I own 2 copies of the original game one free from epic. But I have never gotten around to play it. This remaster which is free to existing owners on December 14th means I really must get around to playing it now. 🙂

I remember playing the original Witcher 1 on my EVGA GTX 285 1GB with 512 bit memory bus back in 2009 on a 30 inch 16:10 ratio 2560x1600 Samsung 305T monitor. Good times. I still remember the amazing soundtrack. You younger gamers are in for a treat with this one if you never played the original. Looks like we are going back to Vizima boys! 😀

[youtube=6X2FnsvguUM]

Carfax:

I remember playing the original Witcher 1 on my EVGA GTX 285 1GB with 512 bit memory bus back in 2009 on a 30 inch 16:10 ratio 2560x1600 Samsung 305T monitor. Good times. I still remember the amazing soundtrack. You younger gamers are in for a treat with this one if you never played the original. Looks like we are going back to Vizima boys! 😀

yep.. couldn't say it better. despite some game-play flaws, original Witcher was a fine fine game.

Open world! https://www.polygon.com/23482970/the-witcher-remake-original-game-open-world

Not surprising given it's a remake. Using old level based design with very narrow paths would've probably been far below the bar for peoples expectations at this point. Still i assume that by "open" they mean large hub levels like Witcher 3 had, truly "open" world would probably require filling too many gaps between some locations that would play no role in overall story/design of the original game.

AlmondMan:

First game is probably the #1 for me in the series. Might not be as slick as 3 or as pretty as 2 (which I always found to be a bit of a slog to play), but it was certainly special back when it came out. Sure, it was wonky and broken and so on, but it was new and different from everything that came before it. I don't really fancy a remake.

The Demon’s Souls remake taught me that I don’t really want remakes, rather high quality remastering efforts. Full on ground up remakes often veer too far from the original vision and art direction to my taste. E.g. In the DeS remake Bluepoint drastically changes many of the designs such that they no longer resemble what they did before. The soundtrack also got butchered I’d argue — not because it’s bad per se — but because tonally it is completely different to the feeling and atmosphere of the original. Changing voice work too means you never really get the same old direction and performances. I recall how the original PS2 voice work in Silent Hill 2 I strongly preferred to that redo they did down the track as another example — didn’t feel the same. I just prefer remasters I think. Let me unlock the framerate, maybe clean up effects or muddy textures here and there (though anything you replace must adhere as closely as possible to the original art direction), give me good TAA or perhaps some toggles for RT to play with (though it’d be important to keep options for the original lighting model seems to me). And I’m happy. In theory I could see there being a ground up remake I prefer to the original but that would require very careful and consistent comparison of your new models and designs to the original artwork and game such that you don’t deviate too much and that seems to be hard. Well, that and the option to use original soundtrack and voice work would go a very long way.

Dragam1337:

It includes the hd reworked mod 😉

Cool how they just implemented that directly. Smart shortcut to use the mod assuming it meets the right quality bar (it seems to from what I’m reading).

BlindBison:

Cool how they just implemented that directly. Smart shortcut to use the mod assuming it meets the right quality bar (it seems to from what I’m reading).

I played through the game for the second time almost two years ago, with that mod installed. It's top notch. You would never be able to tell it was a mod if you didn't already know. You'd think it's just a built-in option in the game that gives you better textures and models.