On that note, The Witcher (the first Witcher, that is, the combat in the second sucked so hard I gave up halfway through chapter 1) didn't have respawns (none at all, every monster was either there, or spawned due to a quest trigger) so I'm not sure how it could have made the game tedious.
As a side note, allow me to contradict you
Witcher I (enhanced edition) does have respawns.
"Go out of your way to "clean up" all enemies. In some areas the monsters will respawn again and again. E.g. in Chapter I the drowners near the river (at night), the ghouls in crypts, and the barghest on the Outskirt paths at night. "
(source:
http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/The_Witcher_FAQ)
It was enough to drive me crazy so that I eventually gave up somewhere in the second chapter. Maybe it becomes better later in the game.
Edit: I am of course not talking about barghests which are quest-related so that their respawning is completely plausible. But it was for me just too repetitive to have to fight all the drowners, drowned deads etc. in the swamp area in Old Vizima... again and again.
