I'll be honest, I really hated The Witcher 1, it was just so... boring for me, mostly because the combat system felt like enhanced Runescape. I just didn't like the gameplay that much, it really made me astounded when I got the second one though, since I love that one to death.
Keep in mind that this is a very hit-and-miss game, and this was a big miss for me, this may not be the same for you or others, and the game is definitely worth giving a shot at least.