So I am replaying the Witcher 3 and I have Geralt question

It's simple, really: for those that don't like him, why? I feel like he has at least a fair amount of bad traction as being a bad protagonist when I think he might be one of the best? Maybe I'm missing something? I'm just up to the Dandelion stuff on Witcher 3 on my second playthrough and I think that he seems like a an aloof, yet caring, father figure that sticks his nose in it more than he should. Meanwhile I feel like a lot of what I saw around all of the Witcher games releases was that he was unlikable. Was it the voice actor? I think this is unfair too, just, fyi. I just think he's such an amazing character that they do an excellent job of dancing between right/wrong/whatever on in Witcher 3.

I don't remember seeing all that much saying he was unlikable. I mean, there were some detractors - as there always will be when something is as popular as The Witcher 3 - but for the most part people seem to think that character's all right. Maybe a little generic, but whatever, he kinda has to be.

Another thing - if someone dislikes Geralt's character, they're at least partially to blame as there's plenty of player dialog choices in that game.

Sorry, I can't help you there. I liked him as well. My friend (that hasn't played one or two) played three and said he didn't really care for Geralt either. I didn't ask why though. Also, Doug Cockle does an amazing job voicing him in my opinion since it sounds little like his actual voice. I remember some people said he was a womanizer, but he isn't really. To me, that's more of a complaint by people that didn't actually play the first one. That is more of a player choice too in three.

In The Witcher 1 and to a degree 2 he could be a bit one-note and "bland", but he was well rounded and very likeable overall in 3. His moments of snark appealed to me greatly. He's got a dry wit you don't often see from video game protagonists.

I know I saw a few people here and there call him like a "stereotypical gruff cool guy hero", or something, but those people clearly never actually played the game.

Too often that gets thrown into the generic 'I just don't like this game so here's a petty and sometimes baseless complaint' point people make. Like when you instinctively don't like a game and you can't express why, so you say something along the lines of 'I just fell off', or 'it just doesn't feel right'. An issue that I have with most of the GB crew from last year when no one summarized why they stopped playing Prey. Every time the game was mentioned you'd get the verbal equivalent of shrugging and little else. I'm a Witcher fanboy, though. Big fan of all the games, and would like to say that the combat in the first Witcher is not difficult and the game is easy to get into, so it's a good starting place for anybody interested.

I also don't want anyone to feel that I'm going out of my way to marginalise the crew's opinion on anything, but I'm still sour about the sore deal that the Witcher got during GotY, but that's an endemic issue within GB: there isn't a RPG-focused guy on staff. Dave would have loved it...probably :( . And by RPG I mean the real deal stuff: Torment, Pillars, etc..

@mylifeforaiur: They did, however, give it the best old game of the year.

That guy is Matthew Rorie, but he seems to never play more than a few hours of them. Even if he did finish every one of them and give them a solid argument in GOTY, I just feel like he'd have a really hard time getting them on there. EDIT: Also Vinny, but like Rorie, he never seems to get very far in them (except Witcher 3, which I'm pretty sure Vinny finished).

Geralt is a womanizer - if you play him that way. You can also play him as a one-woman sorta guy.

I think some of it comes from Geralt having a very deliberate delivery. I love it but some may find it weird or unnatural or bad.

I think some of it may have come down to him be a preset character, and with the game not having a create-a-character option. Some people want to play as something of their own design, and can be a bit miffed when they feel 'forced' to play a certain role.

Personally, I think the character's great and found the Witcher 3 version to be the closest to the books, which are excellent.

CD Project Red might gain some more fans with Cyberpunk 2077 if it has a create-a-character option. I think some story telling options become limited without a predefined character, but there are middle grounds like Mass Effect's Sheppard. Actually, I don't really prefer one style over another, as they're both just different tools in the toolbox and sometimes it's fun to create my own thing, but It will be interesting to see what they come up with and how people react.

I think he is very likeable, some people are just like that.

From the outside they look mean and unfriendly, have a dry affect but are actually big softies who love cats and cry when watching 'Bridge to Terabithia' .

My main problem with Geralt was that he always seemed super boring - like dry toasty Gruff McMuffin kind of boring. I realized though that there's far more to him than that. His way of speaking and attitude eventually becomes more comforting than anything else and while I really like to create my own characters, Geralt lets you do his hair and beard and fashion.
So at least there's that!

I still hate the game though because I want to love it but I don't like how it plays or looks.

My wife however really loves Geralt and his assortment of ponytails and beards and pantaloons and thankfully she could also play the game so I got to watch most of it.

I wouldn’t say he’s the best but certainly not terrible, it’s just that Geralt does come off a little bland, and that’s mostly intentional from the actual fiction of him not having very strong emotions, but in a game with very strong supporting characters that tends to look a little worse than is intended. That sort of dry, brooding disinterest can only carry a lead for so long before it gets tiring. Of course I understand all the reasoning behind it, with the mutation and Geralt feeling like he has no stake in the world he’s in etc etc, but at face value he just seems uncharismatic and not in an interesting way.

I played 200 hours of this game, fwiw, and generally enjoyed my time with it.

Initially my thoughts on Geralt were coloured by my thoughts on Yen, who I thought was a really shitty plastic character until far later into the game. (At which time I had shipped Geralt with Triss, because she at least wasn't unbearable. If only you could ship Geralt with Keira...) Geralt and Yen seemed like this gruff plastic marysue couple with no depth. Maybe it was something about the way the game introduces her in Kaer Morhen by having you inspect all of her vanity stuff to hear about how high-maintenance she is, with the occasional sexual validation of the player character interspersed, that turned me off -- which might not be fair on my part in hindsight, but something about that (and probably how she behaves in Vizima on the first visit) rubbed me the wrong way. Maybe I'll watch a let's play of the beginning and see if it was something more specific that made me hate Yen.

I think Geralt grew on me more as I did more quests, both because there was quality nuance in the way he verbally dissected the things people said to him, and because he was capable of dialing down the gruff to speak to children (and godlings), which opened up a side of him that I liked more. Turns out you can earn marysue-ness, I guess.

@sethmode: I think it has to do with the way that he's written. Even in cases in which the player is choosing the "good" option, Geralt's dialogue comes across as rough and impatient. He's not good-natured. He's not a good person--I think you can certainly try to roleplay him as one, but no matter what you do, he's an asshole. Whether or not he's a MAJOR asshole is up to the player.

@bladeofcreation: huh? How is he an asshole? He's always seemed like the most caring and understanding person in that universe despite him going through the witcher trials which strip away your emotion. Throughout all 3 games I've never once considered him a bad person.

I don't really think he is ever really an asshole, all his choices (whatever the player chooses) come with his own personal explanation. As a witcher, he is supposed to be slightly numbed of emotion following the mutations of the trial of grasses, but he probably the most emotive you'll meet, he cares about his friends, and has his own personal code combined with the witcher code. He can sleep around, and get involved in a love triangle, but technically that is all on the player.

@fnrslvr I could ramble about this game forever, but yeah after the 1st 2 games I was always down for Trish as the romantic interest, and most of 3, but half way through and after the option you have to confront their relationship(s), it suddenly felt right that Yenifer and Geralt should be together, he has spent all this time looking for her, shared this long, deep, and enchantedcurse of a relationship that when confronted with a future not together, they both realized that they couldn't see a life without the other. Now, all that was informed by my feelings and what I inferred from 300 hours of witcher games, but how often does a video game series give you complex nuanced love triangle with genuine feelings for both paramours. This could be on the dating game.

I had issues with his characterization, but they are totally my fault and not the game's. I jumped in at 3 without playing 1 and 2. For me, every time I met some NPC the game seemed to be saying "Hey! Remember this guy/gal? All the great times you had together! The meaningful backstory!", and it just kept yanking me out of the game. Like it was telling me Geralt already feels this way or that way about someone, with no set up or reason at all.

For anyone who played 1 and 2 this must have been an (even more) amazing game, but for someone just starting the series it kept yanking me out of the narrative. I had to go read up on characters in the wiki frequently - playing as Geralt felt like being an unprepared understudy stepping into someone else's established character. I would have enjoyed the game a lot more if it had you start out as a new character, learning about the world, creatures, etc., but I totally accept that it wasn't that kind of game, and wasn't really "for" me. I still enjoyed it, I just know I could have enjoyed it way more.

But like I said, totally my failing and not the game's. Not blaming it or saying it should have been different at all. I mean, I love Saints Row 3/4 way more having been a fan of 1 and 2 :)

Geralt is good people. Ciri is cool too.

Geralt has that whole detached Witcher thing going, but for someone who largely spends those games doing good (even if for a price) and being spit on for it, the man is next to saintly.

@avantegardener: Triss was never an option for me once she revealed she manipulated Geralt by using his amnesia to make him think she's the one he loved. That's kinda a dick move

Geralt is the most helpful person in the Witcher-verse by a country mile. Even if you haggle poor peasants for every last crown like I did, he still spends the vast majority of his time helping those that have nowhere else to turn for aid.

Clearly those that don't like him are foolish knaves that don't understand the concept of actions speaking louder than words. I hope they choke to death on three pounds of steel!

I didn't like Geralt him because you don't have any ownership of him. I found dialog options where I was supposed to show monster killing knowledge annoying. I don't know this shit, Geralt is the expert. It feels like a choice in development that is at odds with the design of the game. I also think it would have been a better game if it wasn't open world.

When I think of The Witcher 3 I still think of it in comparison with Dragon Age Origins. I much prefer Bioware's style of protagonists.

From the very minor amount of criticism I've seen of Geralt, I think it's either a dislike of his VA's delivery - which some describe as monotone, I think it's purposefully dry wit - or that he comes across as kind of an unfeeling jerk.

The latter I can KINDA get, because that's exactly what the Witcher ritual is supposed to do to you: numb you of emotion and make you an objective judge in matters of chaos and danger. But then ending the analysis there is quitting early, I think. The whole point, both in the games and books, is that Geralt pushes past the expectations of a Witcher to be more "human" than most others. But this doesn't really help anyone who has already made up their mind about him and can't see his dry speech or curt personality as anything other than coming from an asshole.

I think it helps if you've played previous games and read some of the books, too. The books make Geralt a LITTLE less emotive or sensitive overall, but ironically, some of the most emotive and iconic moments come from the books as well.

A big reason I love the games is the player choice aspect, but for most players, this results in Geralt being the "nice guy who fights evil and protects good with his only needed thanks being a pouch of gold" and so on, at least during side missions. So when Geralt has an unchosen line where he's a little rougher in dialogue (as he may have been in the novels), it can throw people a little. "Wait, my Geralt isn't that standoffish. Why would he say that? Is Geralt actually a dickhead?" When in actuality, that's some of his stubbornness or prickly nature coming out which I think most players avoid during chosen dialogue. Though if anything, this makes him more realistic and therefore likeable, at least to me.

Thanks for all of the feedback everyone!

@avantegardener:Personally, having read The Last Wish, and played 1, 2 and 3, I always felt like one of the more brilliant aspects of Geralt's character is how he claims to be this unfeeling Witcher archetype but always finds himself knee deep in the thick of it. It's basically how he got his nickname, after all. I definitely agree with you regarding the nuance of their love triangle, although that felt like they finally kind of leaned more onto the novels there (with great results). The culmination of Geralt and Yen's romance is some of the best shit in games period, regardless of your choices, and that it ties directly back into the first shit written about the series is really well done in my opinion.

I guess, kind of just expanding on my original post, I just really love Geralt's attempts at basically TRYING to be a Witcher, even down to Vesemir basically chastising him for being too nice to humans/sorceresses/whomever, and then when you throw Ciri into all of it, it opens up a softness to the character that I think is largely unexplored in games. Geralt would literally do anything for a person that is basically a god in that world, because he cares THAT much. And as someone else in this thread put it, in that world, that is magnified by like, a billion, when you have fuckers taking their kids to the swamp and just leaving them because "eh, too much work". I'd be remiss if I didn't also marvel at how well the animators did in such a huge game as well. Geralt says a lot without saying anything and I love it. I am so excited for the moment he is reunited with Ciri because it is legitimately one of my favorite gaming moments ever.

Anyway, thanks again for all of the feedback. I think a lot of impetus for this also came from how "bad dads" has been such a video game theme and Geralt is like, the antithesis of that.

I love Geralt. Love the dry delivery, love the snarky smart arsed comments. He's got a good heart, is honest to a fault and cares about those close to him but is world weary and doesn't seem to like people all that much. Love it all.

@jaalmo: I definitely agree with you, but I think in this case the criticism is even off-base. At least, in 3. Even in 2, really. I could see it in 1, because that game is weird in just about every possible way, but even then I find myself retroactively loving it because of what 2 and 3 have done for the series as a whole.

Touching on another aspect of Geralt is the undying love he has for his friends, along with their simple and continuous reciprocation. I adore the fact that in the Witcher games, friends are pals. No backstabbing, no hate for the other's decisions, just getting by and sharing tales after some drama blows over.

I remember Zoltan being less than pleased with visiting the nonhuman-hating Kaedweni during Witcher 2. He still begrudgingly tagged along, because it was Geralt's decision.

Later, Zoltan makes a choice of his own, joining his fellow nonhumans in Vergen (whom are fighting the Kaedweni). Which in many ways runs counter to what the player had done. Yet, through all this they remain steadfast friends, and I remember my Geralt wishing Zoltan the best of luck, hoping they would see each other again.

It says something that Geralt and his friends can voice their disapproval of certain individual decisions, but I remember them always having each other's backs.

@rahf: Man, such a good post. Thanks, duder.

I think hes one of the most well rounded video game protagonists in recent memory. A lot of the distaste for Geralt I find comes from immediately passing him off as overly stoic/emotionless rough mcgruff man which is a great way to tell who has or hasn't either paid attention or actually played the game.

I've both beaten the game as well as the DLC and even read some of those books, and Geralt by all means is pretty much an overly stoic, rough mcgruff man. He is also very caring about the people he cares about, but from the outside and most interatctions "rough mcgruff" is a pretty good way to characterize him.

Geralt is kind of like that friend you can really depend on, that won't ever let you down and is a downright good human being, but at the same time he's not the person you instantly think about when you want to hang out with someone and just shoot the shit.

@rk92: It's just the way he's written. Even when you pick the "nice" dialogue options, he's often short with people and kind of a jerk.

@humanity: Yea I guess I should've wrote "Nothing more than a gruff mcgruff man" he does have those traits but hes much more than that.

People don't like Geralt? I feel like I've mostly seen people enjoy his gruff snark or are indifferent to him. Can't recall much dislike if any. I'm personally a fan of the guy, he's aight.

@tobbrobb: Maybe I'm mis-remembering, but I felt like largely around the release of 2 and then again around the release of 3 there were some criticisms of him being boring/too dry/unfeeling. I specifically feel like I remember this from the Bombcast. Maybe I'm totally imagining that though!

@fnrslvr: The thing with Yen is that she's supposed to be a grating character that only starts to grow on you once she starts to show her vulnerability and her more caring side. The books had a ton of time to create that effect, but CDPR kind of wrote themselves into a corner by waiting until the last game to introduce her. They wanted to maintain who she is as a character (if they just made her likable right away she would be another Triss), but the lack of time they had to open her up to the player led to her seeming cold and grating at the start until they get to Skellige and Ciri where she starts to show her relationship with Ciri and Geralt more. It created a jarring change because she vanishes after Vizima and then is suddenly just more buddy buddy with Geralt later on.

@mezza: Did they (CDPR) ever say why they waited so long to introduce such a major character? It kind of shocked me that we didn't see her until the third game, considering what a huge part of Geralt's world she is (although again, this is just my assumption as I've only read The Last Wish).

He reminds me of a medieval Batman so I am, of course, a big fan of Geralt.

I think he is a tricky character to "get" or sympathize with especially if you don't give him time to reveal his depth.

I found that reading the novels really helped me discover his character before diving into Witcher 3 after bouncing off of the first two games (the second literally only because I initially could not for the life of me beat thic witcher man in Geralt's initial fight with him unfortunately). I relate a lot with Geralt and his demeanor. I am often described as coming off callous, uncaring, emotionless or scowling, difficult to read, asshole etc. Even the way he handles relationships and feels about his love interests feels familiar to me.

Because of all of these traits however his character takes some time to really set in I think, and is initially unlikable by design. He is very rough around the edges. He also can be a real softy in very particular situations even if his threshold for compassion or vulnerability or emotion is limited in scope, but when his high threshold for giving a shit is met his capacity is very high.

He also doesn't trust or like anyone who has not gone above and beyond to prove worthy. He is fiercely loyal to those who show strong character and independent values/morals. To everyone else he definitely is a bit uncaring and emotionally clumsy to just about everyone else.

Personally I really like this. Too many characters, especially protagonists are too clean. They are mythical heroes who rarely possess any flaws beyond perhaps a tortured or troubled past. You don't often see protagonists who are as capable of poor behavior or questionable moral grounds as Geralt. He is one of my favorite literary and video game characters as a result. In a world where people talk so much about representation I have yet to encounter any other character I identify with at the same level.

People don't like dark brooding male protagonists. That's fine and all, just if they think that is all Geralt is by the time they are done with games, then I don't think they took in a lot of his depth as a character. Anyone who has invested the time to learn about Geralt's relationships with his friends, his attitude towards monsters and people, or his thoughts on his duty and obligation as a Witcher has seen the depth that his character has been known to show throughout the three games.

He was fine in 3. But it did take a while for me to warm up to him simply because of how much I disliked him in 2. Also, even though he was fine, I never entirely got over not having any character customization.

@sethmode: I think they just kind of hand wave it with the amnesia plot line. Spoiler for the ending of the novel series and early plot thread in Wild Hunt: Yen and Geralt both die so they both end up with amnesia in the games. I think they say in WH that Yennefer regained her memories pretty much around the same time as Geralt. My guess is they left Yennefer and Ciri out of the first two games BECAUSE of how integral they are to Geralt. They probably wanted room to be able to play with his relationships and motivations without having to constantly consider the existence of those two.

@opusofthemagnum: Your take pretty much lines up with mine. I still really enjoyed the first two games, but it wasn't until I read the novels that Geralt got elevated to one of my favorite protagonists in anything ever. A lot of characterization comes from the narration and his inner monologues in the novel that really help to dispel his gruff ain't give no fucks attitude. I actually found he's pretty funny and clever and in a way still naive and pretty socially incompetent.

Witchers are supposed to be the hollow character that Geralt sometimes gets aligned with, and Geralt works because he's trying to be that, but sucks at it. He can't not get involved things. He can't not poke his nose where it doesn't belong. He has horrible impulse control and a penchant for getting attached to people he really shouldn't. And not in the shounen style "But things should be different and we should strive for love and caring!" sort of way, but in a way where he almost feels annoyed with himself while he's doing something that goes against his Witcher schooling. He doesn't want to change the world, he wants to play witcher dad and not get involved in shit.

Actually, now that I think about it, having only been exposed to Yakuza 0, Kiwami and vertical slices of other games, I feel like Geralt and Kiryu are cut from the same cloth.

@yi_orange: Thanks for the input! Makes total sense to me regarding Yen, especially with the way that The Witcher 1 "feels" if that makes sense. I think your take on the comparisons between Geralt and Kiryu are really interesting, as I have the same experience with him as a character and see the similarities as well. I don't know what it is, but I just love his (Geralt's) wry sense of humor about not just the world, but even to a degree himself. Like, he just seems to always have this exasperated smirk going on as if to say "Dammit, I've gone and stepped in it AGAIN." It's really great and super endearing while also genuinely funny at times.

@sethmode: They did, but I don't remember the reason sadly. It was in the same piece I read where they talked about the difficulty they had adding Yen in the final game while staying true to her character.

@yi_orange: I would actually say Majima in Yakuza 0 (not so much later Majima) is a closer parallel to Geralt than Kiryu. Kiryu is a pretty much a golden boy good guy through and through. He's a bit rough on the outside, but he'll still willingly throw himself into the thick of things to do what he thinks is right. Majima however is much more grey. He doesn't really want to get involved in other people's shit and would much rather live his own life, but still consistently finds himself wrapped up in other peoples problems. Also a lot of what he does, good and ill, is for the sake of his profession. However, when there is something he cares enough about he will risk his life for it, even if it's at odds with his profession.

@mezza: For all I remember it might just be that she didn't go out of her way to make herself likable, but I suspect it was something else.

I couldn’t stand his voice in the beginning, but I quickly got used to it. He’s one of my favorite protagonists. I feel like he has enough backstory and character to make him substantial and interesting, but it’s vague enough that I feel like you can still make up your own version of Geralt, which I did.

@zeik: I was more thinking that he's all stoic and tough on the outside but kinda silly and "immature" on the inside. Also dad surrogate. You're right that Kiryu is definitely closer to your traditional boyscout though. Good point about Majima. I hadn't made that connection, but I kind of disagree with the idea that Geralt is that much about his profession. To me, he's the guy that's really good at his job but constantly gets in trouble with management for breaking rules. I mean, he befriends a damn Elder Vampire that he was hired to kill. But I totally see where you're coming from.