The Witcher: Enhanced Edition

My Review of the PC Game. Based on a popular series of Polish fantasy novels by Andrej Sapkowski, the Witcher is very possibly one of the very best RPG games I have seen to date. The interface is polished and becomes a treat to use with practise, something other RG’s could easily learn from – I’m looking at you Icewind, Neverwinter… What’s good about the Game? First: The Environment. In this world the grasses wave in the wind, birds and insects call and flitter by, time passes and night falls, rain comes and goes, as does sunshine. Day and night have ever varying clouds cover, rivers flow, and swamps are misty. In short, it looks and behaves like a real world. And it is very, very, very nicely realised visually. And it is BIG. Very big. And the size of it came as a surprise to me, considering it’s built using the Bioware Aurora engine- of Neverwinter Nights 2 fame. CD Projekt RED, the Polish developers have truly enhanced the engine, taking it to near its limits with this game. I have played NWN2 and it looked like NWN1, despite the whole new engine. I would not have believed That engine could produce a game this… amazing I thought that the vanilla Oblivion world was nice and the visual enhancements you can download for Oblivion almost bring it up to a par with The Witcher… The Witcher looks and feels like a Medieval world, right down to a very Central European look to the buildings and fields There are of course flaws- see later on under what’s not so good… Second: Gameplay- This is NOT a point&click-fest a la Diablo and Diablo 2. Engaging in combat is a matter of clicking once on an opponent and WAITING for the move initiated to conclude. At this point the cursor will change. Which, if you have been paying attention when uprating your character, will then indicate when to click again, either replaying the move or, if you have the upgraded move, initiates a Combo, These become stackable as you progress – Click-Move-click-combo1-click-combo 2, and so on… Once you are stacking up to 5 or more combos you are a death-dealing dervish in combat, and you can choose particular modes to fight in, Heavy for large, armoured opponents, Fast for skin creatures and lightly protected opponents, and Group for multiple opponents. Oh, by the way, did I mention the Finishing Moves? If you use your primary -as in First received- spell –Aard on a human or a monster, and it stuns them, you then have the option of clicking on them to Finish them off while stunned (aard stunning only lasts 5 to 7 seconds) and this can be achieved in several differing, randomly executed, moves. The most spectacular is by leaping up onto the victims shoulders, pushing them over backwards and slicing past your feet as they fall, decapitating them. Others are simple running troughs or deep cuts. The nastiest I’ve seen is a slice to their leg tendons, skipping past as they slump to their knees, and then a throat cut from behind. Yecch! The Witcher is the first RPG game I’ve played where it is possible to make a “one shot kill” something which all too easy in the “real world” and almost impossible in RPG games unless you use a level 19 spell on a level 0 creature, and that’s not combat. This means you can kill opponents of lesser equal or greater level than yourself, given the correct use of the means you have, rather than reliance on “Good Dice” And the mention of Dice brings up a sub-game I found- Poker Dice is a common recreational sport in Temeria, and you can get rich playing it - if you are good… and lucky. Moving around the world you have choices as well, either follow the cursor by clicking and holding the mouse button (arrow cursor changes) or choose a point and the character will move to it, OR by using FPS keys (WSAD) I much prefer the latter, as most of the keyboard shortcuts for thing like Combat mode and Magic are arranged near those keys. The Movement options are also related to the chose 3 camera View points, described as High Isometric, Low isometric, or OTS (Over the Shoulder) I think most players will opt for the latter, combined with the FPS keys. Other things like inventory and Magic/Alchemy are all fairly standard and easy to grasp, as is Levelling, BUT you must level in particular circumstances, so RTFM is a Must. Thankfully much of that info is also available in game. Third: Creatures and Monsters. Some you have seen in AD&D and other RPGS, some derive from Slav Myth, some are wholly original. There are even vampires and werewolves. All are very nicely done and present varying degrees of challenge. Not all monsters are animal either, some are vegetable and a couple qualify as mineral! Fourth: This is NOT a game aimed a Spotty immature teenagers. The box has advisories warning of both Strong Language and Nudity/Sex. They are not kidding you. This is a game aimed at an older, more adult level audience. You can “visit” prostitutes, charm a barmaid, or some peasant lass, or concentrate on seducing any of several female main characters. (See what’s not so good…You Have to play the main Character) Fifth: It’s also intelligent. You actually have to plan and think to solve some quests, and the outcome of some quests depends utterly on how you solved others which brings me to… Consequences. The Witcher is a game which requires you to make choices. There is no right or wrong choice to be made in the game. Each choice you make has consequences, and often you will not discover what those consequences are, for some time, it could be days or weeks later, in game time. For example at one point in the Prologue (tutorial level) you must choose between staying with the other 3 Witchers and fight a VERY LARGE monster and some bandits or going with Triss (a sorceress) to prevent other intruders breaking into the your leader’s laboratory. Choose wrongly and you will face a sharply increased threat from the main villains later in the game – indicated in Chapter 1 when you face 4 or 5 enemies on a Bridge leading into the city. If you chose the fight to the monster, there will be a very tough mutated dog with them. If you went with Triss, there is no dog, just bandits. There are many other choices like this and it is NOT possible to stay Neutral. You will have to choose sides, and neither side is particularly perfect….. My suspicion is a lot of younger RPG players would be somewhat…wary of this game for that reason alone. It’s been my experience that many simply won’t make that kind of choice in a game, feeling they want to play all sides against their centre To me, that kind of choice is what makes the game interesting. Also, going under the intelligent heading, it’s well written. The voice acting is a bit better than normal, although still not up to stage or TV level. And the dialogue is fairly natural with exceptions. Usually anyway- see whats not so good… Whats Not so Good. Environment: Restrictive paths in many places. This is probably a function of the Bioware Aurora engine design tools. There are many places you can see but not visit, owing to the lack of a Jump or climb, without a defined path laid. In other areas they simply block progress with walls or water- no swimming either I guess. Oblivion is largely explorable and any restricted areas often are at the limits of their mapping. Gameplay: The Enhanced Edition has inventory tweaks over the original games’ and they are good tweaks, solving many of the complaints, but there is still a low limit in the inventory and no way to replace any items taken from containers, you can only drop them on the ground. There is also the usual clipping problems with close quarter combat, there is, of course, nothing like backflipping through a monster instead of over it….But most 3D games have this issue as part and parcel of the engine… Creatures and Monsters: NPCs have only a limited number of models and textures, which means you keep meeting the same people, just with different names. So far I’ve met the same fat Merchant about 15 times, as 1 major NPC and about 14 minor NPCs. It is a distraction and would not have significantly increased the Data required to have more differing individuals, NPCs deserve their own models…if only for quick ID. Also related to this is the fact that you have to play Geralt, the main character. This derives from the fact that he is the “hero” of the Witcher stories but it would have been nice to have at least some customising options. Minor issue to me, other RPG players have berated it as unforgiveable heresy… Intelligence: As with many RPGs the interaction options are limited to play related issues, quests etc and the initial options simply repeat themselves once played out, and some of the “greeting dialog” is pretty lame, and the voice recording of it is equally lame. Occasionally you also get repeats of the quest dialog, even after the quest is completed. So that’s about covers it. Great game with some minor flaws but nothing is serious enough to really impair it. The innovative and exciting combat system is GREAT.

I have a theory that the level of anticipation, or expectation afforded to a game in many ways determines our perception of it when we finally get to play it. When I purchased "The Witcher", it was a $20 bargain bin deal on Steam, and I hadn't heard much about it. It looked pretty good, but I was generally skeptical and frankly, didn't expect too much beyond a decent kill-and-collect RPG. I was very wrong. "The Witcher" has every element that makes an RPG great: genuine characters, compelling plots, rich atmosphere, moral choices, strategic combat, a challenging alchemy system, powerful magics, and an epic music score. There are many fine nuances as well. Research is required in order to effectively combat, and harvest vital ingredients from, fallen foes. Complex formulas can be obtained that will greatly enhance combat and magical prowess. Characters may be swayed by bribes or gifts, depending on their preferences. Weapons and combat stances are combined in different ways in different combat scenarios for maximum effectiveness, adding a refreshing strategy element to the traditional click-and-slash combat systems of similar RPGs. "The Witcher" is a rewarding experience--I highly recommend it.

The Witcher does what so few other games have been able to do: present morally ambiguous choices with no right or wrong. Many games such as Mass Effect and Fable try to provide choice to the player, but in the end you either end up a saint or a sinner. In The Witcher, much like Geralt of Rivia's famous Witcher neutrality, you are presented with choices that never force you to choose between good and evil, but rather choices that are equally appealing or equally unappealing. It all comes together to make a refreshing and startling excellent role-playing game. The Witcher is based on the book from Polish author Adrzej Sapkowski, though you don't need any experience with those stories to play The Witcher. You are Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher with a case of amnesia, sent to the lands of Temeria to accomplish his mission and hopefully regain his memory. Witchers are monster slayers for hire, they are mutants, and those who survive the transformation are rendered sterile and completely immune to all disease. However, many people look down upon the Witchers due to their mutation. The story is such an integral part of The Witcher that it's best not to spoil it. However, the concept of the Witchers, of the various factions, the wealthy, the poor, the humans, the non-humans, the racism and hatred fueled by ignorance, it all comes together to form a mature tale like no other. The Witcher's world is raw, full of possibilities and full of characters that endure in an imperfect world and your actions are only play a small part in that greater world. Decisions play a major role in the game, and even the most mundane of choices come back later on with consequences. For instance, depending on one of your decisions in the prologue, certain events will play out differently later in the game. The Witcher never holds your hand, but it also gives you enough guidance to get through the game. The combat in The Witcher is fairly unique. Instead of simply rapidly clicking the attack as you would in games like Bastion or Diablo, your attacks are timing based. One click sets up Geralts first attack, the second click will string together the next set of moves and so on. Your stats will also help with how Geralt parries or dodges during combat, rather than being assigned to separate buttons. You still have the ability to maneuver yourself, rolling back, leaping over enemies, etc, but your main focus is to try and chain attacks. You also carry two swords, a steel sword for humans and a silver sword for monsters. Both of these swords also have three attack styIes: strong, fast and group. Each one works for different enemies. You can also carry other weapons, though I never used them personally since they have no true attack patterns. Spell-casting on the other hand is extremely simplified. There are five signs, and all you have to do is click the right mouse button to make one of them work. They certainly come in handy though, particularly when you are surrounded by multiple enemies or during boss fights. Of greater interest however is Alchemy. The game focuses heavily on Witchers only being complete with their potions, and that holds true through the entire experience. The Witcher is a brutal game and having potions by your side will help ease the difficulty. Some will enable you to see in pitch black tombs. Others will increase the regeneration of your vitality. There is no potion to simply heal you when you are in combat, you must be prepared at all times and the game will punish you accordingly if you are not prepared for a fight. Have your potions ready, your blades coated, your signs amplified and be ready at all times. Loot is unnecessary in The Witcher. All of the role-playing done in the game is by way of your decisions in combat, dialogue, quests accepted, quests completed and your own stats. You won't plunge into the sewers in search of a sword or anything silly. You keep your weapons and at pivotal moments in the story, again, depending on the decisions you have made, you will receive newer and better weapons. But not everyone will receive these goodies. Others may receive different rewards, depending on who they side with and their own decisions. The Witcher isn't about collecting items you don't need and then selling them until you find the one item that is slightly better than the one you already have. This isn't Torchlight, The Witcher is a game focused intently on the story at hand, and it's an excellent tale. The Witcher's aesthetics leave a bit to be desired. To the credit of the art team, they have created a dinghy, grimy and believable world that deserves to be explored, but the graphics lag behind many other games released in the past few years. Character models also are reused a lot and it detracts from the overall experience. None of the main character models are reused, but it is still noticeable when the people you are speaking to all look the same. Otherwise, the music and sound effects are wonderful, helping to add to the game's atmosphere. The voice acting as well is really well done as there are no cringe-worthy voices or awkward moments of dialogue. Prostitutes will openly proposition you on the street, the poor will beg for coin and monsters will howl in the night. Everything about The Witcher ends up working together spectacularly. It isn't just the challenge of the combat and being aware of your alchemy. It isn't just about the characters you encounter or even the story itself. The Witcher's greatest triumph comes from its Shakespearean view on a Witcher's life and profession. Do we hunt the monster in the man or find the man in the monster?

I didn't play it until the enhanced edition came out so I don't know how buggy the first edition was, but this game is really something to behold and is a must buy if you like RPG's. The graphics were beautiful, the scenery was perfect. The first village I went to was amazing...people doing their chores, running from the rain to seek shelter..chickens, birds and ducks that you could chase really helped set the scene. Tall grasses, dark scary nights, beautiful homes and kids playing games along the paths. There was a tavern you could go to to drink and be merry or have a fight and gamble if you wanted. There was so much more and that was just the first ACT!! Wow.. There was swearing, sex, bloody messes, consequences and a grand scheme that opened up to you all along the way. You had books to read to add to your knowledge, potions to make, bombs to create, oils to put on your sword. You had to make strategic choices on what you wanted to spend your skill points on when you leveled. You had bulletin boards where people posted notices about monsters with rewards that you could go after..after all you are a monster hunter. And talking about monsters, you had ugly mean monsters..and some monsters that weren't and you had to decide if they should die or not. Unlike many other games, the choices MATTERED..they mattered big time. And the character, Geralt, really embodied what I see as an epic hero..someone making hard choices and accepting the consequences. Someone strong and capable and confident who is able to see through the mess of the world. Someone who does what he believes is right even if it may be wrong. And he grows along the way just as you do as you become more involved in the game. Will you remain neutral or will you pick sides? Some issues I had were quests that made you go back and forth and back and forth. And with pretty long load times, that wasn't a fun part. Often times you had to keep talking to the same person over and over just to get more information out of them because it cut out of the talking screen too much. Some of the monsters were very overpowered, but that's okay since the combat was, I thought, pretty easy. Anyways.. You could pick herbs!! How awesome is that? I had a good time checking out the raspberry bushes and the slime molds in caves..and you could experiment with them and make potions. You could take mutagens that altered your body to give you benefit. Don't miss out on this game, it is EPIC! And CDPR is a great company that cares about the gamer. You won't be disappointed.