Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

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Winnow
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Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

Post by Winnow »

I wrote about the original impressive Witcher game here back in 2008.

Here is a list of impressive things written about Witcher 2, due to be released May 17th, by someone that had early access to a pre-release version of the game.

I can't wait to play this game. Sooooo much better than Oblivion Dragon Age 2! (see original Witcher review!)

1. Geralt = Clint Eastwood (more Unforgiven-era than Rawhide-era). I wasn’t sure about him in the first game – he seemed a mix of tortured hero stereotype and cocky lech, but he’s had a bit of a character redesign as well as a new face for thes second game. He’s still macho and self-assured, but resigned and battered, not too talkative, even a little bit torn about what’s the right thing to do, rather than just a surly hard-nut with a mysterious past. He does a wee bit of wise-cracking, and he’s also prone to rolling eyes about other people’s fancy talks and stupid ideas. Rather than forever being ‘I am master of all I survey’, he’s got a vague air of “oh for God’s sakes, not again.”

2. Almost every potion has a negative effect, in addition to the fact that drinking one briefly poisons you. What might add health reduces your magical energy, or vice-versa, while one that lets you see in the dark for a few minutes makes emerging into daylight a painful experience. It’s chemical gambling, choosing what sacrifices you make in the name of success, rather than the dubiously neat’n'perfect potions of fantasy tradition. You also can’t down something in the middle of a fight (really, when does that ever happen in reality?), but instead have to prepare beforehand. You plan your fights rather than simply blindly react to adversity – and you may well get your pale arse kicked if you don’t.

3. It’s packed with Welshmen, and assorted other regional British accents. This suits the general low fantasy, colloquial air of the game – there’s not too much in the way of prissy, clipped Lord of the Rings tones, which makes it much more convincing. Although it must be said that the occasionally open American accent is a little jarring – Geralt is relatively restrained, but his on-off sex-partner Triss sounds entirely out of place.

4. Brute force will only get you so far – You’ll need specific tools to truly defeat specific monsters and quests. Nekker (tunneling zombie-goblin thingies) can be relatively easily dispatched with a sword, but they’ll keep on spawning from nests unless you find the right ingredients to construct the right bombs to finally close off those ‘orrible portals to the undergound. Giant spiders, meanwhile, will keep showing up in droves unless you find a way to lure out and murder their queens. That’s not an easy fight, but a slew of other traps (explosive, snappy, flamey, stunny) might just keep you alive if you have chance to set ‘em up before the big brute scuttles your way…

5. Dragons and krakens oh my… The game wastes no time in introducing you to really, really big’n'ugly stuff that requires complex tactics to defeat. This isn’t beating up kobolds in the woods, but a game of high stakes and high spectacle. And that’s just the first chapter – the later game is doubtless laden with new setpiece horrors.

6.Granted this was introduced in the first game, but the dramatically improved writing and acting means it’s more convincingly explored this time around. Elves and dwarves aren’t the charming, friendly chappies of this particular fantasy world – they’re outsiders, looked upon by the governing humans with contempt at best and violent prejudice at worst. Fairly early on in the game, you need to make decisions about whether you sympathise with a group of bitter elves who are essentially terrorists, or side with a human governor who’s working to protect his people but is openly racist in his attitudes. It’s not easy. The elves (and to a lesser extent so far dwarves) are violently angry about their treatment, and righteously so – but that means other lives are placed in danger. This is a morally complex world, with no easy answers.

7.It’s astonishing to look at – doubly so if your graphics card is up to Ultra settings, but even medium and high looks pretty spectacular. This is one of those all-too-rare games where the PC’s technological superiority over its console fun-box cousins simply can’t be denied. It’s designed to be a PC game, to make the very best of the PC, and it shows -from the remarkable amounts of detail on the characters (you’ll wince at the scars and wounds on Geralt’s torso) to the rays of orange-yellow light through the dense forest at sunset and sunrise. The Witcher 2 may well be one of the best-looking games in history, and not purely on a technical level. In addition, the vast bulk of the world streams quietly in the background, mean you can wander across huge areas of beautiful landscape without encountering any loading screens. On that level, it’s been very strange to have played Witcher 2 preview code in the same week as I played Portal 2…

8. The collection and construction of mega-loot is a proper and satisfying quest in itself. For instance, collecting a certain amount of Endraga jaws to build a powerful sword, or scouring local traders for rare materials to create a new set of armour. It’s all done off your own back, in your own interest, not just because some near-motionless goon with a quest arrow has inexplicably demanded you collect 12 pig testicles for him. It’s meaningful to you, not to a silent NPC.

9. Magic is woven into the fabric of this world, but again it’s not the noble, omnipotent, convenient splendour of other fantasies. It’s small, simple, tactical, dirty and weird. A powerful mage casting a protection spell (which prettily transforms incoming arrows into butterflies) swiftly results in her collapsing seconds later – humans were not meant to wield such power. Geralt, meanwhile, has immediate access to around a half dozen spells which only ever enhance rather than replace his swordplay. A small gust of force might keep enemies at bay, a burst of flame could soften up a shielded guy enough to find an opening, or the mind-control spell might bewilder one of several attackers for long enough that you can get out of a pinch. Visually and effectively, these are small, simply tools to even the odds, not to dominate them. It’s unusual to even see full-on magic in this world, let alone to wield it – and while Geralt can upgrade his powers significantly, he’s not going to be raining fire and summoning demons. This isn’t the X-Men, this is a guy who clobbers stuff with a sword but has a few parlour tricks to help out.

10. There’s not too much signposting of sidequests. This isn’t an artificial place waiting for you to turn up and fix all its problems – it’s there anyway, doing its own thing, and you have to make it work for you. Get out there and explore, chat to people, nose at billboards, create your own story through the game. No big yellow arrows to denote quests here, just a big, subtle world to figure you way through.

11. It’s a morally and politically complicated place, on a micro to a macro level. Is slaying a murderous troll under a bridge necessarily a good idea, given he could legitimately keep bad sorts from entering town if only you can talk him out of whatever blood-crazed doldrums he’s in? Is a king who’s sired bastard children and embarked on arguably unnecessary wars a bad king, or does his general conviction and generosity make him a better ruler than most? Or is he just a man, and should be thought of as such? There’s an awful lot of politics in the Witcher 2; unfortunately some of it is near nonsensical to newcomers (a serious worry about the game is it presumes everyone has played and finished the original Witcher) but many fascinating bigger pictures emerge once you dig in. Its interest in dark politicking, wrestling with prejudice and grand conspiracy means it’s immediately a whole lot more interesting than the usual “walk over there to save the world” claptrap.

12. Sword fighting is visceral and tactical – it’s a mix of player skill and quick thinking and character skill (for instance, unlocking parrying skills and various extra attacks) rather than invisible dice rolls or the unusual timing mini-game of the first Witcher. It’s genuinely an action game within an RPG, and doesn’t seem to have compromised either aspect. Fighting is meaty and satisfying, and a good battle feels like a workout.

The Witcher 2 is released on May 17, and if we don’t get review code soon we’ll explode.

-------------------------------

Watch this video, as stated in the video, it's not pre-rendered. Looks pretty damn good.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZjrIVxdc5kU

Watch it in 720p of course. The scene doesn't even have the Witcher in it.

Here's a video of a presentation which shows some game play as well as the dialog system

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lZheQWF_YU
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

Post by Leonaerd »

Didn't read the whole post yet but...
2. Almost every potion has a negative effect, in addition to the fact that drinking one briefly poisons you. What might add health reduces your magical energy, or vice-versa, while one that lets you see in the dark for a few minutes makes emerging into daylight a painful experience. It’s chemical gambling, choosing what sacrifices you make in the name of success, rather than the dubiously neat’n'perfect potions of fantasy tradition. You also can’t down something in the middle of a fight (really, when does that ever happen in reality?), but instead have to prepare beforehand. You plan your fights rather than simply blindly react to adversity – and you may well get your pale arse kicked if you don’t.
seems fucking AWESOME. It seems that practical, immersive, realistic challenge within the details is going to finally be an important step in striving towards video game perfection. Overcoming a challenge is everything that a video game is so this is a double plus good step forward.

edit: read the whole post and i am absolutely going to buy this game. if only i had a monster computer. very excited to see a gritty game like this on the PC.
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

Post by Kluden »

I enjoyed the first one a lot. One of a few games I actually wanted to play, and hoped it didn't finish too soon. Will be buying this one for sure, even if it doesn't turn out to be as good as the first game, they earned a buy with the effort level. Plus the story is actually good and engaging. Never read the novels it based on, but they must be pretty good too.
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

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I gave Dragon Age 2, two full days this weekend. It really is a horrible game. Story is bad, Graphics are bad, Voice acting uninspired, locations dull and uncreative.

I decided to play Witcher Enhanced Edition, having played the non enhanced the first time. Even wit this game being 4 years old, it destroys Dragon Age 2 on so many levels in quality.

The story, the game play, animations, voice acting, locations and size of the world are all remarkable. The depth of the alchemy/combat, etc is outstanding. If the Witcher, released in 2007, with the enhanced version released a year later, was released today, it would still be considered a top notch game.

We're in for a treat with Witcher 2 in less than two weeks.

Anyone that hasn't played the original Witcher should go grab it on steam for $19.99 (it's been as low as $5 on Steam) (12.99 on Amazon) (Enhanced Director's Cut is only 9.95! on Direct Download)

http://www.direct2drive.com/6763/produc ... t-Download

It doesn't show it's age at all and is a breath of fresh air from the crap Dragon Age 2 throws at you. I've been dying for a decent, lengthy RPG. I know how much effort and support the developers of Witcher put into their products. They learned from their first release which is what you hope for.

Just look at what they did for the Enhanced version of their original game:
The Witcher: Enhanced Edition takes all of the acclaimed gameplay that garnered the original game more than 90 awards, and perfects it with a number of gameplay and technical improvements.

Superior dialogue and cutscenes - The developers have re-recorded and rewritten more than 5000 lines of dialogue in English and redone the entire German edition to create more a more consistent experience, while adding more than 200 gesture animations to make characters behave more believably in dialogue and cutscenes.

Enhanced inventory - The new inventory system makes item use and organization less complicated by introducing a separate sack for any alchemical ingredients, as well as a simple sort-and-stack function. Spend less time managing your inventory and more time playing the game.

Technical improvements - The enhancements made to the technical side of the game are too numerous to list, but a few of the highlights include greatly reduced loading times, greater stability, improved combat responsiveness, faster inventory loading, the option to turn autosave on or off, and more.

Character differentiation system - To add more variety to NPC and monster appearances, we've added a new character differentiation system that randomizes the appearance and colors of dozens of in-game models.

The Package - The Witcher: Enhanced Edition is more than just a better version of last year's RPG of the Year. The premium packaging would usually infer some sort of Collector's Edition... but at the price of a regular game, it's simply a great value. In your download you'll also get: Multilingual game disc, D'jinni Adventure Editor, Two new adventures offering 5+ hours of gameplay, Official Soundtrack, Music Inspired by The Witcher album, Making-of videos, Official game guide, Map of The Witcher's world
The 5000 lines of rewritten dialog and 200 add animations really show. It's little things you notice...like during cut scenes (rendered in the game engine), when someone slips and falls off a cliff, their feet slip in the right place, not like in Dragon Age 2 where the animations and gestures are so bad (not to mention the blood) that they take you out of the game experience. The story is interesting. The game open. The scenery spectacular even for a 4 year old game.

Attention to detail and some heart is what the Witcher brings which Dragon Age 2 lacks so badly. Original release was buggy for sure. It was a first release and they learned from it. I know going in that CD Projekt RED (the Developers) will support the game and care about it. It wasn't rushed to market. In fact, just the opposite.

I can't wait for Witcher 2.
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

Post by Funkmasterr »

I'm intending to pick this up, even though the first game couldn't pull me in. I think I got maybe a hour into it and got bored. I got considerably more enjoyment out of Dragon Age 2. To each their own, which is why you should keep your stupid little tirades to yourself.
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

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I have only one question: Tits?
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

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Funkmasterr wrote:I'm intending to pick this up, even though the first game couldn't pull me in. I think I got maybe a hour into it and got bored. I got considerably more enjoyment out of Dragon Age 2. To each their own, which is why you should keep your stupid little tirades to yourself.

I'm not telling anyone to pass on Dragon Age 2. I'm not even saying people will like Witcher 2 better. I did state why I thought it was better to me. It's an opinion. You shouldn't get so riled up about them.

Witcher is a slower, more in depth game. Some people won't like that.

--------
As some know. The original Witcher is known for awarding trading cards for women you bang in the game.

I've picked up all four cards so far through the first chapter:

Classy nude art but ***NWS*** nonetheless:

Triss:
[Show]
Image
Vesna Hood:
[Show]
Image
Some random peasant girl:
[Show]
Image
Abigale:
[Show]
Image
20 more cards to get! The Witcher is an animal!

There won't be any cards to get in Witcher 2. Bummer. These are all side "quests" that can be completely ignored. Some are fun. Vesna Hood, for example, after saving her from being raped and escorting her to her grandmother's house, won't put out unless you get her some wine and meet her at a specific location before nightfall. It's not just a dialog choice. It's a race to get the wine and to get to the spot before the clock strikes midnight. The point is that they have no impact on the game but if you choose to do them, they are fun.

I went through the first chapter of Witcher with an assload of side quests in my journal. For the most part, they were not "kill five sheep for xx reward", and if they were, the quests were all unique with extensive dialog and not repeatable. Even the side quests have dialog out the wazoo. They feel like part of the story and feel like you did something worthwhile, even if you could completely skip them.

The night/day cycles are well handled in Witcher. Many of the quests are restricted to a time of day...day/night, dusk/dawn. You don't have to sit around waiting for the time to roll around through. The Witcher can meditate by creating a campfire and choose how log to meditate for so you can always jump right to the proper time with little effort. The Meditation also is used for skill training, crafting, etc. To its credit, Dragon Age 2 does allow you to switch between night and day when you zone. Dragon Age 2 has a lot of dialogue as well but it's wasted on a lame story. Witcher's world is much richer and immersive with many more places to explore an buildings that can be entered.

I do hope they cut down on the components etc in WItcher 2. You can spend a lot of time looting houses, barrels, chests, wardrobes, etc. The depth of the alchemy is great in Witcher but I don't think people really want to sit around combining ingredients into potions for lengthy periods of time.

For me, Dragon Age 2's story is so bad, I lose interest in the game. It also has a "romantic" element to it but the character development is so bad, I could care less about it. The only character that interests me in Dragon Age 2 is my sister and I don't think the game will let me have an incestuous lesbian love affair. With no interest in the characters or overall story, it makes it hard to play a lengthy RPG. Key words here are "role playing game". I don't want to go through the game aimlessly, just leveling up my character with no feeling of purpose. That's why games like Mass Effect are so good. Character Development, excellent lore and story with a focus you can latch onto even if you don't know what's coming.
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

Post by Zygar_ Cthulhukin »

Heh, I actually have Vesna's card. All you have to do is buy some wine and meet her at the mill
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

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Zygar_ Cthulhukin wrote:Heh, I actually have Vesna's card. All you have to do is buy some wine and meet her at the mill

You meet her at the mill between dusk and midnight...after saving her from the rapists and escorting her home through dangerous territory! :)
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

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Yeah, it's been a while since I played, but I remember the cutscene with the townsfolk across the river commenting on the noise coming from the mill :)
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

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Winnow wrote:Anyone that hasn't played the original Witcher should go grab it on steam for $19.99 (it's been as low as $5 on Steam) (12.99 on Amazon) (Enhanced Director's Cut is only 9.95! on Direct Download)
Enhanced one is $5. Not sure for how long. In case anyone was interested. link! (digital download version)
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

Post by Funkmasterr »

Started playing this last night. It recommended I use "low" settings, but I moved it up to high and it runs smooth. Graphics are great, controls and UI are good.

I haven't got far in yet so I can't really comment on it overall, but I'm liking it. In the intro, there is a part where you are trying to take out a few people while avoiding a dragon breathing fire on the area, I encountered a fairly high level of frustration here. It seemed like the detection for where things on fire were was off, it took a bunch of tries before I got past it. Other than that no complaints so far.

Got it at Best Buy, you get a outfit to download from them, and you get a 10 dollar gift card with it.
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Re: Witcher 2 (I will buy this game!)

Post by Winnow »

played just the very beginning of Witcher 2.

As soon as I saw you could use an Xbox PC controller, I switched over to the controller. The game works great using the controller. Can't comment much yet as I barely saw anything, just played around with the controller.

I recommend using one if you have it.
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