PCG Article The first Witcher game is getting a remake

[mainer]

The Witcher, CD Projekt's first game, is getting a full remake | PC Gamer

As a player of primarily older game titles, I'm always overjoyed to see news like this. The first Witcher game was a big departure for me at the time from the RPGs that I'd been playing. The world was gritty and darker than the medieval/fantasy worlds I'd been used to. There were seldom "good or evil" choice, but choices to be made that affected the world and characters involved.

I loved the game, but admittedly, I struggled with an entirely new type of combat system, which Andy Chalk mentioned in the article:
The original Witcher was an outstanding RPG, but it was also pretty quirky in some notable ways. The most obvious was its combat, which relied on rhythmic mouse clicks to simulate smooth, flowing swordplay. I liked the system after I got used to it, but it was so completely different from other skill-based or click-to-spam combat systems that some players struggled with it.
There was a huge learning curve to the multiple-keystroke system, and I had to turn the game's difficulty down to "easy" to survive & progress in the game. But after many hours of playing, it became more fluid for me as my hand-to-eye reflexes adapted.

I'm sure that will change in a "built-from-the-ground-up" remake, and also from going to the UE5 from the original modified Aurora Engine from Bioware is going to be huge. I can't help but be excited about the graphical changes alone.

I've got to admire 3D Projekt for not sitting idle after all the complaints they experienced after CP2077 released, they're going "full steam ahead" with new projects and remakes of older titles, and I truly hope they're successful.

 

[Zloth]

Things I would like to see:

• Smooth the difficulty spikes out. That ghost dog fight was WAY too hard!
• When you go down the river to that side story area, give us fair warning when we're just about to start the final event for the area. I had some quests suddenly get cut off on me.
• KEEP the combat! It's something that made the game unique.
• (edit) And the beards! Finally, a game where dwarves have proper beards - and they stopped doing them after the first game.

 

[Ryzengang]

Really excited for this one. It's a long way off, obviously, but I really enjoy The Witcher 1. I'm curious to see if they can nail the atmosphere as it really is quite different relative to the other Witcher games. With updated visuals and less overall jank this game could really be elevated. Also, I do hope they improve the UI considerably as it's genuinely an abomination in the original game

 

[mainer]

Really excited for this one. It's a long way off, obviously, but I really enjoy The Witcher 1.

Of all 3D Projekt's projects, this is the game I'm most excited for, even more so that the Witcher 3 remake or future Witcher games. The Witcher 1 had a certain feeling and atmosphere to it that wasn't present in later games (even though those games were great in there own right).

Moving to the UE5, I'm sure there will be adjustments to the combat mechanics (sorry @Zloth ) as well as the UI. It's my hope that they can retain (or improve upon) that "feeling & atmosphere from the original, especially in Vizima.

 

[Ryzengang]

Of all 3D Projekt's projects, this is the game I'm most excited for, even more so that the Witcher 3 remake or future Witcher games. The Witcher 1 had a certain feeling and atmosphere to it that wasn't present in later games (even though those games were great in there own right).

Moving to the UE5, I'm sure there will be adjustments to the combat mechanics (sorry @Zloth ) as well as the UI. It's my hope that they can retain (or improve upon) that "feeling & atmosphere from the original, especially in Vizima.

Yes, I completely agree. The Witcher 1 has an amazing atmosphere, and the other games in the trilogy feel notably different. Retaining that atmosphere is really important for keeping the remake true to the original game. I do think this will be really interesting to follow. Atmosphere is sort of an amorphous thing and I feel like it's hard to replicate, so I'm curious if they can do it.

Further, I am also definitely more interested in this remake as compared to new games in the series. I'm certainly intrigued as a big Witcher fan, but there's that nagging possibility that they completely destroy the series. I don't think that's particularly likely with The Witcher 1 remake. Even if they fail to capture the original's atmosphere - which would be a major disappointment for sure - the core game is almost certainly going to still be good. The upcoming Witcher games, on the other hand, are complete unknowns at this point. I am definitely going to replay The Witcher 3 when the next gen upgrade drops, though, so I am pretty excited for that.

 

[Zloth]

What atmosphere are you folks talking about that was different in W2 and W3?

 

[Brian Boru]

What atmosphere are you folks talking about that was different in W2 and W3?

It was quite manky until Geralt took a bath.

 

[SleepingDog]

Witcher 1 was my favourite by far, warts and all, so I will be interested in a remake. I just hope that the QTEs remain optional.

 

[Kborom]

Some of those cards in TW1

Having said that after a couple of playthroughs I would much prefer getting TW4 out sooner than any reworking of the first one. That also goes for all other remakes, just give me a new game please!

 

[Sarafan]

Having said that after a couple of playthroughs I would much prefer getting TW4 out sooner than any reworking of the first one. That also goes for all other remakes, just give me a new game please!

Then you're lucky. It was officially confirmed on a meeting with the investors that The Witcher 4 (or whatever it's going to be called) will come out first. The remake will be based on the version of engine developed for The Witcher 4. Given the fact that the game is still in pre-production state, I don't expect it to be released sooner than in 2025. So we won't see the remake at least until 2026...

 

[Kborom]

Then you're lucky. It was officially confirmed on a meeting with the investors that The Witcher 4 (or whatever it's going to be called) will come out first. The remake will be based on the version of engine developed for The Witcher 4. Given the fact that the game is still in pre-production state, I don't expect it to be released sooner than in 2025. So we won't see the remake at least until 2026...

Excellent. Have you got some good news for me on Elder Scrolls 6 as well?

 

[Sarafan]

Excellent. Have you got some good news for me on Elder Scrolls 6 as well?

Nope, but I'd certainly want to have some good news, like "it'll be released in 2023".

 

[mainer]

What atmosphere are you folks talking about that was different in W2 and W3?

I don't have an explanation. Both Witcher 1 & 3 had a similar atmosphere, a darker, at times more mature, fantasy world, as well as visual, from the fantasy games I'd played before. I just can't find the mental capacity to put it into words, but the feeling I retained from playing the first Witcher game (and it's been many, many years) varies from the feeling of Witcher 3.

Maybe it's partially due to the fact that Witcher 1 was my first exposure into that world's environment & lore? Maybe it's partially due to the the tech differences between those games, being years apart, and going from map-based to open world? I don't have a logical, definitive answer to your question.

Much to my personal shame, I was never able to complete Witcher 2 (I should probably list this over in the unfinished game thread). I started it 2 or 3 times back when I installed it from a DVD, but just couldn't get very far, and I don't really know why. It wasn't overly difficult and the combat mechanics weren't hard to learn, but I just wasn't enjoying it. Maybe it was just the state of my mind at the time. I have repurchased it on a Steam sale in the past, and would eventually like to give it another try, it's just finding the time with all the other replays I have in mind.