When Is The Witcher 1 Video Game Set?
The Witcher is a franchise of novels and short stories written by the author Andrzej Sapkowski. The Witcher novels have been adapted into video games. The Witcher video games have been praised for their atmosphere, meaningful choices, immersive gameplay and deep storyline. Most of the video games of The Witcher franchise are role-playing games (RPGs), in which the player is able to control Geralt of Rivia, the main character of The Witcher novels. The first The Witcher video game, The Witcher (2007), was developed by CD Projekt Red and by CD Projekt, and was published by Atari and by CD Projekt. The Witcher (2007), often referred to as The Witcher 1, is an RPG in which the player character, Geralt, is able to accept and complete quests, fight monsters, talk to various NPCs (non-player characters) and adventure in the world of The Witcher video games. In general, most The Witcher video games are set in the same universe, which is the universe of the novels and short stories of the author Andrzej Sapkowski. Considering that there are multiple video games in The Witcher franchise, and that in general most of these video games are set in different time periods, The Witcher fans and RPG players may wonder the exact time period in which The Witcher (2007), or The Witcher 1, is set, and how it connects to other The Witcher video games chronologically.
The Witcher 1 is set in 1273 in time of the Continent, after the story events of Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales and before the story events of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.
The Time Period
While the video game The Witcher (2007), or The Witcher 1, is inspired by the novels and short stories of the author Andrzej Sapkowski, which are likewise called The Witcher (Wiedźmin being the original name, in Polish), the first The Witcher video game, The Witcher (2007), takes place after the events of the main saga in The Witcher series of novels and short stories.
In The Witcher (2007), or The Witcher 1, players assume the role of Geralt of Rivia, who is an accomplished and experienced witcher, a monster slayer. To be more precise, The Witcher 1 takes place after the story events of the novel The Lady of the Lake, written by Andrzej Sapkowski, a novel which is called Pani Jeziora in Polish.
The Lady of the Lake, written by Andrzej Sapkowski, is set in 1268, in time of the Continent, and the video game The Witcher (2007) is set five years after the story events of The Lady of the Lake. Thus, The Witcher (2007) would be set in 1273. In terms of chronology, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings would be set immediately after, which would be in the year 1273 as well, and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt would be some months after The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, placing The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt also in 1273 or in 1274.
Connection to Other The Witcher Video Games
While The Witcher (2007), or The Witcher 1, is set after the story events of the novel The Lady of the Lake, written by Andrzej Sapkowski, this video game also relates to other The Witcher video games. The Witcher (2007) takes place after the events of Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, and before the story events of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011). Considering that The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011) is set before The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015), it is reasonable to say that The Witcher (2007) is set before the story events of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.
Regarding the video game The Witcher: Crimson Trail (2007), also referred to as The Witcher Mobile, The Witcher (2007), or The Witcher 1 is set after the events of The Witcher: Crimson Trail. The Witcher: Crimson Trail is also set before the story events of The Witcher: Thronebreaker Tales. Thus, The Witcher (2007), or The Witcher 1, is set after the story events of The Witcher: Crimson Trail (2007) and after the story events of Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales.
Unfortunately, I was not able to find precise information regarding the time period of the video games Gwent: The Witcher Card Game and The Witcher Battle Arena, and for this reason I am unable to describe the chronological relation of these video games to The Witcher (2007). It is uncertain to me whether these video games are set before, during or after the story events of The Witcher (2007), or The Witcher 1.
No Previous Knowledge Required
Even though the video game The Witcher (2007), or The Witcher 1, is set in the expansive The Witcher universe and connects to novels, short stories and other video games, it is not necessary for the player to have previously played other The Witcher video games or previously read The Witcher novels or short stories. Although reading The Witcher novels and short stories would certainly immerse the player even more in The Witcher universe, and although playing other The Witcher video games is useful in the sense of having a deeper understanding of the world and of the characters, it is possible to play and enjoy The Witcher (2007), or The Witcher 1, without previous knowledge of The Witcher universe.
Story Order to Play
Players considering playing The Witcher video games in story order may consider to start either by The Witcher (2007) or by Thronebreaker: The Witcher Tales, before playing The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings and The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. While it is possible to play and enjoy The Witcher video games in any order, this is the story order of these video games, chronologically.