The Witcher show the way in how an RPG should be, being one excellent example and addition for the genre.
But, fortunately, the good points can obfuscate most part of the flaws, making it a game that easily addicts. With a superb, complex and deep history, The Witcher is a close way in how an RPG should be, being one excellent example for the genre.
I mean, nice characters and great history that is largely influenced by our choices, leading to many surprises, full of features and things to do is what an RPG means to be, for my tastes, of course.
We control Geralt of Rivia, the White Wolf, a witcher. Supposedly dead, he's mysteriously found unconsciousness by other witchers that take him back to Kaer Morhen, witcher's home and base. With amnesia, the base is soon attacked by some strange organization that aims to steal the witcher's mutagen secrets.
Here, the game will already put us to make choices and where every choice will have a clear impact in the narrative, changing things, quests and the own ending of it. Of course that the plot is more complex than it appears in the beginning and these choices will also be visible through the chapters that, in each chapter, the consequences of our decisions stay clearer and clearer.
So, back to the introduction, after many sequences, the invaders will be defeated, but something was stolen by the leader of the invasion, that escapes. Now, the Witchers must spread through the four corners of the earth in search of the organization that invaded Kaer Morhen and the one who stolen the Witcher's secrets.
Like I said, the history is the strongest here. The characters received a special treatment, where we see great constructed chars that, depending of our choices, can have a different development through the game. And this is really amazing to see in one RPG, where chars usually stay unchanged through the time, even in sequels or prequels.
Another good thing about the history is the main quest. In the beginning will be only one, but it will be soon divided and can reach many ramifications where they tend to lead to the progress of the history. This show how complex and well made this was. Also, it presents one of the best journals in a game, making everything really easy and clear to find, making a good separation between the many information that Geralt will get access through conversations, books, quests, gaining levels, etc
And what is a witcher? A mutated human, created with the purpose to protect people and slay monsters. They act more like mercenaries that can accept almost any job for gold or favors. But, the strong point for being a witcher is the superior force, speed and resistance, mainly against poisons. This last one is what makes the real difference. Witchers are known to be owners of great alchemy knowledge, used to produce all sort of potions, oils and also bombs, being what give the real edge for them in battle.
Probably, the most important feature in The Witcher is the correct use of these potions, witch, depending in most of the situations, will be the difference between a powerful and unstoppable Geralt from a dead Geralt.
For that, we must collect and take knowledge of all sort of ingredients and formulas to produce them and, for my pleasure, this was the better implemented idea. It works very well, but this comes with a bad side. It makes The Witcher easier than I wished. Unless you're playing in the hard setting - that I strongly recommend even in the first play, alchemy makes Geralt too overpowered, making the game lost its combat challenge.
And be easy is the weakest point of this game. The combat system can be strange in the beginning and can also give a bad first impression, because is very limited and with few variation. But, after be used to it and after gain some levels, isn't a problem to face many enemies at once, plus the use of alchemy, Geralt is easily transformed in a killing machine.
Talking about combat, it can be a dubious aspect of The Witcher. Click in the enemy and, after a sequence of blows, make the right timing to chain more powerful combos and so on. Combos will be unlocked through the leveling, making the sequences bigger and more powerful, being possible to add effects, like bleeding or stun. The problem is that, for all that interesting movements and blows, the game can look a little repetitive.
Each level give to Geralt talent points divided in bronze, silver and gold talents. And, the most interesting skills are unlocked with the silver and gold talents, but they demand higher levels that can take some hours to reach.
The problem is that, even the game having a smooth line to accompany the level development, it takes time to reach a decent level of variation and get really interesting and challenging. In my first play, I only got that in the two last chapters, where I got a lot of skills and potions. Before that, easy combat, easy quests and lack of real challenge were my experience.
But an experienced Witcher player can say "Ha! You're forgetting the signs!" no, I'm not. The signs, representing the Geralt magic skills, only help to make combat easier than normal. Together with the alchemy, it's the other element that makes Geralt too overpowered and the game easier.
The same experienced Witcher player can also argue that the main motive for all this is the fact that Geralt is in amnesia and, the talents that he gain when level up, is the way how he remember things that he forgot. Of course that it gives sense to the skills put at our disposal, but it could be a faster process with more challenging enemies or a faster pace.
To make combat more negative, the lack of weapon can just make everything looks more repetitive. For main weapons, Geralt uses one silver sword and a steel sword. He can also hold other extra weapons, like knifes, daggers, hammers and axes, but they are all useless when we compare to the usefulness of the silver and steel swords. This mean only two types of weapons that we'll really use, helping to give a "repetitive air" to combat.
We can also find and use forge stones to modify our silver sword or use bonus stones that can give many temporary effects to both silver and steel weapons. But that just help Geralt to be more overpowered and the game easier.
But like I said, history easily hold us to The Witcher, plus some other elements, it can make the game interesting enough until the real challenge begins or until Geralt get enough powers to make things get some variation.
For its time, 2007, The Witcher presents a descent graphic level, full of open areas that will remain in our memories for the epic appearance, like rivers, lakes, forests, big cities, big fields and roads, all looking amazing an artistic.
And be artistic is what it makes better. Everything from this game looks very artistically. Every element presents that great look, beautiful and detailed. Loading screens presents amazing draws; each journal entry will have a draw, and also the inventory. Every piece and in every corner of this game is presented with that artistic air.
Unfortunately, I found most of the animations weird and strange, looking a lot unnatural and, where a scene is supposed to be dramatic or serious, because of the bad animation, I got some laughs or just couldn't feel the history and, together with the not-so-good voices, it can just ruin immersion.
For other side, The Witcher easily has one of the most beautiful sound track that I had ever listened in a game, if not the most. Music that you will want to hear, that will make the long roads that Geralt must run over and over many times, making us lost fifteen or more minutes in a quest only running, be not that bad just because the amazing music.
Finally, some other secondary and side quest can give a good breath to the game, like the fist fights and the dice poker, the card collection and the drinking. The "meditation system" was also a great idea.
I must also lodge another complaint. The main form of level up isn't slaying monsters or killing enemies, but making quests and side quests. I mean, 90% of the levels that Geralt will gain are completing quests, not killing enemies. It's bad because quests are easy and with a low level of challenge.
My conclusion then is that The Witcher is a great precious stone, but that must be more lapidate. A big and complex history full of amazing characters show how the game was matured, but the lack of a better development of combat, leveling and some other ideas, like the rings and the extra weapons, just pull the gameplay down, almost falling in the repetitiveness. Maybe if have it a better pace and more challenging combat and quests it could easily be one masterpiece.
So, give a score for The Witcher wasn't easy. Strangely, even with that flaws, it can addict for some couple of days and have a descent amount of replay value because of the change that choices brings to the plot. It could easily win a 7.5 for its bad first impressions, but, if I squeeze it out, an 8 can be a fair score - or maybe a well deserved score.