The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

This game was surpassed by The Witcher 3 in many ways. But that doesn't mean it is outdated or bad. It is still a very good game that will have you keep playing just one more hour. And one more. And then play it again in a different style with different choices. It is aimed at adult players and has some dark parts - and some erotic ones. And it does a good job of portraying the characters from the books.

I liked The Witcher so much, I went and bought this game as soon as I finished it. And I really really wanted to like this game too. On the plus side, it has a much better interface that the original Witcher, the graphics are improved, and the story looks as good. That plus nostalgia for the old game is why I didn't one star this effort. I only managed six frustrating hours with this game before giving up. The controls are so complex and so unwieldy it completely ruined this game for me. They also are not intuitive, so I had to unlearn as well as learn. I spent the first two hours with wildly zinging camera angles until I learned to control that, though only partially. I still spent a lot of time looking at my feet or the sky. Even six hours into the game, I couldn't remember how to activate half the controls and pressed wrong keys often. And why on earth the developers thought the game would be improved by having to use both hands at once most of the time, and having to use your LEFT hand for some of the more complex stuff is beyond me. (Most people are right handed, so I can only presume that the developers and testers were left handed.) Yes I could have got myself a controller, but I play for fun. I don't have special hardware for what is an occasional pastime. If you have hours to spend learning how to not suck at an unnecessarily complex combat system (when the first game did pretty much the same stuff WITH ONLY THE MOUSE), working out how to not bang into walls and random objects, and get familiar with a range of function keys is so large it's an advanced memory test, you'll probably enjoy it. Me, not so much. It's a game, not driving a car. Actually, driving a car is easier.

A little more confined than Witcher 3 with "artificial" open world, but zones are amazing and you don't feel restricted at all. Writing is on top as always, characters and their stories and enchanting. Visuals may seem a little unusual and it doesn't run that well, but it is gorgeous nonetheless. Music is as fantastic as always, breathing life into this world. Combat might be a little tricky at first, especially with awkward alchemy, however by the end of it you'll find yourself spinning through numerous foes with ease and pleasure. Great game, as always.

Witcher 2 is a very good game. Compared to the first game it is much shorter, but intended for multiple playthroughs with some interesting choices. The atmosphere is quite dark, there are more politics and intrigue, less adventures and exploring. It is more cinematic with QTE and epic monsters, with more arcade combat (dodge-roll for the win). The main story is the focus, but from a certain point the ending is a bit predictable. The itemization is more interesting and has much more options, though the character progression is a bit bland. In general, a very good experience, not much worse than the previous game.

GOG hat mir Witcher 1 und 2 geschenkt, von daher muss ich fünf Sterne geben. In Witcher 2 hat die Graphik einen großen Sprung gemacht, die Erotikszenen mit Triss sind wahrscheinlich das Beste, das die Gamingindustry bis heute hervorgebracht hat in der Hinsicht. Da die Geschichte inhaltlich relativ früh abzweigt und man daraufhin manche Figuren gar nicht/ nur als Feinde kennenlernt, will man es auch zweimal spielen. Viele Figuren aus Witcher 3 sind hier auch dabei, man versteht die Zusammenhänge dann in Witcher 3 viel besser und allein schon aus dem Grund sollte man es mal gespielt haben. Für sich genommen ist es aber auch interessant, das Schicksal des kleinen Boussy bewegt schon.