Man I gave TW1 20 hours and got to the swamp, I don't see where it picks up. If anything the story becomes even more diluted. There's plenty of stuff going on, but none of it seems like it's urgent or meaningful.
"Crap some new witcher trainee died that none of us knew for even a few hours. We should all split up and travel miles and miles to avenge him." "Yea I guess so, let's get packing, what a bother."
"Crap those guys took our potion bottles and some leaves. We should get them back." "Yea I guess so, lets go on a big journey for some glass and dirt but then not make it a priority at all. We might have to kill some dogs in the city and get some poon along the way."
"Crap so there's this big gang of salamanderpeople who doesn't like witchers. Or much of anybody for that matter." "Yes well... that will probably become a sticking point eventually so go ahead and kill a few just in case. For now I have to see a man about a haunted house."
Like I get the game design is to have side quests and smaller story arcs along the way, but I felt like they did a really poor job of keeping any sort of higher goal present, I ended up basically wondering what it was all for since there seemed to be no motive.