The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

A while ago I decided to start a complete witcher trilogy run. Finishing Witcher 1, Witcher 2 and Witcher 3 in this sequence and taking the save file of the previous title into the next to have one coherent story based on my decisions. When I began Witcher 2 I was pleasantly surprised. The graphical and technical jump from Witcher 1 to 2 is huge and while the first title had it's own unique art style, Witcher 2 has basically the same one as Witcher 3. Characters, armor design, clutter items and world building are congruent with Witcher 3. Dialogue also feels the same like in Witcher 3 and combat is similar yet a bit different, just like movement and controls. To be honest I PREFER Witcher 2's movement and combat over Witcher 3 but that's just personal preference. It just feels quicker and more precise for me. Regarding the story: it is phenomenal. Plenty of choice that'll have you play at least 4 playthroughs to experience everything and every consequence. To sum up: Everyone who likes Witcher 3 NEEDS to play Witcher 2 (and Witcher 1. And also read all the Witcher books!). In the past I played 200 hours of Witcher 3 without knowing the other games and the books. After having played to the first 2 games and reading the books I can confirm Witcher 3 is even better. You'll suddenly understand a lot more about the world, the lore, the characters. Previous confusion about certain dialogue topics or why the world is the way it is is gone. It'll 100% influence the decisions you make in Witcher 3.

When the first Witcher came out, I was real late to the game. Pretty sure I picked it up out of a bargain bin and immediately regretted not getting it upon release. I did not make the same mistake with Assassins of Kings. Witcher 2 is not just a spiritual successor to its original, no - it is a vast improvement on what many people consider the greatest RPG of all time. The graphics are stunning and artisitic - not an easy combo to pull off. The music, voice work and cinematography are directly and 100% on point. The fluidity and variation on story are breathtaking. Combat is stressful, intense and feels meaningful. It does not feel like repackaged enemies constantly tossed in your way so that the devs could add a few game hours onto their back cover. No, in fact the fights feel appropriate and choices feel as though they have weight and global influence. Geralt is polished as a character, very easy to fall into and his supporting cast is a eclectic array of sexy, funny and dangerous characters that help this seemingly ordinary fantasy world to it is own unique voice in the choir of typical Western RPG's. Yes, at first glance it is a monster slayer in a world filled with dwarves, elves and trolls. But the things that REALLY go bump in the night in this game are much closer to human nature. Greed, power and hubris are much nastier bad guys in the Witcher's world than any troll, drowner or striga.

The game represents a significant leap in terms of graphical quality and mechanics compared to its predecessor. While it is an impressive title in many aspects, I personally find it falls short compared to its predecessor due to some challenges it presents. One of the first noticeable differences is the difficulty of the game. Right from the start, players face a steep learning curve. The scarcity of indicators on the mini-map, vague mission descriptions, and labyrinthine chapter maps can disorient players, resulting in a frustrating experience, affecting immersion and enjoyment. The level of difficulty is further emphasized by the need to pay attention to every detail. The in-game glossary becomes an essential tool to understand the world and missions. While this adds depth to the experience, those unwilling to fully immerse themselves in the game's lore may feel lost, leading them to turn to online videos or guides to progress in the story. The plot itself has a relatively short/medium duration and primarily focuses on political intrigues and king's conspiracies. While this may be appealing to some players, others may not find it as thrilling. The lack of a more varied narrative could have been improved to provide a more exciting and diverse experience. However, it provides a detailed context for understanding the story and world of the subsequent game in the next game. The events and characters presented in this game set the stage for the epic journey that will follow, which can be a compelling incentive for fans of the franchise. In summary, while this game offers a visually impressive experience and adds depth to the overall franchise's story, its high difficulty and focus on politics may not appeal to all players. Despite this, those seeking a better understanding of the series' overall narrative and who are willing to face strategic challenges will find an entertaining experience.

The Witcher 1 was as good as it was because of BioWare's technology. You can't make a good, fun experience. You HAVE to make it a disasterous simulator. You have to tap the medallion button to even recognize loot, I'm sure most players miss 80% of the loot consistently. You have to meditate to drink potions. How would I even know if there is a hard battle coming up to do that. The moment that there is anything dangerous nearby, you can't drink potions. The map is completely useless, compared to the first Witcher game. You can guess what quest would make you go where, but most of the time you feel lost and like wasting your time. There are mods that fix all these issues and more, but for the vanilla experience, it is really poor.

Originally I missed this game. Since it was available cheap, I decided to try it, and inmediately played through twice. Pros: - immersive gameplay with gritty atmosphere - well-written, CDPR has very good writers - important characters are not clichés. You sympathize with enemies, and sometimes loath your allies. Often you cannot decide which is which. This part is great. - no handholding and immersion breaking quest markers on the map - nice surprises - choices and consequences (even though the follow up in Witcher 3 is lousy) - nice weapon and armor progression - looks! Armor designs are better then W3! Cons: - strange difficulty curve. Or rather brick wall. The beginning in Flotsam is super harsh. The game then gets progressively easier, up to the point of seemingly playing with a god mode with cheat in the end. - some annoying QTEs. (you can turn them off in the menu) - the game has a bad habit of a cutscene leading you into a fight scene with no save - this ties into potions. You have to drink them before the cutscene, but you have to know that the cutscene will lead you into a fight. This won't happen on your first playthrough. - crafting component weight is not really thought out - I am not bad in rpg puzzles, but I had to use gamebanshee's walkthrough on a few occasions Tips: - a mod from nexus, called "weight watchers". This makes every crafting component 0 kg - there is a "navigate to wraith infested battlefield" section in mid game. You get a talisman to guide you through it, but the game doesn't tell you to _use it with pressing the Y key_ - gamebanshee's walkthrough is nice if you cannot figure out a puzzle Overall I think this game holds up well. The only really annoying thing is the inventory weights, but you can nullify it with a small mod. Controls are not the best, and graphics are 2010, but if you can get over these, the experience is worth it. Definietly in my personal TOP10 of post-2000 rpgs.