The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

People will say that the game is too simple and too hard. Both are right. CDPR tried to make a PC game a cross-platform game and didn't get it 100% right. The combat system is weird. Worse, they left in all of the references to people and places that you will not know or care about unless you've read the novels. Some mechanics and progressions could have been designed better. Finally, a few quests can be difficult to figure out and you might have to resort to using Google. Still, the only thing that makes Witcher 2 look bad is that Witcher 3 exists. The Witcher series changed RPGs for me. Instead of having a moral stat like "neutral good," characters were people who made decisions that were some times honorable and other times less honorable. The games also ask you to consider what it means to "win," to think about your motivations and Geralt's motivations. No RPG hits every point, but this one hits some important ones: * Interesting, often complex characters * Storylines that are flavored by the complicated world in which they unfold * Excellent writing * Good action * Graphics that were eye-popping in 2011 and still look good * CDPRs value per dollar was great in 2011 and today, you can enjoy Witcher 2 for a very little tldr; even if there are things you might wish to change, you will definitely enjoy this game

Aside for the bad optimization and bad learning curve, at least for me, it's a good game, but not great. As always, great characters and story, but also ambiance and atmosphere. Gameplay isn't outstanding, but is doable and provides a good challenge. Overall, liked it, didn't love it.

Maybe it's the worst.. But it's still good RPG game. Lot of things changed after Witcher 1 - I don't like combat in this one to be honest. But it's fine. Oh yes, Quick Time Events are bad thing. But... we can remove one star and still say: play this game, it's ok

Man this game is weird. The gameplay is technically better than the first one as is the story yet still feels off. The ability to have two playthroughs to see the different outcomes is neat and makes replaying interesting in that regard but it's made for a weird experience. I certainly hope the Witcher 3 is as good as people praise it to be because the first two so far are while not bad games per se, are definitely not great. Like my review for the first one, if you're curious definitely check it out. The game is often on sale. I would say pick this one over the first one if you had to pick out of the two.

Witcher 2 really suffers from being a part of the Witcher series. Bordered on one side by master-of-mechanics The Witcher (1) and on the other by f-ing amazing The Witcher 3, you will be stalled by what you miss from the two rather than what is good about this one. The story is much shorter than either TW1 or (especially) TW3, even if you stick to the base game story on both of TW2's neighbours. You get to make like two decisions here, and no "Witcher path" is available. Choose the lesser evil. The story is immersive and believable, even if Geralt is driven by a deeply personal matter, unlike the objective goal of TW1. Still works. Alchemy is very screwed here. You cannot drink potions in combat, so you must guess which potions you will need for the fight, and drink them beforehand. It works from the story point of view, but makes a horrible mechanic. Everything about the inventory felt very consoly to me. It makes zero sense on a mouse-and-keyboard PC. Items lost lots of the clarity from TW1, be it alchemy ingredients, books and recipes... So, what do I like about this piece? - Unlike other reviewers, I found the use of QTE fine. Definitely suitable for minigames, and okay in boss fights. Those have their own mechanics here, unlike TW1, the boss is no longer a "just hit it more" version of a mob. - The decisions, while limited, do make more impact. You get to see all locations in one playthrough, but by making a choice, you're choosing a home location for Ch2. Choose one, loose the other. - Stealth action is a welcome addition in the game. You can solve problems without using a sword, which is a nice path, even if it might feel somehow restrictive. - Different options to make people talk. Be the nice cop, or make them fear. Such options are now clearly labeled, and that will help you make decisions. Overall, it's a very fine adventure, but Kingslayer lacks the jaw-droppiness of The Witchers Past and Future. I'm sorry, CDPR, but you can do better.