The first Witcher game by CD Projekt Red introduced gamers to the works of Andrej Sapkowski and his unique dark-fantasy world. This title had a very different version of Geralt from the character model that is featured in the first two games, and a fan artist by the name of chasestone has released a piece of fan art featuring a version of Geralt that is very much similar to his appearance in the first game.
CD Projekt Red started from humble beginnings with The Witcher, with the first title coming out as a PC-only release before future games were made with consoles in mind as well. There were a ton of changes that were made in this title, but perhaps the most notable change of the lot has to be the look of Geralt himself. In the books, Geralt wasn’t nearly as attractive as the modern games and show make him out to be, and the first game has perhaps the most faithful depiction of this character.
Players who want to go down a nostalgic trip through the history of The Witcher will definitely enjoy the same while looking at chasestone’s artwork. It’s amazing how similar their version of Geralt looks to the one in the first game. The artwork shows the Witcher standing on top of a beheaded ghoul after what seems to be a vicious battle. Even the ghoul looks similar to their depiction in the first Witcher title, with later games changing the designs of these monsters.
Most people can find it rather hard to get into the first Witcher game and most would agree that it hasn’t aged all that well. Compared to the more modernized The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, combat in the first game feels much more clunky and the visuals haven’t aged all that well. However, people who manage to get past these initial hiccups will find themselves enjoying an intriguing and story-heavy dive into the life of Geralt after he lost his memory following the events of the books.
The game might be way more linear in structure than The Witcher 3, but don’t let that take away anything from the engaging nature of the game’s narrative and structure. Combat becomes way more enjoyable after a few upgrades and the various characters that Geralt engages with throughout this adventure are all quite unique and memorable in their own right. It might be a hard sell, but fans of The Witcher 3 will definitely find the first game to be worthwhile after coming to terms with the game’s aged presentation.
The Witcher is available on PC through Steam and GOG.
Source: chasestone on DeviantArt
