Difficulty:

Just Right

Time Spent:

20 to 40 Hours

The Bottom Line:

"Grows on you"

The Witcher is a game based on the novels and short stories of Andrzej Sapkowski about the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia. A witcher is a professional monster slayer.
The story begins with geralt running in a rainy day, and then he is carried into Kaer Morhen, the fortress of the witchers, with his memory lost. It is, in my opinion, a great way to open up an alternative story in The Witcher universe.
The story unfolds as the witcher pursues a criminal group called Salamandra, that steals the witcher's secrets from their fortress. For me, it was quite good, getting me over hyped for the witcher 2 and having a nice ending. Some of the translation is cheesy but it's all fixed in the Enhanced edition that was released as a patch. Now, onto the gameplay.
The Gameplay is rather different from most common RPGs, with a unique fast-paced combat, a complex alchemy system that feels genuine, and some rewarding level-progression. Side-quests are plentiful, and they're varied as well. Some play as contracts, others play as a more involved, complex plot.
The main story is non-linear, which means you can finish how many side-quests you want as you unveil the plot. The locations have a gritty, bleak atmosphere that is complimented by an involving soundtrack.
For me, if there was any drawback to it, it would have to be the animations. They're horribly done and they ruin the immersion several times in the game.
Other than that, it's a really great game that's pretty cheap and can last you a good 30~50 hours of gameplay.