Witcher 2 really suffers from being a part of the Witcher series. Bordered on one side by master-of-mechanics The Witcher (1) and on the other by f-ing amazing The Witcher 3, you will be stalled by what you miss from the two rather than what is good about this one.
The story is much shorter than either TW1 or (especially) TW3, even if you stick to the base game story on both of TW2's neighbours. You get to make like two decisions here, and no "Witcher path" is available. Choose the lesser evil. The story is immersive and believable, even if Geralt is driven by a deeply personal matter, unlike the objective goal of TW1. Still works.
Alchemy is very screwed here. You cannot drink potions in combat, so you must guess which potions you will need for the fight, and drink them beforehand. It works from the story point of view, but makes a horrible mechanic.
Everything about the inventory felt very consoly to me. It makes zero sense on a mouse-and-keyboard PC. Items lost lots of the clarity from TW1, be it alchemy ingredients, books and recipes...
So, what do I like about this piece?
- Unlike other reviewers, I found the use of QTE fine. Definitely suitable for minigames, and okay in boss fights. Those have their own mechanics here, unlike TW1, the boss is no longer a "just hit it more" version of a mob.
- The decisions, while limited, do make more impact. You get to see all locations in one playthrough, but by making a choice, you're choosing a home location for Ch2. Choose one, loose the other.
- Stealth action is a welcome addition in the game. You can solve problems without using a sword, which is a nice path, even if it might feel somehow restrictive.
- Different options to make people talk. Be the nice cop, or make them fear. Such options are now clearly labeled, and that will help you make decisions.
Overall, it's a very fine adventure, but Kingslayer lacks the jaw-droppiness of The Witchers Past and Future. I'm sorry, CDPR, but you can do better.