Back before the days that CD Projekt Red were the most hyped and then most disappointing developers in gaming, they made smaller games like The Witcher 2. Despite being simpler than their later games, it still is very much an RPG to its core. People don't seem to like the combat but I think it's fine and the three distinct skill trees over a decent amount of variety depending on your desire to build a swordsman, alchemy or magic character, or a mix. You also have significant choices to change up the narrative including one that entirely changes the middle portion of the game which is something you don't see anymore because games are too expensive to make.

Despite some improvements, I do still prefer the first game over the sequel though, mainly due to the setting. The first game's focus on one city and it's surrounding areas really anchored you to the location and its characters as you explored more of it. The three different locations that The Witcher 2 brings you to aren't bad but they just don't feel as interesting or developed. Visually, they do look really good. Despite being a decade or so old, this games can still look pretty incredible on modern hardware.