No, playing Witcher 1 and 2 won't necessarily help you grasp the story of Witcher 3.
No, playing Witcher 1 and 2 won't necessarily help you grasp the story of Witcher 3.
I purchased the Witcher 3 on Steam with all DLCs, and I'm really looking forward to playing it. I also own the Witcher 1 and 2, but if I want a better grasp of the story, I think it would help to play those first before starting the 3rd game?
Based on all I've learned, these games seem to have neatly wrapped narratives. They cover everything you need to grasp from earlier titles.
Requires a lot of system specs—it might be easier to grasp the story by going through the first two, but it won’t affect gameplay much. If you have time, try playing them all in sequence.
I didn't play levels one or two, and I didn't have any trouble with the story.
The initial Witcher isn't essential. Most summaries on gaming platforms cover the basics. Witcher 2 dives deeper, offering detailed background on factions and characters in 3. While you can still get the main points from wikis and similar sources, it requires more reading. Plus, version 2 is noticeably better than previous iterations in terms of engine, language settings, and gameplay.
I just skimmed a bit about the early titles—it was enough. However, I’d suggest starting with Tw2 and then moving to Tw3: You’ll definitely enjoy the Witcher universe, but since Tw3 is superior to the second game, playing the second before the third would make it more enjoyable.
It's not great for me: mechanics are just plain confusing (try not to laugh at Geralt with his sword over his head) and the plot is just a rehash of the books with a different protagonist instead of Ciri. Two is okay but still too straightforward for my taste, yet it keeps you engaged. The gameplay is top-notch in the series, which isn't saying much but definitely better than the overly simplified Witcher 3. Of course, Witcher 3 is where it stands mainly because of the story and writing—rather than avoiding Sapkowski's Saga, they actually embrace it, and that really worked.