While it had potential, The Witcher was a dissapointing and buggy RPG.
GAMEPLAY
The Witcher's gameplay was alright. You weren't allowed to approach each task as you see fit - there was only one way to settle any type of dispute, and that was to take out your (silver or steel) swords. While the developers boasted a free-form gam with many choices, they delivered only half of that promise. I was surprised to see portions of the game world blocked off like some old Nintendo 64 platform game - there were huge portions of the world completely shut off; this suggests the designers wanted the player to focus on one thing: the quests. There was no room for exploration, which I believe, is essential for al RPGs. Not only that, but whenever the game crashed (and it DID) I felt a sense of seperation; like I didn't want to keep playing. No game should even remotely think of aspiring to this.
STORY
The stroy in The Witcher is very detailed. After all, the game was based on the author Andrzej Sapkowski's world. This universe encompassed around 10+ novels, so there was a lot for the game developers to draw upon. Although the game encouraged the player to make choices which ultimately change the course of the story, it was all linear and predictable. While the twist at the end of the game was somewhat non-shocking, it was satisfying. When I say linear, however, I mean "You must choose this or that. Then you have these advantages and these disadvantages because of that choice." There was also a point in the game (around Ch. IV) when I didn't want to do sidequests anymore because it was too hard t find the monsters and all these "contracts" only asked the same things.
GRAPHICS
While the landscapes and certain areas of the game like Lakeside province, Murky Waters, and the Druid Circle were indeed impressive to look at, for an RPG boasting new-age visuals, The Witcher didn't deliver. For game coming years after Elder Scrolls: Oblivion, The Witcher looked somewhat lackluster. However, when coupled with the amazing animation and impressive fight sequences, this game demands a second glance. I encountered to visual bugs or issues, which was also a pro.
SOUND
The music was repetitive, what can I say? The dialogue was poorly translated an awkward at times, and the AI said stupid things. I would stand next to a merchant or hooker and they'd say something in a soft and quiet voice, but when I clicked on them to open a dialogue box, their voice would almost completely change. The sound effects were also quite dull, and stuttered whenever I was in an intense combat situation with screen-rate falling below 15fps.
MULTIPLAYER
None.