I loved the level of difficulty in the start, made me think about the options I had, correct usage of signs and where to lay some traps. No spoon feeding just a good sense of accomplishment once i made it.

Forces you to think rather than rush in swinging and expect to mash all to death!

Each to their own!

boo hoo why cant i just run around spamming a button and kill everything in sight.

You're all the reason so many games are watered down and easy these days. I did the 'tutorial' on hard, took me several tries to figure out how to beat the guys with the shields. When I ran into that group in the courtyard, took me about 5 deaths before i figured out the tactic to beat them, extremely satisfying when you get it done.

This game is stupid in even normal mode, you can power attack guys with tower shields, sorry but an attack like that isn't getting through a shield.

Then congratulations. You are a more hardcore gamer than most of the people in here. I am glad you have enjoyed the game but with these settings we found it more difficult than it should be, ok?

Unfortunately I do not, but if they had a US branch I'd certainly consider it!

As per your gripes with the tutorial, I'm sorry that you did not find it as easy to comprehend. Did you check your Journal for the Tutorial section? It explains everything you need to know to progress through the prologue. They even provide you with traps, bombs, and potions to start with.

As mentioned previously, experimentation is not only the key to discovering and becoming comfortable with your own play style, but a surprisingly fun part of the combat mechanics. I found the challenge to be exciting rather than hindering. But as others have said, to each his own.

Hells horses drowners are tough though.

I think CDP change the combat style and make the game a bit harder (but never unfair) because lots of people complain TW1 is too easy, not required strategy before going on combat and Geralt swordsmanship is too simple and isn't anywhere similar to the original novel series. That's why lots of mods created by fan to make the game more challenging and satisfying. Now CDP heard your complain for years, you ask for it, you get it.

This game is hard in two ways, one arguably good and the other unarguably bad.

Firstly the combat is just plain difficult. Nothing wrong with that, although it is unusually so for a mainstream game. The difficulty options make a big difference to combat so those of us who aren't macho about it can get through if we are having trouble (some of the posts here are hilarious; it's just a game not a test of manhood...)

But the design of the prologue/tutorial is just plain bad, with no redeemable features. Your thrown into combat and have to learn it by yourself after repeated deaths. You absolutely depend on signs and item, but these are hardly explained and again you have to figure it out for yourself. There are issues with saving in places where you really really need to be able to save. Some of the tutorial messages are displayed while you are being attacked, giving you a choice of ignoring them, or reading half of them before being killed.

It just feels that the game has hardly been playtested with new players. Which for a game which seems in other ways to have true quality, is a real shame.

I'll give it another try after work today, but if I don't get on with it any better I'll leave it for a few months and try it after a patch or two.

Remeber to switch to sliver sword when dealing with drowners (press 2) , those are easy kills. (As in the first witcher;))

It only took me 1 try to get through the dragon. Have "Quen" sign on at all time I find it the most helpful.

The game has not been tested. I beggin with a dragon and I learn how to hit with sword and not how to move! So I keep dying in fire...

Hey why asking talking choice if the answers MUST be given from 1st to last ones??? VERY BAD TUTORIAL

You jump to the action too quickly, play the prologue in sequence from top to bottom. You'll understand the mechanics better,

I didn't jump into action too quickly, the game did put me in.
I just wanted to ask question back, and not being questionned in prison.
Where is the roleplay???
1st time I preorder, maybe the last one.
I fear for the remaining of the game, if the choices are not ones.
I just don't want to continue the game.

I think it is maybe too hardcore. I would have just loved it if the tutorials would have been proper.

You said you begin with a dragon, that is because you chose the dragon answer first. You can get proper sequence by choosing answer start from top to bottom. By this way, you'll start at some army camp and learn about basic attack command.

Welcome to the world where game manuals actually do matter. Also nobody stops from pausing the game and reading all tutorial messages in your journal again.
But I agree, autosaves could be done more frequently. Also on higher difficulties I'm almost forced to have Quen up all the time, which actually takes a bit of the combat fun away.