The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

I was surprised to read quite a few reviews critical of this game, because I absolutely loved it from the beginning. Showcasing much enhanced graphics, combat mechanics, and even more interesting storyline, the Witcher 2 brings an overall better game experience then its predecessor in every way. The graphics are far, far superior, and the combat is much more interesting; more freedom of movement and they got rid of the clunky "get in position" before Geralt swings his sword mechanic, which lead to several accidental, silly deaths in the first game. The story takes off right where The Witcher ended. While it's not necessary to play the first game, I would recommend you do to acquaint yourself with the lore and enjoy the game even further. In this regard, the series include a very nice feature where it detects Witcher 1 saves and adjusts your experience based on decisions made during the first game, plus a few rewards as well; this cross-game feature carries over to the third game too from what I've read. Assassins of Kings keeps the virtues that made the first game great; meaningful decisions that are completely up to the player, crossroads, plenty of side quests, alchemy, and a revised, very interesting skill tree that will keep you thinking about how to distribute your hard-earned talents. While the main story is. in some ways, quite linear, it's riddled with many decisions you have to make that will have a lesser or higher impact. Additionally, there are 2 main paths in the overarching story that are very different and give the game real replay value (I will probably play it again at some point in the future). Now, not all was good. There were sections in the game - Loc Muinn was particularly bad - where I got a considerable number of crashes to desktop. While the auto-save was spot on and I never lost significant progress, it's a shame CDPR didn't take the time to iron these issues out. This is probably a 9.5/10.

Witcher 1's graphics look aged but the game is very playable and fun. Witcher 3 is a masterpiece. In the middle is the disappointing tech-demo called Witcher 2. The story is confused, the graphics hurt my eyes, and the difficulty is horribly unbalanced (Kayran, anyone?). It's not terrible, and there are still several reasons to buy it, but it is the weakest of the set.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a game that truly impressed me. As someone who enjoys action RPGs, I found this title to be an exciting and immersive experience from start to finish. The game does a fantastic job of blending deep storytelling with engaging combat, creating a world that's both fun to explore and rich in detail. I’m glad I played it. It combines everything I love about RPGs: a compelling story, engaging combat, and a world that feels alive. I definitely enjoyed my time with it, and I think anyone who enjoys story-driven RPGs will find a lot to love here.

GOG - UPDATE THE LINUX VERSION OF TW2, PLEASE!!! The Witcher 2 Linux version doesn't include the required dependencies, nor does it install them. The game will install fine, but it won't launch. An error message pops up showing that the game is looking for 10 year old versions of different libraries. If GOG is going to sell a linux version of the game, include the required dependencies. Especially with the rise of the Steam Deck & Linux in general, this is an embarrassment. The game is great though... just had to play the Windows version through the Heroic launcher instead. 5/5 gameplay, but knocking a star off for the above reasons.

Excellent game, worth playing even in 2025.