Since it’s a game that serves as a direct follow-up to a lengthy saga of books, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt can be quite an exposition dump. One thing that confounds lots of new players involves all of the plot points carried over from previous games. While The Witcher 3 does its best to explain the context behind the plot and why some characters are more important than others, it can be easy to get lost.
That’s why those who have played the first game will appreciate better why some characters exist or why some things are happening in the third game. Suffice to say, there are some things in The Witcher 3 that are better explained in the first game.
10 Why Yennefer Threw Out The Bed
The first thing Yennefer did after arriving in Kaer Morhen is throw out the bed in Geralt’s room. Her explanation? She’s not fond of red hair (which is obviously Triss’). What’s curious is that Yennefer and Geralt both had other dalliances, but this bed was the problem.
What makes Geralt and Triss’s tryst more treacherous is the fact that Triss tried to pose as Yennefer in the first game. That bed isn’t just a reminder of a physical relationship. It’s where Triss nurtured Geralt back to health in the aftermath of his abduction-induced amnesia. Hence, that bed was likely as sentimental as Yennefer’s stuffed unicorn.
9 Why The Lady Of The Lake Is Fond Of Geralt
Speaking of Geralt being into casual polyamory (or perhaps uninformed polyamory), the Lady of the Lake was also not spared from the Witcher’s libido. Her reappearance in the Blood and Wine expansion has much more context for fans who played the first game.
In the first game, Geralt can elect to bed the Lady of the Lake in the process of obtaining Aerondight. In the subsequent meeting, the Lady of the Lake seems to retain her fondness of Geralt, bestowing Aerondight again without much of a fuss.
8 Why Kaer Morhen Is A Ruin
By The Witcher 3’s timeline, Kaer Morhen was barely a home as it was in a heavy state of disrepair. Vesemir did mention the several bandit attacks in the past. Except bandits don’t generally pose much of a threat to witchers.
No, the most recent cause of such damage to Kaer Morhen came from a private army called Salamandra in the first game. Two sorcerers led it and they wanted to take witcher mutagens to strengthen their troops. They even brought along a giant mantis which brought down what remained of Kaer Morhen’s defensible spots.
7 Why Vizima Is Imporant To Geralt
While on the topic of has-been places, Vizima is also visibly vanquished in the third game thanks to Nilfgaard’s invasion. Geralt was even explicitly snide towards its Nilfgaardian occupants and gave them no ounce of respect or empathy.
Part of the reason why relates to Geralt’s attachment with Vizima. King Foltest, Vizima’s ruler in the first game, became Geralt’s friend and protector. Geralt also had some serious “escapades” in Vizima’s dingy streets. The whole kingdom meant much to him.
6 Shani’s Intimacy With Geralt
Another thing or person that means much to Geralt is Shani whom he also shared intimate moments with in Vizima. Shani is one of the two main serious romance options in the first game with Triss being the other.
That’s why anyone who’s puzzled about who Shani is in Hearts of Stone and what her importance is in Geralt’s life need only look into her appearance in the first game. Some fans believe that Shani was the more tolerable romance option there compared to Triss.
5 Who Thaler Is & What’s His Role
Yet another character who made quite an appearance in the third game from the first is Thaler, a spy posing as a cobbler. Thaler can only be spotted in a side quest though and can be easily missed if players don’t explore enough.
Still, his presence in the third game is more dear and holds more context if you played the first game. Thaler is a big part of the main quest in The Witcher and helped Geralt a lot in tracking down the people who attacked Kaer Morhen.
4 Geralt’s Struggle With Amnesia
For new players who started with The Witcher 3, Geralt’s amnesia might seem like a blatant and shameless excuse (as Yennefer framed it). However, Geralt’s amnesia was probably the worst thing that happened to him next to death.
It turns him into a clueless blank slate in the first two Witcher games where he was easily manipulated – especially by Triss. In hindsight, Geralt using amnesia as justification for his actions is a decently valid one.
3 Order Of The Flaming Rose’s Corruption
The Order or Church of the Flaming Rose was one of the worst factions in The Witcher 3. If you stumbled upon them in the first game, however, you’d know that they weren’t always like that. They actually started off as a virtuous religious sect where paladins were just and righteous.
Sadly, their Grandmaster was corrupt and later turned out to be the hidden main villain of the first game. This derailed the organization where they kept changing leaders and benefactors until they lowered their standards. Eventually, they started drafting just about anyone into their ranks such as the racist humans in the third game.
2 The Professor’s Spectacles In Geralt’s Inventory
If players love to put some fashionable touches to Geralt’s apparel in the third game, then they’ll likely come across a wearable headgear in Hearts of Stone called The Professor’s spectacles. It’s a nod and Easter egg to one of the main villains in the first game.
That would be the very same Professor who led the attack against Kaer Morhen along with a Zerrikanian sorcerer named Azar Javed. Geralt wearing it is poetic justice since the Professor killed one of the trainee witchers during the assault.
1 The Nostalgic Importance Of The Manticore Armor
Last but not least is possibly the best reference to the first game — the Manticore Armor. This armor set is simple and probably doesn’t mean much for other players since other witcher armor sets look more intimidating or intricate.
Still, longtime fans who played the first game will surely appreciate it better since it’s Geralt’s default armor. That doesn’t make sense since he’s from the School of the Wolf and wears Manticore Armor, but it’s a heartfelt nod nevertheless.
NEXT: The 10 Most Heartbreaking Moments In The Witcher 3
