Witcher 2 is definitely visually stunning. I'm happy to see that there is a Eastern European studio which can do such a polished game and be confident enough to provide it DRM-free. Gameplay -------- Combat is well-done. A major difference between W1 and W2 is how potions are handled. You prepare them in advance. That seems like a good idea because it's closer to how they were used Witcher's books. Although boss fights were challenging, the final boss fight was very easy; it took me about 2 minutes. Inventory feels very console-like. There is a lot of painful scrolling. In the end, I tried to avoid it, didn't trade much and just kept the most necessary things. Story/Characters ---------------- One great thing about Witcher's games is a narrative. Dandelion, known as Marigold in Czech, guides you through the story (and the journal) with his typical boasting. Thus, I never missed the chance to read a journal's entries which were often a reason for laugh. Other thing I like a lot about W2 is how differently you can perceive a significant aspect of story if you follow a story with Roche/Iorveth. In books, characters aren't either black or white. They don't like to share with strangers and above all, they prefer to tell "their version of truth". It's certainly one of their highlights. I didn't have to like their decisions but I was able to feel somehow about them. They felt real. In the game, characters' shady opinions and actions are taken to extremes. Also, they usually share same attributes with a small amount of exceptions. When it came to "fast" decisions, I didn't prefer neither of them and just picked up one at random. As a result, I didn't feel involved in the story, I simply observed with a slight interest. Women are a special chapter. In books, they're complex. In the game, they are, well, items. Their dialogs are more like a coverage for proposing a sex. They are either sexually-willing or evil vampers. Majority of their reactions generally go like this: "Oh my gosh, I was almost raped, thank you for saving my life... So, do you want me to do you?" I mean, who cares about intimate scenes in games nowadays, we're adults after all. Just bother to create a fluff around them, so characters feel like persons, not animated objects waiting to be triggered. Actually, I got a sense (it's my feeling, not a fact!) that Triss can be killed as a part of story and I sort of played it keeping in mind that I'll eventually sacrifice her because it'd mean to encounter less badly written females in sequels. Yes, she's one of better written females but it's still tooth-grinding. I'm *very* glad Ciri hasn't appeared to be objectified in the game. I think I'd enjoy Witcher a lot more if there weren't women, just men talking about their women in their usual bit racy Witcher-like way. At least until writers get better grip of what were female characters in the literal original actually about. Dubbing/Subtitles ----------------- Do yourself a justice and play it with Polish dubbing. It's so far the best voice-acting choice. Subtitles are better this time. In W1, from time to time the translation felt very minimalistic or lacking. This happens in W2 too but it's very rare and in that case, it helps a lot to listen to Polish audio. Synchronization improved too. Mostly, lines last long enough on screen to read them. I really appreciate that Czech localization follows terms used in Czech translation of Witcher books. Overall, Witcher 2 can entertain you for a couple of afternoons. It has a fine gameplay, it's a bit atypical and it looks good. It's a shame it didn't balance a storyline and characters better since it's based on such awesome novels.
Original Alan Wake has an incredible atmosphere, especially thanks to the storytelling, music, and characters. Gameplay, not so much. What AW lacks, AW:AN does have. Combat is significantly improved, thus it is a fun to play it instead of endure it until you discover the next piece of story. Enemies don't re-spawn and they aren't so quick, so you don't have to constantly dodging and running around. And if you have to, dodging is smoother this time. Were you also frustrated by one-time safe havens as me? Well, not anymore. After using a save spot, they are unavailable for short time and then you can use them again. Each territory has also an ammo box which works same way as havens. Which in my case meant that I felt encouraged to discover a surrounding area unlike AW. Atmosphere is basically same except the fact there is a bigger emphasis on action. Music is as superb as it's usual for Remedy's games. You still meet and chat with interesting characters (with great one-liners like "It's like someone vomited into my brain"). And that brings me to the one thing - women. I will always have a soft spot for Remedy because of how they're able to create believable women who aren't there only waiting for you to woo them. They can be cynical, witty and take care of themselves. AW:AN isn't an exception. American Nightmare shows that authors grew confident about AW world and expect the same from a player. That allowed the game to be more playful. I look forward to the sequel or the next episode.
