The Witcher: What Makes A Good Adaptation?
Toss A Coin To Your Witcher — But Which One?
With the release of The Witcher on Netflix in 2019, starring gloriously geeky Henry Cavill as Geralt of Rivia, this fantasy series became introduced to the masses. ‘The masses’ being 76 million views, going so far as to break a Netflix record.
Despite breaking records, The Witcher viewers are divided when it comes to the series. According to Rotten Tomatoes, the audience and critic scores seem to have flipped between the two seasons.
Season One’s main criticism is that through being faithful to the books (Andrzej Sapkowski) and video-games (CD Projekt RED), it confuses the casual first-time viewer with its elaborate plots split across multiple timelines.
Top critic Scott Bryan (BBC) said: ‘It relies so much on the gameplay of it and what people love about the game, it’s like they forgot how to make a TV show.’
Through trying so hard to appeal The Witcher’s long-time fans, the season lacked approachability. When making Season Two, the show’s team not only responded to this criticism (the writers break the fourth wall with a joke about the series’ timeline), but double-downed on it.
Season Two is easier to follow, but has strayed away from its source material. In a video assessing the three biggest mistakes of this season, YouTuber xLetalis (who makes gaming and The Witcher 3 content) said:
‘They don’t seem to have a coherent plan or vision of where they wish to take this Witcher franchise. This is quite obvious with the many inconsistencies in Season Two, not just with the source material, but with Season One […], And even with some parts of Season Two itself.’(00:38)
While show writers and producers taking creative liberties with their source material can often lead to success, it can also create the issue that xLetalis highlights — a story where the only thing it shares with its inspiration is its name.
All of this begs the question — what makes a good adaptation?
In order to answer this question, let’s dive into a little theory — specifically Linda Hutcheon’s Theory of Adaptation (2006).
Hutcheon argues: ‘Just as there is no such thing as a literal translation, there can be no literal adaptation.’ (Hutcheon 2006/2013: 16)
Literal adaptations cannot exist because transporting a story into a different format will always involve having to make changes to fit that format. Therefore, a good adaptation is one that embraces its different format, whilst still being faithful to the source material.
This brings us to the second question — can The Witcher videogame series be considered a good adaptation?
Set some time after the events of the final book, the first game introduces lone wolf Witcher Geralt in a tumultuous setting — he’s running through a forest, as if he’s running away… but from what?
The Witcher is full of all the details you can find in the books, but with a twist: Geralt has lost his memory. Throughout the first game and even up to the end of its sequel — The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (2011) — you play as a Geralt who is slowly recovering his memories and learning about what happened to him. By the time of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) however, Geralt has regained all of his memories and is determined to find Yennefer and Ciri.
This game, receiving a 93% rating on Metacritic, is not only considered to be the best in the series, but also one of the best games of all time. In a list of ‘The Top 100 Video Games of All Time’ (IGN), The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was put in sixteenth place — surpassing iconic games like World of Warcraft and The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim.
In order to understand why the franchise is so highly regarded, I wanted to get an expert’s opinion; and so I interviewed a good friend of mine, Kristian (SnufKris on Medium and Steam), on why he loves the games:
Q: What do you love most about The Witcher games?
A: I think one of the reasons why I love The Witcher games so much is because of how gritty and realistic it is as a series and as a fantasy. While the series is literally a “fantasy” much of it is grounded in reality and mirrors our world. […]
Often the game makes you question [social] issues as you’re put into difficult decisions that make you question morality, or even make you question your current perception of the world. I know it did when I was fifteen and played The Witcher 3 for the first time — in fact I’d argue it’s helped shape a lot of my current views on the world.
I think any game that has the power to do that is pretty special.
Q: Do you consider The Witcher games a good adaptation? Why/Why not?
A: Personally I think The Witcher games are a very good adaptation of Andrzej Sapkowski’s work. Since they take place directly after the books, they keep to the lore and characters very tightly.
However, since the games are technically in their own canon […], they are given more creative freedom that extends beyond being a page-for-page retelling.
I think this is also where being a playable piece of media works for the adaptation. The players ultimately get to decide how the story may go and how the characters may act through their [the player’s] own decisions. [..] The adaptation is tailored to each player.
Q: Do you have a favourite The Witcher game? If so, which one?
A: My favourite Witcher game is easily The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. The incredible graphics, paired with the grand storytelling and depth of the multiple choices, come together to create an immersive and believable world.
The Witcher games work as an adaptation because the game developers show an admiration for Sapkowski’s work, and a determination to build upon it. It isn’t trying to undo Sapkowski’s canon, nor is it trying to recreate it word-for-word.
Don’t get me wrong, I’ve enjoyed Netflix’s take on The Witcher and am excited to see what they’ll do next. But when you have critics regarding Season One as messy, and fans calling Season Two disappointing, it’s a call for concern. Surely there’s a balance that can be reached between absolute enthusiasm and accessibility?
I’m not the person who can tell you what would make the perfect The Witcher TV Series; that answer lies with the franchise’s passionate fan-base. What I can tell you, though, is that for a story full of magic, The Witcher feels human.
It’s a story worth following, and I only hope that Netflix is able to create a third season that captures the hearts of critics and fans alike.
