The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6464 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5,355 out of 6464
  2. Mixed: 634 out of 6464
  3. Negative: 475 out of 6464
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  1. spmxvc
    Dec 16, 2011
    4
    What I always try to do when playing a new game is to purposely look for the bad features in the game, this lets me see if they can be overcome by the good features and whether the game will be enjoyable or not. One of the key things that you need to have in any RPG game is a smooth and consistent method of combat. Sadly the combat in The Witcher 2 is extremely clunky, inconsistent, andWhat I always try to do when playing a new game is to purposely look for the bad features in the game, this lets me see if they can be overcome by the good features and whether the game will be enjoyable or not. One of the key things that you need to have in any RPG game is a smooth and consistent method of combat. Sadly the combat in The Witcher 2 is extremely clunky, inconsistent, and quite often just downright frustrating. At times you will find that enemies just block attacks over and over again, leading you to resort to 'cheesy' tactics (running around in circles like a headless chicken, planting traps and throwing grenades. Pre-trapping areas against boss monsters with about 50 snare traps on top of each other.) in order to overcome them. Sometimes enemies will just outright kill you without you having any opportunity to retaliate. Then on other occasions you will effortlessly slaughter a group of enemies within the span of 5 seconds. The camera needs serious tweaking, and a Field of View option should be mandatory for any first or third person PC game these days. I like to actually be able to see things considering I'm using a 29" wide screen monitor. I wouldn't mind being able to consume potions without having 1 minute downtime every time I need to apply them. I find it ridiculous that some keys are hard-bound into the games code, so you can't even bind the keys the way YOU want it. Combat aside for a second and the game may have some redeeming features, other RPG's usually win points for ingenuity, story, character development. I just don't see any of that with The Witcher 2. The characters are pretty bland, and don't really make much of a forward movement from the first game in the series. The gameplay hasn't really taken much of a step up, I'd say in ways it's more frustrating than the first one. When I play games it's usually for a challenge at the same time as entertainment. The Witcher 2 tests my patience to the extreme. On an extremely robust computer the load times are agonizing, considering you'll be reloading some points over and over again. The graphics are pretty, but that's only after I watch the textures loading when I turn around quickly. The voice acting is good enough for an RPG, the sound in combat is acceptable, the music works well with the game and the situation (exploration/combat). There is no 'sprint' feature so travel-time can be excruciating during some points of the game. With sub-par combat, long and painful 'buff' periods, and an overall below average immersion level, I give the Witcher 4/10 for just not having the same kind of effect that the prequel did.… Expand
  2. Dethstar
    Oct 12, 2011
    4
    Unfortunately. I am comparing this to PC games and TW1 which in my opinion was vastly better. Requiring 2 9 gb patches within a 9 days of launch and still being flawed this is one awful example of what happens when a company designs for a console and this tries to fit a product coded for ancient hardware to state of the art PC. It was a nightmare which I couldnt bear. Another consoleUnfortunately. I am comparing this to PC games and TW1 which in my opinion was vastly better. Requiring 2 9 gb patches within a 9 days of launch and still being flawed this is one awful example of what happens when a company designs for a console and this tries to fit a product coded for ancient hardware to state of the art PC. It was a nightmare which I couldnt bear. Another console RPG/Action clone. Linear in the extreme and reliant on the (admittedly good) cut scenes for atmosphere and immersion. Personally, if I want to spend most of the time watching cut scenes, I will watch a movie. The linear gameplay made this feel like it would have been much happier droppng the human element and playing itself. I can understand this being a real blockbuster for the PC, lets be honest its so similar to Two worlds 2 and all the other lightweight RPG action clones for the console its pretty much interchangable.… Expand
  3. buzkashi
    Jun 12, 2014
    4
    Bugs! Still there even in the latest fully patched edition from GOG.
    A very good looking and potentially very enjoyable experience which is turned into an exercise in tedium by significant bugs. Specifically, there are times in combat, apparently at random, when the keys do not respond. The combat system ought to be amazing - simple but tough to master. But just as you start to get used    Bugs! Still there even in the latest fully patched edition from GOG.
    A very good looking and potentially very enjoyable experience which is turned into an exercise in tedium by significant bugs. Specifically, there are times in combat, apparently at random, when the keys do not respond. The combat system ought to be amazing - simple but tough to master. But just as you start to get used to it and you start thinking about tactics, and it's all looking interesting, your character stands there and does nothing while you hammer the keys. ARGH!
    And the crafting system which you start to enjoy and you make yourself a nice new sword and you forgive the game for its combat bug, and you finally win a big fight, and then your sword has disappeared! And it isn't part of the plot... it's another bug. Double ARGH!
    I realise that games such as this are massive undertakings, but bugs like this really spoil the potential enjoyment and turn what is meant to be entertainment into a dull exercise in repetition.    … Expand
  4. Ripley
    May 17, 2011
    4
    My, is this thing overrated! A good ole' RPG but nothing really new gameplay wise. Visuals hold their own but the story takes itself so damn seriously that it's impossible to enjoy the experience. Oh and it's one of those emo fantasy BS worlds where everything is so medieval England slash Russia it's no longer funny.
  5. sbross
    May 26, 2011
    4
    The combat system is terrible. Absolutely terrible. More super mario than an RPG. Solution: they need to add a cheat code so players can bypass the terrible combat sequences. At least then, players can at least access the storyline w/o a hassle. The first Witcher was an amazing. A labor of love. A joy to play from start to end.

    This one was damaged by the whims of marketing    The combat system is terrible. Absolutely terrible. More super mario than an RPG. Solution: they need to add a cheat code so players can bypass the terrible combat sequences. At least then, players can at least access the storyline w/o a hassle. The first Witcher was an amazing. A labor of love. A joy to play from start to end.

    This one was damaged by the whims of marketing weenies. It is a terrible shame. This was built to the specifications of 12 year olds, instead of being built for the adults that are the real fan base of this series. All they needed to do was upgrade the graphics, smooth out a couple of bugs, and give us more story!!!! I wouldn't buy this series again. I'm also sorry I tarnished the memory (the sheer joy) of the first game with my experience on this one.    … Expand
  6. gingerbill
    May 30, 2011
    4
    I wanted to like this game but i couldn't , there were just to many flaws . Although the story is the strongest part of the game it wasnt good enough to keep me going through the combat . I hate the combat , it's too simple and just isnt deep enough for an RPG . And there's very little character development , very few skills to choose from , again it seems like an action game rather thanI wanted to like this game but i couldn't , there were just to many flaws . Although the story is the strongest part of the game it wasnt good enough to keep me going through the combat . I hate the combat , it's too simple and just isnt deep enough for an RPG . And there's very little character development , very few skills to choose from , again it seems like an action game rather than an RPG . If you can enjoy the combat and dont mind not having much control over character skills then you probably would enjoy it. Thats is you have a very good PC.… Expand
  7. MattPowers
    May 31, 2011
    4
    Unless you hate clever story-telling, smart dialogues, or the English language, avoid this game like the plague! First of all, this game's story is atrocious: it evolves around pseudo-political plot points: why make the main plot about politics in a non-established universe that the game insists on not explaining? I mean we are two games in this series, and we still wonder: WHAT THE HELLUnless you hate clever story-telling, smart dialogues, or the English language, avoid this game like the plague! First of all, this game's story is atrocious: it evolves around pseudo-political plot points: why make the main plot about politics in a non-established universe that the game insists on not explaining? I mean we are two games in this series, and we still wonder: WHAT THE HELL IS A WITCHER? Obvious failure. Story: 0/10. The graphics are very pretty, even on a lesser machine like mine. Landscapes are beautiful, and the lighting effects are probably some of the best looking ever. 10/10. Music is boring, and uninspired, the sound-scape is terrible and amateurish 1/10. Now the game-play, let's focus on the broken...ohhh so broken combat system. It sucks...did I tell you It sucks? because it does...even those who "love" this game hate the combat system. The problem with the system is it doesnt know it's if "actionny" "strategical" or even older style "r-p-g-esque", It's a mix, a cross-bread, and in the end, it fails at being any or all of the above mentioned 3 systems. You will end up abusing the shield spell ( the only one needed ) or will end up running around your opponents in a very comedic and cartoony fashion waiting for your meter to recharge. gameplay 2/10. I give it a bonus point for the Morally grey decisions, those are fun and were a trademark of the first game. All and all, the game feels like an Industrial/EBM German robot-vampire love song and doesnt deserve anything more than the 4/10 I give it.… Expand
  8. Gus21
    Jun 2, 2011
    4
    We are living in a world in which when you are a rookie game developer company and you want to make a project that will be a hit, you must come up with a really good and original idea. CD project Red did exactly this with The witcher; A hardcore pc RPG tittle that was clearly unique in terms of story and gameplay options. The success of TW1 led cd project red into making a second game ofWe are living in a world in which when you are a rookie game developer company and you want to make a project that will be a hit, you must come up with a really good and original idea. CD project Red did exactly this with The witcher; A hardcore pc RPG tittle that was clearly unique in terms of story and gameplay options. The success of TW1 led cd project red into making a second game of the witcher concept in which they experimented even more using their own brand new game engine-an utter fail. The graphics may be brilliant, but the really -REALLY bad combat system blows away one fo the most important rpg element - the battle strategy planning. If you want to play a good action-adventure game TW2 wil satisfy you. But if you want to play a deserving sequel to The Witcher you will taste disappointment. It just lacks the magic of the original.… Expand
  9. SlubbertKing
    May 22, 2012
    4
    Its got kinda bugged controles. Didnt like the way they decided to make the 3rd person view work. Its a ok+ story but I wouldnt rly recomend buying this. Get something different like Skyrim if you want a RPG
  10. BountyCritic
    Jan 9, 2014
    4
    Overrated as **** The gameplay consists of running around towns and an averege combat system. The RPG elements are barely existant and don't really matter. The quests are boring and not anything special. But the thing people seem to like the most about the game is the story. And I find it to be a total piece of **** It has a nice setup, then for hours on end, nothing happens in the secondOverrated as **** The gameplay consists of running around towns and an averege combat system. The RPG elements are barely existant and don't really matter. The quests are boring and not anything special. But the thing people seem to like the most about the game is the story. And I find it to be a total piece of **** It has a nice setup, then for hours on end, nothing happens in the second act and little is added in terms of the story, which is a shame, sicne it's the longest act. The third act really tries hard to make a good twist and fails full frontal. Ooh, this character is bad? I DON'T CARE since I don't care about any of the characters except for Iorveth, who is the only person who gets any damn backstory and a some spotlight. And even when everything is unraveled and the mysteries revealed, it feels like the writers were just making **** up as they went on. So far, the only reason why I think people actually like it is because of its "mature" world. No, it is not mature. All it does is throws sex and curse words at you face! And politics! Like we play games to listen to politics! And since it is a fantasy world, you'd expect them to at least make the politics more interesting, but no! All they do is recite one point over and over again! And it's about equality of elves and humans and then nothign interesting along with it whatsoever! In Skyrim, for example you have the whole history of elven and imperial rivalry with the victory of Numidium, then the new Aldmeri dominion and the white gold concordate, but no interesting backstory is given! And if you haven't played the previous Witcher game, then get ready to read lots of Wiki lore, because the game couldn't be bothered to explain what the Wild Hunt is, even though it's one of the most essential plot elements of the game. Bottom line, it's not bad, but it is overrated. Is it worth playing? Only if you're a hardcore RPG fan, otherwise it's a straight no.… Expand
  11. Qarren
    Dec 18, 2020
    4
    I fell in love with the concept of the Witcher franchise after watching the Netflix adaption of the novels and decided to tackle the games. My thoughts after finishing The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition are as follows -- how on Earth did this franchise make it to a third game?
    I'm not trying be grouchy here. I'm genuinely interested in where the budget for the scope of    I fell in love with the concept of the Witcher franchise after watching the Netflix adaption of the novels and decided to tackle the games. My thoughts after finishing The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition are as follows -- how on Earth did this franchise make it to a third game?
    I'm not trying be grouchy here. I'm genuinely interested in where the budget for the scope of this game's sequel came from. The first game, while I did have a fair amount of enjoyment in it, was certainly no crowd pleaser with its stilted combat system and, while it had a strong fanbase, it had no broad audience of consumers, surely. Yet enough so to fund this game, and this is where it really surprises me.
    The 2nd game in this franchise is without a doubt suffering from middle child syndrome. The series hit its teen years and boy did it have an awkward time in high school. But enough beating around the bush: specifics, shall we?
    Let's start with the narrative. By all the means the first act of this game created an intriguing setup. Mysterious assassins of your own order killing monarchs, but why? And as much as the bad guy is quite the charmer (not just me, right?) and there does exist a sense of political intrigue it falls short. The 2nd act is worthily lengthy, but seems to tackle other issues entirely. The plot, the fickle mistress it is, races back in the third act after its absence becomes noted too many times this semester and hands out all the answers in a 5 minute cutscene and 5 hour optional conversation with the final boss. If I could teach you one thing about plot pacing it should be this, the Witcher 2's pacing is a big no no. You get pulled in, dawdle around for 20 hours and then have the biggest info dump in the last hour before an unsatisfying conclusion. No no.
    But awkward as it is, the story suffices for this rpg. Where the game really faults, is in the.. well.. the game. I can understand that some love this combat system for its difficulty, but hark I say. What a way to go about it. It's not difficult because of intelligent AI, enemy variation or puzzling scenarios to fight your way out of. No no. It's difficult because it's one piece a way from a collapsing Jenga tower. Movement in and out of combat is as far from 1 to 1 as a developer would dare go, which is made more noticeable by the fact that Geralt will get stuck on the tiniest root or pebble on the ground, particularly horrific in the jungle chapter where roots hidden by low brush abound. So good luck getting anywhere when an enemy is charging your kneecaps. Of course, you'll have to try anyway because dodge rolling like you were going down a steep hill covered in baby oil is the ultimate strategy to any fight. Blocking is as useless as a Virtual Boy emulator and you have to unlock countering later on if that's your fancy. So dodge roll all day, but you still won't get anywhere. Have fun.
    Speaking of levelling. I'm still not entirely sure there is a levelling system in this game. Though there appears to be one on the surface, it seems to only be there to serve as narrative progress and not character progress. No representation of your hard work here. An entire side quest to kill a hive of monsters (as a witcher is like to do) will net you a tenth of a level, yet watch a few narrative important cutscenes and pick a couple of dialogue options and level up 3 times. It's not like it doesn't make any sense, but unsatisfying doesn't cut it. Try 'complete and utter trivialisation of your input in favour of a few cheap one liners and some side boob.' Then again, I'd value the latter over hard work any day.
    Overall, unless you're really into tackling obtuse challenges or really into the witcher that you need to soak up as many white hairs as possible to make your biologically mutated brush blush, I'd steer clear of this one. And it's likely you already have if you'd played its sequel, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. There's no doubt that much of the audience that picked up that game for its critical and commercial success didn't bother to go back to these first two entries and if they did, many of them quit at the door. Which brings me back to my original question; how did the third game even happen? Now I haven't looked up the commercial success or development history of this entry to get my answer in order to maintain a false illusion of ignorance to give this review flair, but still...
    The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings doesn't value your input or time. It's a decent looking game discounting the ridiculous amount of bloom and contrast in sunny areas of the game that blind you like a quick gander at the sun... from 3 metres away. But otherwise, I cannot recommend this game.    … Expand
  12. LimitedEdition
    Nov 6, 2015
    4
    I wanted to try this game out after finishing "The Witcher 3 - Hearts of Stone" and I guess it would have been better the other way. This game feels uncomfortable, quite limited and from a technical point of view a bit clunky. While I can imagine that the story is quite well converted and the dialogs are already quite vivid, it might fail for me because of several trifles. If you can comeI wanted to try this game out after finishing "The Witcher 3 - Hearts of Stone" and I guess it would have been better the other way. This game feels uncomfortable, quite limited and from a technical point of view a bit clunky. While I can imagine that the story is quite well converted and the dialogs are already quite vivid, it might fail for me because of several trifles. If you can come over all this redundant obstacles you might enjoy it, for my part I cannot and therefore I would not recommend this game after having played the newest title.… Expand
  13. Voyou
    Jan 28, 2018
    4
    The Witcher 1 felt like a labour of love from talented amateurs. A good game that I finished eagerly despite the hassles, such as reincessantly rehacking respawns. Witcher 2 feels like the complete opposite. It is indeed gorgeous, lively and atmospheric, but everything else is ridiculously bad.

    QTE. Quick Time Events. Do I need to say more ? Oh, yes I do. That’s only the cherry on top    The Witcher 1 felt like a labour of love from talented amateurs. A good game that I finished eagerly despite the hassles, such as reincessantly rehacking respawns. Witcher 2 feels like the complete opposite. It is indeed gorgeous, lively and atmospheric, but everything else is ridiculously bad.

    QTE. Quick Time Events. Do I need to say more ? Oh, yes I do. That’s only the cherry on top of the iceberg. I literally laughed at some of the implementation issues.

    Let’s start with the tutorial, which confuses instead of teaching. I got stuck in it. I thought it was bugged. I Googled for a fix, and learned that there is no bug. There is just a big empty space in its designer’s brain. A guy actually wrote a tutorial that needs a walkthrough to complete. With a clue, it still took me 20 minutes of pressing various buttons everywhere in the UI, giggling at the ridicule of the situation.

    The UI, aah, the UI. The vast majority of software engineers are incapable of designing a proper UI, a smart and comfortable one.Intuitiveness, minimal clicks, font sizes, visibility, accessibility, clarity and so on, all foreign concepts to most. I don’t expect the quality of, say, Dishonored, in every game/player interface… well, in fact I do, but here we reach new lows. Good luck if you want to talk to a NPC standing between a door and a torch. Have fun checking your inventory. Switching directly to your character sheet. Reading the latter. Pruning your thousands of saves…

    The gameplay isn't fun either. Combat is 2-buttons smashing while Geralt wastes calories, dancing around and rolling like a buffoon in lieu of dodging. Looting is aka junk collecting; I suddenly became encumbered, had to finally browse the dreaded inventory, and realised I was carrying 40 kilos of timber and 40 kilos of cloth, among other crap. I stopped looting altogether. I don't even craft, nor do I use alchemy. If I want to cook, I go to the kitchen, I don't launch a video game. I came for the RPG and the exploration, and found very little of each.

    Sceneries look huge, yet the maps are tiny and practically linear. Since Geralt is blocked by any step higher than 33.33 centimetres, your job is to find the only interactive spot where he can climb up or down. Once in a while, there is a short dead-end you can visit, branching from your railroad. There, you can find a pointless encounter with a 2-lines dialogue, or a couple of plants to harvest. But only if you are lucky on a toss coin, because if you take the other path first, you can never go back.

    The RPG part is mostly through dialogue options. The very first time, when I choose a line, Geralt says something completely different. That alone sets the tone. It shows the value of your input. You know who is boss, and you certainly know you are not in an RPG. Later on, there were 3 or 4 options. I was reading the 2nd line when Geralt started mumbling out line 1. I thought it was bugged. I Googled for a fix, and learned that there is no bug. It's a reading race mini-game. They call it a feature. I call them morons.

    The sound effects are brilliant. However, dozens of people chattering at once when you speak to someone makes hearing your interlocutor impossible. And the subtitles are gone before you reach the end of the line.

    I've been talking about gameplay, except that most of Witcher 2 consists of cutscenes. Nice ones, some awesome ones, some funny ones, but cutscenes nonetheless. Millions upon millions of them. I was lucky I cared for the story, otherwise I would have fallen asleep. Still, way too much passive time for something that is supposed to be a game, and another big reason to give up after a few hours.

    In Witcher 1, I really loved the town. In W2, by the time I finally reached one, I was already put off by the game. I expected Flotsam to reinvigorate my immersion and my motivation. It didn't happen. I quit about there, but not before a last surprise and a good laugh at the expense of the devs : I stepped out of town. The monsters were waiting for me right behind the gates ! Just like the poster on the door said. I Kid you not, they camp there waiting to attack anyone who walks out. At the foot of the fortified wall. The one with nobody on the rampart to shoo or shoot them away. Such a wonderful, wonderful, and credible town.

    The list of flaws seems infinite and I must stop somewhere, but there is one I can't resist mentioning : In this fantasy, there are women. Middle-Age women, those with no rights and no value except the value of their beauty. So far so good. And since they undress easily, you can see that all these women have shaved armpits. Ah ah ah ! Must be because of all these Middle-Age commercials for cosmetic brands.

    TLDR: An interactive cartoon with rare moments of playing on a railroad with bad mechanics.    … Expand
  14. topmags
    Jan 5, 2017
    4
    Let me start off by saying that I really REALLY wanted to like this game. I played it from start to finish, I did 99% of the side quests, I really tried getting into it's story and characters and lore but it's mediocrity threw it all away.

    Cons: -Weak characters: None have sparked any value or interest whatsoever. Throughout the whole game I couldn't give two sh*ts about Letho and    Let me start off by saying that I really REALLY wanted to like this game. I played it from start to finish, I did 99% of the side quests, I really tried getting into it's story and characters and lore but it's mediocrity threw it all away.

    Cons:

    -Weak characters: None have sparked any value or interest whatsoever. Throughout the whole game I couldn't give two sh*ts about Letho and his crappy backstory. The only characters I actually ended up caring for were Geralt, Triss & Roche because the rest seemed so generic and expendable (yes, even Letho).

    -Weak story: Little to no interesting events: kill a giant monster in Flotsam, chase Letho & Triss, lift that bloody boring curse from Henselt's and then have your final clash with Letho.

    -Boring zones: I actually enjoyed Chapter 1 because it was the only time in this game when I actually felt immersed into the world UNTIL I hit chapter 2 & 3. Running around that war camp and afterwards in Loc Muinne felt like torture. I dreaded every second of it because the surrounding areas were so dull and lifeless. It felt like time had stopped and there was nothing going around, no ambience music or sounds, nothing. Both Loc Muinne and the war camp felt dead with barely any NPC movement around.

    -No open world: Sure you may be allowed to free roam the available zones but everything felt so enclosed and small. It literally felt like those levels you had in the first Doom games where you had to finish a certain objective to unlock the next level and NOT the next quest.

    -Lack of gameplay depth: You have access to a crafting system which allows you to create potions, weapons, armors and enchantments for those. I have to say that I only used these maybe 3-4 times (only to craft the best items) throughout the whole game while playing on Hard and I was OP enough to eat hits like a punching bag without dying too quickly. Take a look at Skyrim's crafting system and tell me that it's not better than what we got in Witcher 2.

    -Oversimplified combat: Left click, right click, occasionally press Q to cast a spell and roll like we're playing Dark Souls all over again. There is your combat in Witcher 2.

    -Horrible animations: if there is one thing I truly despised in this game it's got to be the animations. Every second I spent playing this game felt like I was back playing something close to Morrowind and not something that came out in 2011.

    Pros:

    Great protagonist: It was hard to find a pro point for this game, but I can't deny the fact that Geralt is one bad-ass son of a bi*ch. I enjoyed slaying monsters as him and I am definitely looking forward to try out The Witcher 3.    … Expand
  15. mario_sparrow93
    Apr 26, 2018
    4
    La historia será maravillosa pero jamás lo sabré. Yo no soy de esos que juegan a los juegos SÓLO, ÚNICA y EXCLUSIVAMENTE por la historia. Primero el juego me tiene que entretener por su jugabilidad, mecánicas, exploración, etc...y una vez consigue eso ya empezaré a exigirle una buena calidad narrativa. Pues esa fue la cuestión, la jugabilidad para mi gusto es MALA, el sistema de combate deLa historia será maravillosa pero jamás lo sabré. Yo no soy de esos que juegan a los juegos SÓLO, ÚNICA y EXCLUSIVAMENTE por la historia. Primero el juego me tiene que entretener por su jugabilidad, mecánicas, exploración, etc...y una vez consigue eso ya empezaré a exigirle una buena calidad narrativa. Pues esa fue la cuestión, la jugabilidad para mi gusto es MALA, el sistema de combate de por sí es aburrido porque solo se limita a rodar como una croqueta, y darle click todo el rato y las habilidades que tenemos tampoco es que fueran muy generosas: seis hechizos y por lo que he visto en el sistema de mejoras no podía aprender ninguna más. Pero al final eso es lo de menos, lo que me trilló de verdad fueron dos cosas: la linealidad ABSURDA que había por lo menos en el primer bosque, que consistía en caminos super estrechos dónde no puedes maniobrar absolutamente NADA; más luego la dificultad superdesbalanceada que tiene el juego, te lo pones en el nivel fácil y los combates son paseos, después te lo pones en normal y los combates en grupo son IMPOSIBLES. Hubo un combate contra un grupo de elfos en el que no podía hacer nada más que estar quieto hasta que un elfo se desequilibrara con mi bloqueo, aprovechar para lanzar ataques rápidos y luego volver en guardia antes de que me viniera uno a dañrme...ESA fue mi puñetera estrategia para salir vivo. Me preguntaréis ¿y por qué no bajas la dificultad? porque luego lo bajo y los elfos se convierten en sacos de entrenamiento, es que esto es o juanín o juanón. El sistema de exploración aburrido, lineal y con poco mapeado...y si tenían planeado hicciera las secundarias a contrarreloj en cada uno de los pueblos porque una vez acabadas las misiones principales en estos ya no podré volver NUNCA MÁS...lo llevaban claro XD. Los minijuegos como el de los puños tampoco los he entendido: UN PUÑETERO QUICK TIME EVENT DE CUATRO TECLAS, absurdo, ya podían decirme que mis adversarios se comen el corazón de sus oponentes que luego finalizo el combate sin que me toquen un pelo XD

    Respecto a la historia pufff.....no sé si es porque tarda en arrancar pero a mí no me estuvo enganchando NADA y el prólogo es de lo MÁS ABURRIDO que he jugado en mi vida: Todo cinemáticas y combates sosos. El juego en sí está muy poco equilibrado y la balanza calidad/diversión la tiene muy echada hacia un lado. Porque el juego se ve que es de muy buena calidad pero yo no tengo la suficiente paciencia para estar aguantando tantas horas de aburrimiento hasta que se ponga interesante el juego habiendo conocido otros juegos del mismo género que te enganchan desde el principio. A lo mejor soy yo el que no está lo suficientemente acostumbrado al género RPG pero de momento lo encuentro INFUMABLE. Y ES UNA PENA. Porque está todo el mundo con el The Witcher III que no respira y por eso jugué a este para poder jugar al III con una mínima base, pero si va a estar a la par que esto, la verdad es que no me invita a pillármelo :(    … Expand
  16. Jackthegamer
    Nov 15, 2022
    4
    I don't know what's wrong with me but I don't like The Witcher 2: Assassin's of Kings
  17. omerulas25
    Apr 15, 2020
    4
    is this a joke or something? combat is thrash, graphics is bad why am i should play this game
  18. yenom_nico
    Jul 2, 2020
    4
    This is worst witcher game! That Gameplay is Teribble and story is thrash I'm verrrry big Witcher fan I played W1 on hardest difficulty and W3 on Hardest difficulty with upscaling and all DLC's but this game W2 is really bad
  19. Justifour
    Aug 12, 2023
    4
    i don't like medieval setting, despite that it's pretty okay, but not in my case. I found it boring and dropped.
  20. Fastpoose
    May 22, 2015
    3
    So far I'm about 5 hours into this game. First off graphics are great. This is not an RPG, this is a hack in slash, and is pretty much just linear game so far, and extremely boring. Gonna give The Witcher 3 a shot now, but I won't hold my breath. It seems 80% of the gaming community are at odds with what I call a good RPG but oh well.
  21. giskard
    May 25, 2011
    3
    This game has good voice acting and an interesting story but in the gameplay department where it really feels like a bad console game ported to the PC. IF you like to run and jump off things, if you like to run, sneak, walk or any combination of those things, if you like to choose the direction your facing and choose the target your hitting, if like to hit enemies stood on the step aboveThis game has good voice acting and an interesting story but in the gameplay department where it really feels like a bad console game ported to the PC. IF you like to run and jump off things, if you like to run, sneak, walk or any combination of those things, if you like to choose the direction your facing and choose the target your hitting, if like to hit enemies stood on the step above you or below you or do any of the things you expect to be standard affairs in any RPG, then your in for a massive disappointment here because the Witcher 2 is a carefully controlled game that chooses those things for you. One like cut scenes with gameplay breaks using its dodgy AI. This game will not even run unless you turn your desktop resolution down to below 1920x1080 and set the game to the same resolution as your desktop. The register game window that offers a free troll quest, does not even accept keyboard input, so you cannot actually register the game and from what the official website says, they seem to be having serious issues with the servers that handle that. Overall, not a good game, its almost entirely eye candy and cut scenes getting all the positive scores, the game play it self is badly letting the side down.… Expand
  22. Hellspeller
    May 24, 2011
    3
    This was a huge disapointment.. I knew nothing of the Witcher before I friend told me it was great while speaking about Oblivion (Elders scroll). So I watched some preview I tried it out.. But really there's nothing special about it.. Even worse, the average everybody wont be able to run it on PC, I got a 8k $ comp brought 3 years ago, so still pretty good, I i'm still getting lag on lowThis was a huge disapointment.. I knew nothing of the Witcher before I friend told me it was great while speaking about Oblivion (Elders scroll). So I watched some preview I tried it out.. But really there's nothing special about it.. Even worse, the average everybody wont be able to run it on PC, I got a 8k $ comp brought 3 years ago, so still pretty good, I i'm still getting lag on low graphics.. Plus there are some ridiculous part in the game that'll just make you rage, like inbeatable bosses or run away in straight line from a dragon that'll kill you 50 times.. wtf ? Just wait for Skyrim people.… Expand
  23. Irishbrewed
    Aug 4, 2012
    3
    The game suffers from poor controls, feels like a bad port whereas this wasnt the case but it sill feels like real **** controls. Combat is clunky much like combat in AC games. The world and game is so linear its maddening. You literally run back and forth the entire game. Inventory is a pain in the arse to manage with all the flower picking this game wants you to do. Its really a pissThe game suffers from poor controls, feels like a bad port whereas this wasnt the case but it sill feels like real **** controls. Combat is clunky much like combat in AC games. The world and game is so linear its maddening. You literally run back and forth the entire game. Inventory is a pain in the arse to manage with all the flower picking this game wants you to do. Its really a piss poor game with **** story is nothing great either, and why does the witcher MUMBLE the whole game. Pass on this one, not worth your time!… Expand
  24. SpSatz
    May 18, 2011
    3
    This game is presents itself with some really difficult approaches for the gamer. But as there seems an overwhelming positive feedback from the gamerbase it seems it's console style gameplay und depth is the new standard to RPGs. One can not really describe this game anymore as a real RPG like in the old ways. There are comparisons to Baldur's Gate out there, but unlike this game BG hadThis game is presents itself with some really difficult approaches for the gamer. But as there seems an overwhelming positive feedback from the gamerbase it seems it's console style gameplay und depth is the new standard to RPGs. One can not really describe this game anymore as a real RPG like in the old ways. There are comparisons to Baldur's Gate out there, but unlike this game BG had character customization. If you don't like the silver haired, cat eyed witcher antihero then you can not change that in any way. The customization of his "class" is also not that wide. Some "spells" (runes) and combat moves to put your points into, that's it. No cleric, no rogue.
    The animations, as some reviews pointed out, are for once beautifully animated but absolutely unrealistic and awkward designed. Geralt must be hulk to swing and turn with his sword like this. This does not fit with the "adult", "grim" and "realistic" approach to fantasy the game otherwise tries to deliver.
    The game itself is not that much linear but you do not get much freedom too. The areas are very tiny and there is no open world, almost no ground to explore. But why would you go out and explore if you can not customize your character in any way either?
    The graphics on the other hand are really, really beautiful, but only to those who could a high end machine. On low details you are bound to graphics like 2005 and you still get fps issues here and there. Feels like a really sloppy programmed engine.
    The combat gameplay feels like some bad console hack and slay. You got issues with targetting, blocking and overall movement. As you can see the dumbed down menues everywhere it's obvious this title was made for use on consoles too. While I do not think RPGs can deliver aciton, like the Elder Scrolls series for example, this really is not it. Repetetive button mashing fights are not what makes RPGs shine. At least the combat feels more refined than in Witcher 1.
    The story is at best predictable and at worst just plain boring and uninvolving. But it may only be, that you can not really follow the emotions because Geralt is really a stranger and you do not really like him at any times. The adult scenes can not make up for this as it is always this silver haired guy who you are watching at. Really dissappointing.
    I can not give this game more points and even if you like Geralt and simplistic gameplay, between the sloppy engine and flat story no 10 points rating here is justified.    … Expand
  25. micmich
    May 22, 2011
    3
    The Witcher 2's world is interesting. Yet as it is playing this game is a chore. Technical issues kill the immersion while an awkward UI make the most mundane things painful. You may grind through it for the story's sake. But this won't be pleasant.

    The story's guiding word is 'disillusionment'. The Witcher 2's world is a hard, complicated place to live in. Death is commonplace, little    The Witcher 2's world is interesting. Yet as it is playing this game is a chore. Technical issues kill the immersion while an awkward UI make the most mundane things painful. You may grind through it for the story's sake. But this won't be pleasant.

    The story's guiding word is 'disillusionment'. The Witcher 2's world is a hard, complicated place to live in. Death is commonplace, little exists in the way of values and survival is key. Few people want to do good, and even when they do seldom are there clear cut alternatives. There are meaningful choices to be made, with interesting (if grim) consequences. But the game makes enjoying the story very, very hard.

    The interface is awkward. Picking objects up or speaking to characters forces you to painstakingly position your character, point at things with a sluggish cursor. This is how you'll spend 90% of the time in the game. Think "washing the dishes" level of fun.

    Combat has potential, totally squandered. The system is both action oriented and tactical. Hard. But the character is stiff and awkward. You press a button and find yourself checking whether it's actually executed (I'm pressing the parry button but is this the parry stance or not?), or press one to be completely surprised by the result (accidental target switch, jumping into the middle of a group of enemies... or no action at all). You constantly die due to some random action you didn't want. Seldom do you actually make a mistake in any other sense. Makes you feel clumsy and irritated.

    The game's performance is uneven, and generally bad. Lowering the settings to a level where 90% of the game gets you 30 fps won't prevent random stuttering. This kills all immersion, especially since this often happens during cutscenes.

    All this makes The Witcher 2 a hard game to enjoy. I feel as if it was a prototype of something really nice. If you're the person who loves a new gadget and doesn't care that it doesn't work half the time, and is a pain to use anyhow - go ahead.    … Expand
  26. Dezzan
    May 25, 2011
    3
    Well made story line, although does fall short at the ending. Good looking graphics. But thats about it for the positives. I had to spend a few hours just trying to get this game to work right. It would not play sound through my headset, and there was a random bug which cause my fps to drop into the single digit range (Radeon 6870). Also for the negatives, theres terrible mouseWell made story line, although does fall short at the ending. Good looking graphics. But thats about it for the positives. I had to spend a few hours just trying to get this game to work right. It would not play sound through my headset, and there was a random bug which cause my fps to drop into the single digit range (Radeon 6870). Also for the negatives, theres terrible mouse acceleration or something going on which causes the mouse to 'slide' around and making controlling anything, especially in menus, a pain. Also, the combat is horrid.… Expand
  27. MadclownJack
    Jun 27, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wow. I haven't seen such "glazed" crap in a long while...

    I won't be brief. I joined only to put this review here so people can learn what to expect of the game.

    1. The game is ridiculously short. What is there to play, will fast become tedious backtracking and dull repetition of actions to the point that you'll wish to delete the game right then and there and forget it even exists. I also need to point out that there's not much to do. Simple side quests that put WOW to shame, so insanely complicated by the lack of navigation and explanation it borders stupidity. Bravo.

    2. It's complicated. Pointlessly complicated. The task of creating and/or drinking a potion requires you to enter meditation mode. Why? The potions are so nonsensically useless, I beg to question the point of their existence in the game. I only used one potion. ONE POTION. And only because the game told me i had to. I got more use of the oils. Which brings me to the item creation feature. You have to FIND and PAY craftsman to create an item. I realize Geralt's no McGuyver but that's just stupid. A craftsman skill would've made more sense in my opinion. But that's just me. I also found the mutagens to be useless.

    3. The combat system is confusing. Half the time i don't know what i'm doing and the guide offers little help. Considering i haven't played the first Witcher game, i can't exactly say if it had a better one, but this one sucks and that's all i care. 4. I think the game has more bugs that Stalker Clear Sky. I'm even prepared to say that it has more bugs than BIOSHOCK. At least Bioshock didn't have much bugs that were crippling for the further development of the story. Patch 1.2 installed and nothing's changed.

    5. Anticlimactic story ending. The story begins interestingly enough, builds up a massive fuss, only to end with a fart in the wind. I'll not say why, i don't wish to spoil anything, but i know people will understand what i mean. The the boss fights are Ok. It's much like an "interactive movie", like most people warn, but i wish to point out that there's an accentuation on the "movie" bit, while the "interactive" part falls very short. I was left disappointed and without a yearning for a replay.

    The ONLY positive side of the game is that i'ts eye candy. I applaud and commend the fine gentlemen that were in charge of the game's visual designs and artwork because that's the only thing that drove me to keep on playing even though i hated myself for being so weak.

    In summation, I don't like the game. I'm sure others will like it. As for me, I guess i had high hopes. For something more than a messy plot and fantastic visuals. The problems the game clearly has, are just too much for me. And i'm being lenient, believe me.    … Expand
  28. Accountant
    Jul 20, 2011
    3
    The only reason I considered giving this game any points were its incredible graphics but that's about it. The lack-luster combat of this game killed this game for me. Luckily I was able to check this game out at a friends place so didn't had to spend any money. I have so many other games to try that I usually move on if the game doesn't hook me from the onset. Witcher 1 hooked me rightThe only reason I considered giving this game any points were its incredible graphics but that's about it. The lack-luster combat of this game killed this game for me. Luckily I was able to check this game out at a friends place so didn't had to spend any money. I have so many other games to try that I usually move on if the game doesn't hook me from the onset. Witcher 1 hooked me right from the prologue and I really liked its more simplistic and fun combat. Witcher 2 combat just didn't grip me atall. Geralt has went from a master swordsman to a novice it seems, rolling, avoiding attacks, parry, have to be using signs, no auto-target; basically getting his behind kicked most of the times. Combat is as essential element for me (perhaps even more) as story and graphics. So the boring, somewhat hard and poor combat system was the end of Witcher 2 for me. I guess people prefer this complexity in fights I surely don't so I moved on. Hopefully Witcher 3 will have a better combat system that appeals to a broader audience.… Expand
  29. giappone
    May 24, 2012
    3
    I gave this game a 3. That's because I left it around one third of the whole game. I wanted an RPG game like Witcher1, for the PC you know. And I ended up with a stupid consol platform/arcade. Why no official review mentions this? I tried to kill the 1st boss at least 40 times. It didn't work, the controls wasn't made for the PC. I played many action games - Crysis1-2, MOHs, CODs, MWs,I gave this game a 3. That's because I left it around one third of the whole game. I wanted an RPG game like Witcher1, for the PC you know. And I ended up with a stupid consol platform/arcade. Why no official review mentions this? I tried to kill the 1st boss at least 40 times. It didn't work, the controls wasn't made for the PC. I played many action games - Crysis1-2, MOHs, CODs, MWs, etc. Also online shooters. I load back 50 times if needed if something keeps me going on, but in W2 I just grew angrier... After many tries I gave in, used a cheat, played some more than deleted the game and sold it. This was the last time I actually bought a game without playing it through before... If game companies lie to me, I feel myself authorized to cheat too, but I won't. I play fair. But I pay only after playing it through...… Expand
  30. Fonzy
    May 28, 2014
    3
    I just don't get it, you guys, and I find it hard to believe that CD Projekt has 2,860 employees, so someone explain to me where all these 10s are coming from. After about 5 hours of playing this, I am straight up BORED. Gruff-voiced tough-guy anti-hero? Check. Big breasted female characters who serve primarily as window dressings? Check. Meandering, "complex" story that doesn'tI just don't get it, you guys, and I find it hard to believe that CD Projekt has 2,860 employees, so someone explain to me where all these 10s are coming from. After about 5 hours of playing this, I am straight up BORED. Gruff-voiced tough-guy anti-hero? Check. Big breasted female characters who serve primarily as window dressings? Check. Meandering, "complex" story that doesn't appear to be really going anywhere? Check. Amnesia trope? Check. Random narration with no real rhyme or reason? Check. Scripted/directed _everything_? Check.

    The dialogue scenes are constant, boring, and only advance the plot centimeters at a time. In the brief interludes where I get to wander around a bit, the world is so closed off that I feel like I'm playing a rail shooter. The random snippets of combat that do take place ratchet up the excitement to the level that you'd expect from digging in a toolbox to find the right size wrench. And then there's the arm-wrestling mini-game and street fights determined by pressing the correct button when it flashes on the screen. YAAAWWWWN.

    The best thing I can say about this game is that I got it for $3 on Steam. Also, the graphics and sound aren't terrible. I do like the comic-book interludes as a nice change of graphical pace. I really hate to give up on any title, so I'll probably give it another chance or two, but at this rate, I won't feel bad uninstalling it.

    Mediocre at best.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

12
#12 Best PC Game of 2011
7
#7 Most Discussed PC Game of 2011
7
#7 Most Shared PC Game of 2011

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 76
  3. Negative: 0 out of 76
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 21, 2011
    93
    Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. A true, polished diamond. Watch and learn Bioware. [May 2011]
  2. GamingTrend
    Sep 14, 2011
    92
    The Witcher 2 easily stands amongst the big boys in the CRPG crowd and is also the best Action RPG to come out since Mass Effect 2.
    Read full review
  3. GamingXP
    Sep 7, 2011
    90
    The Witcher 2 offers awesome sword fights, cool graphics, charming characters, a compelling story, lots of bare skin and a decent shot of vulgar conversations. Damn good.
    Read full review
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