The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

For starters, and having just completed last month's combo deal offering both games, let me start off by stating that my initial introduction to the series was a positive one. The Witcher 1 wasn't a game of great depth by any means, but it did deliver fairly well on what was being offered up around a storyline that was both unique and immersive (with Geralt as one of the more interesting/appealing main characters i've seen in an RPG to date imo). By and large the game mechanics were solid, and while i usually prefer a much less linear approach to a game world setting, it's wasn't confining/linear to the point where the game around it essentially amounted to little more then a general/boring annoyance between that intriguing story being told. Which pretty much brings us to where the Witcher 2 essentially weighs in as a stand-alone game. In typical modern day RPG development fashion, CD Projekt pretty much follows suit with the development path seen in such games like Final Fantasy/Dragon Age. Ya know, completely stripping the emphasis away from the stuff that actually gives an RPG it's soul, in favor of that seemingly universal belief that a shiny new coat of graphical paint is all we REALLY want and care about. Even if it means you offer up Paris Hilton-level depth beyond that in the process. Basically, pretty much everything gameplay wise was a step backwards. Unlike the first game, the night/day cycles are more or less irrelevant this go round. Gone are the fighting styles, stripped down and condensed into a simplified steel/silver setup. The UI in itself is an utter mess, from the confusing in-game map, to the inability to compare weapons/armor to what you are wearing, down to managing your inventory in general...it makes for more then a few "wtf where they thinking?" moments. And the inability to remap keys in-game, or delete save files that can accumulate up pretty fast for that matter, is pretty much inexcusable imo. I can't even recall a game since before the original Zelda that wouldn't let me delete save files. Combat, minus the sword style strip down, is actually more challenging this time. Although in game that's THIS linear, and with so little reason to do any of the extremely limited and fairly meaningless/bare bone side quest stuff it offers, that's arguably not even a good thing. As make no mistake, if you are playing this game because you played the first one, you likely are going to find yourself in it solely for the cut scene progression. With little desire to have the 5 different mob models of yard trash take you X amount longer to clear between them. So yeah, overall this game was a disappointment, and pretty much kills off the gameplay/depth potential for the 3rd installment i'm sure we'll see in the future. If you haven't played the first one, or have no interest in doing so, I'd otherwise advise you take a pass on the Witcher 2. Or at least until it's down to bargain bin price status.

I almost quit Witcher 2 after tedious bossfight early on. What a mistake that would have been! It is an excellent RPG, which manages to be mature in terms of content and delivery. The reason it's short of 5 stars for me is that some early bosses are not very well done (I had a bug preventing me from beating the first and the second had bad scripting in my opinion) and that the last Act doesn't hold up to the rest of the game. However, if you like RPG in any way, shape or form this game is a must play!

I have been meaning to write this review for a while. I loved The Witcher. At a time when there when Bethesda was really the only other game in town, The Witcher managed to be new and interesting and really engaging. It wasn't perfect - the game had a lot of bugs and combat was only okay - but the narrative was superb and the setting was great. The Witcher 2 is interesting in that the combat, graphics, leveling and basic nuts and bolts have all been drastically changed and improved. The Witcher 2 has a really engaging and unique combat system that feel different from other games and, for me, feel more realistic and engaging. Leveling choices feel more important, and you definitely have a sense of character progression and development. While it takes a while to get used to, I ended up loving these changes to the series. Oh, and the game is gorgeous. Not just in its graphics, but in art design and the use of color in what is still a gritty, urban fantasy series. The narrative is also very good. I did feel that the first game told a more complete story, but I really respect the fact that a person can have two wildly divergent experiences based on their own decisions (especially in regards to Act II). But while the story does have a definitive end, they developers were also setting themselves up for a third game. I of course desperately want them to make it, so that I can continue, but the first game does shine a bit stronger here. There are still some bugs, but the enhanced edition cleared a lot of them up. Its not as bad as, say, Fallout: New Vegas, but it might bother some players. Overall, this is a great game, with a unique feel, complex game play and a good story. Fantasy RPG lovers need to play this game.

Modern games should learn something from this game... Rpgs nowadays are mostly mindless grinding and soulless slaying of monsters... The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is not. The graphics, sounds, environment, characters, story... Everything is well made and have a realistic feel on them. It actually feels more like reading the books than playing the game sometimes, because the story is a very deep one. None of the characters are entirely good or evil, because everyone has a personal motive for helping (or opposing) Geralt. Of course, the game s not perfect. The environment is pretty linear (free roam would eat some core parts of the book-like feel though) and the story was a pretty short. The battle system might not be the best in the world, but still feels pretty good. Overall, Witcher 2 is a hardcore fantasy rpg, that no one should miss.

I never really played the first Witcher, so I was really afraid that I wouldn't understand the backstory to the sequel if I didn't finish the first. Fortunately, this was wholly untrue. You don't need to know the backstory to the original game in order to fully appreciate and understand the second (although it would really help). The Witcher II is a masterpiece, though. (Boobies) It's a fun, mature RPG that takes itself seriously even through the brief and frequent moments of comedy. (Boobies) It's a pretty good game, all around. (Boobies) This game also shows RPGs how a true romance should be done. (Boobies)