I don't even remember how I discovered The Witcher. I may have seen an ad for The Witcher 2 (which was heavily advertised at the time) and decided to go back to play the first one. But it holds a special place in my heart out of the series. Everyone hates the combat, and it's true it's not particularly complex or polished but it is the only one out of the series to viscerally nail the speed and aggression that witchers would need to have to perform their duties. Lore and story wise, sorry but it's the best of the franchise as it is closest to the events of the books. And despite the limitations of the 2008-or-less dated engine, there is a wonderful breadth of a nation to explore,