The Witcher is getting a remake… So I tried the OG version

💥ALL MY LINKS: linktr.ee/LukeStephens💥
Today we try the original Witcher game from CD Projekt Red. This was the first game they ever made and, while it has some really great elements, like the world design, ambiance, narrative and writing, other elements like the gameplay have really suffered. And, in light of recent news of a remake in Unreal Engine 5, I think it will help a lot of new gamers appreciate this classic for the first time.
---
Subscribe and I'll be your bestest friend!
#thewitcher #gaming #cdprojektred

[@James-gj8rn]

At least the game industry is actually remaking a game where it makes sense for once :'D

[@Curt_Randall]

as long as they do not change too many things or remove things that players actually liked.

[@James-gj8rn]

@@Curt_Randall yeah, we'll see how it turns out

[@John-996]

Yeah Witcher 1 and 2 are both games that need remakes. I Have heard some people say they want a GTA4 and RDR1 remake. But I think Manhunt and Red dead Revolver are really in need of remakes. I would Love a graphics Remake For Maxpayne 3 to go along with Maxpayne 1 and 2. The gameplay in 3 holds up but the graphics could use a touch up. I think we can all agree last of us did not need a remake.

[@blessanabey8386]

@@John-996 Witcher 2 is fine for me it holds up, but W1 Remake is a must, many players won't even try to play it because of the weird combat and the ui.

[@ogrimzyz8643]

@@John-996 manhunt traumatised me when I was a young kid

[@oliknow]

I still super appreciate what CDPR did in The Witcher 3 with Kaer Morhen. Despite getting so far, Technology advancements, different artstyle, Kaer Morhen had the same basic layout as in The Witcher 1. So many game series change how locations look and feel between games so much it feels like a different place. I really loved to walk through the same courtyard and revisit the interior. It feels like the same world, how it should be

[@Alvara9]

And lot of Geralt's armors, even his white shirt with the leather straps things and stuff. If you think about it all the witcher games is just a remake of the each other.

[@gdbalck]

Same goes for the Vizima palace.

[@KotleKettle]

Yet they made a rosy cheek jock of Geralt, unlike canonic W1 version, how he should really look like.

[@MGrey-qb5xz]

Ptssp... yakuza

[@Covey7342]

@@KotleKettle Bro the characters in W1 are laughably cartoonish. No shot you actually think Geralt from the books is suppose to look that way lmfao

[@Kubwaw]

For me, Witcher 1 has the best story out of all three. The ambience and the world are incredible!

[@CommonThiefZA]

completely agree. The gameplay was so terrible but the story kept me through the whole game and I loved it

[@primevaltimes]

Eh… I think it’s a good story, but it’s honestly the weakest out of all of the Witcher games. Though that might be partially because the voice acting leaves a lot of room for improvement.

[@chrisj320ac3]

Can't wait to actually be able to get through it with the remake. Hopefully it's almost entirely faithful.

[@Titan1930S]

The story was really good better than witcher 2 but I dont know if it is better than witcher 3

[@berthein5476]

@@Titan1930S its definitely better than witcher 3. Out of all 3 games w3s story is the weakest because w3 throws out most of 1 and 2 and ignores lore, has a ton ofncut content, loose ends and story issues resulting from that, and the pacing is off. Witcher 2 is the nest out of the 3. Its super tight, brilliantly written and narrative and quest design nailed the pacing. Bossfights sucked tho xD way too claustrophobic and bad collision And witcher 1 was probably the best of fhe 3 in terms of adapting the books.

[@noamias4897]

October 26 was the release date of The Witcher, Undead Nightmare and RDR2. What an impactful day for gaming

[@evryfckinnameistaken]

san andreas

[@noamias4897]

@@evryfckinnameistaken Damn that as well

[@alexknowlton4038]

Majora’s Mask as well I believe.

[@DEVILTAZ35]

Not playing RDR2 until they patch in 60 fps on console lol.

[@noamias4897]

@@DEVILTAZ35 fair. I play on PC but the fact that they haven't given it a 60fps patch on console is insane

[@Daniel218lb]

It's still my favorite one! The music and the atmosphere. The best ones for me.

[@D4nceMacabre]

Went through 2-1-3 and I gotta say it's the same for me. I think the atmosphere and music just makes it more enjoyable and immersive than W3 (and W2 in some ways). I didn't mind the clunky gameplay at all, maybe because I'm a ps2 era old ass lol

[@vxngrd]

This game is peak comfy, the atmosphere is amazing, the music, the rainy grimy surroundings, the aftertaste of naive but soulful eurojank, this game is my childhood and it's so warm and fuzzy inside when I remember playing it. 😔 And damn, how far CD Project Red have come, really puts it in perspective, first this an adaptation of a polish fantasy book and now Cyberpunk, Keanu Reeves and Netflix Edgerunners anime, sheesh.

[@efxnews4776]

@@vxngrd i trust CDPR completely with a remake of TW1 the good things of the game are great, but gameplay in the game is horrible, i only manage to play once when they launch and was mostly an underdog of a game, and never again. This is one game who deserve a remake and i'm glad that CDPR decide to make it.

[@btchiaintkidding7837]

it will be interesting to see how they handle the remake. like... is this gonna be a modernized witcher1 with deep rpg elements ? or just witcher1 with witcher3 reskin and 3's watered down rpg elements? like are they gonna change the atmosphere ? etc

[@kanki1174]

The Witcher 1 has definitely the best music of the three games. Witcher 3 comes very close, if not at same level. Witcher 2 was less engaging with the music. I truly hope the remake of Wither 1 does have the original music. Maybe some remastering is good, but god forbid for any special effect and sound mixing, that would ruin the original music.

[@Abel_Unstable]

The Witcher 1 had a Superb Story, Amazing atmosphere, Beautiful Music.

[@patryklewandowski2099]

Act I and IV just make me want to sit and meditate - incredible atmosphere

[@Abel_Unstable]

@@patryklewandowski2099 true that, mate. In witcher 2 I find almost no place or moment where I can just appreciate the world and its beauty. Also Witcher 3 is really close to Witcher 1 atmoshere, and I praised that game better than 2.

[@patryklewandowski2099]

@@Abel_Unstable I can see your point, with W3 drawing from the first release (in terms of slavic culture and vibes probably), but I enjoyed W2 greatly too. Walking around Vergen was great, Flotsam surroundings were also quite atmospheric, and even if there is a lot of backtracking in this tittle still I loved it. My one accusation could be that it is too political for a casual gamer, I think. I read all the books, played W1 and almost had no clue what is going on during my first playthrough, geopolitically-wise. Anyway, Witcher 3 trumps all that and I honestly wish I could experience this story and gameplay as I did the first time. Hope they do Witcher 1 justice. It really deserves it.

[@England-kp9te]

My favourite witcher game (i played all witcher games)

[@ChanceBolt21]

My body is ready for a Luke Stephens Witcher 1 and 2 retrospective

[@deniahmetaj]

Yes pleaseee!!!! I’ve been asking in his comments for years!!!!

[@vxngrd]

Unless he nitpicks and shits on childhood memories, criticizing the game that many players have strong connection to. He already said it's aged bad, looks and plays like ass water, why torture yourself then 🤷‍♂️

[@nazareta]

Guess who finish The Witcher 3 video first, Luke Stephens or Joseph Anderson? 😂

[@crazydino4541]

@@vxngrd well he isn’t really wrong

[@vxngrd]

@@crazydino4541 sure, but what's the point?spend your time being irritated and nitpicky over some old ass game no one forces you to play on a 3 hour long video to reveal the ultimate truth no one could possibly understand before that the game is old, janky and looks like ass? Here, saved you 3 hours of your time, don't thank me. inb4: "don't like it, don't watch" it's literally not the point, the point is why force yourself to suffer through old ass janky game, to tell then everyone that its an old ass janky game, focus on positive shit, dont waste your time over something so unimportant

[@Myrmidons]

The stance that Witcher uses to strike from a high point, by keeping the sword high before he attackes is called "la posta di falcone". The Knights Templar of Pisa in Italy came up with and mastered this technique AND included in their training. It was used through the crusades when wielding a two hand sword.

[@christiansantamaria7233]

*cough* nerddd…

[@tyrota]

Someone has watched Kingdom of Heaven :)

[@viktorthevictor6240]

@@christiansantamaria7233 Go back to the 80s

[@piotrkramer9868]

Unfortunatelly, the term Middle-Ages contains a thousand years of history. Therefore it's common for popular culture to put together things that are hundreds of years away into one scene - "it's all medieval, right?" Kingdom of Heaven is no exception, as it used it's licentia poetica. "La poste di falcone" is a stance used for longsword fencing, yes. This type of weapon wasn't a thing until at least two centuries after the crusades, though. Crusaders used one-handed swords, as the technology in 12th century wasn't advanced enough to allow forging longer blades - even one-handed swords would easily break. But yes, it is a real stance for fencing with a longsword. And it's great of the developers to refer to actual medieval fencing here and there. With all spinning Geralt does, these small touches like real stances, keep his moveset "probable". We get the impression that he is a superhuman mutant, but still operates in a relatively "realistic" world. In Witcher 3 for example, after each unfollowed light attack Geralt would hold "tail stance" for a while; after each heavy attack, he would hold "vom tag"; when blocking, he uses "ox stance" etc...

[@elseggs6504]

@@piotrkramer9868 Crusades continued to be led even after the failed ones in the Levant. The Baltics quite literally wouldnt be the same without them. Hell, even though it was a failure, the Crusade of Varna which is like 15th century, changed the fate of Hungary and Poland. Possibly even all of Eastern Europe.

[@Shertowin]

The first Witcher may not have aged so well But I played it and finished a few months ago and it’s atmosphere, art design and music are unmatched by most games now a days Sure the combat isn’t great, but once you get into the rhyme it let’s you “feel” like a Witcher I would highly recommend Joseph andersons video on it. Truly a diamond in the rough and I’m sure the remake will let it truly shine

[@efxnews4776]

Gameplay is horrible, but i agree with the rest, i don't think CDPR will screw this, we already know what expect in terms quests, story, world-building characters... they will only improve graphics, gameplay, add Roach and a few more quests to correct some inconsistences. TW1 deserve a remake and i trust CDPR to deliver a full and complete vision of TW1.

[@gigabilly1160]

@@efxnews4776 idk man, they want this one to fit "modern audience"

[@efxnews4776]

@@gigabilly1160 modern audience, for normal people, is just normal stuff, graphics, gameplay, UI, sound design... If theres one thing NO ONE can complaint about CDPR is that they are woke, even in Cyberpunk 2077, theres isn't anything woke, there, neither in Edgerunners. The folks from CDPR aren't dumb, they know how this works, and they wont kneel to the woke mob, so if this is your fear, you can relax... Also, you saw this In the Quartering? Because is saw is piece and Jeremy is completely off on this one...

[@gigabilly1160]

@@efxnews4776 Cyberpunk is made to be diverse, in the Witcher one black character whose presence isn't explained is enough to ruin worldbuilding

[@efxnews4776]

@@gigabilly1160 And you expect what from Cyberpunk? It is a futuristic degenerate America, it's obvious that would have black characters, in fact, looking deep to the concept, anything woke there is clearly a critic about how society is moving at this point, in other words, grounded fiction, the strangest thing there is the large presence of japanese influence, but this has nothing to do with wokeness because the lore based itself in the idea that Japan would domininate the technological landscape in the 80's. Cyberpunk isn't woke, because this sort of stuff, the only thing that could be considered "woke" in Cyberpunk is just one minor character that if you don't pay attention you wouldn't even know that is trans, and the fact that the V can choose any genitals (s)he want, wich is more like a mockery of woke concept than anything else. Again CDPR doesn't have the a woke problem, never had, that wasn't ever the problem with any games produced by CDPR.

[@darkhaven9119]

The combat in this game actually gets really fun once you unlock some of the spells and delve into the crafting etc. I got so addicted to leveling up in this game and seeing all the different shit that can happen based on your choices. There’s so much replay value in it. It definitely does need a remake but the combat is a lot better then you show in this video lol.

[@karlmodry716]

Yeah when Geralt did his first backflip during combat I was shocked :D

[@ChristophBrinkmann]

"the combat is a lot better than you show" Noooooo it isn't lol. And I love the game.

[@darkhaven9119]

@@ChristophBrinkmann ugh yes it is, he doesn’t have ANY of the other spells unlocked or any of the combos or traps/potions etc. Also there’s a bunch of different monsters and enemies to fight too.

[@tindekappa9047]

It should be fun in the first 10 minutes, not after 5 hours when you unlock the fun ability. Maybe keep it the same, start us with the minimum of abilities that make it fun and add new abilities that you unlock to replace them. I can see how this combat system could be more rpglike cause witcher 3 had so few spells and passives, also the items were absolutely horrible, you'd complete a quest and get a legendary sword, and it only had one of the dozen stats that could roll on a sword regardless of rarity and you'd replace it literally the next quest.

[@GugureSux]

@@ChristophBrinkmann W1 literally has the absolutely best, THE most fun and enjoyable combat. And being a true ROLE-playing game, unlike its sequels, the GAMEPLAY consists of so much more than just killing shit.

[@SeCluDred]

You have no idea how EPIC the dialogs are in The Witcher 1, especially in the Polish language

[@pawelniesporek7]

Confirmed. English dubbing sucks here

[@vasinik]

i played it in Russian it was very good aswell, witcher is very well suited for eastern european languages

[@hater2764]

@@pawelniesporek7 Amerykański dubbing jest właśnie bardzo dobry w tej grze!

[@reisshep]

I played only the Witcher 3, but I found the English dub annoying so I played it in Polish. Way better experience.

[@nicolausteslaus]

@@vasinik Russian dub is gay. German and Polish dub are superior.

[@Garden-of-Eden893]

This game was definitely the most atmospheric of the 3, i also liked the mechanics.

[@SS-yr3ij]

Yes. Witcher 2 imo lost much of that atmosphere and the story was a bit unwieldy. I think Witcher 3 bought most of it back.

[@highlanderknight]

The original game was actually pretty good for it's time, even if it was a little clunky. Interesting story choices, as if they weren't sure how they wanted to follow the books and how I thought Triss acted more like Yen in this game.

[@marekskrivanek]

I wanted to finish W1&W2 before getting into W3 and that’s exactly what I did. It was around 2020/2021 and I still enjoyed this one a lot. After I got use to the combat and graphics, I had pretty good time.

[@trystan3130]

I had played w3 and w2 before but I decided the play them in order earlier this year and I'm very glad that it did, so many more pieces fell into place and it got me more into the lore and story in general, it helped me get lots of references in the newer games too which was fun

[@iputapipebombintoyourmailb6210]

in my case. w2 first because it was cheap that time. then 3 and lastly 1. not sure if it was a mistake but i enjoy it overall. i made the same "mistake" in other game by playing mgs2 before mgs1.

[@Muninnnr]

TW1 hold a special place in my heart but I would never expect anyone to play through it for the first time in 2022, which is sad. It's clunky and janky, but the atmosphere is still soooooo good. Thank god for the coming remake.

[@Shertowin]

I just finished it and I did the same thing I absolutely love the game and after 60 hours I finally finished it And when my friend asked if he should play it and I told him it’s one of the best games that you should never play because it takes a lot just to get through it But hearing that end credit was worth my sanity

[@zifan_winters]

I actually did played it for the first time couple of months ago & enjoyed a lot

[@Muninnnr]

@@zifan_winters Glad to hear it. I still wouldn't have recommended it to you.

[@zifan_winters]

@@Muninnnr me neither .. they better do a complete overhaul of combat system in the remake

[@ARojas-dg2ce]

GoG gave it for free so it's my first time and yeah, combat is really clunky but the rest is very good so I don't complain

[@ronwisegamgee]

This game's engine is a heavily-modified version of the Aurora Engine, which was used for Neverwinter Nights. It's actually quite amazing how CD Project Red was able to take a game engine based off of D&D 3rd edition to a pseudo-action game.

[@rossiecotton]

As a non-gamer who just loved the Witcher books and wanted to try the game, the first Witcher was absolutely perfect. I get that it doesn't live up to modern standards, but from my perspective, I would love to see them update the graphics and that's it, I would gladly play it again. It was just so much simpler than all the other games I tried to get into. For a novice in gaming, the isometric view made it much easier for me and the mechanism for combos was enough to feel like I do have to do something but wasn't overwhelming. Upgrading the skills was also so much easier. The game was not overloaded with stuff and I knew what I needed to do to get better and progress. I just recently started playing Witcher 3 and it sometimes overwhelms me just how much STUFF there is. I end up using two basic recipes and that's it. I know that they make games for gamers, who get a lot of that much faster because they've played 10 or 20 similar games already, but Witcher 1 was great because a person who hasn't played a computer game in years can just get into it and enjoy the story. And that is something that is not easily encountered these days, I feel.

[@alexie101010]

I agree 100%! Just played 1 & 2 and now I've just started 3. I LOVED TW1. And hated the mechanics and bugginess of TW2. I actually sort of miss the nostalgic old school RPG style that TW1 had. TW3 is great when it comes to the newer style that today's RPGs have, horse riding, fast traveling, and graphics, but other than that TW1 is just such gem. I'm hoping when the game is remastered that I'm able to keep my old and clunky version of TW1 because it's so charming and fun.

[@Krystalmyth]

I would have rather seen you do a review of the game.

[@FosterC144]

I mean it's not the worst game for its time, it's just I played witcher 2 first, then witcher 3 and playing witcher 1 felt like a big step down comparatively

[@ablackhawk1]

A fantastic answer (and I'm a real gaming veteran). Witcher 1 is a fantastic game, music which is a masterpiece and story which just holds you alongside the relationship evolvement and the decision making nerative. Choosing the lesser evil.

[@JEdVcM]

Yes, its simplicity can be refreshing. Also agree, the Witcher 1 was clearly a work of great love for the lore. I found that many of the later acclaimed elements were already present, in a raw form. Choices, immersive story, character development, alchemy, etc. When playing all Witcher games through, the arc of refinement is really visible.

[@radclayson]

You've absolutely gotta go through the original. It's janky as hell, but a fun adventure

[@CaueJulio]

i still remember the "face bug". that shit was weird

[@whodatninja439]

witcher 1 has the best music and atmosphere. also the story is fantastic and number of choices is astounding.

[@zb3485]

the atmosphere is sooo good...never played more atmospheric game...the first and second act especially

[@coolerkater1991]

Try out gothic 1 and 2

[@George-um2vc]

@@coolerkater1991pales in comparison

[@Gerchan555]

I think Witcher 1 aged very well, except for a combat system, which can be a little weird for players who are used to a more modern action style gameplay. It's a 2007 game developed by rather small studio back then.

[@oldskif3884]

This was amazing game back there, the problem is in people who cares only about graphics or new gameplay mechanics, games back there was about stories they tell and atmosphere they made

[@bartzoz]

I bet the remake is "Witcher 3 mechanics" + "Witcher 1 story" + "new side quests". A few tips for those who want to play The Witcher 1 for the first time: - First develop Aard, then Igni. Aard will allow you to oneshot enemies (I even killed a boss once like that), and use Igni occasionally to burn down a few annoying enemies from a safe distance (and one boss). Ignore the rest, they're not very good - Then develop your fighting styles - Strength, Dexterity, Stamina and Intelligence have some interesting things, develop them in the meantime (if I remember correctly Int has herbalism) - The controls are cumbersome at first, but after 2-3 hours you should get used to it and not even think about it. Maybe you will even like them (like me) - Alchemy is your friend - Enjoy the best storyline in the trilogy!

[@EhurtAfy]

I played Witcher 1 as my first Witcher game in 2017. I was actually disappointed by the sequel games in many ways

[@brunomatarazzo2713]

I lost my Witcher 3 saves like 3 times, then I found out that I could keep playing my own story from 1 to 3. When I gave Witcher 1 a try, MAN, what an amazing experience. The atmosphere, ambience, sound and plots were more memorable than most games I've played recently. I'd recommend it even if it is 2022, just need a little patience. If you can finish Chapter 1, you are golden! It just gets better and better

[@DadVader]

I love this OG version till today. And I've played it few times.

[@pressrepeat2000]

This is going to be incredible in unreal engine 5. The atmosphere, story, acting and music is incredible. Not sure what they’ll do with regards to the combat, but if they just make it like W3 it will be fine.

[@blacknapalm2131]

*It's one of the greatest true RPGs ever made* Also the combat system is elegant and satisfying once you learn to use it and put a few points into your chosen stance

[@StefanConstantinDumitrache]

Definitely do long-form critiques for 1 and 2. And since you'll play them fully to so so, carry your save file all the way to Witcher 3, like in Mass Effect ;)

[@JonathanHayes-uz3ee]

I was 18 when this game came out. It was amazing. I still have the original box and booklet and CD in my dresser.

[@benwanada]

I genuinely love this game, flaws and all. It may not hold up to today's standards but you can't judge a product of its time. Considering this was their first game, they did a spectacular job.

[@buffkangaroodog]

Product of its time? Bro we got uncharted, halo 3, super Mario galaxy, modern warfare, and Assassins creed 1 (which aged a little rough but way kinder than witcher 1). 2007 wasn't 1997

[@erisium6988]

@@buffkangaroodog bro its small polish comapny not fucking ubisoft, activision etc.

[@doxasticc]

I just hope the remake captures the OG's atmosphere, I loved the game just for that

[@smokerxluffy]

W1 did a LOT of things really well, especially in regards to combat despite how janky it is. It has perhaps the best prep for fights in the series because combat style, oils, and equipment actually matter too much to be overcome with simple skill. It also has bar none the best alchemy system in all of gaming: ingredients are plentiful, but strong alcohols are rare and valuable so you scavenge and save for those so you can make the stronger potions. These stronger potions are also valuable and rare enough that you don't get endless stacks of them cluttering up your inventory to the point where you never use them or completely forget about them like often happens in other games with complex alchemy systems. The fact that ingredients are divisble into base alchemical materials also means no specific ingredient is super vital (excepting those for unique potions, things like werewolf hair etc.) so you don't run into that issue where you have all the ingredients to make a good potion... except for that one you just can't seem to find, so you're stuck with your inventory full of the other stuff and you just want to brew it all into less space-consuming potions already. Besides the creation, using potions is also the best in the series in W1. It's a quick animation usable whenever you need it (unlike W2) and the effects last long enough that you don't have to hover a finger over a hotkey (W3) or worry about them running out in the middle of a damn cutscene (W2 again, Jesus fuck W2's alchemy system was a complete trash fire). It's just so damn good in all aspects it's insane how they completely fumbled it in the sequels. As a HEMA practitioner, I also appreciate it having the best sword animations in the series (excluding some of the sillier executions), with Strong Steel just oozing with that OBERHAU VOR VOR VORSCHLAG big dick energy and Group Steel being full on montante SPIN2WIN BABY. Also the parry animations are just, UNF. Oh and the mordschlags are awesome. It plays very weirdly, but it's all surely to give you more time to admire the beautiful animations, I'm sure! :D Another thing is just how damn poor you are in the game; it's the authentic Witcher experience of constantly having to scrounge for coins to make ends meet. In W3 when the Emperor offers Geralt a reward for finding Ciri it's just "lol, I make that in like an hour, whatever man", but when at the end of W1, Foltest offers Geralt gold to go take care of the Flaming Rose, Geralt's double-take is 1-to-1 my own reaction, because, HOLY SHIT HE'S OFFERING YOU A LOT OF FUCKING MONEY. W1 is my most replayer Witcher game. Partly that's due to how old it is and how long I've been aware of the series, but it's also undeniably because I love the game a lot.

[@eytanminski6168]

The beginning section of the game is bad but it gets much much better the more the story progresses, I absolutely loved the atmosphere this game has

[@justinp_]

Legit been replaying this these last few weeks and then the remake gets announced! Lets gooo! Im probably more excited for this than the actual new trilogy

[@Wladeex123]

A bit of a correction - I believe only two of the additional stories were created by CDPR. They include voice acting and are translated better. The rest are just a collection of fanmade short stories that were nice enough to include within the game.

[@japacapa]

I remember playing it back in the day, my first impression was not good at all, but once I got going I got hooked like hell, it's an awesome game, I will definitely play the remake.

[@nyranstanton203]

th eoriginal is amazing, theres some things i like in it , more than the newer games. 3 different camera angles, the 3 different stances, depnding on creatures you fight. Looks great, even today. Games dont need to be open world, just the areas need to be big enough for it to seem larger than it is. Open worlds are often just large walking simulators and empty nothing lands.

[@raffy9841]

This was one of the first games I played when I got my pc 2 years ago. There was a Witcher games sale and I got all 3 very cheap. Can't wait to see what the remake looks like. Probably gonna be more in line with the 2nd game. I don't think they go with the open world but the Witcher 2 open areas with quests.

[@AwDudeIDontKnow]

Duuuuude yes, I would love a retrospective of the first two games as well. Just played through the first game a few months ago and I loved it

[@Magabes_]

The environment looks gorgeous, the atmosphere is great especially walking around the city. This is very impressive for a 2007 game.

[@huskycruxes7232]

I love the OG Witcher gameplay. Combat was very rhythmic in changing between styles mid fight looked very cool. Clunky nowadays. But cool

[@ErasMcras]

You truly can't call Witcher 1 tedious until you've completed the NASCAR track that is the outskirts.

[@webiorg6147]

It's unbelievable how dear this game is to me. There is just something extremely cosy about it, makes me feel at home. I love the music, the photorealistic graphics, the melancholy ad grittiness of the stories.

[@adamwest9184]

If you haven't, I would strongly recommend the Mouse control option. It's what I selected when I first played and I think the game was actually built with this control scheme in mind and Keyboard+mouse was added toward release because that was the way other games were going and a lot of users were now preferring "Over the Shoulder" controls. However when I went back and played OTS, it felt so clunky and weird and I found myself understanding the hate for the combat much more. The combat in isometric mode works fine because you are detached from the player character, so the abstract combat minigame is pretty reasonable and from just a practical point of view, the camera is more stable which makes clicking on enemies mush easier. OTS with the minigame combat is just bizarre because you expect to be in direct control of the character with LMB to quick attack and RMB to strong attack with target locking. Instead you have to actually click the enemy with your cursor (while the camera bounces around) to attack and quick/strong/group are attack modes which you select on screen or through keyboard shortcuts. It just doesn't make sense. So yeah try the isometric controls (I think you can change at any time) and see if it makes more sense, I know I really enjoyed the combat at the time and even more recently when I played it again and I know I didn't agree with the hate for combat at the time but playing OTS definitely gave some insight into why people didn't like the combat, I didn't like it either playing OTS.

[@Rawbful]

Completely agree.

[@bolski6125]

Good analysis. This game is what introduced me to the world of The Witcher. I bought it when the Enhanced Edition was released. I still have it (on DVD). One thing to remember is this game used Bioware's Neverwinter Nights engine. They had club the engine into submission to do what they did, but in the end, I do like the story it tells. And if you can make yourself play it and The Witcher 2, it will definitely fill in some areas in the Witcher 3. But to really appreciate all of the games, you definitely will do yourself a big favor in reading the books. Once I found out the games were based on books, I purchased them and replaying the games now (I've finished all 3), many things that are said in the game that might seem coming out of left field now make perfect sense. I understand this game is old, but I do think if you really want to appreciate the entire Witcher game saga, you would do yourself a disservice in NOT playing this game. Plus, you can use the save game from Witcher 1 to feed into Witcher 2 and then to feed into Witcher 3. There are also some great mods out there that can at least make the textures look much better in both games. In the end, it's up to the user, but you can get Witcher 1 free on GOG so why not try it?

[@mekset4135]

You have to take into account that people are not returning for another playthrough of The Witcher for its great combat and silk smooth transitions. They play it for the story, charecters, environment, design, atmosphere, music, lightning and so on. And it's a shame that so many people give up on it in the tutorial just because of the combat or whatever. They don't come to appreciate the charm of The Witcher.

[@SimonLab]

I remeber seeing the witcher 1 in a 20$ offer around 2010 and bought it cause it cause it had all these quotes from sites and magazines in the box like "proof that single player is still alive on PCs" and other like that. And that is part of its legacy. The game came out in a period where WOW and FPS and MMOs in general were the mainstream. In any case, like a year later i got sick and stayed at home for 10 days. all i did was wake up, make coffee, play witcher, eat, sleep, repeat. Witcher 1 is in my top5 all time favorite games. Absolutely massive masterpiece. Once you play it for 1-2 hours and you get used to the battle system and camera it feels natural. Absolutely GOAT

[@martincajthaml1127]

I have finished this game 13 times and it's a gem.

[@halocraze9839]

Wtf. That sounds boring

[@reality_is_sin]

@@halocraze9839 so do you

[@matheusdomingos4988]

omg you really like suffering

[@halocraze9839]

@@reality_is_sin cringe reply

[@ciai_6199]

damn, and here I thought me finishing it like four times was degenerate :'D it's every bit as janky as it looks but somehow everything else more than makes up for it, I'd even go as far as saying that once you get used to the combat it becomes hilariously entertaining once you progress down the skill trees, doing all kinds of wild shit, basically turning into a human blender that also does back- and frontflips over enemies heads LMAO

It's the one I've like most. And I played it to completion in 2017

[@ayuwoki453]

I wanted to get into the witcher world back in 2021 and decided to play all the games, starting with the first one. Although at first I kind of was kind of reluctant to play it after seeing how it was and barely understanding anything, I decided to keep playing it. Turns out that even tho it can be hard to get into it, if you do it is amazing, I personally loved it and its probably my favorite although 3 comes in close. But the first one was just great and hearing its going to have a remake makes me happy and can't wait to play it, even tho I don't really play much videogames anymore.

[@michellecgb]

The way I cackled at how Geralt holds his sword when he’s fighting and running 😂 I had never watched anything about this game.

[@Bonko78]

I bought the first Witcher game right after W2 came out and got such rave reviews (back when game reviews were mostly about the actual game). I felt exactly like you did in the beginning; I didn't even want to play through the prologue. But since I had payed for it, I decided to give it another hour or so. During that next hour I got completely hooked. Even though I only played through it once, I remember as many scenes from this game as I did from the sequel which I played several times. Though, for anyone trying it out today, I can imagine the jankyness may be just a little too rough. A good remake may definitely be worth checking out for old fans of this franchise.

[@GugureSux]

A very common tale these days. I'd say that kids these days are too pampered and not used to games demanding some attention from them, requiring mastering of the basics before they open up. I personally enjoyed Witcher 1 tremendously, way more than its much simpler sequels. I'm not optimistic at all for the upcoming remake. Not only is the old CRPR no more, but the modern-day AAA "remakes" are the ultimate monkey's paws, appealing to the widest audiences.

[@Bonko78]

@@GugureSux I agree that a remake isn't likely to be good, considering those of other titles. For every good one, there are just too many bad ones, made merely as a money making venture and not for the fans. I would say it's always possible to play the old games again but not even that is a certainty unless we have physical copies which are becoming more and more rare. Hopefully, things will get better.

[@palerider2132]

I played this game about 8 months ago, and I loved it. I'm not too picky about old games. It's easy for me to get into them. Idk why others struggle.

[@Jeanssj98]

horrible gameplay, horrible graphics, horrible audio

[@vidc4313]

@@Jeanssj98 graphics really aint that horrible. As for the gameplay you get used to it and the game has an amazing atmosphere i highly suggest checking it out

[@Zenvioux]

@@vidc4313 the voice acting is still really bad lol

[@Jeanssj98]

@@vidc4313 well the game is crearly ugly, and about the gameplay it really is that bad, way worse than games that come before it too

[@Jeanssj98]

@Minicrom being unique and particuliar doesn't make good

[@noamias4897]

On the topic of remake I remember you talking about redoing your Witcher 3 critique and I know I for one would appreciate that

[@Zhongda95]

The first Witcher is simply the true masterpiece made to distinguish real from fake fans, lets face it!

[@adi6293]

The first Witcher was amazing, the combat is not that bad, you just need to upgrade Gerald and then is actually amazing!

[@John-996]

Its the way enemies react to getting hit that makes it bad.

[@adi6293]

@@John-996 You can't have it all, it was after all CDPR's first game 😜I still finished the game 3 times 😁

[@vidc4313]

you absolutely should play the first witcher if you like the franchise. The first act is very clunky and might turn you off at first but if you push through to the second and third chapter, thats where it really shines. The games has a lot of heart, great amosphere and a pretty decent story. This game might not be a 10/10 but its a very solid game non the less with a pretty lengthy campaign. Go check it out if you love rpgs seriously its worth it past the first chapter.

[@patricks2645]

I got witcher 3 on steam sale, watched a playthrough of this game and loved it for the story like you said

[@duncanbrown0]

Playing through the game right now, very clunky, loving it. Excited for the remake, excited to play 2 and 3 for the first time too.

[@gwynbleidd9000]

not only its not bad, its the best out of three no doubt

[@Kostadin_Arolski]

Feels same as the first rdr. It's datet, but you can see the masterpiece showing

[@elyastoohey6621]

I'm playing Witcher 1 again for the 3rd time. It's actually a masterpiece RPG. Play it on hard difficulty fo the full experience. You HAVE to use potions and alchemy. You are heavily inentivised to figure out how alchemy works so you not only have potions, but potions with buffed effects (ingredients often have 2 "elements", the dominant element, eg th colour, and the recessive element, eg nigredo.) If all ingredients in a potion share a recessive element, your potion gets a huge buff. Eg Swallow with Celandine, drowner tongue and cats eye not only boosts your haling, but you get the added bonus of 20% extra damage. On hard you need all the buffs you can get. I also love the witcher 2. But more for its wonderful plot. Witcher 3 is awesome, but I think it's the weakest game in the series. It's a great game, but CD Projekt red intentionally changed the story and made it more casual to attract a heap of new players, piggybacking off the "mythos" of the witcher 2. Heaps of people heard about how amazing withcer 2 was, but not many played it as in 2011 it required quite a good PC to run. W3 released on console, and didnt require much more than W2 did to run. So it had a bigger audience when it dropped. Also the W2 elven bath sex scene is legendary. The dialogue in the witcher 1 is legendary too. "Come and try it, Pleb"

[@hippytree69]

I'm excited for the remake and now my friend can play the first one. Hes only played the third one. I also hope they keep the conquest cards

[@jirka2142]

This game is the best from the whole series.

[@shoff29]

I actually enjoyed the Witcher 1 and 2 more than 3. They felt more focused and that they had more heart.

[@blackvalio4060]

Im sorry I can not agree with that

[@Daniel218lb]

I'm agree with you mate!

[@halocraze9839]

Lol dude get a grip

[@matveymetelski]

The Witcher 3 took everything that was great about 1 and 2 and expanded upon it the way a sequel should. I think all 3 games are great.

[@ImmunePi3]

I would love your long form videos on The Witcher 1 and 2. Very interesting games that should have more discussion around them considering their importance to how big The Witcher has become.

[@williammoore1030]

Bought it on pc right after I played the 2nd game at release on the 360 and even then it was hard to get into. Can’t wait for the new version.

[@blessanabey8386]

Now this Remake is well deserved and I'm down for it, hope they don't change the story and the rest they can do whatever.

[@MrEinherjahr]

new players criticizing great games ... it doesn't have super ray tracing with cgi and millions of effects but good games never age ... those who doesn't understand that are not real gamers only casuals

[@marcdwonn9772]

TW1 is one of the greatest games i've played. The super dense and dark atmosphere is unmatched by neither TW2 or TW3. Even the world graphics have aged really well (thanks to precomputed lighmaps). The other two games in the trilogy excel at other things though: TW2 has the best combat cinematics and TW3 is the best allround package and a worthy GOAT (in my experience of 25 years PC gaming). I'm worried that a TW1 will never reach the world building and atmosphere perfection of the original.

[@TXFDA]

I've been watching so many Witcher videos, I really wanna go back and try to start and finish Witcher 3 again. I've never managed to finish it or start the DLC. I always get to Skellige, and get burnt out and need a break. But, as much as I wanna jump in, I also wanna wait another 2 weeks or so for the next gen upgrade to come out. With the updated controls, graphics, and photo mode.

[@Force-Multiplier]

I already did years ago great story poor gameplay tho but the story definitely made it worth it

[@GugureSux]

The gameplay is the most fun and varied of the three games. It's hard to even call 2 and 3 as "role-playing games". They really are just more AssCreed x Souls action-adventuring with some numbers.

[@Force-Multiplier]

@@GugureSux I didn't hated TW1 as a whole in fact i loved UT but the gameplay ... couldn't get into it (not saying that 2 or 3 are like the best games at it but imo they had much better gameplay than TW1)

[@samowar5203]

You "tried" the OG version? You didn't even finish the tutorial, spent 10 minutes repeating the same stuff over and over, and then jumped to "new adventures" for 5 minutes (which btw is fan-made content added to the game post-release). I wouldn't call that "trying".

[@titularhero]

He clearly been playing before this video

[@1u5e-Y]

This was actually the first game i ever gotten on steam. I have fond memories of this game. The story surprised me and I enjoyed it a lot. I probably wouldnt play it again due to how old the controls are though.

[@XxWolfxWaRioRxX]

I honestly think that the Jump from Witcher 2 to 3 is one of if not the biggest jump in quality to date, I suppose you could say GOW too but that was changed way more

[@utisti4976]

The combat system is still the best out of all of the games, especially Witcher 3's horrible combat.

[@Meowtro]

The gameplay in this game was outdated even in 2007.

[@budiisnadi]

I remember there are some in game text that still left untranslated. A door in one of the inn still have polish description on it.

[@OrinSorinson]

I lovet the first Witcher and when the second one came out I loved the first one more. I tried playing the whole series again recently and with mods and improvements it's stil really rough. But the atmosphere of the game really was one of the highlights of my gaming hobby. If they manage to translate that in the remake, I'll be so happy.

[@takehirolol5962]

The remake will be WOKE...screw it, playing the original version. Don't care, I am an old gamer.

[@anxietyonline1947]

I beat this game about a year ago. I have ADD so finishing a game for me is a huge accomplishment. It does have a lot of aged gameplay mechanics and can be a hard pill to swallow at times, but it was absolutely worth it for me! Throwing on some updated graphics mods helped a lot and the game looked beautiful at times.

[@nastynate6906]

Would highly recommend Joseph Anderson for the Witcher 1 and 2 critiques.

[@nazareta]

The Witcher 1 definitely has the best atmosphere in the series for me, really love the story too. I just really hate the amount of backtracking and the swamp area (who doesnt?). And no, it's not about nostalgia because I just started playing Witcher series 2 years ago started from the The Witcher 1.

[@corbinowens2437]

Omfg they’re making a remake of the 1st game!? I’ve been waiting for this! can’t believe I haven’t heard this

[@IceChillxen]

Played through all three games for the first time several months ago, liked the first one the best.

[@ElijsDima]

The first Witcher makes a lot of sense if you think of it as a very complex Neverwinter Nights mod.

[@MrEMeatshield]

I remember playing this around the time Steam released their Dualshock 4 support. I mapped those keys to the controller and played the whole thing with it.

[@Brandon-rb4sm]

Love your editor for that Bruno clip

[@Kostu96]

As a Pole, I grew up on the witcher, I've read books when I was in primary school (15 years ago) I played first witcher game when it premiered and it is a fact I can't look at it with such critique as people who started with the witcher 3. I know this game inside out because I played from start to finish like 5 times (not kidding) I can walk through locations from memory. For me it is a legacy, but I can acknowledge it's flawes. Anyway, I can't wait to play the remake

[@crestfallenknight7983]

I played all RPGs and a lot of games generally, but I absolutely seriously consider Witcher 1 a masterpiece. What atmosphere! What art-direction! What a plot! What MUSIC!!!

[@karolinakuc4783]

It's the closest to the books probably that's why

[@zifan_winters]

I played it for the first time this time & I enjoyed a lot... especially the story

[@iamfatman8202]

Actually the development of The Witcher started as a Top Down game almost like Dota, and it was supposed be played with mouse only, CDPR later added keyboard support and changed it to an action rpg with over head camera.

[@MattBuckhout]

Trust me guys if you play it super high it’s so much fun and hilarious i really enjoyed the story too this is a classic

[@alexsm3882]

My first witcher a couple of years ago, I loved it 😁

[@Soulfide]

The narration of the video at the beginning sounds like soul caliber when I used to play in those arcades as a kid

[@MostafaZeinali]

Quick question. Are you playing the enhanced edition? I think they made a lot of improvements in that.

[@lukkkasz323]

it is the enhanced edition, you can notice by the red color in the main menu background, the orignal is black.

[@dorianmckenzie9888]

Dont know if you have already, but if you got the time Luke, could you do a similar type of video for Assassin's Creed 1? Would be interesting to look back on that considering where the franchise is now and how making a modern AC1 gane would possibly be received. As for the Witcher, its the right move and perfect time. And one of those games that deserves it.

[@MD-zm6sn]

Really really really want to play through the series but can't make myself play through the first one so this is cool.

[@lawe9792]

just finished playing witcher 1 and i can't wait if you're ever making a critique on this or 2