I haven't read the books or played the games so I am watching this from a newcomers perspective (probably a majority of people who will watch the witcher given Netflix's huge reach? Not sure).

The stories are clearly highly detailed like Lord of the Rings or any other high fantasy saga. What makes season 1 even more difficult to follow is that there are 3 separate timelines that it jumps back and forth between and which only come together at the end. So it can be difficult to follow and close attention is necessary at all times. I found it beneficial to keep the subtitles on as there are lots of words and names that will be unfamiliar and some which sound similar. Some side googling was also helpful to fill in gaps or things that I had missed. However, the effort is rewarding because it is a colourful and totally original universe rich in detail and imagination. And it all can be made sense of to an outsider albeit with a little bit of work. But it does feel like the universe and stories are so vast that it would be hugely beneficial to know the books and thus as an outsider you are getting a truncated or abridged experience. But this is true for most novel adaptations. The characters are fully fledged and rounded and you do invest in them and thus the story holds together and it is enjoyable. I think it would probably benefit from a second viewing after you've put in all the work to follow what has been going on. The second time round you can fill in even more gaps as well as sit back and relax a bit more having done all the hard work. But I don't watch many things more than once because I have so much interesting stuff to watch that I prioritise. Overall it is a very enjoyable universe to be involved in and an enjoyable series. But there is a certain spark and human depth that prevents it from being a 9 or a 10. It is ultimately escapism and entertainment, and very good one at that. But it's not something that has much great depth or emotional connection that can make you really fall in love with it or the characters. There are also technically a few bum notes too which detract, i.e. Jaskier is a very poor actor and the jokes fall flat.

Season 2 was all round very similar and of the same quality. Netflix seem to have learnt from feedback about the first season, i.e. The timelines are a bit more logical in sequence and easy to follow, and more time is spent closer to home with the characters and with more dialogue and backstory. However, the overall perspective is same as season 1 - it is very good entertainment and a wonderful rich universe, but doesn't have the heart of emotional depth to really fall in love with it.