The developing back story of the character and the world the story is set in is very intriguing. Along with a gripping story line and many secondary quests to extend the duration of play, the Witcher is a great RPG to add to your collection.

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is the most underrated game ever. It's perfection. The graphics are amazing: if you compare with Dragon Age they are so much better even though this game is older. The music is a masterpiece and fits perfectly everywhere ... it really makes you feel like the places actually exist and gives the game a very unique and special feeling. The characters are very interesting and you want to know more and more about them all the time (very much as in Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn). The story is also awesome ... I don't want to spoil anything but it really is great. If you like RPGs then buy this game. It's a masterpiece and one of the best RPGs ever made (Baldur's Gate II and Morrowind are the only RPGs I recon beats this game).… Expand

With few imperfections, the Witcher is one of the most enjoyable games to play. Decorated with beautiful worlds, great attention to detail and impeccable swordplay, punctuated by entertaining and well polished character interactions, sharp and original dialogue, it's unfair to give the mammoth development effort any less than an 10/10.

Ah, the Witcher. The game I would love to love. This is my third time picking it up in the past few years. The first two times I couldn't make it past the second chapter. I could rave on and on about the good stuff: yes, it's pretty. Yes it's nice to have a world where real people hate each other for real reasons. Yes, there is a LOT of character customization options. The flaws are there, however, and for me at least, they bog down the game to no end. 1) The fighting: As a few other reviews have said, the fighting is at first a breath of fresh air. The timed click events are unique to the RPG realm, as far as I know. The problem is the lack of fluidity. Want to cast a sign? Make sure that you're done with your swing. Want to switch styles? Make sure you're done with your swing. Want to ... You get the idea. Add this to the inevitable boredom that comes with all gameplay styles eventually, and I was craving an autoattack. 2) The voice acting: Normally, I would brush over this. But this stuff is BAAAAADDDDD. I respect the fact that it probably sounds great in Polish, but really... Youtube some cutscense if you don't believe me, then imagine those voices for 40+ hours. I have to listen to it in French so I don't punch Geralt. The problem is that if you don't read fast enough, you're toast for the rest of the conversation. Add this to the fact that there are a ton of cutscenes, and you've got a HUGE problem. 3) The storytelling: This is different than the story, which is actually quite good. You know when your grandpa used to tell that awesome story, then you try to tell it to your buddies and it just doesn't come out quite right? That's the Witcher. The tone is off, the writing style is off, there are words that are out of place for characters, there are words that are out of place for the world, it's just sad. No, really, I mean sad. The story really is relatively deep. But it is better told on the wikia site. 4) The girls: I've got no problem with a little hanky panky in my games, but this is nuts. It really takes away from the reality of the background. The problem isn't that girls throw themselves at you, it's that they throw themselves at you at oddball times and in oddball ways. It's mature, but in a sappy sense. Sure, you can ignore them, but you can't ignore that they threw themselves at you. 5) The supposed choice system: It's not that it's not there. It's that it's missing a key piece: neutrality. There was time and again where I wanted to say "Ya'll are idiots," and the only options are to pick a side. There might be a lack of a morality meter, but trust me, the morality is there. Again, this isn't a big deal expect for the backstory. You're a sellsword for god's sake! Act like one! I tried this game again so I would know what was going on when I gave the Witcher 2 a try. I plugged through it for that reason. It's palpatable for that reason. But for those of you looking for a fresh take on RPG's, look elsewhere. The pros where enough to garner a loyal following back in the day, but the cons will turn off those who weren't interested from the start. It's not a horrible game, but it's not one that ages well. Here's for hoping that #2 is better.… Expand

a great game, if you enjoyed the books pick this one up. i am looking forward to witcher 2. also be advise people this game is not for everyone. very dark and Gothic feeling. another word if your not going to do the whole game don't waste your money this game has to be played to the end to fully enjoy it

All in all a great RPG for mature aged gamers. Your actions have real world consequences and outcomes. Their are plenty of options for character development and some strategic thinking is required to beat even the weakest opponents. The combat is good and varied making it interesting. The storyline is unique and extremely solid and supported by a well made world with great graphics even on the low settings. If you like RPG's then this is a must have! The only draw back are the load times, they do take a little while.… Expand

I love this game, really one of the best games I've played in a very long time. This is what an RPG should be, excellent story, excellent gameplay, stunning visuals, reaslitic dialogue, and a unique alchemy system. I really can't think of the last single player RPG I've enjoyed this much. Kudos CDProject for delivering an amazing gaming experience.

Hands on. One of the best games in the genre ever. Moral choices and atmosphere will kick u out of your schoes. A must have.

It astonishes me how few people know about this amazing game. It was a great story the first time around with a few minor issues but this version is better in every possible way.

One of the best games ever made. And I have played a lot of rpgs. Consistent story, original themes, choices that effect later game. This version of the witcher is by far a huge improvement, while all the details are not instantly apparent, they show themselves to you until you finally realize the scale of added details. Fantastic masterpiece.

I really enjoyed this game. The storyline(s) are all actually interesting (unlike most other RPGs I've played), not because of the overarching goal (kill bad guy), but because of the way you can watch it develop, if you give it attention. This isn't a game that will force everything of note into your lap, you have to go out and find it. It does not reward lazy playing. Choices are of course, in. Not "Will you eat the baby or give it candy and love" sorts, more like "Will I help the sociopathic terrorists being about racial equality and end persecution or will I help the religious zealots bring stability and order?". Decisions can be hard and have consequences impacting the rest of the game. Every choice you make can very well leave you thinking "Am I helping the right people here?". Personally, I love it. Probably not so great in terms of replayability (thus the lower score), gameplay can get tedious towards the mid-points of most of the chapters ("cmon mister mayor, don't make me run all the way back to the swamp, I just got back from there..."), but the shortcomings are made up for by the story, easily.… Expand

I wanted to like this game, I really did. The premise is intriguing, the environments are well-rendered, and the characters are interesting. But no matter what I did, I simply couldn't get past the mind-numbingly boring combat. Combat consists of imitating a metronome, and was fresh and exciting for all of about two seconds, and then it become soul-crushing drudgery that completely saps your will to continue playing. I wish I was joking when I say I have never seen such a boring combat system in an RPG before - even Winter Voices (admittedly a different genre of RPG entirely) had variety going for it... I really hate seeing such an interesting game world completely ruined by a truly awful combat system.… Expand

I was excited to pick up The Witcher Enhanced Edition as part of one of Steam's holiday deals, as I had considered buying it at full price not long ago. But after playing it for a few hours, I have to admit that I regret buying it even at the discounted price. It's true; parts of the game look great, even two years after its release. The long opening sequence is excellent, and the character animation in that scene is expressive and nuanced. The graphics in-game are great as well, especially the human characters who are all very detailed and different--no cut and pasted or randomly generated facial features; they were all carefully and personally designed. The story may be good, although I have to admit I didn't see enough of it to judge adequately. The music is rich and dramatic, the voice acting is good, though not outstanding. The game has quite a lot going for it. The problem is the combat, and for a role playing game where combat makes up the majority of the action, a boring combat system is a fatal flaw. This is how combat works: you left click on an enemy. You watch as your character takes a few swings and you try to click during the final swing. If successful, then you watch as your character takes a few more swings. If unsuccessful, then your character pauses for a moment and you have to click on the enemy again to start the process again. While you do have three different combat stances, and you can purchase new moves, these are merely cosmetic differences; in combat, the process is always the same. Click... wait... watch for the last swing... now click again... wait again... and click. Repeat. Then repeat again. Then repeat again. Then repeat again. You are going to spend a lot of time doing this throughout the game. The bottom line: the fighting in Witcher is so boring that it actually made me long for the comparatively exciting monotony of the Diablo-style, "click-as-fast-as-you-can" hack and slash. Add to this huge flaw the fact that you are always rooted to the ground (no jumping, no climbing, no ducking... a knee-high brick is as insurmountable an obstacle as a towering mountain) and are mostly rooted to a linear map system, and the result is a dry, repetitive game... even if it is superficially appealing. If you're more interested in high production values than gameplay, or if you feel the need to get every RPG released, then you may be interested in this game. But if you're deciding between it and another game of the same type, you might want to give it a pass.… Expand

First of all, I must state, I enjoy rpg's and have played nearly all of the highly acclaimed games of the genre to come out in the last 10 years. That being the case, I found it my "civic" duty to try this, seemingly, underrated title. I started the game with an open mind, and was bored out of my skull almost instantly. Deciding to stick it out,because that's what some games take, I continued to press through. I'm very sorry I did it. This game is boring boring boring boring boring boring. I hear people praising it's amazing story. It's an okay story,I suppose, but all you need to do is open "A Game Of Thrones" by George R. R. Martin to find a 100% better, mature, engaging story. The combat is uninspiring and overall some of the worst I've seen in a video game so highly acclaimed. The npc's all look the flipping same, it's just silly. I don't want to walk up to a guy and see his exact twin x300 walking in the background. It ends up completely ruining the atmosphere for me. I'm giving this game a three because of the Biowareesque choice system. It really matters what you do, and it doesn't actually give you a specific moral code you have to follow. That is true choice. All in all though one good part doesn't make this game worthwhile. I wouldn't advise playing this game.… Expand

The Witcher EE together with Dragon Age Origins are my favorite modern computer RPGs in this gaming generation. The story in the Witcher has a very deep scope as it follows the journey of the witcher Geralt of Rivia to reveal the imbroglio in a nation and all the dark secrets. The game features a lot of moral choices which will yield different consequences in the later game and you have to do a lot of dialog choices to uncover various quests. Combat is entertaining and somehow tactical, you will need to choose right fight styles against different types of enemies as well as use effective portions. Inventory is the only disadvantage because the space is really limited, so strategy is needed. Overall it's a great rpg with a deep storyline driving it. The game still has problems, long loading time and instant crashes do occur but not often enough to ruin the immersion. If you enjoy games like dragon age origins, I am sure you will love this game.… Expand

This is a game made by RPG fans for RPG fans. Unfortunately for the PC gaming layman or those coming from other genres this game will seen complex, slow, and unbalanced. But for those few with RPG game logic, patience, and willpower, that have been gained through years of BG2, Diablo, or NWN (one of course, possibly 2) this game will be a welcome breathe of fresh air that has been absent from the mainstream gaming for the past couple of years. Those things which non-RPG fans will find so frustrating about this game are exactly what RPG fans have been missing from titles like Oblivion or Dragon Age.… Expand

Oh boy was I surprised when I bought this game this year and found a pearl! This game instantly became one of my fav games of all the times! Everything about this game screams fantastic! Loved the story,game mechanics and graphics are not that bad for old game like this one. If u are the fan of the RPG's and like me missed this stunning game please do me a favor go and buy it now!!!!!!!!!

The best RPG I have played in a very long time. I can't possibly cover all the reasons to experience this game; please do experience it though, you will not be disappointed. Think of all the RPGs that have been over-hyped only to not deliver - bland, shallow, characterless... This game is the polar opposite. A superb game that has to rise above its obscurity.

I didn't care too much for The Witcher, getting about halfway through it at release. I've since finished it as the Enhanced Edition. It's improved but still far from perfect: the overlapping quest chains can get tangled and be confusing-- sometimes a quest will bug out and be incompletable; the number of NPC models has increased only by a handful; dialogue trees with nonsensical headers have been improved greatly but you still must zone to see a new dialogue if you've done what the NPC wanted and they have something new to say, and you also have to stop your conversation if a NPC gives you a quest, even though they have more dialogue choices available; most of the truly cringeworthy voiceover has been replaced with professional-quality work, although some perfectly fine stuff from the first version was inexplicably replaced with a lesser quality iteration. Anyway, what makes the game truly great and a truly adult one (once you cut through the pretensions to maturity like profanity and casual sexual encounters and dirty playing cards featuring boobies) is the narrative. It is why the game has such a following; I didn't see it their way at first, but they were right. The dialogue is good stuff, and the themes are 'adult' in the real sense of that word: there is no good and evil, only choices. Moreover, the gameplay is old-school cool as well: The Witcher doesn't condescend to hand-hold like nearly every other game of any genre on the market today; you have to pay attention and have patience. No one will explain it all or make it easy for you. Thankfully, in The Witcher, you are not in a vicarious first-person movie in which the gameworld caters to you so much you might as well be a virtual cow in a virtual chute. Oh, and the combat system has a charm all its own; it's a simple single click mechanic that gets more complicated fighting multiple enemies; a skilled player can turn any fight into a slick ballet of death: the motion-captured swordplay, acrobatics (and the gory finishing coup de graces) are loads of fun. But this is getting too long, so I'll say it like this: The Witcher is a flawed masterpiece: 3 parts one-of the-best RPGs-ever made and, regrettably, 1 part bargain bin title. The recent controversial heir to the RPG throne, Oblivion, was technical perfection and a great game in it's own right; but in terms of truly engrossing story and depth, it can't hold a candle to The Witcher.… Expand

THE RPG for mature gamers! Great storyline, fantastic atmosphere and exciting gameplay make this game one of the best RPGs of all time.

I'm sort of glad I only caught on to this phenomenal game with the Enhanced Version--after hearing about the uproar regarding crashes, bugs-etc in the original (esp given how desperately people wanted to play this game) because this game is so masterful I would have put up with it then (but ugh). However, Witcher Enhanced--was fairly solid for me. A few crashes here and there after long hours of gameplay--but not at all bothersome. As for the game-- I haven't loved an RPG like this since the Baldur's Gate series (tho I really liked Oblivion & Bioshock). This is definitely a game for mature teens & up (i'm sure some adults aren't even mature enough to handle it). Marvelous gameplay/moral relativity and just a solid storyline even among a genre that's chalk full of cliches (this has them, but done well, you don't care). Great job and I hope they continue with a second Witcher.… Expand

The game is exceptionally mature in many aspects. It doesn't hold your hand too much, but only slightly pushes you in the right direction, letting you make the decisions yourself. A game that doesn't treat you like an idiot five-year-old nowadays is a much needed breath of fresh air. The storyline is very good (despite the memory loss cliché), and the main character is interesting. The gameworld is not a fairy tale world with a simple good versus evil nature, but is very grey, which forces you to think and sometimes make hard decisions. The gameworld is very immersive thanks to very good graphics, and a world that feels very alive. The fighting gameplay is good and varied enough to keep you entertained while the story progresses. If you are a fan of RPGs, or games with good stories in general, do not miss this modern classic! Thank you CD Projekt for developing the best game in years!… Expand

I missed the original version of this game, but I am sure glad that I discovered the enhanced version. The Witcher is a mature, intelligent and brilliantly realised form of digital literature. The closest comparison I can make is with Oblivion, which is a better produced and technically proficient game, but cannot match The Witcher for storyline, dialogue and atmosphere. The Witcher looks great and the music truly enhances the experience, however it does not reach perfection due to long load times (even in the enhanced version) and some technical glitches with the story mechanics which required regression to an earlier save. These quibbles aside, The Witcher is a fantastic RPG experience, and for the week it took me to finish the game, I was Geralt of Rivia.… Expand

Excellent game! After I have been so disappointed by latest Gothic III game which virtually wasn't playable even in latest version - this game made me absolutely excited. Somehow similar to Gothic series but more realistic, with a very nice and believable characters and sophisticated story and quests. This game is definitely worth to buy and play (for several times).

Seeming to be a critically acclaimed game, I picked up the Witcher relatively cheap, expecting to be pleasantly surprised. Instead, I was shocked and numbed into absolute boredom and disgust. In a word, the Witcher is bland. Dialog is utterly monotonous. Literally. I heard the main character use one tone of voice for nearly the entire game, as well as an utter lack of facial expression. Apparently voice acting was left on the roadside for this one. Combat is paced clicking. Tactics are only present slightly, and you may be required to swing your sword to different patterns if you fight different enemies. Storyline... An article that RPGs should be known for, considering at their core they should bring the player into playing a role, and making the player feel attached to the game world, it's characters, and it's struggles. However, I found myself not only not feeling attached, but rather bored, and at times disgusted at how a game this bland could achieve critical acclaim. Suffering from "repetitive level syndrome," perhaps is what plagues this game. A wash-rinse-repeat combat system, presenting "complex moral choices," in which everyone is guilty almost always. The storyline, is quite frankly, common. No true surprises await with this title. A bargain bin game in every sense, the Witcher is great for wasting time installing, uninstalling, and using to collect dust.… Expand

Ok so it had a couple of issues. I never expected I would like a largely third person game this much. I loved oblivion and like to immerse myself in the world and scenery from time to time playing from behind the characters eyes etc but much to my surprise I also greatly enjoyed the witcher. Its not as non linear as I would like but its not totally linear either. The characters and story combined with the world created for them make this an extremely enjoyable game. Well worth buying. I just pre ordered the witcher 2 and cant wait… Expand

One of the most interesting role-playing games that I played. Non-trivial plot, lot of skills, charismatic characters, non-linear quests, moral choices and perfect soundtrack. Well done, CD Projekt.

I didn't get around to this title for a long time but I always had my eye on it. I knew it would be good but I was too busy playing the RPG'S I thought were probably a lot better. Finally, I started reading the novel's and playing The Witcher. What I found was a franchise that was true to the heart of a classic CRPG player. I was amazed to find that I enjoyed it much more than Dragon Age and The Elder Scrolls games. It is not only more enjoyable but the writing is fantastic. This is largely due to the fact that it is a game based off of an accomplished author's work unlike similar series where a group of average writers write an average story and later if success has been had, the best of the average writers writes an average novel. By the way, the novels are great. I only wish they would keep publishing the rest of them in English. Final though: PLAY THIS GAME!!… Expand

A fascinating RPG with depth and a creative story. It's not quite open-world, but it's not completely linear either. The combat takes a little getting used to, but you will be a master in no time. The different attack styles and weaknesses of enemies will keep you on your toes, and your playstyle and propensity for exploration will very much determine your success in the game as well as the difficulty. Do not be discouraged by the first boss fight; it's easily the most difficult fight in the game. For reference, I died against the first boss approximately 23-25 times, and I died less than 10 times for entire duration of the remainder of the game. I had a great time playing this, and I would recommend it to not only RPG fans, but anyone at all.… Expand

First big game from small polish developer. Game was created on old engine bit it looks really good for 2007 RPG of the year! I didn't know what to expect after TW1 was recommend to me by my friend. Game starts slow but picks but closer to middle of the game so you have to patent ..if you survive first 2 chapters you start to enjoy very well told story. Combat could be better but it's something new! never been tried before system so I give them points for trying also character development is very rich and let you play how you want you play. Highly recommended if you love RPG games. Also I have to add game goes for around 5£ (huge value for the money!)… Expand

I have played The Witcher: Enhanced Edition for the first time last week and I must say, this is one of the best game I have ever played, even if it is a 3 years old game. The setting is mature and intelligent (not all gamers are 12yo!!!), the graphics are great, the RPG elements are fun and the dialogues are realistic and compelling. The fighting action is really cool but I would have preferred a "Jedi academy 2" type of sword fighting, more based on reflex and skills than timing. This game is a MUST HAVE.… Expand

Great RPG! Great story, brutal and cruel world, fantastic atmosphere , moral choices and much much more. minus... not many ways of building up your character, not very challenging and sometimes boring combat.

This book, err, I mean game is based on a Polish book called Blood of Elves. The story is very immerse, which was expected since it was made from a book to a game, with many characters who you begin to feel emotion for right after meeting them. The combat system of this game is very different from traditional RPG's. You have to click on at the right time to continue your over animated combos and you have three different attack styles, Strong, Fast, and Group which you must use depending on the enemy you're versing. You also have Steel Swords and Silver Swords. Steel Swords are most effective against humans, dogs, and wolves while the Silver Sword is most effective against monsters. The combat system is simple but very fun and engaging! The graphics are very good for the time the game was made but I was expecting to see cinematics with the graphics of the introduction but I believe those graphics are reserved for the first and final cinematic of the game. I wouldn't know, I'm still plying through it now, after months of addiction an family reunions avoided! The game really could have done without the sex scenes and cards. They add a cheesy touch that I hated! I haven't done any of them and don't intend to. Still a great game, missing 10 because of the unneeded sex.… Expand

When I heard about the game trough critics and so on, I was blown away, I thought this gamw would be epic! I'm used to RPG's from Bethesda, as The Elder Scrolls: Oblivion and Fallout 3: Game of the year edtion, and Fallout New Vegas. Well I started the game, the combat sucks, the graphics suck, it's not really "open-world", the quests is boring and doesn't really give any meaning to me. Actually it may be one of the worst games I've ever played.… Expand

This game blew me away. The makers of the game have paid loving attention to every detail -- even the conversations you overhear on the streets are interesting, and I've never said THAT about a game before! The loving attention that's been lavished on this game reminds me of what Peter Jackson did with The Lord of the Rings movies -- this game is extremely well done. And it';s fun! It's a game for adults, and I don't mean the much-maligned sex cards. It's a game where the story really matters, where the player must make serious moral choices, where instead of Good and Bad, we have lighter grey and darker grey. The people in the slums swear, and the people in the rich section of town are stuck-up. And the fighting animations are GORGEOUS! They did motion capture with professional stunt men to do the animations for combat, and the player character is amazingly graceful in the beginning. As the game progresses, he goes beyond graceful and becomes downright acrobatic -- there were times when I wished it were possible to automate the fighting so that I could watch it more closely, and I've never thought THAT about a game before! I could go on and on, but I've said enough. This is the best RPG I've ever played, and I've played a LOT of 'em.… Expand

This just isn't fun. The map system doesn't give a decent idea of where you should be going so why on earth have the map designers put in so many dead ends where you can see where you want to go over a 3 foot wall but obviously the all-powerful witcher can' t jump it! It's not the only flaw in the map design as a lot of the time you're running from somewhere to somewhere else instead of questing or fighting; I did not buy this as a running simulator. The quests tend not to make sense as I keep being told what to do from my journal, which doesn't bear much resemblance to what the quest-giving character has told me. When you drink certain things you're slowed to a snail's pace, unless you've got your sword out... but you're only allowed to draw your sword at night meaning a trudge through molasses until it wears off. On the positive side, the secondary component of herbal ingredients does add a very nice twist to when you make potions and does give you a smile when you find a component that will perfectly complement a certain concoction. Perhaps some day I'll complete the game but since my frustration reaches too high a level after about an hour with this that day will be far off.… Expand

The Witcher is the greatest momement in RPG history since Gary Gygax added more sides to his dice. The Witcher team has created a dark, stunningly realised world, full of great characters and satisfying moral choices. A 9+ is the only mark you could give this gaming achievement - its that good. The reviewers that gave this game a 4 were either not to bright or distracted with a ball of string.

This game is simply awesome. The 3D version in terms of details that flesh out the world and characters of Baldurs Gate 2. At first i was disappointed with the combat system but you learn to overcome it quickly and it actually becomes very fun if you pick up the potion/ bomb and weapon coating making. The consequences of your actions are always there to remind you to be careful of what you say and do and the world you play in feels very alive. Its a very dark game with mature themes that do get presented believably and the language is realistically harsh as well. This is very welcome indeed. RPG bliss in all its glory even if it is a fact that you play a predetermined character. Night and day cycles, character schedules, trust and betrayal, neutrality, cause and effect, action and reaction, its all there to be experienced the way the player wishes. You have a place in the world and it shows. The game grafically is dark, gritty, realistic and especially unwelcome. You are always feeling in constant danger which is a good thing. Music is well done and fitting throughout the game and acting performances are also good enough without winning any oscars. They are just universally well done enough to not detract between great - horrible as many other games of the genre tend to do. If you can bypass the initial shock of the bemany style combat system and sink your teeth a little deeper you are sure going to find a game worth of your time and money and now with the Enhanced edition things are even better since most of the serious flaws that plagued the initial release of the game are no more (like loading times who are now at a perfectly acceptable level instead of absolutely unbearable). Just go get this game and see what the fuss is all about.… Expand

Pretty engrossing game. I didn't buy the original because I was on the fence about it. But now, after quitting WoW, and having a week of free time to kill, I decided to give it a shot. Plus, you can, in fact, buy the original game and upgrade it to enhanced version for free (this saves you about 25 bucks), This is the RPG that really aged with the audience. I'm not as old as some of these guys, but I grew up with FF6-7, Chrono Trigger, etc and as those types of RPGs progressed, they really didn't change much as my tastes mutated in leaps and bounds. I mean, you look at final fantasy and it's basically the same melodrama infested RPG it used to be, just now they take more cues from JPOP and anime (which in my mind is a severe detriment). The Witcher, on the other hand, is far more gritty and real. It's a step above the Oblivions and the Fallouts in its story and setting. The game play and graphics still need some work, and the camera takes some getting used to, but this game is just really engrossing, and it pushes the boundaries of the RPG genre to a more adult oriented ground. The main problem I had with games like Oblivion/Fallout and other types of open world games was the lack of a significantly well made plot. The Witcher has a great plot that really keeps it in the focus instead of throwing it to the backburner. In Oblivion, I really never bothered about the plot, preferring to simply do the Assassin's Guild quests and leaving it at that. In The Witcher, there's no such problem. The Witcher does have a myriad of issues though. I don't really care about loading times on my computer, they're not such a big deal. However, there are issues with the graphics/models; they're not very polished. Reviewers say this is the best the engine can do though, so whatever. Another HUGE problem is the map. It blows really bad. Another issue is the camera. Unlike WoW, where right-clicking and holding will allow you to turn the camera, the mouse in The Witcher simply turns whenever you move the mouse. This is really annoying and causes the user to pause a LOT to mess with inventory instead of doing it on the move. I also didn't find any key for auto run. In short, The Witcher is the next step in the RPG genre as it ages with its player base, and a game no RPG fan should miss out on.… Expand

Awesome game. Some complain about not being able to hop over obstacles, or draw a sword whenever you want; to me, minor details. The storyline is great. Can't wait for the sequel.

This is simply an amazing game. If you love an epic dark fantasy single player RPG, this game is for you. I am stunned that this is such an underrated title. Get the word out about how good this RPG is! It is up there with Oblivion, Mass Effect, World of Warcraft, etc.

Not worth the price. this game is almost identical to Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring as far as gameplay/graphics goes, but i enjoyed LOTR better, and didn't require as much hardware. it's a decent game, but it's definately not epic. it almost reminds me of how every single MMO now-a-days is nearly identical to WoW, making them garbage.

Seriously one of the best games of its genre. Aside from a few small issues with the quests and a bit of confusion traversing the map this game is a true diamond. Considering some of the rubbish out there saturating the game market this is seriously a must have for true gamers.

I found the witcher enhanced edition to be a pleasant surprise, but one that is very much an acquired taste. By this I mean that you have to consider the cultural difference of the game. Just as Stalker is very Russian, and Mount & Blade is very Turkish, this game is very Polish. The interface is like nothing else I have seen anywhere, the gameplay is quite unique, the story is of its own style, and everything else is also far from what we are use to. So if you aren't in for something new and different, you will likely be too disoriented, befuddled and confused to enjoy yourself. Either way, you get use to how things work in this game, and they work very well. The more you play this game, the more you enjoy yourself. Recommended and 8/10.… Expand

Too many not worked ideas. Too tiresome. Much you run there here, speaking with the same characters though it is possible to join all it in one dialogue.

I recently posted a "mixed" review on this game, and I now feel I must revise it a bit. I'm going to make it short and sweet. Right now I think this game is on line for being one of the best RPG's out there. There are just a few things and a few bugs that keep it from getting the highest of scores in my opinion. I'll break it down to things I like about it and things I don't like about it: Likes: Great graphics, Incredible storytelling, fun gameplay and combat (once you get used to it), wonderful music score, original story and content, nice interface, runs great on my system at max settings 1920x1200 Dislikes: Can't jump or jump off anything, the Witcher is glued to the ground, many of the NPC's have the exact same faces (redundant), the Alchemy system is not very intuitive, SLi bug . . . there is a known bug where nVidia SLi users can see lights through the terrain. Like looking at a stone wall and you can still see torch light and window lights through the wall. This is a known bug with no fix, you can disable SLi and the problem goes away, but that is hardly a fix. Some of the cutscenes in the game are a bit long in the beginning and some of the voice acting good be better. Overall I'm really loving this game, I think you need to play the game for a few hours before you can really start to appreciate it. Some games hit like a truck right off the bat and you never look back. If you pick up The Witcher, take some time with it and get used to the combat system, in the end you'll probably really like the game.… Expand

Playing through the first couple of hours might not get you hooked, but if you come back just once then you might as well write off the next few weekends. This game is tremendous - detailed story, characters and environments. Lots of possibilties to explore, and so much variation as you craft your way through the game. Completely nonlinear, and lots of distractions, including taverns, hookers and dice poker. Top marks, and it looks like the sequel is going to somehow be just as awesome.… Expand

I dont know what it is about this game, the gameplay on paper seems like it should be boring, the story is all over the place and the controls are very annoying and clunky, but something about this game keeps drawing me into playing it and i am having alot of fun.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. First off: the things I didn't like. The combat system could be better. It consists of clicking the mouse at the right time for the hero to continue a combo, switching combat styles and weapon, considering what type of enemy you are facing. You do a LOT of pointless running back and forth, as there is no fast travel system, and that get really tedious. The amount of re-spawning enemies are - ridiculous especially low level enemies are all over the place! and it can get rather boring hacking through hordes of monsters all over the place. The dialogue scenes are just.....weired. they are poorly executed, the voice acting is dull, the characters has no animated facial expressions, and the way they express them selves with their bodies are strange to put it mildly. Personally I'm a big fan of open world games like oblivion and fallout, and this games i very restricted in the freedom of your movement and in the story. It is extremely buggy! throughout my first play-through I hardly used the quit game button, as the game crashed all the time. BUT all this considered i still really liked this game a lot. The visuals were good, maybe not technically, as the game is a few years old now, but the atmosphere created through the music, sounds and the visuals I thought were excellent. The whole tone of this games was done really well including the flawed personality of all the characters, the underlying conflicts and difficulties i the world the is set in (The plague, the war between races etc) made this a very interesting setting for the game. The story is good, and deep with a lot of twists and turns, minor subplots that are all connected with each other, creating a long a very deep and strong story for the game. The choices you have to make are.....heavy to put it mildly. all from what side to choose in a threatening civil war, to whom you save or don't to which friends to rely on or whom you alienate. That choices are many and have often unforeseen consequences, making the story even stronger, and give you a good platform for several play-throughs, playing a game with a slightly altered story every time. So all in all this i a very good RPG game, with som issues and flaws, most of whom is technical. I'm really looking forward to the next game, where, if they can create a just as strong story and setting, and removes the bugs and flaws of the first game will make a really strong game that will be a favourite with most gamers, fans of the RPG genre or not.… Expand

The worst thing I can say about this game that it feels like work. The simplest tasks take endless resource grinding, the combat is repetitive, and you'll spend lots of time walking from one place to another to pick up this or that from this or that NPC. However, every so often, I find myself wanting to get back to this game. I never truly lose interest in the story or characters, I love the gritty feel of it, and yes--the mechanics of combat are dull, but it's presented in a very cool way that closely resembles what a fight in a real medieval setting would look like (though the game really does give you more weapons than you really need, at least at first). It's complex, but all good RPGs are, and for the most part the complexity doesn't feel unnecessary. Keeping in my that it was the developers first game, I'm excited in what direction they go from here; perhaps this game's sequel will be less tedious and more streamlined.…… Expand

Got the game on Steam with a rather low expectation due to the low price and the sometimes negative feedback here. After completing the game I must say it is one of the best games I have ever played. Yes there are some glitches. Sometimes you feel like running a little too much around. Some of the bosses in the game are very difficult etc. But the beautiful setting, the deep storyline and artistic graphics totally compensates. And if you are a little bored with the "run to the next exit and shoot some monsters on the way" games the market is full of then pick up this game, it is still available on steam at a rather low price and I promise you a very interesting journey. On the other hand if you like to learn tricky keyboard combinations to fight with very special moves, if you like to snipe, or just enjoy exploring "high tech" places, this game is not for you. The fighting engine is very special with your character doing all the moves and you just have to click the mouse at exactly the right time. In the beginning this is kind of frustrating until you learn but after a while I actually appreciated this action style very much. Can't wait to play the sequel. Highly recommended.… Expand

Fantastic game all round just a few minor flaws for me, on one particular map you find yourself fighing the same group of monsters over and over, it did get a little bit of a grind as they where quite easy to kill and just seemed like an obstacle rather than fun but this was rather early on in the game and what was to follow made me forgive this slight flaw in the game. The only other complaint would be about boss fights, the dont really seem like boss fights, they lack a little bit of "epicness" and "challenge". Beyond this i found the game to be brilliant, there are a few other very small matters that could be addressed but it would really be nit picking and i dont want to give the impression that the game is bad as i loved (almost) every minute of it. There is a lot of adult themes such as drinking gambling and sexual references so its one to keep the kids away from but if your an adult and want a game to treat you as such then i think you will find a lot of laughs joy and excitement from this title, i know i certainly did.… Expand

Excellent RPG and best storytelling since Planescape:T. It has interesting concept of blurring the lines between good and evil, there is no truly "good" or truly "evil" choice. The combat gameplay is its only flaw. And this game is the only one that has alchemy system that I actually wanted to use and had a lot of fun doing so.

I got The Witcher: Enhanced Edition recently because a friend recommended it. It looked great, and the story was very interesting. Throughout the game you must make choices, all of which are important and help define your character. However, the combat is very boring. It is basically timed clicking, with the occasional spell (since you only have enough endurance for 1 or 2 until you reach the higher levels). Despite the dull combat, I definitely enjoyed the Witcher. It was one of the few games which made me think deeply about the ending.… Expand

I had never heard of this game until a little while ago. It came out right about the time Dragon Age: Origins came out and I was way too busy with that game. Now I have to look back and wonder if I should have been way too busy with this game. This game is a breathe of fresh air in the RPG category. I wanted to see if it was any good before I played the sequel to it and I was amazed. It didn't try to cover more than it should have with it's storyline and gave the player enough. Every decision you make will count at some time or another. You will be rewarded in a good or bad way for the things you do at some time or another. The story doesn't leave you wanting more and it actually closes what it started which is pretty unheard of in this gaming age. The combat system is unique and I want to say skill based but I can't really because by the time you are ~30 hours into the game you will hear the same sound and know when you attack again. Some of the later sequences are bit harder to listen for though which was a nice change. The quests in this game are diverse and many. There are the standard kill this and get X from it on every act but those are optional and are usually completed by doing other optional quests or primaries. If you want to take a break from questing you can do dice poker or bar fighting which was fun to do every so often. I didn't really have high hopes from an indie game company to produce something of this quality but I was blown away. The only really thing I can say negatively about this game is the fact that it is easy. Once you know what to do with your spells it makes things a push over. I was playing on the hardest difficulty and relied on alchemy. I was hoping it would be harder to obtain the mats for said pots but they were littered everywhere on the acts. It made the hard version of the game very easy being able to be potted all the time. With that aside I would absolutely recommend this game to anyone even if they don't like RPGs it is just that good.… Expand

One of the best games I have ever played. The Witcher is a new kind of RPG; one that allows the player to make choices that actually affect the world. Some modern RPGs, such as Mass Effect (2) allow some of this, but with The Witcher, you are making choices left and right. And these choices change how later levels play out. One particularly important one changes how the final 5 hours of the game plays. I also loved the combat, and if you play the game enough, you will too. Most people who say that they dislike it are right in doing so, because the whole concept revolves around combos which you unlock as the game goes on. And if you only play until the second chapter, then there is no unlocking being done, and therefore the combat is depthless. Another area where the game excells is in story. Though the english translation can be a bit spotty at times, and voice acting can be a bit poor, all the important characters are well voiced. The story is rich with backstory, and there is a living world behind you. This is the only game where I have ever considered going back two hours in saves so that I could change one of the choices I made. The graphics are also quite nice, though compared to modern standards, they are a bit behind the times. Of course, the game is now 4 years old, so that is to be expected. The lighting is beautiful, and there is a full day/night cycle. There are only two areas which I dislike: There are some "impossible" boss fights. If you fail to prepare for them, they are quite hard, and the game doesn't do a very good job of warning you that they are about to occur. The other thing that I take issue with is how easy it is to miss some quests. If the quest isn't a primary quest, then it is usually given by some NPC. How was I to know that I should randomly go into the blacksmiths' house? I don't know. You can sometimes miss large parts of the story, or atleasty backstory due to this. Luckily, there is a good wiki for the game, where you can check to see that you have done all required. Just watch out for spoilers on there, they seem to be in the most mundane places! To close this up, The Witcher is a great game for any RPG fan. If you don't have it, get it.… Expand

The game is just how good, solid RPG should look like. First off though, a thing that may disappoint someone- you don't create or choose a character. But personally I don't really see this as a bad thing. It has many good sides that the plot benefits from. The game is based on the universum created by Andrzej Sapkowski in The Witcher saga. I think that creating a game on a solid setting was really an amazing idea. Game's action takes place after the story from the books though. I don't want to talk about the details but just the world that we find ourselves in playing this game, as well as the story, is really a masterpiece. The plot is non linear which makes the game even more enjoyable. The Witcher takes a while to beat it so I assure you that you'll have many hours of fun playing it. Something people may not get to like is how the fighting looks. You mostly just click the mouse button at the right times. But on the other hand it is something original and something that one can get used to, really. Pros: -Not linear. -Amazing story. -Long. Cons: -Fighting style that not everyone may enjoy.… Expand

Good game. The writing is well balanced, and the graphics are outstanding. Carries a few loose bugs, however, and I even encountered a game-breaking one that forced me to restart the game. The voice acting is also a little bit sloppy. Despite all this, what really makes the Witcher stands out is its incredible atmosphere and engaging characters, and its enough to make me want to push through again even after having to restart. A great game all-and-all.… Expand

very good game. to be sure it could use some bug fix(s) but it is worth it for the story. it is far more heavy on story then other rpgs like(ahem) oblivion but is not as smooth gameplaywise.

After I have seen the movie based on Sapkowskich books... I told my self, that I will not waste my time on these books... but some time after the release of the enhanced edition I gave it a try... and I got drawn into this world within minutes. The cursing dwarfs, the shady elves, the false priests, the corrupted officials and the sultry prostitutes shaped a world, which was unique among the fantasy worlds I came across. (After my first playthrough I read all the 7 books in an instance...) Ok, this game does not offer a character creator, but instead You get a well defined and interesting anti-hero, whose story and background is a far superior feature, than a tabula rasa character. The music is so dense and folklore, the graphics are so stunning, especially compared to the great Dragon Age: Origins. I have to admit, that the facial animations are very stiff, and a lot of faces are the same, but that is the only downer in terms of graphics. The night and day cycle, the living towns and the dynamic weather are so immersive, that you cannot not play for hours. This game also features the most interesting choices, were every choice means sacrifice, were all one can do, is choose the lesser evil, where a Hollywood-style happy ending is not an option. Many people complained about the combat... It needs to get used to, yes. But it is not bad, it is a lot of fun, and when you add the potions, the bombs and Geralts skills to it, the combat becomes a very strategic gameplay, where the intelligence of the player is tested. In short... If you know what you are doing, you can defeat the game on the highest difficulty with ease, but the hard part is actually remembering and mastering all of it. So... in it's time, this was the second to Mass Effect 1 best looking RPG, it was definitely the most mature story-based game (I know... the sex cards... but I do have a deck of Playboy-cards myslef and I still consider my self mature) with a very deep combat system, it featured the most difficult choices, it was not afraid to punish you. What shall I say... I love CD Project games as much as I love Bioware games, and I am not a fan of this recent troll-war between the fans of these games... people, do yourself a favor and enjoy those games... in the end, it is of no importance which is better... they are all great and they ARE worth your money!… Expand

Short version - One of the best RPG's I have ever had the pleasure of playing in my 12 years of gaming. Long(er) version - When I started up the Witcher after buying it extremely cheap on Steam, I have to admit, I wasn't expecting much. Something to throw a few hours into and entertain me for a little while.. but I was so wrong! This ended up being one of the most superb RPG experiences I have ever had, the story and immersion are second to none and the setting is just absolutely excellent.. Who doesn't want to be a professional monster hunter, hunting everything from vampires, werewolves to things you have never heard of like Kikimores and Graveirs.. you really get the feeling that you are Geralt, the white wolf, a witcher. I see no faults whatsoever with this game and give it a 10/10, it deserves it.… Expand

Terrible game. Probably the worst UI and movement interactions I've seen in a game, ever. Awful inventory system that looks like it belongs in the mid 90's. Sluggish controls, bad glitchy cut scenes, awful AWFUL combat system. Also, even though its fairly old the developer did massive upgrades to it after release. They did not, however, see fit to make vsync possible. SO, if you play on an HD monitor and don't like screen tearing you will have to download and install a separate program that forces vsync for this game only because even the video cards own forcing won't work with this game. I picked this game up for $5 excited because it was so cheap and it has such a good following. I wish I would have bought a hamburger instead. This game came out the same year as Crysis and Mass Effect, I don't see how it ever sold one copy, much less developed a following.… Expand

I only started playing the game after I'd read the books by Sapkowski, as a way to extend my stay in the world of The Witcher. Honestly, I thought I was up for a disappointment, but I was pleasantly surprised. The atmosphere was still there, the riveting plot, interesting characters and snappy dialogue were up to standard. I particularly liked the fact that the moral choices were always in the gray scale, never good or bad, but rather a matter of the lesser evil. I can only hope the second game will be as good as the first!… Expand

wow where to start I absolutely loved this game from start to finish,sucked me in and wouldent let me go,awsome graphics memorable story,This is how rpg's for pc should be done.Quiete a long game,I put about 50 hours into it because there are just so many sidequests

Belongs to top 3 RPGs I have ever played, along with Mass Effect 1 and Dragon Age 1. Story is mature and complex, I felt like I was playing a full-blown novel, with lots of side stuff going on simultaneously with the main story.

great game,very worthy predecessor to the witcher 2 you can pick this game up for 5 dollars now at gog.com i think this gam edeserves a 30 out of 10 for that price go out and buy it you wont regret it

Good story. Engaging gameplay. Fun rpg where you must choose your actions carefully. Great effort by a small development studio. Recommended to folks that want to have a solid game with massive replayability.

Very good game! Graphics on a high level, interesting story and interesting character. I played it a few times and are happy playing again. 9 / 10

The Witcher Enhanced Edition is an amazing game. Challenging gameplay, good graphics, interesting storyline. Because the first edition of the Witcher was full of bugs, CD Projekt released this, the Enhanced Edition, which was offered for FREE to users who purchased the original, first edition. Talk about amazing! Any company who strives so hard for customer satisfaction demands our loyalty. Slightly better than Dragon Age Origins, this was the best RPG since 2001 (Baldur's Gate). Do yourself a favor, and get the Witcher. You won't be sorry.… Expand

The game is one of the best I've played until now. It has deep interesting and unpredictible story. The graphics, level design and mechanics are very good. I loved the experience. I wish there were more games like this one. I wanted to rate 10/10, but metacritic blocked it. The score is biased. "Score (9.0) id must be a floating point number."

It's fortunate that I own a digital copy of The Witcher because if I owned a physical copy I'd probably have thrown it against the wall and smashed it to pieces by now. This enhanced edition is as infuriatingly clunky and frustrating as its original release, which I remembered loathing when I played it on its first release. Post completion of the highly superior sequel, I went against my better judgement and purchased the game on Steam confident that a different perspective would yield an enjoyable experience but I still don't like it. I'm trying hard to give it a chance and persevere with it but it's just not fun, it's rife with poor design, crap combat and terrible voice acting. I persevered through crashes, glitches and other make-you-want-to-tear-out-your-hair moments because otherwise I could've wasted my money much more creatively. In hindsight, The Witcher has a few good moments. As the game draws to a close, things finally get exciting and interesting and the story is well-written, however I doubt I will ever play it through again.… Expand

Most aspects of the game seem really good. The story seems really deep, although, i couldn't get past chapter two. The characters are mostly unique and interesting, however, it seems like you can get "romantic" with any woman within seconds. The setting is dark and mysterious which really suits the mood of the game. But, the combat system is so monotonous and simple that I regret buying it. You just wait for the weapon swing to appear yellow and then you press the left mouse button. After that, you just wait again for that yellowish swing and press the left mouse button. Occasionally, you can throw in a magic attack.… Expand

Despite how many problems this game had, I did enjoy it in the end. What problems? Where do I begin? Glitchy alchemy, awkward combat, numerous crashes/freezes, bad voice-acting, confusing interfaces, VERY slow start, distorted difficulty curve, fights against cheesy mobs, awful AI, etc. It's not until the third chapter (~20 hours in for me) that the game started to even develop, and I had to wait until the fourth and fifth chapters until I felt like I was enjoying myself for more than five minutes at a time. Why a 7 then? Simply put, the pacing of the game once the fifth chapter hits is very good. It's action-packed with interesting quests based on the issues of the characters you've learned about. The best answers to your problems aren't clear and you have to simply make decisions based on gut instinct. You see the outcomes of your decisions unfold into an ending that made me scratch my head. It's the pacing of this last chapter that really shines. There's no more bs about getting some guys honeycombs from his friend 3 towns over; you are thrown into the middle of a substantial political conflict and the fate of who lives and who dies is up to decisions you make. In my opinion, it's enough to shine above all of the disgusting bugs I mentioned at first. I give it a B/B- overall, and an A- for the fifth chapter and the epilogue… Expand

First of all, I need say that I finished the game around December 2011. Although this is an old game, this is a very well-crafted game. Not to say it's the best, but very well crafted. Some complain that the combat is repetitive, but I think the combat of games are always repetitive. ( You don't fight A boss with turn-based, and fight B boss with Real Time Strategy in games, right?) This game also has a nice story with multi endings. Graphic is still acceptable for a game this old. Took me around 45 Hours to complete. If you find this game with discount, it worth a try. P.S. I bought this from steam. Only cost me $4.99.… Expand

I have been playing PC games for many years and I must say that The Witcher is one of the finest games I have ever played. I enjoyed it's mature story and the world it takes place in is beautiful with a rich history. Decisions you must make are complex and require thought as they have an impact on the later parts of the game. The developer, CD Projekt Red, is one of the best out there. They care about their games AND the fans. If you enjoy RPG's and are looking for something different you owe it to yourself to pick this game up. You will not regret it. Oh, although I like the first Witcher better, the second it also fantastic and picks up right after the first. Both brilliant games.… Expand

This game truly gave a feeling that maybe today's RPG can indeed be RPGs, you can roleplay in it! A feature that I haven't seen in a CRPG for years. There are good options which really make you think and now with no naive black & white morality. But there are some mechanics which don't just fit. The combat system tries to be something new and innovative but becomes dull and repetive. The potions and mini-games (gambling, bar fights etc.) are nice touch. But there are still many techinal glitches and bugs and the game may not run well even if you exceed the recommended settings. There are also stupid and boring fetch and kill quests which remind me of modern day MMORPGS: "Bring me ten feathers!". It's a surprise that in a single-player game you even have this kind of empty quests. After all The Witcher kept me playing for days and I'm a big fan of RPGs. Try it out!… Expand

Already an absolute masterpiece in my eyes a year ago, and this update has launched it to easily the best RPG I have ever experienced (and I've played most). It stuns me just how shallow many of the reviews of this game are, dismissing it as a whole on account of one or two flaws, such as load times or not liking the combat model (which is highly subjective)

Im not going to write much because every other low rating review has covered all the horrible stuff. People just need to know this game is boring. I'm in the middle of chapter 2 and I don't think I can go on. The story is not good enough to endure horrible combat. They use the same player models over and over. The side quests just require you to engage in more terrible combat. I thought if I gave the game more time it would grow on me but the combat only gets more boring as you go.… Expand

I know there are a lot of people that like this game and I seriously tried to give it a legitimate shot, but wow, I am completely disappointed. Mundane, non-strategic mouse clicking combat, expressionless mannequin-like characters, horrid voice acting, jagged graphics, and a non intuitive inventory system start off my rant list. I mean I can understand kids liking the game because of the sex cards, but the dialogue and the unnecessary questing leading up to those second-rate soft porn scenes just makes me want to puke. I found a pretty funny review that sums up my frustrations in more detail than I have room for here: http://startbuttonnews.blogspot.com/2011/01/witcher-review.html Thanks to Witcher, I now know the definition of fetch questing...… Expand

I love this game, Great story, you feel like a badass all the way through, and it has a lot of fun RPG elements. I personally like getting the "trading cards" if you know what i mean.

Would be nice if we could actually play it. It's amazing, when a company decides to port a game to a console, something will go wrong with the PC version; always. Usually the easiest part of a game is installing it, you click your mouse on "Next" 3 to 4 times and wait for a few minutes. Well, that's the problem, the morons at CDProjekt screwed up so bad on the patcher, .exe, .dll files that most of us cannot even play the game...and what are they doing about it? Nothing, they're sitting back and watching the revenue of their precious consoles. Another studio lost, I'll be throwing this garbage away seeing as though it's just a fancy paperweight.… Expand

This game comes very close to the perfect game. It's actually mature, it's realistic in decisions and never resorts to black and white "good" "evil" choices. The only small issue is that some quests are of a far lower standard than other quests - whereas in the witcher 2 - all the quests are of a high standard. However this game is almost twice the length. So it evens out in the end. The combat is a little more methodical than the witcher 2, it's different. Although I probably prefer the witcher 2's combat.… Expand

Overall, this game is very playable and parts are quite absorbing. The environments are beautiful and some of the quests are highly original. The basic storyline is overrated and a bit mediocre as you are part of an elite group called witchers who are attacked by a gang of Bad Guys(TM) whom you pursue for most of the game. The other parts of the story are much better. Your character faces a problem of identity. He has to balance his life as a witcher with dreams of being a family man. He has friends and lovers. He gets caught up in political machinations. All of this stuff has been done before in games, but this one does it thoughtfully and with rarely seen subtlety. TW1 is a game where things are not always as they appear, and some banal details later turn out to be highly significant. The game is also big, with a lot of maps to explore and a full five chapters plus epilogue and prologue. There are downsides too. While the art for the environments is beautiful, too many of the characters look as if the programmers drew them. Also, some of them look like their texture maps are low res or bugged. The combat, while usually painless, leaves very little room for developing individual strategy. The same can be said for promoting your character. You ultimately acquire 75% of the talents in the talent tree, and most people playing the game will have the same build by the end. The game also lacks selection in weapons and armor. The potions can be cool, but you only get the more interesting ones in the last fifth of the game. Another problem is that the quests require too much running back and forth across a huge map, often with the sole purpose of getting a new dialogue option. The other complaint I have is that the story doesn`t always make sense on the ``neutral path``. Overall, however, it`s still a solid game for the mature gamer with an ounce of patience.… Expand

This is it. The big one. The great one. What can I say that hasn't already been said? When you're not busy marveling at the beautifully crafted world, (the best representation of Medieval Europe done in a game as of yet), well-fleshed out characters, witty dialogue and humanity and realism of it all, you'll be engulfed in a branching storyline, entirely based on major decisions you make, that takes you and doesn't let you go until it says all it has to say, a breathtaking atmosphere, music that is just out of this world, fits the mood and settings perfectly and adds up to the whole experience in a fantastic way. And what can I say about the morality? No black and white, no heroes and knights, just people trying to live their lives, choices and consequences.You WILL find yourself in many situations where there is no good or bad choice, no wrong and right choice - and choosing the lesser evil is a path you have to consider. I could say so much more, but the game itself speaks volumes, more than anyone could ever say. This is one title a hardcore RPG fan shouldn't miss out on.… Expand

It was amazing how this game, with its reputation for being original, intelligent, and mature, turned out to be an unimaginative exercise in tedium and sexist "badass" wankery. Packed to bursting with cliches, saddled with more bugs than a stray cat, dragged down by combat that's about as exhilirating as learning to type, and unaware of its offensively adolescent portrayal of female characters. It's the 21st century. Curse words and low-cut tops don't make something "mature" to anyone older than 15. This is one giant fetch-quest divided into a milion little fetch quests, broken up occasionally by a mouse-calibration exercise disguised as combat, hilariously awkward dialogue, random transitions, and a tacky soft-porn fetch quest disguised as romance. More development resources seem to have gone in to the first cutscene's jiggling cleavage than in to the entire combat system. The alchemy and potion system, at least, is genuinely interesting. The choice system is intriguingly amoral, and seems to have real impact on the story. The graphics are nice, especially the environments. And this game could probably still help stave off full-blown insanity in people locked in solitary confinement. So I'll give it a 5, minus 1 to counterbalance its reputation, and minus another 1 for the casual misogyny. It's not broken, it's just buggy, boring, asinine, and frankly embarrassing.… Expand

The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is an RGP / third person hack 'n' slash game where the main protaganist is a impotent albino womanizer called a 'Witcher' with memory-loss whose job it is to hunt demons for money. For some reason, the women in this game find you terribly attractive and want to have sex with you even though your character can't remember as to why they would want to or what they mean to him. In return for this sex, you get a card of them posing in a cheap romance novel cover fashion. This is also the part that made me quit playing, I thought it was just too cheap and uninteresting. I don't mind romance in games but it has to at least be interesting and mean something to the player and the story in general. The combat and map design isn both very linear; you walk down a pre-defined path, you slay a number of pre-defined enemies and you watch a number of cut scenes here and there that move the story forward. Nothing that sucks you in and makes you want to continue fighting. Despite combat being such a large part of the game, it is by far the least fulfilling thing to do. Inventory management does make up for some of the flaws in the game as you can collect herbs, food and potions (that you can make) and you can carry up to three weapons. Alcohol seems to play an important part in this game and you can upgrade skills pertaining to this substance or you could choose to go for a character that's more into herbs. Of course, there are the mandatory strength and damage upgrades for different types of weapons and attack moves. The combat itself is real-time and consists of sort of locking-on to enemies by pressing the left mouse button and when you see an orange effect coming from your swing, you click again. this will do extra damage or knock your enemy out. Unfortunately, if you are low on health your screen is entirely grey meaning that you won't be able to time your attacks to do extra damage when you need it the most. There are also different combat stances that are used to fight different types of enemies and you can switch between these during combat. Desite it being highly regarded, I was not impressed at all. I thought the controls were clunky, the conversation dull and long-winded, the models and animations simplistic and the story had so many plot-holes right from the get-go that I just felt like I was nothing more but a pawn in someone else's poorly scripted story.… Expand

The Witcher (Enhanced Edition) is a gem among the adventure RPG games. Be warned though it is not a hard core RPG game, it is more like adventure game with RPG elements. There is no character customizing. You play as Geralt and that’s it. No classes or genders. The startup tutorial is quite straight forward and boring, but after you complete it the actual game reveals, so donâ;€™t let it to distract you. The story is very good, characters are interesting and they have more depth than most of the video game characters have these days. Main story is evolves depending on what kind of choices the player makes. Player cannot decide to be a good or bad, but instead player needs to make choice which has both their bad and good side. Story has a depth and it steps on sensitive subjects like religious disputes, class distinction and racism. With racism I mean humans way to look down on elves and dwarfs. Battle is simple, but it works well and is fun even though it may become boring towards end of the game. Geralt uses mainly swords as weapons during combat, even though you can use axes, etc., but I found those quite useless. The main idea is to use steel swords against humans and silver swords against monsters. You need to select a fighting style based on your enemies’ style, fast-style against rogue like enemies and strong-style against bigger warrior like enemies. You can also “tuneâ€� your weapons with oils, grinder stones and magical runes, which give different kind of bonuses. Geralt also knows alchemy so you can make helpful potions or explosives against enemies. There is also a very simple magic system which gives you five different powers, I only found use for two of them, but I guess it’s totally up to your play style. RPG elements steps in when Geralt gets enough experience and levels up and you can choose to improve your skills. There are lots of mini quests which you can do to get different kind of rewards. The silliest thing in wither is sex card mini quests where you have to try to sleep with a different female characters. There are also couples of mini games like dice game and fist fighting in a bar. The atmosphere in witcher is really good and the surroundings look good. The graphics are good and look much better than in Dragon Age: Origins for example. Overall I have to say that I love this game. It has a small replay value since the story evolves while you make different choices and the story keeps you interested. The only down side is the final chapter which of the game when the game started to lose a little its good grip. I totally recommend this game to anyone who likes fantasy adventure RPG games. There are no serious problems in Witcher that would overcome the good things it has to offer.… Expand

Haon's review on this game is very similar to how I feel about it. Whilst there is undoubtably bags of quality in there, as an overall package it just doesn't quite work as well as it should. My main gripe isn't that the combat is boring - personally I found it quite decent and pretty fun even after 30 or so hours - it's that the game itself is boring. There's a lack of any real excitement throughout the game and each quest is more work than fun. The game's got a lot of great aspects including a superbly downtrodden and realistic atmosphere, it's also got a very mature and practical feel to it (although it does go overboard with the amount of women you get to bang with such little effort), but throw in lots of micro management with the inventory and labourious quests that involve a lot of going back and forth and it just feels like to much work to play through.… Expand

What a piece of frustrating garbage!! I had high hopes when this new edition came out only to see the same complex fighting system and clumsy interface. The storyline is somewhat interesting but the quests quickly become a chore due to the constant backtracking. Some of the boss fights are a jumbled mess!! The beast fight being one prime example.... even when beaten I wondered why I bothered? Its a totally frustrating battle......And for me was no fun what so ever!! Save your sanity and skip this game.... I found nothing Enhanced about this edition!… Expand

I love this game. I tell's a very good story, and the world is based on Andrzej Sapkowski's books. Graphic Engine is not bad. Characters are great. I love everything except one thing - combat mode is quite arcade, cause of clicking in right time and small maps, cause we can't explore them for unexcepted suprise.

The game features a very interesting main storyline and an immersive world, though it can hardly be compared to the mighty sequel. Dull combat, generic sidequests, massive difficulty gaps between areas ruins the experience though. It is worth playing through it if you are interested in the much better Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

i am simply amazed by the game.after playing the first chapter i was about to uninstall the game but thankfully i dint.the first chapter is not that good but after that its amazing.the game lets you decide what you want to do and you will have consequences for every choice you make.now i am going to buy witcher 2.

2nd best polish game. One of the best RPGs ever, one of the best fantasy universes ever. : ) I recommend this game and The Witcher Saga too! :D Dark and deep world with sclavinian style.

First time picking this game up, I didn't play it in 2007. It's a good looking game, and the combat is different than anything else I've played before. The story is good, and the settings are diverse enough to never get boring. I do have some problems, which to me, made finishing the game more a chore than anything else. The combat, while different, becomes repetitive quickly. It does require some thinking as you have different weapons for different scenarios, but it all plays out the same. Timed click until dead. The signs (magic) in the game cannot be woven into the combat fluidly. If you miss-time a click, you receive a beat down, especially on the hardest difficulty. As well, as mentioned before the story is good... but the delivery is bad. The English translation is probably not up to par with the original Polish dialect, but the conversations are broken and devoid of any emotion. Especially from Geralt, the protagonist. I found I read the subtitles faster, just to skip hearing people talk. It's worth a play for sure, especially if you are setting up the sequel, but I just didn't find the game as amazing as it sounded from reading other reviews.… Expand

This is a great RPG, hands down one of the best of this era. Not your slash and hack variety, it makes you use strategy and concentrate on what you're doing during battle. The dark, dismal atmosphere seems much more realistic than the puppies and rainbows most fantasy environments try to evoke. Do yourself a favor, this is an inexpensive game that stands up very well on it's own against more modern titles.… Expand