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Product Description
Platform: PC | Edition: Premium
Amazon.com
In Brief
The second instalment in the RPG saga about the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, features a thoroughly engrossing, mature storyline defining new standards for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration. In addition to an epic story, the game features an original, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action. A new, modern game engine, responsible both for beautiful visuals and sophisticated game mechanics puts players in the most lively and believable world ever created in an RPG game. A captivating story, dynamic combat system, beautiful graphics, and everything else that made the original Witcher such a great game are now executed in a much more advanced and sophisticated way.
The second instalment in the RPG saga about the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, features a thoroughly engrossing, mature storyline defining new standards for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration. In addition to an epic story, the game features an original, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action. A new, modern game engine, responsible both for beautiful visuals and sophisticated game mechanics puts players in the most lively and believable world ever created in an RPG game. A captivating story, dynamic combat system, beautiful graphics, and everything else that made the original Witcher such a great game are now executed in a much more advanced and sophisticated way.
After helping to stop the rebellion undertaken by the Order of the Flaming Rose and saving King Foltest’s life, Geralt became one of the central figures of political turmoil in the Kingdom of Temeria. Geralt continues to protect the King in the monarch’s mission to bring peace to his state. The last bastions of the Order yielded to the royal army. The only remaining task is to pacify the rebellious castle of Baroness La Valette, who announced separation from the Kingdom. It’s been a month since the attempted assassination of the king, when his army arrives at the gates of Baroness La Valette’s fortress in preparation for the final battle. In the meantime, Geralt, stuck with Foltest, cannot begin his personal quest - to discover the origin and identity of the mysterious witcher-like assassin responsible for the attempt on the king’s life - a quest that would answer many questions... Key Features
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GAME DVD The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings game DVD. MAKING-OF DVD All the cinematic materials related to game - trailers, dev diaries, gameplay footage, interviews and making-of exclusive video. OST CD Audio-CD with in-game music. ETUI Box with all the contents of The Witcher 2 Premium Edition. WORLD MAP A map of the game's world. GAME GUIDE The Witcher 2 strategy guide for both novice and experienced role-playing fans. GAME MANUAL A rulebook and interface explanation to help you get started. PAMPHLET AND COIN A physical representation of one of the in-game items. PAPERCRAFTS Two papercraft dolls - Geralt and one random character for collectors. DLC Extra in-game feature for download: The Ultimate Swordsman Suit System Requirements Minimal Requirements: CPU: Dual-Core, 2,2 GHz. RAM: 1 GB (Windows XP), 2 GB (Windows Vista / Windows 7) GPU: nVidia GeForce 8800 / 512 MB OS: Windows XP / Windows Vista / Windows 7  |
Product Description
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings PC
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
214 of 235 people found the following review helpful
By T. R. Kanavy
Platform for Display:PC|Edition:Premium
Fun:
5.0 out of 5 stars
(NOTE: I am reviewing only the Witcher 2 and not the software security protection (DRM). The version I purchased was DRM free, therefore I can't discuss any issues with its implementation. I know many PC gamers, have strong feelings about DRM, and I understand the attention the subject garners as strict DRM can be very aggravating for game owners. If this issue is important to you, be aware that avenues for obtaining DRM-free copies of this game can be readily available. Now, on to the game review.)
**SPOILER FREE**
**Updated** 5-19-11
5-23-11
-------------------------------
I gave this game 5 stars, and I feel it easily deserves each one. Plain and simple, I like this game. It may not be 100% perfect but it's engrossing and vastly pleasurable. There are several PC game sequels of late, which have been more concerned about their playability and reception on home console systems than being true to the original quality that won them acclaim (I'm glancing at you Dragon Age and Crysis). Thankfully, the Witcher 2, feels like a glossy more gracile version of the first incarnation, while still hitting the spot for the PC crowd.
The Witcher 2
The Witcher 2 is an exceptional game. The pacing is better than the first iteration and the story is arguably more engrossing. If you are new to the Witcher games, you may feel a little lost during the first 30 minutes, but you will soon be acclimated and well on your way to becoming a deft monster-slaying machine. If you are reading this review to see if your child will enjoy this game, you can stop right here. This game is made for adults. The language, violence and intense sexual themes lend themselves to a mature audience.
The Graphics
The character models in the Witcher 2 are far better looking than the Witcher original enhanced edition. The characters feel alive and their movements look fluid and natural. The skin models are more realistic than ever, with the lead character showing the deep skin gouges and scarring one would expect from such a dangerous profession. However, the real graphical achievements in this game might be the structures and environments. Some are simply stunning, while others lend themselves to the mood of the area whether it's a dark damp cave or a dimly-lit forest. Unlike, some of the console-friendly sequels that have come to market lately, this game allows the user to adjust a myriad of graphic settings such as : texture scaling, texture memory, shadow quality, LOD distance, bloom, light shafts, blur effects, anti-aliasing, depth of field, rain and wet surface effects, motion blur, resolution etc. This is a great game to show off your high-end graphics card, or to simply revel in PC-superiority in terms of gaming visuals. I have a pretty decent gaming rig (my system specs follow my review at the bottom), and I was pleased that I was unable to play the game at the maximum graphics settings without my system sputtering a bit.
The Sound
Wow. The sweet sounds of the Witcher 2. The music is fantastic adding to the mood and excitement of each moment in the game, it's a soundtrack worthy of a $40 million dollar summer blockbuster film. The voice acting is a bit better this time around. You still encounter the occasional character who sounds a little less than natural, but there is not much to complain about overall. The main characters (such as Geralt) sound believable, sinister and downright cool.
The Gameplay
Combat Control
The gameplay in my opinion is vastly improved. In the original game I occasionally had issues making Geralt perform the action I wanted, or hit the enemy I intended. That issue has been remedied and instead the player is left with an obedient avatar slaying and playing the way he/she intends. The combat system is more dynamic, too, no longer do your spells take up their own mouse button- nor is switching between spells a cumbersome task. In the first game, I disliked the idea of having to switch to a fighting mode, whether it be group, strong, or fast. I also grew bored timing my attacks to the hit indicator (like a constant and repetitive mini-game)in order to string longer combo's together. I wanted the fights to be more fluid without me having to tinker with what "mode" I was in. Thankfully, the developers seem to have agreed and replaced the system with a more seamless combat system. Gerald can now fight a group of enemies, without having to change the fight style or account for what armor the enemy is wearing. The fighting is not easy, you will have to block and evade in order to overcome enemies. So, if you are like some, and wanted to stand in the middle of a group of enemies and swing your sword like Conan to slay them all in one swoop, this is the wrong game. It requires, technique, something a master-swordsmen would likely possess. Be wary of some of the comments others are making about the combat system, it's obvious they have not progressed far enough into the game to have unlocked some of the more deadly and impressive fighting techniques. Those techniques will come in due time and Geralt will become significantly more deadly, easing some of the normal battle encounters.
Game Path
On the cerebral, emotional side of things, the dialog choices the Witcher2 forces the player to make are ambitious. The consequences of choices bear real weight. I often paused to reflect on my dialog options before settling on a response knowing that the outcome could shape my entire experience. Occasionally when you pick an option in the dialog Geralt will surprise you (normally by being overly aggressive or confrontational) while this might be against the players intentions, it's often rather entertaining.
Game Difficulty
When the game prompts you to choose your difficulty, take it seriously. If you are a skilled RPG player and you choose EASY you will likely still die a handful of times through your journey. If you choose NORMAL, you might die within the first 10 minutes of gameplay depending which dialog options you chose (as this may give you a difficult initial sequence). Choosing HARD, will make battles seem at times laborious and incredibly challenging, you will die often. Now, if you choose INSANE (and my hats off to you brave witcher), it's just that, insane. Should you die in this mode its game over, there is no re-loading and trying again. Cool option to have though, right?
In fact, if you are not a hardcore gamer I would recommend you put the game on easy. If you read some of the negative reviews here on Amazon it is often due to difficulty, which then the reviewer blames on the game- when they could just opt for an easier setting.
Game Length and Size
The game is rich and weighs in about 15.9G of data (take that SSD!). The game lasts about 40 hours, per the developers claim. Yet, the replayability is quite high, as there are a variety of different endings and paths to take.
The Bottom Line
If you are hungry for an RPG with rich graphics,challenging combat, a gripping non-linear story and a level of polish rarely seen in games, purchase the Witcher 2. The development team behind the Witcher 2 is arguably one of the coolest around and obviously poured their hearts into this project. In fact, they provided some of the best free downloadable content for their original game long after most of the sales were finalized. If you have a question about the game, feel free to leave a comment. I will try to answer ASAP. Happy hunting.
PRO:
- Great Graphics
- Fun Story
- Dialog is well-written and inventive
- Multiple endings
- Rewarding system for leveling
- Downloadable content
- Designed for adult audiences
- well-developed characters
- engrossing world to explore
- excellent story-telling devices
- developer support
CON:
- Difficulty may be out of scale, easy is not easy.
- Occasionally unresponsive controls (button presses every once in awhile will not elicit a response)
- (very)Minor story flubs (Elf character spares a defeated enemy, the next scene he swears to kill him once he finds him)
- Some users report bugs(not me, but I have seen enough people mention them to validate the claims)
- Not for Children (Strong sexual content and language)
- Endings feel abrupt, rushed and non-climatic, there are great moments in the game, the endings are not one of them.
------------------------------------------------
MY System Specs While Playing The Witcher 2:
CPU: Sandy Bridge Core i5 2500k, Overclocked to 4.4ghz, Antec Kuhler 620 H2O CPU cooler.
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth P67
GPU: (2x SLI) MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
MEMORY: G-Skillz 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (overclocked)
PSU: Antec Truepower 23754 TP-750 BLUE LED 750-Watt PSU NVIDIA SLI Certified 80 Plus Bronze Advanced Hybrid Cable Management Power Supply
CASE: Silverstone Raven-02EW
**SPOILER FREE**
**Updated** 5-19-11
5-23-11
-------------------------------
I gave this game 5 stars, and I feel it easily deserves each one. Plain and simple, I like this game. It may not be 100% perfect but it's engrossing and vastly pleasurable. There are several PC game sequels of late, which have been more concerned about their playability and reception on home console systems than being true to the original quality that won them acclaim (I'm glancing at you Dragon Age and Crysis). Thankfully, the Witcher 2, feels like a glossy more gracile version of the first incarnation, while still hitting the spot for the PC crowd.
The Witcher 2
The Witcher 2 is an exceptional game. The pacing is better than the first iteration and the story is arguably more engrossing. If you are new to the Witcher games, you may feel a little lost during the first 30 minutes, but you will soon be acclimated and well on your way to becoming a deft monster-slaying machine. If you are reading this review to see if your child will enjoy this game, you can stop right here. This game is made for adults. The language, violence and intense sexual themes lend themselves to a mature audience.
The Graphics
The character models in the Witcher 2 are far better looking than the Witcher original enhanced edition. The characters feel alive and their movements look fluid and natural. The skin models are more realistic than ever, with the lead character showing the deep skin gouges and scarring one would expect from such a dangerous profession. However, the real graphical achievements in this game might be the structures and environments. Some are simply stunning, while others lend themselves to the mood of the area whether it's a dark damp cave or a dimly-lit forest. Unlike, some of the console-friendly sequels that have come to market lately, this game allows the user to adjust a myriad of graphic settings such as : texture scaling, texture memory, shadow quality, LOD distance, bloom, light shafts, blur effects, anti-aliasing, depth of field, rain and wet surface effects, motion blur, resolution etc. This is a great game to show off your high-end graphics card, or to simply revel in PC-superiority in terms of gaming visuals. I have a pretty decent gaming rig (my system specs follow my review at the bottom), and I was pleased that I was unable to play the game at the maximum graphics settings without my system sputtering a bit.
The Sound
Wow. The sweet sounds of the Witcher 2. The music is fantastic adding to the mood and excitement of each moment in the game, it's a soundtrack worthy of a $40 million dollar summer blockbuster film. The voice acting is a bit better this time around. You still encounter the occasional character who sounds a little less than natural, but there is not much to complain about overall. The main characters (such as Geralt) sound believable, sinister and downright cool.
The Gameplay
Combat Control
The gameplay in my opinion is vastly improved. In the original game I occasionally had issues making Geralt perform the action I wanted, or hit the enemy I intended. That issue has been remedied and instead the player is left with an obedient avatar slaying and playing the way he/she intends. The combat system is more dynamic, too, no longer do your spells take up their own mouse button- nor is switching between spells a cumbersome task. In the first game, I disliked the idea of having to switch to a fighting mode, whether it be group, strong, or fast. I also grew bored timing my attacks to the hit indicator (like a constant and repetitive mini-game)in order to string longer combo's together. I wanted the fights to be more fluid without me having to tinker with what "mode" I was in. Thankfully, the developers seem to have agreed and replaced the system with a more seamless combat system. Gerald can now fight a group of enemies, without having to change the fight style or account for what armor the enemy is wearing. The fighting is not easy, you will have to block and evade in order to overcome enemies. So, if you are like some, and wanted to stand in the middle of a group of enemies and swing your sword like Conan to slay them all in one swoop, this is the wrong game. It requires, technique, something a master-swordsmen would likely possess. Be wary of some of the comments others are making about the combat system, it's obvious they have not progressed far enough into the game to have unlocked some of the more deadly and impressive fighting techniques. Those techniques will come in due time and Geralt will become significantly more deadly, easing some of the normal battle encounters.
Game Path
On the cerebral, emotional side of things, the dialog choices the Witcher2 forces the player to make are ambitious. The consequences of choices bear real weight. I often paused to reflect on my dialog options before settling on a response knowing that the outcome could shape my entire experience. Occasionally when you pick an option in the dialog Geralt will surprise you (normally by being overly aggressive or confrontational) while this might be against the players intentions, it's often rather entertaining.
Game Difficulty
When the game prompts you to choose your difficulty, take it seriously. If you are a skilled RPG player and you choose EASY you will likely still die a handful of times through your journey. If you choose NORMAL, you might die within the first 10 minutes of gameplay depending which dialog options you chose (as this may give you a difficult initial sequence). Choosing HARD, will make battles seem at times laborious and incredibly challenging, you will die often. Now, if you choose INSANE (and my hats off to you brave witcher), it's just that, insane. Should you die in this mode its game over, there is no re-loading and trying again. Cool option to have though, right?
In fact, if you are not a hardcore gamer I would recommend you put the game on easy. If you read some of the negative reviews here on Amazon it is often due to difficulty, which then the reviewer blames on the game- when they could just opt for an easier setting.
Game Length and Size
The game is rich and weighs in about 15.9G of data (take that SSD!). The game lasts about 40 hours, per the developers claim. Yet, the replayability is quite high, as there are a variety of different endings and paths to take.
The Bottom Line
If you are hungry for an RPG with rich graphics,challenging combat, a gripping non-linear story and a level of polish rarely seen in games, purchase the Witcher 2. The development team behind the Witcher 2 is arguably one of the coolest around and obviously poured their hearts into this project. In fact, they provided some of the best free downloadable content for their original game long after most of the sales were finalized. If you have a question about the game, feel free to leave a comment. I will try to answer ASAP. Happy hunting.
PRO:
- Great Graphics
- Fun Story
- Dialog is well-written and inventive
- Multiple endings
- Rewarding system for leveling
- Downloadable content
- Designed for adult audiences
- well-developed characters
- engrossing world to explore
- excellent story-telling devices
- developer support
CON:
- Difficulty may be out of scale, easy is not easy.
- Occasionally unresponsive controls (button presses every once in awhile will not elicit a response)
- (very)Minor story flubs (Elf character spares a defeated enemy, the next scene he swears to kill him once he finds him)
- Some users report bugs(not me, but I have seen enough people mention them to validate the claims)
- Not for Children (Strong sexual content and language)
- Endings feel abrupt, rushed and non-climatic, there are great moments in the game, the endings are not one of them.
------------------------------------------------
MY System Specs While Playing The Witcher 2:
CPU: Sandy Bridge Core i5 2500k, Overclocked to 4.4ghz, Antec Kuhler 620 H2O CPU cooler.
Motherboard: Asus Sabertooth P67
GPU: (2x SLI) MSI N560GTX-TI Twin Frozr II/OC GeForce GTX 560 Ti (Fermi) 1GB 256-bit GDDR5 PCI Express 2.0 x16 HDCP Ready SLI Support Video Card
MEMORY: G-Skillz 8GB (2 x 4GB) 240-Pin DDR3 SDRAM DDR3 1600 (PC3 12800) Desktop Memory (overclocked)
PSU: Antec Truepower 23754 TP-750 BLUE LED 750-Watt PSU NVIDIA SLI Certified 80 Plus Bronze Advanced Hybrid Cable Management Power Supply
CASE: Silverstone Raven-02EW
46 of 49 people found the following review helpful
By Josh Hilborn
Platform for Display:PC Download|Edition:Premium
I just wanted to answer a few questions that I had before downloading this game from amazon, and I saw a few others had the same questions too. This was my first time downloading a game from amazon and with the exception of the painfully slow speed, everything went as smooth as butter. I will leave the review of the actual game to the others on here, they have already done a much more in depth job than i would have, and lets be honest we all know this game rocks anyway.
1) You do not have to download the entire game before receiving your activation key. You will receive an email with instructions on how to access it from the amazon site in your account somewhere.
2) Your activation key will not work with steam (darn) This is probably a no brainer for most of you, but I really was hoping just to buy a key from amazon and let steam do the rest. Unfortunately that is not possible.
3) The download was, for me at least, painfully slow. Granted the file was large, at least 5 or 6 GB for the installer, but it was still slower than steam by a longshot. You are looking at about 12 to 13 hours from the time you click 'buy' till the time you are patched and in game.
4) Steam advertises that their version of the game is version 2.0. This amazon version is the same as the steam version, it just has to patch several times to get there, but it handles it all automatically, all you have to do is click ok as each patch is applied. After the huge patch 2.0 is downloaded, another brief installer will bring you up to date. Everything happens automatically and is quite painless, given you are not impatient to play. At the time of writing, it stopped patching at version 2.1
That's about it. At the time I am writing this it is Black Friday and this game cost 16 bucks to download from amazon vs. $26.73 on Steam. Even though the price was better and the install and patching went smoothly, I would have paid the extra 10 bucks to get it from Steam if I could do it over again. And knowing my luck, this game will be 16 bucks on Steam tomorrow anyway, but now I'm just rambling. Its time to do some WITCHING!
1) You do not have to download the entire game before receiving your activation key. You will receive an email with instructions on how to access it from the amazon site in your account somewhere.
2) Your activation key will not work with steam (darn) This is probably a no brainer for most of you, but I really was hoping just to buy a key from amazon and let steam do the rest. Unfortunately that is not possible.
3) The download was, for me at least, painfully slow. Granted the file was large, at least 5 or 6 GB for the installer, but it was still slower than steam by a longshot. You are looking at about 12 to 13 hours from the time you click 'buy' till the time you are patched and in game.
4) Steam advertises that their version of the game is version 2.0. This amazon version is the same as the steam version, it just has to patch several times to get there, but it handles it all automatically, all you have to do is click ok as each patch is applied. After the huge patch 2.0 is downloaded, another brief installer will bring you up to date. Everything happens automatically and is quite painless, given you are not impatient to play. At the time of writing, it stopped patching at version 2.1
That's about it. At the time I am writing this it is Black Friday and this game cost 16 bucks to download from amazon vs. $26.73 on Steam. Even though the price was better and the install and patching went smoothly, I would have paid the extra 10 bucks to get it from Steam if I could do it over again. And knowing my luck, this game will be 16 bucks on Steam tomorrow anyway, but now I'm just rambling. Its time to do some WITCHING!
18 of 19 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Demon's Souls, Batman: AA, and TES: Oblivion had a baby, his name is Geralt. Everything you want to know...and more
September 10, 2011
By TerraMantis
Platform for Display:PC|Edition:Premium
Fun:
4.0 out of 5 stars
"The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings" is from the developers CD Projekt RED and published again by Atari, same as the first installment of the franchise released in 2007 was. The Polish developers have based and made the game in heart of the famous Polish novel "The Witcher" and still follows the same protagonist. Sophisticated gameplay, mechanics, environments, character customization, and other great features are all attributes that make The Witcher a fun and riveting adventure to undertake. Almost all of the features that could've been improved on over the first game have been improved, BUT many of the smaller features that were completely fine in the first Witcher game have been rethought as well and they didn't need to be to begin with and are not as good as the first game's systems. If you didn't play the first game you won't notice the difference and they are obviously not a huge deal as my score of the game would entail. If you can sit through the chinwag I'll talk about everything good, lessened, better off, and absolutely amazing about "The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings".
The simple breakdown of "The Witcher" is like so...
Graphics/Character Performance and Animation - 10/10
Fun Factor - 9/10
Story - 10/10
Controls- 9/10
User Interfacing - 8/10
Learning Curve - Fairly steep
Sound - 8.5/10
Value - 10/10
Total - 9.2 / 10
Jump down to my "All in all" if you only want a brief summary. I have also put key-words in CAPS to indicate what the bulk of that specific paragraph is discussing to make the review easy to navigate to points of interest.
You play the game as Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher. What is a WITCHER? I am glad you asked. A Witcher is a special type of human who is no longer human. After undergoing an alchemical ritualistic process, in which only two out of five survive, the human body is forever mutated into what is known as a Witcher. The mutation varies from subject to subject but several attributes are always obtained; superhuman speed, agility, dexterity, metabolism, and the ability to use magic. During your specific Witcher's mutation his hair turned white and his pupils construed to a vertical fixing making Geralt's eyes appear as those of a cat's. The mutation is a means to the end of gaining these superhuman enhanced attributes with the hopes of procuring an upper-hand in their deadly occupation of professional Monster-Slayer.
Geralt's tale is a MATURE AND RIVETING STORY to undertake. The game opens to Geralt incarcerated in a dungeon. His back is riddled with whip marks and flayed in multiple directions and his wrists have bruises around them from their long stay in shackles. The signs of torture and prolonged exposure to medieval dungeon conditions are blatantly apparent. Geralt is summoned to an interrogation chamber; he begins to tell the man who summoned him, Vernon Roche, a tale. The prologue is told from a framed narrative in which Geralt explains the events of "The Day of the Assault". The day that a king conquers a war front and escaped the deadly jaws of a fire-breathing dragon only to meet his end at the hands of an assassin. Geralt starts his tale in a war camp littered with troops training, praying, playing dice, and watching in amazement as sling-catapults bombard the enemy before the troops enter battle. Geralt is in bed with Triss, his lover from the first game, and the evidence of whip wounds and shackle bruises are absent. The tale is obviously now being told back before his current dungeon predicament. After lying in bed with Triss a guardsmen comes into their tent and informs Geralt that the king has summoned him to the front lines. After reaching the front lines the Witcher and the king ascend a large siege vehicle that is headed to the castle walls. As you climb ladders and talk to the king many, troops can be seen getting ready, slaver-type people turn a massive gear (suggest the people pushing the mechanism is what makes the siege engine move), other commanders cry war chants, and a catapult projectile crashes through the siege vehicle's walls. This is one of the first real displays of the game's magnificent attention to detail and realism. The siege vehicle stops. The heavy doors slam down and Geralt and the king's men charge into battle. After slaughtering several warriors and pushing onward your ban is halted by a well-placed barricade and archers. Geralt must get down to a ballista and fire it at the barricade. Unlike "The Witcher 1", Geralt can now drop-down like a parkour artist, hurdle over objects, press against walls, climb up ladders and vault onto important environmental places. After clearing several obstacles and escaping the jaws of a fire-breathing dragon by the hair on your chinny-chin-chin you and the king reach the desired location where his two bastard children are being held. All of these different parts of the prologue act as a tutorial for the player and when Vernon is interrogating Geralt you have the option to tell the section of the story you want or you can skip to where the king is assassinated, essentially bypassing the tutorial if desired. After the assassin kills the king he escapes and Geralt looks to be the only one there and is framed for the murder. This is why he is currently in the predicament in the dungeon. Vernon Roche believes your story of a different assassin and slips you a key to make your escape from the dungeon after he has departed with the promise of you finding the "king slayer". Your real adventure begins.
The Witcher 2 has what most games save for their epic climatic ending in its prologue...massive war scenario, dragons, and an assassin making an attempt on a king. This is a truly epic introduction into this specific fantasy world's nuances and a look into the life of a vagabond monster killing mercenary known as a Witcher.
The game still utilizes "artistic" CUT-SCENES to narrate important plot points like the first game did. The first Witcher game had Geralt narrate over a still-illustrated-image as the camera panned across it while Geralt talked about the events depicted in it. Now, the plot narrations have made a return, but they're more animated and feel like a 1500's medieval-style live action fresco painting of sorts. They remind me of the first "KILL BILL" when one of the movie's chapter turns from live action to animation. It is a really great artistic choice and shows appreciation to and complements a more abstracted 2-D medium in a game that pays immaculate attention to realism and detail. A fitting breath of fresh air in a game (and industry) filled with realism standards. The animated sequences are a fantastic contra-standard to the rest of the work.
CONVERSATION CHOICES have made a return and are better than ever. Sometimes you can choose between several different options to pursue your interactions with people through dialogue. For example, your water spell from the first game that took over an enemy's mind to help fight on your side can now be used to try and "Jedi mind trick" people into telling you what you want to know. You can also try to persuade people with insightful words or hurt them. One conversation event I don't like is when an hour glass appears next to the choices and forces you to make a split-second decision before the timer runs out. This feature is pretty cool, but I am not a very fast reader and I rarely get a chance to read all of the options let alone choose the one I want...but that is kind of the point.
IMPORTANT PLOT POINTS are mixed throughout the entire game because even SIDE-QUSTS in this game feel like most game's main storyline's quests. You make pivotal decisions fairly often that will affect the entire world. You also make numerous amounts of smaller choices on side-quests that affect your personal story. You need to try not to be shortsighted as personal choices could bite you in the arse several chapters past where the initial decision was made. This game has something like 14 different endings depending on the choices you will have to make. The quests feel important and are never entirely run-of-the-mill. Witcher 2 has basically done away with the extremely simple Witcher 1 quests like any other average RPG might have which is the RPG standby of the famed kill and fetch quests. For example, a quest that only contains "go here...kill "X" amount of a certain bad guy's face and bring it back" have been removed. The quests might be similar, but they at least require some thought or some reading. Sure, a quest might ask for you to "go close all of the Nekker nests" which is basically a kind of a kill and fetch quest, but it has been rethought and is more interesting and involving. Furthermore, these nests are like giant anthills in the ground and you are going to have to learn a new bomb formula so you can "fire in the hole" these guys with some serious boom. These quests usually take you into the massive hostile environments of the game outside the man populated areas and can throw things at you that might be there one time and not the next. Like, one time when I was attempting to destroy the large Nekker anthills I stumble across a Scoia'tael patrol. The Scoia'tael are Elvan rebels and they don't take kindly to anyone who even resembles human. The Scoia'tael patrol started to fight me, and then Nekkers started to hear the commotion and emerged from their underground lairs. The Scoia'tael where immediately attacked by the Nekkers and ceased attacking me to face their new more threatening enemy. These quests and the environments they take you to are amazing and filled with different types of situational action that can change from one experience to the next.
As for the GRAPHICS AND ENVIRONMENTS, you may have probably seen graphics like these before. Read more ›
The simple breakdown of "The Witcher" is like so...
Graphics/Character Performance and Animation - 10/10
Fun Factor - 9/10
Story - 10/10
Controls- 9/10
User Interfacing - 8/10
Learning Curve - Fairly steep
Sound - 8.5/10
Value - 10/10
Total - 9.2 / 10
Jump down to my "All in all" if you only want a brief summary. I have also put key-words in CAPS to indicate what the bulk of that specific paragraph is discussing to make the review easy to navigate to points of interest.
You play the game as Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher. What is a WITCHER? I am glad you asked. A Witcher is a special type of human who is no longer human. After undergoing an alchemical ritualistic process, in which only two out of five survive, the human body is forever mutated into what is known as a Witcher. The mutation varies from subject to subject but several attributes are always obtained; superhuman speed, agility, dexterity, metabolism, and the ability to use magic. During your specific Witcher's mutation his hair turned white and his pupils construed to a vertical fixing making Geralt's eyes appear as those of a cat's. The mutation is a means to the end of gaining these superhuman enhanced attributes with the hopes of procuring an upper-hand in their deadly occupation of professional Monster-Slayer.
Geralt's tale is a MATURE AND RIVETING STORY to undertake. The game opens to Geralt incarcerated in a dungeon. His back is riddled with whip marks and flayed in multiple directions and his wrists have bruises around them from their long stay in shackles. The signs of torture and prolonged exposure to medieval dungeon conditions are blatantly apparent. Geralt is summoned to an interrogation chamber; he begins to tell the man who summoned him, Vernon Roche, a tale. The prologue is told from a framed narrative in which Geralt explains the events of "The Day of the Assault". The day that a king conquers a war front and escaped the deadly jaws of a fire-breathing dragon only to meet his end at the hands of an assassin. Geralt starts his tale in a war camp littered with troops training, praying, playing dice, and watching in amazement as sling-catapults bombard the enemy before the troops enter battle. Geralt is in bed with Triss, his lover from the first game, and the evidence of whip wounds and shackle bruises are absent. The tale is obviously now being told back before his current dungeon predicament. After lying in bed with Triss a guardsmen comes into their tent and informs Geralt that the king has summoned him to the front lines. After reaching the front lines the Witcher and the king ascend a large siege vehicle that is headed to the castle walls. As you climb ladders and talk to the king many, troops can be seen getting ready, slaver-type people turn a massive gear (suggest the people pushing the mechanism is what makes the siege engine move), other commanders cry war chants, and a catapult projectile crashes through the siege vehicle's walls. This is one of the first real displays of the game's magnificent attention to detail and realism. The siege vehicle stops. The heavy doors slam down and Geralt and the king's men charge into battle. After slaughtering several warriors and pushing onward your ban is halted by a well-placed barricade and archers. Geralt must get down to a ballista and fire it at the barricade. Unlike "The Witcher 1", Geralt can now drop-down like a parkour artist, hurdle over objects, press against walls, climb up ladders and vault onto important environmental places. After clearing several obstacles and escaping the jaws of a fire-breathing dragon by the hair on your chinny-chin-chin you and the king reach the desired location where his two bastard children are being held. All of these different parts of the prologue act as a tutorial for the player and when Vernon is interrogating Geralt you have the option to tell the section of the story you want or you can skip to where the king is assassinated, essentially bypassing the tutorial if desired. After the assassin kills the king he escapes and Geralt looks to be the only one there and is framed for the murder. This is why he is currently in the predicament in the dungeon. Vernon Roche believes your story of a different assassin and slips you a key to make your escape from the dungeon after he has departed with the promise of you finding the "king slayer". Your real adventure begins.
The Witcher 2 has what most games save for their epic climatic ending in its prologue...massive war scenario, dragons, and an assassin making an attempt on a king. This is a truly epic introduction into this specific fantasy world's nuances and a look into the life of a vagabond monster killing mercenary known as a Witcher.
The game still utilizes "artistic" CUT-SCENES to narrate important plot points like the first game did. The first Witcher game had Geralt narrate over a still-illustrated-image as the camera panned across it while Geralt talked about the events depicted in it. Now, the plot narrations have made a return, but they're more animated and feel like a 1500's medieval-style live action fresco painting of sorts. They remind me of the first "KILL BILL" when one of the movie's chapter turns from live action to animation. It is a really great artistic choice and shows appreciation to and complements a more abstracted 2-D medium in a game that pays immaculate attention to realism and detail. A fitting breath of fresh air in a game (and industry) filled with realism standards. The animated sequences are a fantastic contra-standard to the rest of the work.
CONVERSATION CHOICES have made a return and are better than ever. Sometimes you can choose between several different options to pursue your interactions with people through dialogue. For example, your water spell from the first game that took over an enemy's mind to help fight on your side can now be used to try and "Jedi mind trick" people into telling you what you want to know. You can also try to persuade people with insightful words or hurt them. One conversation event I don't like is when an hour glass appears next to the choices and forces you to make a split-second decision before the timer runs out. This feature is pretty cool, but I am not a very fast reader and I rarely get a chance to read all of the options let alone choose the one I want...but that is kind of the point.
IMPORTANT PLOT POINTS are mixed throughout the entire game because even SIDE-QUSTS in this game feel like most game's main storyline's quests. You make pivotal decisions fairly often that will affect the entire world. You also make numerous amounts of smaller choices on side-quests that affect your personal story. You need to try not to be shortsighted as personal choices could bite you in the arse several chapters past where the initial decision was made. This game has something like 14 different endings depending on the choices you will have to make. The quests feel important and are never entirely run-of-the-mill. Witcher 2 has basically done away with the extremely simple Witcher 1 quests like any other average RPG might have which is the RPG standby of the famed kill and fetch quests. For example, a quest that only contains "go here...kill "X" amount of a certain bad guy's face and bring it back" have been removed. The quests might be similar, but they at least require some thought or some reading. Sure, a quest might ask for you to "go close all of the Nekker nests" which is basically a kind of a kill and fetch quest, but it has been rethought and is more interesting and involving. Furthermore, these nests are like giant anthills in the ground and you are going to have to learn a new bomb formula so you can "fire in the hole" these guys with some serious boom. These quests usually take you into the massive hostile environments of the game outside the man populated areas and can throw things at you that might be there one time and not the next. Like, one time when I was attempting to destroy the large Nekker anthills I stumble across a Scoia'tael patrol. The Scoia'tael are Elvan rebels and they don't take kindly to anyone who even resembles human. The Scoia'tael patrol started to fight me, and then Nekkers started to hear the commotion and emerged from their underground lairs. The Scoia'tael where immediately attacked by the Nekkers and ceased attacking me to face their new more threatening enemy. These quests and the environments they take you to are amazing and filled with different types of situational action that can change from one experience to the next.
As for the GRAPHICS AND ENVIRONMENTS, you may have probably seen graphics like these before. Read more ›
Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Just Buy The Steam Version
OK first the game wouldn't install,then when it finally did it tried to download a 10+gb patch. I figured for sure now I can play but no it tries to re download the same patch over... Read more
Published 1 month ago by dominique
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great game
I loved the first witcher game and the witcher 2 is even better. They made a lot of improvements to make inventory and other things much easier to access. Read more
Published 1 month ago by D. Jones
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great Game
Excellent visuals, storyline, very gritty, action oriented RPG. Had the frist and loved it. This one even more so. Tons of extras too.
Published 1 month ago by DeeGX2
1.0 out of 5 stars
Errors till death, avoid !
it keeps giving you errors and updates with 10 GB at once, you cant play the game while downloading it, after you download the 10 GB updates and instal them, you cant play the game... Read more
Published 2 months ago by Nagy64
5.0 out of 5 stars
An old guy's POV
To say that games have changed in my lifetime is an understatement, but I played PONG when it first came out if that gives any clues. Read more
Published 3 months ago by TW Brown, Author, Editor, and Reviewer
1.0 out of 5 stars
Doest Not Work
Everytime the game is installed, it keeps asking for updated patches and even with the updated patch installed, it still does not work. Read more
Published 3 months ago by Cebunderwater
5.0 out of 5 stars
Absolute masterpiece
I would highly recommend this title to anyone who is loves RPGs and action games. Though the campaign is a mere 20-30 hours long, you will have a strong desire to at least play it... Read more
Published 3 months ago by Z Sikder
5.0 out of 5 stars
Does not register on steam
Don't purchase if you intend to try and register it on steam. THE KEY DOES NOT WORK WITH STEAM. CARE.
Published 4 months ago by Justin
5.0 out of 5 stars
amazing
Very nice story, game plays alright. Would have been better if they had a bit more variety of loot most of the stuff i used was purchased from the shop or crafted.
Published 5 months ago by deniz
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best RPG in the recent past
Forget all the overhyped RPGs like Elder scrolls or Mass effect. Witcher series, for me is the top dog from the time graphics became bearable. Read more
Published 5 months ago by Srikar Bhagavatula
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