an outsider focused on personal missions rather than national politics.

A crucial aspect to remember involves the pervasive distrust ordinary citizens display toward Witchers, sorceresses, and non-human races primarily due to their differences. The nominally independent city-state of Novigrad currently experiences violent witch hunts where magic practitioners and non-humans face public execution by burning. Surviving elves, dwarves, and sorceresses endure forced relocation into segregated districts or must conceal their identities entirely. Although no specific legislation yet targets Witchers specifically, most commoners react with fear or intimidation when encountering Geralt, affecting your social interactions throughout the game world.

The systemic prejudice against non-humans and magic users originates from two primary sources: the Church of The Eternal Fire and King Radovid’s selective persecution. The Eternal Fire cult emerged in Novigrad, with adherents believing their deity will lead them through adversity while simultaneously vilifying non-humans, sorceresses, and monstrous creatures. Although King Radovid demonstrates relative indifference toward non-human races, he harbors particular hatred toward sorcerers and sorceresses, especially targeting Philippa Eilhart for personal reasons. Consequently, Radovid deliberately ignores the Church of Eternal Fire’s discriminatory actions, creating a dangerous environment where institutional power enables widespread persecution.

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