Posted on: May 24, 2011
Dapper Tardigrade
Владелец игрыИгр: 89 Отзывов: 20
Mostly Ploughing Amazing
Having just completed the game, I can easily say this is the best RPG (so far) of 2011. It's absolutely gorgeous to look at, the sound and voice acting are generally solid, the characters are excellent and full of depth, the story is non-linear, mature and thoroughly interesting, and with 16 different endings there is a lot of incentive to play through it again. There are, however, some drawbacks that many have already stated. Personally, I found the QTEs (quick time events) to be the most disappointing aspect of the game. When I had my first fist-fight and saw the required buttons pop up on the screen, I felt like someone had just taken a dump on my ruby diamond. QTEs once had their place in gaming, back in the days of quasi Sega-CD gameplay ala Sewer Shark and Power Rangers, but nowadays it just feels lazy. There are only a handful of animations during fist fights that you'll see over and over again if you decide to pursue the related side quests, and at no point are they ever challenging. One button press, or two button presses--that's it. I'd laugh when the host of the fist-fighting tournament would announce some acclaimed, vicious, baby-eating champion and I'd defeat him with the exact same sequence of keys as the lowly peasant before him. Besides the QTEs turning the fist-fighting into mediocrity, they also made a number of other sequences downright infuriating. There's nothing fun about fighting a boss for 10 minutes straight, only to die instantly and restart because a QTE popped up on the bottom of the screen and you happened to not be looking for it at that particular moment. God of War got away with using QTEs because they were well-implemented and forgiving; you generally didn't die immediately after hitting the wrong button. In The Witcher 2, you're severely punished for not expecting these QTE moments, and in my opinion it damages the experience as a whole. As the game progresses, and dramatic cutscenes unfold, you'll be looking at the bottom of the screen instead of enjoying the action and dialogue because you'll wonder if you have to hit a certain press of a button. Another issue I had was with the constant need for Quen-spamming. When cast, this sign protects you and sends damage back to the attacker, and it's something--no matter what skill tree you choose--you'll need for many of the battles. There are a number of fights that I simply couldn't beat without it (the bosses in particular), and I think this really limits the customization of your character, especially since you can't regenerate vigor while Quen is cast. Most new players will have to use Quen at the beginning of the game in order to progress through the merciless tutorial, and at that point they've probably already made the decision that it's a spell they'll be using religiously for the rest of the game. As I said before, most of the voice acting is solid, but considering the important role Triss Merigold has in the game (she was also a main character in The Witcher 1), they could have done a much better job with her. It sounds like she's incredibly bored every time she speaks, lacking the emotional ups and downs of the English language and instead residing somewhere in the middle--a monotonous , generic tone that doesn't sit well with the rest of the excellent voicework. Some complain about the feeling of "consolitis" in this game, and they'd be right to do so. The entire interface feels like it was designed for the Xbox 360 controller. I should know--I played through the whole game with one. I tried using the mouse and keyboard initially but it just didn't feel right--like a console port with keyboard functionality tacked on. The mouse also had massive input lag compared to using my Xbox 360 controller--I could barely navigate menus with it, much less fight a group of mobs. Lastly, although it's amazing that the NPCs all have lives and perform different tasks depending on the time of day, it feels kind of empty as it doesn't have any real meaning in terms of gameplay. In RPGs like Gothic 1&2, and Oblivion, the NPCs going to sleep at night meant (for me at least) that it was time to sneak into their homes and steal their loot. But nobody cares in The Witcher 2; you're free to rob every house blind right in front of the homeowners without so much as a slap on the wrist. The reasoning behind this from the developers was to increase the "fun" aspect, but personally I find it more fun to have that extra layer of tension and, dare I say, realism. Yes, despite the game featuring dragons, sorcery and midgets with deep voices, there is a very evident level of realism and believability that the developers try to maintain in other facets of the game. Being punished for thievery would not have been out of place at all; it would have only strengthened that believability. Ignoring these imperfections, there is a beautiful, excellent game here with tons of content and a massive appeal to old-school RPers and new ones alike. If I were to compare it to another series of popular games, I would say this is the Mass Effect 2 to Mass Effect 1. It's more streamlined and accessible, with many improvements over the original game to create a more fast-paced, and less cumbersome adventure. It'll make your jaw drop numerous times as you gaze at the gorgeous scenery, and you'll raise your fists in the air with joy as you defeat some of the more challenging foes. The mature story will have you interested until the end, and with so many different conclusions and whole towns being connected to your specific dialogue choices, there is a ton of reason to play through again. The Witcher 2 may not be the flawless game we were all hoping for, but it excels in ways that few ever have. Its positives outweigh the negatives, and even when you fail that unexpected QTE button press, you won't want to put the controller down. Any fan of RPGs should play this, and with the no-DRM, full-featured option at GOG, there's no reason why you shouldn't already own it. I can't wait to see what CD Projekt comes up with next.
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