First off; the bad.

1) The combat's a bit clunky.

2) There's lots of story. I mean lots and lots and lots of story. So many quests and directions, you have to just pick a random quest off your list and go to the next objective. A bit disorienting sometimes.

3) Open-world, but not quite. The game is split into chapters, and once out of said chapter, you can't go back. Except that some quests span multiple chapters. It can get confusing.

4) It's a bit buggy and can therefore crash often. But saves aren't restricted. Save often.

The good:
1) The combat is clunky, but that makes it pretty easy to master. About three seconds into a fight, I can tell which way it's going to go -- whether I'm going to survive, and whether I need to adapt.

2) There's lots and lots of story. You get dropped into the middle of this man's life; trying to figure out both his past and determining his future. Your actions have consequences, your choices have outcomes. It's horribly confusing and disorienting sometimes; but if you jump in with both feet you'll find yourself mesmerized and unable to put it down.

3) Atmospheric as ♥♥♥♥. People have schedules and routes. Guards follow a route at night, townspeople spend their days inside at work, go to the bar afterwards, and to their homes after that. People huddle under rooves and complain about the rain as it pours. Some disapprove of your weapons, others thank you for your help as you pass. Monsters become more aggressive & numerous at night. Guards tell you you're weird for being out so late.

4) Trophy system. Certain monsters are legendary in areas and fetch a high price. If you manage to down it, people want proof. You carry the head with you until turning it in to claim your reward.

Honorable mentions:
1) Yes, you can have sex with many women. Yes, you get to collect cards from encounters. There is a romance system (a bit shallow, but still there), I quite like it. It blends in very well with Geralt's life and the game in general. Also, you can choose a permanent gf that carries over into next game.

2) Mods. Bugfixes, UI overhauls, even one to fix the distasteful combat system (I myself dont' mind it, but many do). Also, you can update the textures and even introduce and ENB to update the look some.

9.5/10
I LOVE this game. I can't wait to finish it and see what the next game will show me. I'll probably play through both of these games again before Wild Hunt comes out. If you're thinking about getting this game but are unsure, give it a try. You COULD watch a YT video summarizing the first game, but wouldn't playing it for yourself be better?