Witcher 1 compared to 2

If you play Witcher 1 before 2, you can move saves from 1 to 2(like in Mass Effect series).

It's not necessary, but recommended. Read the books, also :)

It would be beneficial to read the books or/and watch the series especially since Witcher 3 will hit the market next year. + ofc play the first part before the second since some content of witcher 1 will reappear in the second part.

I started playing it today but can't get used to the combat system in the 1st one. I don't like it at all.

The gameplay I've seen from the first Witcher game looks rather different from that of the second.

You don't want to play 2 before playing the first. Both are very similar games though, so if you won't like one you won't like the other, if you enjoy one so you will the other.

books are imo better

also Sapkowski stated that witcher games are not part of his universe, it's only a paralel universe.

witcher 1 2 and 3 present one big story of the witcher, it is recommended to play them all in an order.

I would recommend playing first one before starting second. 1. Story is easier to follow 2. You can import save to second game together with your decisions, otherwise you play with default storyline in second game.

Just completed Witcher 2 (without playing the first one) - Awesome game!
During the playthough you will meet a lot of people and historical aspects you dont know anything about.
(Which you apparently would, if you played the first one)

I generally felt, like i was missing out on something. So if you want the full package, go for both of then.

Play Skyrim first and after that don't bother playing any of the witcher series :)

I'd recommend to read the books first. The only saga I can compare "the Witcher" series to, is The Game of Thrones series.

In any case, do not miss the first game. Witcher is about story and characters, so you'll need to know who you're talking about and to feel the scope of the plot.

You'll need to get used to the fighting system, though, cause it's a bit strange and can scare off an unprepared player.

Never read the books and played both. Definitely should play the first one if only to see how huge the improvement is between the 2 games.

Im currently playing The Witcher 1 and recommend playing it first. The combat is a little weird at the beggining, but really good after you get it.

And of course, Witcher 2 is story driven game.. so the base of the story is in Witcher 1

Definitely play the first game first. You should be able to get 2's basic idea of the plot without it, but you will be missing on certain details and you'll be going "alright, who the hell is this?" a few times. First game is specifically made the way newcomers, who don't know the books, can get right into it.

By the way, it's probably the reason you're asking, but for those who don't know, there's a 75% off sale on GOG for both Witcher games. (inb4 "no Steam no deal :C" )

No it's not necessary, but very advisable.

Thanks for the advise guys. And I am asking because steam has the deal aswell, it popped up and hour ago :)

1 has a better story and is more traditionally-styled RPG - strong enphasis on dialogues and plot. I liked it better than Wither 2

2 is more action-oriented, much shorter but more engaging for modern player I guess. Still an amazing game.

Both are a must.

Personally I even consider the original to be a slightly better experience overall. It was buggy at launch, but playing the enhanced version now with the modern systems being able to run it easily at max graphics - it's just great. The atmosphere is superior if you ask me. It has that "diamond in the rough" feel to it... Can't really explain why it feels better to me, but it does. Maybe because it feels "darker and grittier" through-out...

In any case - definitely play the original. Not only do you get awesome backstory and get drawn in the universe, but it's an awesome game in it's own right. You'll also appreciate the advancements the second part brings even more. :)

I'm mental with things like these so I could never play game number 2 of any series without playing the first one. :D

When I played the Witcher for the first time I felt like being active part of a story rather than playing a game. It is one of my favourite games and for <2 euro (75% off) for a steam and gog key (with all the artwork and such), you should buy it. The second one is also a good game, but I think you shouldn't skip the first one - at least for the story. :P

"Your mother sucks dwarf cock."
Sorry, couldn't resist. :D I'd say - start with The Witcher, then go for Witcher 2 and read the books in the meantime.

I haven't played much of first one yet, because when I bought it, my laptop couldn't even launch it. When I got a real gaming rig I played for 23 hours and it still felt like the story was just spinning off. The second one I played just 2 hours to check it out, because I'm not starting it for real until I finish the first one (I have a huuuge backlog).
From technical point of view the first one is more like classical isometric RPG. The second one feels more like Bethesda rpgs with close TPP view (but that's when similarities to TES end).
From a storyline point of view, take that from a person who read all short stories and whole saga multiple times, from the very beginning of both games you start picking up familiar things like names, locations, humour etc. Thanks to that, if you read the books, you immerse instantly, but I think it may be hard for someone new to universe to catch up. First game seems more newbie friendly there.
I would recommend playing the series in order, even though gameplay is very different in each one.

I hated the combat in the first Witcher and couldn't play more than 3 hours. Will I like the second?

I thought the first one was boring. The second was one of the best RPGs I've ever played.

1 was better beacuse of decisions were more interesting and 2 had better combat