Why was Witcher 1's atmosphere so special?

[SerJaimeLannister]

Why was Witcher 1's atmosphere so special?

As the title says what do you guys think is the reason? W2 and W3 have their own "feel" which I love too and all three have strengths over the others so this is not a thread bashing anything.

W3 achieved the atmosphere in certain parts of Velen like the swamp, the witches, and the whole of Hearts of Stone. But I still feel like W1's atmosphere is still the best and gives a feeling unequaled in anything else I have ever played or indeed seen.

Was it the music that made W1 creepier or more different? The way the environments were modeled?

 

[KingHochmeister]

I would say mainly the music, because it just clicked perfectly with the environments, the locations, the lighting, the artstyle, etc, it was a perfect match that just made it have a unique atmosphere.

Witcher 3 also has damn good music, almost as good as Witcher 1's, but the Witcher 1 music has its own "magic", whenever I hear tracks from the first Witcher game, I always picture the location it is set in, just part of the magic I guess.

Like this track, whenever I hear it, I can't help but imagine Vizima's Trade Quarter.

 

[AutumnalWanderer]

@KingHochmeister summed up pretty well. Altough I feel like that the TW3 achived this as well, for me. You have to play the new expansion if you are not playing it already. For me it is even closer than the main game. Lot of fanservice with different enemies and things. Even the nights feels more the same as the TW1 nights. You know, dark, mysterious and yet you can see enought. For me the TW2 is not a real sequel to the first game, mainly I expected for some reason a game like TW3.

I still would like to see the first game on the new engine. I love the first game even today, but I just can't help myself and want to see everything from the first game with the experience of the past almost 10 years.

 

[SerJaimeLannister]

I would say mainly the music, because it just clicked perfectly with the environments, the locations, the lighting, the artstyle, etc, it was a perfect match that just made it have a unique atmosphere.

Witcher 3 also has damn good music, almost as good as Witcher 1's, but the Witcher 1 music has its own "magic", whenever I hear tracks from the first Witcher game, I always picture the location it is set in, just part of the magic I guess.

Like this track, whenever I hear it, I can't help but imagine Vizima's Trade Quarter.

You hit the nail in the head! I've only played Witcher once as I'm a relative newcomer I started the franchise in late 2013, but I still remember all the locations fondly and the music transports me back. Whether to the bustling trade quarter, the unforgiving swamps , the tranquil 4th chapter or the dreary outskirts.

And AutumnalWanderer I am absolutely loving Blood and Wine. The nights definitely reminded of the mystery of the first one with some creepy locations spread throughout!

 

[Gilrond-i-Virdan]

I'd second what other said above. Music plays a huge role. Can't say about TW3, but I liked music in TW1 more than in TW2.

Not sure if using completely different engine will improve it though. Part of the immersiveness is how well the game was done using the old engine. Reproducing it in the new one can be very difficult. I think some things are better left as they are, especially when they are already great. Reverse engineering the old engine and giving it some enhancements (but keeping the core design) can improve it though. I hope Xoreos will succeed doing it, but it can take a very long time still.

 

[neru.103]

It was a labor of love and not catering to the biggest buyers market on the planet.

After becoming popular and GOG took off all that changed and CDP had to grow up fast.

I think they still do a good balancing act in trying to hold on to own originality/creativity compared to other competers but yes they are becoming more mainstream.

Eventually the bigger they become the more mainstream and it is all about money.

 

[sidspyker]

Music pretty much.

The difference between 1 and 2+3 I find is that TW1 since it was on an ancient engine and they had to make do with old cruft, certain things couldn't be expressed via visual means so audio had to compensate for that, and the music did exactly that, it sets the tone for the entire game, every area, every encounter.

 

[Saheer]

I agree it was the music. Every area of the game was made complete with the music, were it gloomy or happy it was accomplished with the music.

In my opinion, B&W soundtrack accomplished very similar thing. The music made half of Toussaints and Beuclairs incredible atmosphere, I absolutely loved it.

 

[AutumnalWanderer]

Both TW1 and TW3 spot on in terms of soundtrack and atmosphere. TW2 missing the folkish instruments most of the time, and for me missing the atmosphere as well. I have no desire to go back into TW2 any time soon if ever at all. Actually I better like the very early demo with the old engine and old combat system, for some reason I really liked that even to this day. I think that in terms of animation TW1 was ahead of it's time.

 

[mcmanaman46]

Artstyle,Music,Story.. TW1 is still the best Witcher game for me.

 

[cyberpunkforever]

artsyle and music are very important, but for me are the lighting system and the story also important to achieve that atmosphere, tw1's lighting system is "very atmopheric" is always cloudy, the view distance is very big, so you can see far away, and the main story is more related to witchers, and the armor geralt wars, looks like a real neutral witcher armor, the environments, the landscapes, everything fits perfectly for a witcher, and the medallion vibrates when monsters or ngic are nearby,

---------- Updated at 04:28 PM ----------

but witcher 2 and 3 have their own atmosphere too, and those are great, eac gam has its own fitting atmosphere, which i like very much, tw2 is the more "magical" for me, maybe because it's bloom or non human plot,
anyway, tw1 is already a legendary game

 

[Sagitarii]

Topic's question was summed pretty well in the first few posts already.
I would add that it was probably the first game I played, that actually felt alive. People had activities, grumpy comments, towns had a lot of people.
It all summed up for a tasty cake made from believable world with an unforgettable soundtrack sauce.

 

[Garrison72]

It was a perfect marriage between music, visuals and writing. Everything was just in sync where it needed to be. Also, CDPR has to be one of the first to try and capture the feel of a true medieval setting. Back in 2007 that kind of authenticity in a fantasy game was rare to nonexistent. .

 

[amitasis11]

I thougt im the only one that felt that TW1 was the most uniqe game i ever played...
The OST is increadible i really searched TW1 sounds in 2+3 but only blood and wine give me half of the atmosphere that i felt in first game
I dont know how to explain the emotions that game gave me... the witcher 2 and 3 are really amazing and technicly better than the first but... its something else that make me feel like im in the books like im in one of those little-big advantures of Geralt.. even that Yen and Ciri didnt make it for the first game I somehow felt its the most lore-match to the books...

 

[Triss.Hasengold]

Well I must admit I´m highly impressed...!

The atmosphere and the gameplay is completely like The Witcher 3 look and feel, and this makes the game so special.
It has what the life of a Witcher brings. Mysterious creatures, monster hunts, interesting and very mystic quests, almost no political and aristocracy trash (like in Witcher 2 the WHOLE TIME) but strolling around in nature, towns and mysterious ruins, talking to interesting people and mysterious creatures, making interesting and very mysterious quests, and look at the graphics!
Awesome for 2006/07.
Witcher 1 and 3 brings the immersion of the life of an adventurer and freelance hunter, of being free and doing one`s own business.
I really like what I see in the videos but the voice acting of Hitman 47 which had been used for The Witcher 1..... well I don`t think I can get used to it, maybe I play the english version this time. *ggg

Witcher 1 and 3 is about being an adventurer and freelance hunter and outdoor survivalist, and Witcher 2 is about being some king`s pet and being constantly involved in endless networks of castle aristocracy intrigues and boring politic`s stuff. That`s the reason why Witcher 1 (and also Witcher 3 which are very similiar games) is so fascinating and alluring and mysterious.

 

[ShinGnosis]

There are some story lines in Witcher 1 & 2 that are still absolutely superb. They had a more custom feel to them, you can sense that the development team struggled more with every quest than they did in Witcher 3. Witcher 3 is more streamlined.

My personal favorite from the whole series is probably this one: "tough cop, whore from the slums, true love. Love that overcomes a powerful curse, a fairy tale"

 

[SerJaimeLannister]

Well I must admit I´m highly impressed...!

The atmosphere and the gameplay is completely like The Witcher 3 look and feel, and this makes the game so special.
It has what the life of a Witcher brings. Mysterious creatures, monster hunts, interesting and very mystic quests, almost no political and aristocracy trash (like in Witcher 2 the WHOLE TIME) but strolling around in nature, towns and mysterious ruins, talking to interesting people and mysterious creatures, making interesting and very mysterious quests, and look at the graphics!
Awesome for 2006/07.
Witcher 1 and 3 brings the immersion of the life of an adventurer and freelance hunter, of being free and doing one`s own business.
I really like what I see in the videos but the voice acting of Hitman 47 which had been used for The Witcher 1..... well I don`t think I can get used to it, maybe I play the english version this time. *ggg

Witcher 1 and 3 is about being an adventurer and freelance hunter and outdoor survivalist, and Witcher 2 is about being some king`s pet and being constantly involved in endless networks of castle aristocracy intrigues and boring politic`s stuff. That`s the reason why Witcher 1 (and also Witcher 3 which are very similiar games) is so fascinating and alluring and mysterious.

IMO I thought W2 had by far the best story and decisions. I was hoping W3 would merge the two prior games and I feel mostly it kinda did but the extremely strong political-scheming of the second fell flat to me.

I feel W3 focused too much on it's "Save the world " storyline it felt too big.

 

[jj284b]

the only thing Witcher 1 has over Witcher 3, is the harsh world... in W3, there are tons of items laying around, you can get rich very quickly... you dont have to "deserve" rare weapons and armors, you can find a decent weapons everywhere... i blame the focus on simpler "console" players who dont like complexity and rather want things easy. W1 is the old school RPG, where you are not held by the hand, and you have to work hard to be able to afford good items.. hell, having to put together 5000 orens to get the first armor is more memorable thing than getting any Witcher set armor in the base W3 game...

(but i'm not worried, its now modders time to make things W1 style, making it harsher experience, i have no doubt such mod will come..)

 

[Mohasz]

Well I must admit I´m highly impressed...!

The atmosphere and the gameplay is completely like The Witcher 3 look and feel, and this makes the game so special. (...)

Wow, it's amazing how TW3 (especially BaW) feels like TW1 indeed, I didn't quite realize that. Except it's much more refined, of course. I definitely enjoy this kind of athmosphere more than what TW2 has - even though TW2 was excellent in its own way as well.

 

[Kinley]

Whenever I talk to someone about Witcher games I like to say that Witcher 1 might not be the best game out of the three but it is definitely the best witcher game. It just captures that slav feel that no game was able to capture at the time and probably hasn't captured it just as well since, in my opinion.