The immersive world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is full of fascinating characters coming from all walks of life, deadly monsters born from magic imparted by a different reality, and settings as real as any place one could find on Earth.
There are some details, however, that did not make the transfer from the books by Andrzej Sapkowski to the video games by CD Projekt Red. Character traits and motivations get shifted to fit new narratives and certain individuals were left out entirely. All for the greater good of streamlining the adventures of Geralt of Rivia to suit this medium's faster pace, though many wish at least a few more things were carried over from the novels.
10 Vilgefortz
This immensely powerful mage once terrorized the Northern Realms and beyond. He would capture people to perform horrid experiments upon them in order to gain more power. More of a monster than any Striga or Wyvern, Vilgefortz was so powerful that he took on Geralt, Yennefer, and Regis the Higher Vampire at once. In the process, he immolated poor Regis, though the others were able to finish him off once and for all. He is a sinister and interesting antagonist for a fair portion of the written tales and could have been so in the games as well.
9 Geralt's Stance On Politics
In the games, Geralt often gets tangled up with the leaders of nations on a regular basis. Many of the more prominent quests in The Witcher 3, involve the White Wolf drastically altering the governments and nobility of the Northern Realms, the Skellige Isles, and even the mighty Nilfgaardian Empire. Though, in the books he detests politics. He claims that it is not his business and does his best to stay neutral. He states that being a Witcher is about hunting monsters, not harassing humans. This stance could have made for even more action-oriented gameplay.
8 The Lodge Of Sorceresses' Connection
A group of powerful mages who Geralt was well acquainted with in both the books and the games. Triss and Yennefer were among them, as are quite a few other characters one can meet in The Witcher 3. In the games, their relations to Geralt, Triss, and Yennefer are mostly implied, referencing past events briefly before getting on with the plot of their particular quests. The lodge members in the books were very close and had years worth of backstory, though this is not represented as much as it could be in the games.
7 Emhyr's True Intentions
The player encounter's the Emperor of Nilfgaard quite a few times; they even have a long and complicated history. Emhyr and Geralt are not what can be called friends, but they have been allies multiple times in the past. Though, with the birth of Ciri, things got a bit weird. In the games, Emhyr wishes for Geralt to find her so that he can make her his heir.
An understandable notion, since she is his biological daughter. Though, in the books, he actually wishes to marry her instead, in order to sire some sort of 'super-heir' at the behest of some sinister prophecy. Although, Geralt thankfully talks him out of it. Hideous as this plan is, it would have put an intriguing dynamic in situations involving Nilfgaard's ruler in-game.
6 Dandelion's Personality
This bard plays both the roles of comic relief and narrator, making him important to the player beyond his appearance in Geralt's travels. His personality throughout various interactions with him and Geralt's other friends can be perceived as flippant and immature. This is quite at odds with his counterpart from the novels: Jaskier. Beyond the name difference, Jaskier acts much as a trusted confidant for Geralt. Someone who the witcher can confide in and who offers surprisingly good advice and comfort in return. A connection like this could have made Dandelion's appearances in the games more significant.
5 The Aen Elle's World
Eredin, King of the Wild Hunt, and his warriors come from another world but they are not supernatural like how monsters are. They are Elves from a different dimension known as the Aen Elle. The player will learn of the nature of these otherworldly elves in The Witcher 3, though they won't see a great deal of their world. One full of fantastic settings and majestic creatures the player would have enjoyed seeing.
4 Unicorns
These mythical equines are usually only referenced for specific jokes in the games. They are, however, a real race of sentient beings who have the ability to travel between dimensions.
At one point in the books, Ciri meets a herd of them in the Aen Elle's world and ends up befriending one. Throughout Ciri's adventures after this, she can sometimes be found in the company of one of these higher beings. This could have made for a great addition to the games.
3 More Chaos
Chaos in the world of The Witcher is the origin from which all mages draw their power. It is a primal force of the natural world, though not much information is given about it in the games. Following the Conjunction of the Spheres, an event where different dimensions briefly collided, this ancient universal power increased. More explanation about this, even in the form of books scattered around the Northern Realms in The Witcher 3, would have been an interesting way to explain how a witcher's Signs work or how mages cast their spells.
2 More Dragons
Though dragons have made appearances in the games, they get treated like big, generic monsters that happen to be able to shapeshift. They are actually incredibly intelligent creatures that can live for hundreds of years. Most stay away from humans but some enjoy traveling among people. Saesenthessis, otherwise known as Saskia the dragonslayer, posed as a human for various reasons, though she was not the only one. In Geralt's travels, he once met a golden dragon named Villentretenmerth who was disguised as a knight. On this particular adventure, the witcher saw the true wonder and might of a dragon, which players would love to see as well. One more majestic and complex than the events gamers got instead.
1 Geralt's Humanity
With players controlling his words and actions, Geralt can become something of a superhero. He slays many monsters with ease, is ruggedly handsome, and has boatloads of confidence. This makes him a fun character, though this is a far cry from how he appears in the novels. There, he is skinnier, to the point of being malnourished, and described as being close to ugly. He also falters in his resolve more often, seeking the comfort of friends like Jaskier. These faults may seem negative, but including them would have made Geralt's struggles have more impact and be more relatable. A world as unforgiving as this should impart those qualities in the player's experience. Although the games do a great job, they lack some of the cold, hard reality that makes the books so incredible.