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. egocentryk
    May 17, 2011
    7
    Definitely one of the best games I've ever played. Amazing story, compelling characters, incredible graphics and great battle mechanics. Congratulations CD Project RED - You've done great job making most immersing RPG ever.
  2. Argoss
    May 26, 2011
    5
    Average at best - has some significant issues, mainly combat is terrible as the fights itself are too hack&slashy. Also lack of any open world disqualifies this game as an rpg. It is an action game with light rpg-like topping on it. Something like Assassin Creed. Story is good, I liked scripting and graphic, but the combat and poor inventory management spoiled a lot of fun for me. This isAverage at best - has some significant issues, mainly combat is terrible as the fights itself are too hack&slashy. Also lack of any open world disqualifies this game as an rpg. It is an action game with light rpg-like topping on it. Something like Assassin Creed. Story is good, I liked scripting and graphic, but the combat and poor inventory management spoiled a lot of fun for me. This is the same thing that Bioware tried to pull off with DA II, just better executed, but it is still light years away from great classics like Baldur Gates/Wizardy/Might and Magic/Elder Scroll series… Expand
  3. neurotopia
    May 18, 2011
    6
    the world is visually pleasing: i'd give it a 10/10
    character animation is well done: 8/10
    tech stability: 7/10 - why: over all, things have been ok. there are a couple places where the game has just hung during cut scenes. the story is compelling and engaging: 8/10 the npcs seem quite believable: 8/10 player interface: 3/10 - why: it's unwieldy. you cannot set keyboard controls    the world is visually pleasing: i'd give it a 10/10
    character animation is well done: 8/10
    tech stability: 7/10
    - why: over all, things have been ok. there are a couple places where the game has just hung during cut scenes.
    the story is compelling and engaging: 8/10
    the npcs seem quite believable: 8/10
    player interface: 3/10
    - why: it's unwieldy. you cannot set keyboard controls from within the game. many keys cannot be bound at all (e.g. arrow keys, +, -, and NO KEYPAD keys at all, etc.). i'm sorry but that's basic UI design failure on a level that truly undermines the thoughtfulness and attention to detail present elsewhere in the game. cut scenes can't be skipped, so if you die during a mission, you have to relive them... over and over.
    combat system: 7/10
    - why: it feels clunky and lacks intuitive flow, though it gets cudos for being fast paced and bloody.
    controls: 3/10
    - why: in short, it's clumsy. turning, climbing, interacting with the world... it all feels inconsistent and plays unlike anything i've experienced before. granted, historically i've been a pretty big game snob and generally only play titles that win tons of awards, but i thought with all the buzz around this game the risk of disappointment was minimal. i feel like i should be using a console control, not a keyboard. and no, i'm not bashing consoles so let's not start that. but when it comes to precision, you just can't beat a mouse and keyboard -- assuming the game was properly made. supposedly the open game world allows you to do all sorts of different things, like climb structures and whatnot. and you can, as long as devs made that object "climbable". which is the problem: there's little consistency and no way to know if you can interact with an object unless you stand in a pretty specific spot. so even if you walk past something that you could climb, unless you're standing on a just the right set of pixels, you won't know it. there's no glow, no altered shading... nothing. just a little icon that may or may not appear if you stand in exactly the right spot. it's like the devs created a beautiful game with a great story but had absolutely no concern for playability. overall playability: 6/10
    - why: it doesn't matter how good the story and graphics are, if the gameplay is too frustrating the player's experience will be diminished. for this reason i rate the game at a 6/10. which is typically below the threshold of what i am willing to buy and play. and i'm just not having that much fun with this game. at least, not yet. i will keep playing a few more days. if my opinion changes, i will update my review. but for right now, i wish i'd spent my $45 on something else.    … Expand
  4. Jimbob2k666
    May 19, 2011
    7
    I'm basing this review on the back of around 6 hours of play. I have an above average PC with a 5770 ATI card which is no slouch and should be able to play most recent releases with a good framerate so long as I don't expect to have full on graphic settings. However, even with everything set to their lowest settings and almost every nicety disabled, I can barely get a steady framerateI'm basing this review on the back of around 6 hours of play. I have an above average PC with a 5770 ATI card which is no slouch and should be able to play most recent releases with a good framerate so long as I don't expect to have full on graphic settings. However, even with everything set to their lowest settings and almost every nicety disabled, I can barely get a steady framerate above 30.....I'm not alone and plenty of ATI and some Nvidia users are experiencing the same...So, that is an initial disappointment, on to the game itself.....The first Witcher (enhanced version) was a great game, very much open world and you could explore a lot whilst working on the quests....W2 claims to offer the same but doesn't deliver as almost everything is linear, with the sidequests tagged on which themselves don't allow you to go exploring.....In fact, the only real exploring you can do is within the towns and villages you visit during your way to main objectives.....The loot drops are extremely clumsy to pick up and you find yourself running back and forth and constantly trying to get the camera into a position so that you can highlight the drops and pick them up.....The inventory screen is a nightmare to work and even with the physical premium edition I have with it's manual and game guide won't help you figure out how to properly control the game screens.....As for combat, this is a bit of a step backwards from the first game with no real combo's to talk of, just normal hit and hard hit with a kind of "special move" kill should you manage to stun an opponent to make it trigger......There are certain events like barfights and some interactive cutscenes that involve you needing to press a series of keys or buttons (for controllers) which threw me back to the days of good old Shenmue, but even these are lacklustre in design, and are far too easy to beat on the normal difficulty setting. The only pleasure in combat is that the difficulty is really quite tough and some fights will require you to redo them a couple of times, which is almost unheard of in most of todays easy-mode RPGs......In summary, for me there are too many cutscenes, too much talking and not enough action. Maybe a few patches down the line Witcher 2 can achieve a standard which the developers reached with the re-worked first edition. But it sure needs new GFX card drivers and/or work to optimize it for gamers who have components up to a couple of years old. The game looks ok, but it's still using DX9, and in today's age, it really shouldn't be difficult to get a good framrate (I consider 60fps a benchmark) for people like myself with a 3.0ghz Quad core CPU, 4gb RAM, 64bit W7 and a 5770ATI card. ----- Needs Work - - 6/10, would give 8/10 if it ran nicely.… Expand
  5. karmasleeper
    Jun 11, 2011
    7
    The Witcher 2 represents a step forward in terms of visuals mitigated by more than a couple steps backward in terms of combat, user interface, and alchemy.

    Visually, TW2 impresses, even on mid level machines. On high end hardware, the game is simply breath taking. Few games boast such a robust attention to detail. The game is highly GPU dependent as any PC game should be, and even on    The Witcher 2 represents a step forward in terms of visuals mitigated by more than a couple steps backward in terms of combat, user interface, and alchemy.

    Visually, TW2 impresses, even on mid level machines. On high end hardware, the game is simply breath taking. Few games boast such a robust attention to detail. The game is highly GPU dependent as any PC game should be, and even on my outdated EVGA GTS 250, I was able to achieve a more than playable frame rate between 40 and 60 FPS on â    … Expand
  6. Sirik_Matak
    Sep 15, 2014
    5
    The game looks marvelous, the execution of visuals, storytelling and everything connected is just perfect. You can actually care about characters and their stories, and the main plot isn't just shoveled down with an uninspired ending like in the previous title. The story connections to the prequel surely will make me to replay this title few times.

    Why 5 then? Because the gameplay    The game looks marvelous, the execution of visuals, storytelling and everything connected is just perfect. You can actually care about characters and their stories, and the main plot isn't just shoveled down with an uninspired ending like in the previous title. The story connections to the prequel surely will make me to replay this title few times.

    Why 5 then? Because the gameplay absolutely sucks in every possible way. The combat system is a clusterf***, the lack of control and annoyances surrounding it (picking up items in the middle of the fight, come on) and the character development is just subpar and far below what the first game offered. The UI is tiring and navigating takes definitely too much time and clicking, drinking potions is just a chore to do, magic signs are unprecise and not really useful. They could ditch out the combat entirely, making a point'n'click adventure game and the game would only benefit from it.    … Expand
  7. lordpyrope
    Jun 8, 2014
    5
    This game is a great ACTION RPG so if you are into that kind of stuff, go for it. I hesitate to give this game beyond a mediocre score because I was unable to assume the role of our dear Witcher. For me relating to a character is of utmost importance within a role-playing game. Usually, this comes from a large amount of character customization. I have no issue taking a stock madeThis game is a great ACTION RPG so if you are into that kind of stuff, go for it. I hesitate to give this game beyond a mediocre score because I was unable to assume the role of our dear Witcher. For me relating to a character is of utmost importance within a role-playing game. Usually, this comes from a large amount of character customization. I have no issue taking a stock made character as long as I can take ownership of them, however, this was not the case in Witcher 2. While customization does exist a character cannot become more than a warrior that can occasionally throw a spell or, if luck was with you, sneak and take out an enemy.

    As a role playing game it isn't quite there but as an action adventure it delivers. However, the UI and the sometimes glitchy combat system will throw you off. I am fortunate that I am able to enjoy the graphics at ultra. It is stunning.

    Also, sometimes it feels like a hormonal teenager wrote the script with all the **** in it. Its like I am walking down the street to buy some bread and bam **** in my face. Maybe that's why people give it such great reviews.

    I love the alchemy system. I like to drink a lot of potions at once and try to off myself. heheh

    If you are a fan of pure RPGs this will leave you a little disappointed, but if you like action oriented play with some customization then go for it.    … Expand
  8. demixzz
    Jul 10, 2020
    7
    I liked the game, but there are a lot of different problems. Problems with the combat system, when I sold a thing accidentally for 50 Oren, and the seller put it up for 1000, maybe so the developers tried to balance the currency, but it can be easily farmed and therefore this is a minus. I will not list everything else. The plot is good with replayability, interesting dialogues,I liked the game, but there are a lot of different problems. Problems with the combat system, when I sold a thing accidentally for 50 Oren, and the seller put it up for 1000, maybe so the developers tried to balance the currency, but it can be easily farmed and therefore this is a minus. I will not list everything else. The plot is good with replayability, interesting dialogues, interesting characters, interesting world and graphics are very good for an RPG in 2011… Expand
  9. CD001
    Jun 12, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Graphics are great, voice acting is good, storyline's good and it's actually challenging (a definite plus) - really, this should be "the greatest RPG of 2011" ... but it's not, sorry. The game is flawed; CD Projekt Red have made some definitely strange decisions with The Witcher 2. First off, potions - a Witcher without potions is hardly a Witcher - and yet now you can't quick-slot them, you have to meditate before combat to drink your potions... definitely a bad move. Quick Time Events (QTE) - really, leave these on the consoles - tap X, now Y, now Z ... sorry, W, A or S. What? I wanted a game, not a movie with a random reaction test to occasionally hit a key. Oh, and it doesn't matter what level you are, mis-time hitting that key and you're dead. And boss fights? Really? This isn't Sonic the Hedgehog where I'd expect to bounce off the head of Doctor Robotnik at the end of every level - this is supposed to be a mature RPG. If you're going to do "boss fights" you have to do them well (like in say Metal Gear Solid 4) where you've generally got at least a couple of ways to achieve your goal - the Witcher 2 does them badly; they generally run to the effect of - drop you in an inescapable room with a badass monster/NPC and let you die repeatedly until you've worked out which particular tactics you're supposed to use to win... you must dodge 30 insta-death attacks until you tire the monster enough to whip a pink tutu over its head so that it dies of embarrassment - or something.

    OK - general monster mashing combat has been improved since the original Witcher - there's a lot more dodging and bomb chucking required to excel - you can't just wade into a huge mob of drowners and occasionally click a button to win. The graphics, sound and all the shiny, shiny are streets ahead of anything similar - it blows Dragon Age 2 out of the water... but the gameplay; to be honest, it doesn't actually play as well as the original Witcher. The prologue for instance - playing "dodge the dragon" is just rubbish - "oh, we've arbitrarily changed the camera angle so that instead of pressing W to run forward you now need to press A to run down the screen..." - and for what purpose - to give you another pointless reaction test.

    Then there's the "what the hell am I supposed to do now factor" ... take the Kayran fight in Act 1 for instance. Right I've chopped off the tentacles and it's dropped a bridge on its head... now what? Oh, I see, I'm supposed to randomly run up some fallen masonry and throw a magical bomb that I don't actually have into its open gullet? Seriously?

    At least they've fixed the "Invert Mouse" and key bindings options now - otherwise I'd have only given it a 6. Still, I suspect if I was playing this game on the XBoX I'd have been much more impressed - on the PC I'm getting a distinct feeling of "crap, they've consolised another great game and borked it on the PC".    … Expand
  10. Sandman
    Jul 3, 2011
    7
    This could have been an amazing game but unfortunately has been released as the scourge of modern PC RPGs - a dumbed down console conversion. There are some truly outstanding qualities here, a complex adult storyline, top notch voice acting and good graphics to name but a few. However to anyone who is a fan of PC games and has been since the days before cross platform releases became theThis could have been an amazing game but unfortunately has been released as the scourge of modern PC RPGs - a dumbed down console conversion. There are some truly outstanding qualities here, a complex adult storyline, top notch voice acting and good graphics to name but a few. However to anyone who is a fan of PC games and has been since the days before cross platform releases became the norm to boost the developer's revenue, this game epitomises all that is wrong with PC gaming today. The clunky and at times poorly responsive controls, the invisible walls, the simplistic yet awful 'Quick-Time Events', the simple inventory, the context sensitive ('push 'x' to win') cursor and character progression system to name but a few. Even from the start when the box to redefine your keys is tacked on like an afterthought to the out-of-game menu and then subsequently the QTEs fail as the on screen directions cannot tell you which key to press at the critical moment you are left with no doubt that you are playing a game aimed at the distinctly less cerebral console market. None of these factors in themselves is enough to ruin the game entirely but their sum total and the overall 'feel' suffers badly to the point where I really didn't feel immersed anywhere near as much as the first Witcher. In fact by the end I was almost beyond caring which is the polar opposite of how a decent RPG should draw you in and engage you.
    It is a strange direction for CD Projekt to have taken. On the one hand the story is wonderfully complex, the characters are deep and engaging, we have to take some difficult decisions and see through their consequences and there is enough sex and violence to be certain this is aimed at a mature audience. On the other a number of the gameplay aspects have been simplified and console convert glitches left in to annoy those who thought this was going to be a 'proper' PC game. If you're a recent console convert, cannot relate at all to the things I'm talking about or just want a good-looking, deep RPG which, don't get me wrong, has an awful lot going for it, then jump right in and have a blast. If you were disappointed by Far Cry 2, loved Call of Pripyat and don't want your precious memories of The Witcher tarnished - still give it a go; just wait a while for the price to drop and enjoy it for what it is.    … Expand
  11. Skycrimson
    Apr 17, 2012
    7
    My favorite game on the PC by far. Everything is great! Best graphics, story and gameplay in a game ever created. There is nothing like it on the consoles. Shame this game will be completely overlooked.
  12. beetsaregood
    Aug 12, 2011
    7
    Compelling story and incredible visuals marred by buggy combat mechanics and tedious quests. There's no denying that the Witcher 2 is one of the best looking games to date. Trees, grass, and urban textures and objects are rendered in great detail. Depth of field and lighting effects are also put to great use. The story is also quite good, allowing you to choose a morally complicated pathCompelling story and incredible visuals marred by buggy combat mechanics and tedious quests. There's no denying that the Witcher 2 is one of the best looking games to date. Trees, grass, and urban textures and objects are rendered in great detail. Depth of field and lighting effects are also put to great use. The story is also quite good, allowing you to choose a morally complicated path that appears to have real effects down the line in true Witcher style. Unfortunately the combat mechanics are incredibly buggy, which leads to lots of frustration and reloading. After several patches (up to 1.35 currently), which improved the combat from unplayable to merely terrible, the biggest issue remains sign casting. For no apparent reason, signs will often fail to cast in the middle of combat: For example, with vigor to spare, Geralt will simply stare out into space as you repeatedly hit the hotkey for Quen. Jam it enough times, though, and Geralt snaps back into action. This makes battle outcomes feel random: get lucky and signs cast on the first or second attempt and you can win easily, but if you're unlucky it's time for another reload. Beyond this, combat is okay though very imprecise and unsatisfying.

    Quests, especially during the middle chapter, can be unbearably tedious. Quest indicators on the big map are buggy and sometimes direct you to the wrong location, and the big map is sometimes difficult to decipher, so you should be prepared to waste lots of time running (or rolling) around in circles, looking for some non-obvious path or fork. Also, the minimap is dark and utterly useless, so you'll be pulling up the big map every 30 seconds for a fair number of quests.

    A few additional notes: the looting aspect of this game is poorly developed--the mechanic itself is awkward and there's very little incentive to pick things up and sell or use them--and equipment upgrades are pretty limited. These are defensible design choices, but they have an adverse effect on replayability.

    In sum, Witcher 2 has the story and graphics to make it an excellent interactive movie, but with respect to gameplay, it leaves much to be desired.    … Expand
  13. Aiden_Cora
    Oct 9, 2011
    7
    Overall a decent game, though I still find the first Witcher to be slightly better. Very nice graphics and the movie-like gameplay unfortunately do not cover up the fact that the game gets boring fast. Despite that, in my opinion it deserves a strong 7.0.
  14. George1998
    Jul 2, 2011
    7
    This definitely is Game of the Year 2011. The single best RPG I have played since Planescape: Torment. The characters are deep and complex, the storyline develops depending on your actions and choices. It takes what was good from every single RPG released in the last 15 years and makes it into something better. The graphics are simply the best ever seen in an RPG
  15. moseao
    May 27, 2011
    7
    This is a good game, but it could have been great. When all is said and done, it suffers from the same problem as Dragon Age 2, although not to as great an extent. Pros: Amazing graphics. Every part of this game has been lovingly crafted to be visually pleasing.
    Good story and characters. The major characters are very believable, and have very defined personalities.
    Some parts of the    This is a good game, but it could have been great. When all is said and done, it suffers from the same problem as Dragon Age 2, although not to as great an extent. Pros: Amazing graphics. Every part of this game has been lovingly crafted to be visually pleasing.
    Good story and characters. The major characters are very believable, and have very defined personalities.
    Some parts of the combat system were great, most notably the difficulty at higher settings. You can't just expect to walk into a fight and mow down everything with your massive stats.

    Cons: The game is on rails from the beginning. You can alter the storyline by your choices, but there's really no exploration to speak of.
    The menu system is very aggravating, and you will spend much more time sorting through things than you should ever have to.
    Other parts of the combat system are less than amazing. You'll need to remember the function of practically every key on the board. Forgot what one of them does? Tough. Go read the manual. Oh you can change the key mapping.....outside the game.....only to forget it later...... This wouldn't be as big a problem if there weren't so many keys you need to remember. There wasn't a single moment playing this game that I didn't yearn for the Over-The-Shoulder (OTS) system from the first game. Three separate keys for journal, character, and inventory? Really?...and I can't just switch between them in any simple way? You need to physically click exit every time you want to change one and then remember the key for the other menu that you want to go to. Seriously.

    Don't get me wrong, Witcher 2 is still a good game. It's just that this seems to be what happens to every franchise when they start to see a little success. They try to make everything bigger, louder, and flashier at the expense of key gameplay elements. Thankfully Witcher 2 still has some fight left in it, but I can't help seeing the flaming pile DA 2 turned out to be, and find a little bit of that here.    … Expand
  16. brightng
    May 22, 2011
    7
    Some aspects are quite good, some really annoying. I enjoy the characters overall. The combat overall is fun. Alchemy and signs to a lesser extent add some interesting depth, though I find some signs are definitely more useful than others.

    Here are where I find the game has it shortcomings. 1. I can't say much about the graphics, because my rig (tried on 1gb ATI and NVidia) doesn't seem    Some aspects are quite good, some really annoying. I enjoy the characters overall. The combat overall is fun. Alchemy and signs to a lesser extent add some interesting depth, though I find some signs are definitely more useful than others.

    Here are where I find the game has it shortcomings. 1. I can't say much about the graphics, because my rig (tried on 1gb ATI and NVidia) doesn't seem enough for more than low settings without serious drag. 2. I find it really hard to use the mouse. Sometimes, despite setting mouse sensitivity to low, I find myself facing 180 degrees away from where I want to be. Ironically, I have the opposite problem on the arm wrestling game, where I can't make my mouse stay on the yellow bar. Once the other guy gets going, there is no way for me to stop the descent. It makes this minigame one of the least enjoyable I've played in my 30 years of gaming and I'll avoid it as much as possible. 3. Often my keystrokes are missed, so that I push them multiple times to get something done. This increases as the game plays, which I guess means a memory leak and repeated on and off's. 4. I actually liked the character model for Geralt better in TW1. This one doesn't quite cut it for me.    … Expand
  17. Fireside
    Sep 14, 2011
    7
    Decent game. Played through it on hard and the difficulty was to my liking for the most part. However, there really isn't a whole lot of combat in this game, which is good because as everyone knows it's as finicky as a transsexual choosing which pisser to use.

    Story is confusing but whatever. It works for the most part. Pretty as a princess. More like mass effect than oblivion.
  18. HerHavuzun
    Oct 26, 2011
    7
    Nice graphics. Deep combat system. A storyline that is heavily influenced by your choices, And an interesting but sometimes confusing plot. A good effort.
  19. Haon
    Mar 5, 2013
    6
    I don't know what it is about me and the Witcher series. I'm a gamer; I should love them, right? Guess not... For the record, objectively I'd probably give this game a 8 or 9, but I have too many subjective issues with it, so its down to a 6. Here's a list of the good and the bad:

    The good - AWESOME graphics. I only have a laptop, and even on low settings this games graphics were    I don't know what it is about me and the Witcher series. I'm a gamer; I should love them, right? Guess not... For the record, objectively I'd probably give this game a 8 or 9, but I have too many subjective issues with it, so its down to a 6. Here's a list of the good and the bad:

    The good
    - AWESOME graphics. I only have a laptop, and even on low settings this games graphics were totally realistic. The setting. The slums, the castles, the towns, they feel real. The combat. Though I prefer tactical RPGs to action games, TW2 has stellar combat controls. The journal. THIS. Right here. I spent more time reading the journal for the story than I did listening to dialogue. They hit this out of the park, and then some. The bad:
    - The amnesia/lack of back story. I am lost as to who most of the characters are. Sure a quick google search does wonders, but I hate hopping out of the game to figure out who some of the main characters are. Not a good approach to a sequel. The story. Okay, caveat here: I never finished it. Now, spoiler alert: I didn't mind the prologue and the first act, but it was obviously all setup. I was stoked when I got to Act 2 and nothing. I'm sent hunting for items to break a curse when the freaking love of my life is getting dragged along to who knows where? WTF! Screw my good name! I'm going after the woman I love! This was a horrible break in the momentum and really killed the story for me.
    - The combat. As great as it is, it is a one trick pony. There is not much room for variety in strategy, and less in tactics. I found myself bored after the first half of Act 1, pushing forward only for the story. The character development. This is a three part problem. ---First, you need to put seven points into crap intro stuff before you get anywhere close to unlocking "exciting" abilities. Seven levels. For crap. VERY irritating. ----Second, there is a problem with pacing throughout the game. I went into the boss of the first Act with 2 points into a set outside of the Training route (and I had completed all available quests up to that point). I finally beat him, all the while thinking I wish I had more levels, and viola! I have four more points to play with! Four points/three levels! From one boss! That just isn't good pacing. -----Finally, the "skills" themselves are entirely passive stats based, with the exception of the end-level skills, the riposte skill, and a few dynamic alterations to the signs. My brother, the math guy, love this design. I do not. I would like leveling to mean something more than more health or damage boosts. You know, a whirlwind ability or a skill that lets you drink a preset potion in combat. Something more active. Honestly, this wasn't a dealbreaker, just an annoyance. The alchemy. Don't get me wrong: I love the system. Prep before battle, improvise slightly in the middle, clean up. What went wrong is that most of the tough fights don't let you prep with traps or potions before throwing you into the fight. The perfect example is the Kraken fight or opening scene to Act 2. The latter is particularly frustrating: those four points I mentioned after the boss went into alchemy, I meade plenty of potions, AND I CAN'T USE ANY OF THEM BEACUSE OF A QUICK TIME EVENT! GRRRRRRR.......
    - The swearing and attitude. I've served in the Army as a medic. I grew up around loggers. I know me some blue collar life. The swearing and raunchy attitude is just off. Its gratuitous. It's NOT real, unlike the rest of the world, and it gets irritating. The tough decisions. Again, don't get me wrong, I like tough decisions in games. But the ones in TW2 are just too tough, at least for me. Who do you help, the crazy elf guy or the obviously racist bigot? Ummmm, neither? Time and again in both Witcher games I found myself just wanting to walk away. This isn't slightly corrupt cops trying to keep order vs. Robin Hood and chaos. The choices you are presented with are blatantly problematic and if it was me in real life, I'd make my own path, death or injury be damned. At the end of the day, I am just not interested in playing a game when the moral choices I must make go completely against my code. The enjoyment factor. This one is obviously entirely subjective, but with all the realism of the game, I wasn't enjoying it. It wasn't the game I wanted to play at the end of a long day; it wasn't fantasy, it was a step back into reality. So, bravo on the one hand, but... An odd paradox, to be certain. Too much success? And there you have it. I guess it just goes to show you that every awesome game isn't for everyone. The mechanics are there, and I see why people enjoyed the game. I didn't. Good luck to the developers in the future.    … Expand
  20. PrincessRose
    Aug 17, 2015
    5
    The combat is a lot better than the first Witcher, but still can feel rather clunky and awkward.

    The Tiny Inventory that was annoyingly small in The first game is improved in the 2nd by being more spacious and has a weight system instead, I can explore and loot for quite a while before I have to go sell or store. Despite being more spacious the inventory still feels flawed, it's a    The combat is a lot better than the first Witcher, but still can feel rather clunky and awkward.

    The Tiny Inventory that was annoyingly small in The first game is improved in the 2nd by being more spacious and has a weight system instead, I can explore and loot for quite a while before I have to go sell or store. Despite being more spacious the inventory still feels flawed, it's a higgledy piggledy ugly mess of a list. The perfect inventory system would be a much larger grid system, sort of like what the first Witcher had but 4 times as spacious.

    While the inventory has improved, alchemy has gone backwards. Only being able to drink potions during meditation is annoying. You can't drink potions during battle, so you have to guess what you may need before a fight which can be wasteful or go in blind see what happens and figure what you need and reload a previous save. Rather time consuming. The first witcher's alchemy system was better it let you drink potions in battle and I prefer being able to drink potions in battle. A really stupid decision to change it.

    Moving around the world feels restrictive, with only certain spots you can climb or descend with no ability to jump over obstacles, movement is rather linear and so is exploration.

    Map is flawed, especially bad for me since I have a bad sense of direction. The map seems to expect you to memorise where everything is, nothing is labelled, I had to find Phillipa's house and it did not mark or label it on the map, so I spent ages entering each house trying to find hers which is rather frustrating and time wasting

    The game has way too many long cutscenes making it feel more like a interactive movie than a game. I want to play a game, not watch a movie.

    Boss battles feel like a movie script as well, you have to pay attention to when to rapidly click your mouse at certain points.You fight a boss only to have the battle interrupted by cut scenes such Geralt moving around on a tentacle or to be distracted by a falling bridge cutscene after each time you chop off a tentacle.

    I find it annoying, I want to fight a boss and not continually have the battle be interupted by a cutscene. I really dislike the Quick Time Events, it ruins any immersion for me.

    The world of Witcher 2 is dark in an over done way, it's not even all that terribly original - it's your generic "Dark and Gritty Fantasy" setting, set in wretched, crappy world where all the people are ignorant, filthy and full of extreme hatred.

    Sure the 2nd Witcher has better graphics and inventory but overall I just feel the first Witcher was much better, in every way, quests, mini games were done better, alchemy and so was the story. Witcher 2 the story is too political and I find a heavy emphasis on political stuff rather boring.

    Though I reccomend playing both paths as it gives you slightly different access to each area, different quests, information, characters and choices.

    I played Iorveth's path first and then Roche's and I enjoyed playing through Roche's path much more, I found it more interesting.

    But overall I'd class this as a shallow action game that wants to be a movie as well, that pretends to be deep, but fails and falls short. This is a overhyped game that does not deserve the praise it gets.

    I guess I've been spoiled by the massive epic exploration Skyrim offers and The Witcher 2 isn't even half that, just 3 towns to explore. *yawn

    At least I know now that Witcher isn't very good for what I want in an RPG. Sure some may love it, but it's not my cup of tea. And from watching gameplay of Witcher 3 I can see it's more of the same or worse. With lengthy cutscenes and Geralt's character model now looks very ugly.

    I prefer RPG's like The Elder Scrolls and Fallout, which has a lot of depth, choice, exploration and you can be whoever you can imagine.

    This game is more for those who like a light action oriented RPG with a limited set character, than those who like a deep, open RPG with more freedom, seemingly endless choices and character builds that can vary a lot.    … Expand
  21. ATG141
    Jul 3, 2011
    7
    As much as I hate saying it the witcher 2 is good in the way of being a work of art than a game. The game almost seems to hate being a game. The gameplay almost feels like padding imbetween the witcher's set pieces and political intrigue. It's extremely difficult even on the normal settings. Some people say that it's difficult in a good way. It makes you use everything at your disposal andAs much as I hate saying it the witcher 2 is good in the way of being a work of art than a game. The game almost seems to hate being a game. The gameplay almost feels like padding imbetween the witcher's set pieces and political intrigue. It's extremely difficult even on the normal settings. Some people say that it's difficult in a good way. It makes you use everything at your disposal and to think on the fly in order to succeed. To a point this may be true but this is best in a game that doesn't focus so much on it's story. So getting stuck in this game is like watching an awesome movie and it keeps freezing in the same places so you have to restard the dvd player and hope that you can get past that part in order to get back into the story. The big reason why the game is so difficult is because the game plays like assassin's creed but if the camera didn't pan out to give you a better sense of the battlefield, and if enemies all ganged up on you at once. Again some people like this since it makes more sense for gangs of enemies to actually gang up on you. But again this would be fine if enemies didn't juggle you hulk--style uncontrollably. Allot of these issues are relieved in easy mode (predictably) but the problem still remains. The game looks beutifull. At least that's what I got from trailers and screen shots. If I try to play the game on high settings I'm afraid my pc will suffer a heart attack. To go along with the story the game has a really good atmosphere with peopel acually doing things unlike obvivion where it's like watching a dog doing house hold chores. The game appeals to my liking of game boxes having extra "stuff" in theme. The standard game might as well be a special edition. Along with a sleeve cover to hold it all the box contains the basic game, a neat letter with a short story in it, a walkthrough ( nearly useless with game faqs) the soundtrack , a paper craft figure, and a bonus features disk . If you can get past these big problems then you'll get a game that you will have a good time with but as it stands if you prefer a game that is more pure in how it fits into int's genre you might want to look elsewhere.… Expand
  22. Nightrist
    Jun 23, 2011
    7
    How should I say it? The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has an excellent story line. The graphics are good, and the character development is phenomenal. However the game seems a bit incomplete. After about 2 hours of playing the game, the one thing that bothered me most was the combat system. The Witcher 2 went for an Assassin's Creed style of Combat. The only problem is that instead ofHow should I say it? The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has an excellent story line. The graphics are good, and the character development is phenomenal. However the game seems a bit incomplete. After about 2 hours of playing the game, the one thing that bothered me most was the combat system. The Witcher 2 went for an Assassin's Creed style of Combat. The only problem is that instead of dancing with beautiful combat movements finishing enemy after enemy in awesome combos, you are 70% of the time dodging, waiting, and running around until your energy to replenises for your next spell. This totally kills the flow of combat. After playing Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Witcher 2 seems like a major step down in terms of combat. Another thing that bothers me is the Tutorial. Sure it might be fine for veterans of the game, but I can help but mourn for any newcomers who start off utterly confused with the mechanics and interface from the very start. The Witcher 2 has simply a very steep learning curve. 10/10 Storyline, Graphics. 5/10 for Combat.… Expand
  23. Amstaad
    May 19, 2011
    7
    This is a great game. The only problems I've had are with the controls/camera during combat which are unresponsive at times and the lack of a decent tutorial. Art work is excellent. Story is decent for a video game. All in all the game is worth picking up if you have a upper end PC.
  24. RogerWilco2099
    May 17, 2011
    7
    New to the series. Still early on but im really am quite happy with it so far. I dont own the first game so some parts are confusing. I clearly missed a lot of stuff and delving straight into the second game wasnt as easy as I thought it would be. To be expected I know, but I didnt expect it to this level. Anyway guess I should have spent my free time over the past few months gettingNew to the series. Still early on but im really am quite happy with it so far. I dont own the first game so some parts are confusing. I clearly missed a lot of stuff and delving straight into the second game wasnt as easy as I thought it would be. To be expected I know, but I didnt expect it to this level. Anyway guess I should have spent my free time over the past few months getting into this series rather then hyping myself up to being bitterly disappointed with DA2... oh how I got that so wrong =P Anyway I digress. Graphics are great and the environments rich. Interacting are awesome and I find myself smiling a lot at some parts. The game has froze up on me several times though, but nothing that hasn't sorted itself out several seconds later. Combat was a little awkward at first and I was sure there was a better way to do it. But its all in the learning curve. Fun experience so far, not sure its Game of the Year as some people are already saying, but I can easily understand why they are saying it. =)… Expand
  25. wooopeee
    May 21, 2011
    7
    Good:
    - graphics is amazing
    - superb story - this is not your regular hack and slash rpg ~~ Bad: - inventory mechanics is a bit disorganized and sometimes confusing. - item looting is lame; picking up items is too fast that i don't even see what i'm picking up because it just grabs everything. - bugs are present but should be fixed with future patches. - fighting animation should be    Good:
    - graphics is amazing
    - superb story
    - this is not your regular hack and slash rpg



    ~~ Bad:
    - inventory mechanics is a bit disorganized and sometimes confusing.
    - item looting is lame; picking up items is too fast that i don't even see what i'm picking up because it just grabs everything.
    - bugs are present but should be fixed with future patches.
    - fighting animation should be enhanced more; it's like slashing through paper every time i hit a monster.



    ~~ Conclusion:
    a well made game but not a perfect one.    … Expand
  26. fandango89
    Jun 25, 2011
    7
    This game has a lot of positives but also negatives that go with each one. It handles the story and nudity very maturely and has a great world filled with interesting lore and creatures. The fact you really get no new spells or anything is pretty boring and can be a major put-off. The spells you do get are limited and only some of them are useful. I found myself using the shield abilityThis game has a lot of positives but also negatives that go with each one. It handles the story and nudity very maturely and has a great world filled with interesting lore and creatures. The fact you really get no new spells or anything is pretty boring and can be a major put-off. The spells you do get are limited and only some of them are useful. I found myself using the shield ability 70% of the time. This has nothing to do with play-style, but since fights put 3 guys against you who all attack at the same time and who can infinitely block and chain attack you, it is a must. The fire was useless and the mind control didn't even work when I used it. The combat seems great but has many flaws. They make blocking use the same bar as spells, which starts off with only 2 uses and doesn't regenerate fast enough. This means when your opponents can keep attacking and blocking, you really can't play defensive or offensive. They can block and counter or if u try to block you can only do it 2 times before starting to get hit. They should have made block separate. Some would say that is why the "roll" is there but usually it is too slow and doesn't really put you in a good position to counter. It is almost like they don't want you to be able to defend yourself. What RPG makes all your spells take 1/2 or 1/3 of your mana bar? None, because it is stupid and makes the game not as much fun, as there is too much time running around waiting for it to recharge. Then there is the graphics. They are beautiful but require too much to run them. With my top-of-the-line comp I was only able to run most things, and even those on medium settings and still with texture problems. This could be a major put-off for most. The biggest problem is the difficulty. I started out with "hard" and having been a gamer my whole life and playing most games on hard, I was appalled by how this setting was. Everything 2-3 hit you, which made the lack of defense even harder. That mixed with the crowds who could juggle you and it was too much. I would spend 1 hour replaying boss fights as well as random mobs. "Hard" shouldn't mean making the computer overpowered or making you every 30 min have to replay a part over and over for an hour. That;s not difficult, its just aggravating and time consuming. It doesn't challenge you, it just asks you to be flawless or get really lucky. Especially because you can't take potions in combat (why did they think this was a good idea) which means there is no healing yourself. If they would have included a sign that would be ok, but they didn't. This all comes to a head with the save system. I applaud the use of the quicksave, but then you cannot use it in battle, the time when it makes most sense. Since this is already too hard in combat, you should be able to save your progress, but you can't. This means you have to go the entire fight perfectly or after 5 min of a boss fight where you almost kill him but make one error you are forced to replay the entire thing again. I would like the ability to save after I kill each member of a party in battle, due to how unfair it already is that you are facing a party. This makes it seem like a glorified checkpoint system. But other than these glaring weakness and botched ideas, there is a good game at heart. I think it has to due with a wonky way of thinking in Europe how an RPG should be.… Expand
  27. markeras
    Jul 8, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the best RPG's i've ever played, in my opinion it's only beaten by some of the Bioware's games (Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon age: Origins,...) and maybe The Elder Scrolls. I only wish its length was a little bit longer...… Expand
  28. knave84
    Jun 3, 2011
    7
    I think this game is extremely overrated and required at least 6 months of added development time in order to polish (pun not intended) some issues and bugs which deter the whole experience...sure the world is beautiful and the story interesting but the game has control and AI issues hindering gameplay...I mean...design choices such as: only one person can go through a door at a time...orI think this game is extremely overrated and required at least 6 months of added development time in order to polish (pun not intended) some issues and bugs which deter the whole experience...sure the world is beautiful and the story interesting but the game has control and AI issues hindering gameplay...I mean...design choices such as: only one person can go through a door at a time...or you can only drink potions while meditating (having to go through menus and choices) and not during fights...I just don't understand these...also some people call this game an RPG...I don't see this..this is an action adventure...you can't design your character, abilities are limited and given from the start, quests are small, dungeons are tiny...I don't think you can even begin to compare this game to epics such as DA:O...finally there are no tactics during combat...you can beat every opponent with the same move..dodge and attack...the boss fights are well done but personally I just don't like quick time events...just pressing one button to complete an elaborate action sequence?! kills the atmosphere...mini games suck and are pretty pointless you'll have seen them all within 3 hours of gameplay...also some quests are just confusing...where you are left clueless wondering what to do or where to go next...this game is just mediocre...but if they ever get a Witcher 3 out..I this that one is going to be pretty good!… Expand
  29. JadedPuppy
    Jul 18, 2011
    7
    Contrary to popular belief, this game isn't actually the best thing since sliced bread. Though, yes, it is a good game. Its visuals are, especially compared to its competitors, stunning. The story is gripping, and will make you want continue playing - if only the gameplay will allow it.

    It is the gameplay that's the real problem of this game, and which will at times leave you frustrated.    Contrary to popular belief, this game isn't actually the best thing since sliced bread. Though, yes, it is a good game. Its visuals are, especially compared to its competitors, stunning. The story is gripping, and will make you want continue playing - if only the gameplay will allow it.

    It is the gameplay that's the real problem of this game, and which will at times leave you frustrated. Some people say that the Witcher 2 is too hard, too difficult. It's really not; it's not so much difficult as it is tedious. Combat situations have to be resolved exactly in a certain way - or you'll die a horrible death.

    Without spoiling too much; the first large boss you'll encounter will require you to do do the same combat maneuver three times, after which you are forced to slam whatever button appears on your screen, after which you're left to find the one spot where you won't be killed [without there being a clue where this spot is, though I believe they are planning to fix this].

    More generally, the combat never gets really challenging; it's the same duck, roll, attack from behind throughout the game in order to defeat your foes. There are spells, but more often than not you'll be wearing your shield spell, which in turn prevents you from using your other spells too much.

    All in all this is a good game, but it's not as great as some people make it out to be. While you may want to keep playing in order to see how the story will unfold, the gameplay will more often than not make you search the web frantically for game guides, so that you'll know what maneuver to use on the next boss, or worse it might make you feel like you just need a break from it. And this is the problem for me; no good game should ever make you feel that you need a break from it.    … Expand
  30. captainkane
    Aug 25, 2015
    7
    The original Witcher was a fantastic game. It took all the fairies and unicorns out of fantasy rpg’s and brought us a gritty world filled with sex, war, hypocrisy, and racism. The game is based on the novels of a Polish author. So the Witcher doesn’t lack for story. In fact, it excels at storytelling and immersion. But it is incredibly broken. Janky mechanics and numerous bugs held it backThe original Witcher was a fantastic game. It took all the fairies and unicorns out of fantasy rpg’s and brought us a gritty world filled with sex, war, hypocrisy, and racism. The game is based on the novels of a Polish author. So the Witcher doesn’t lack for story. In fact, it excels at storytelling and immersion. But it is incredibly broken. Janky mechanics and numerous bugs held it back from mainstream success. When the Witcher 2 was announced, fans eagerly expected developers to address these bugs while bringing a gigantic, epic world filled with intrigue and monster slaying. By its tepid reception, we know fans felt the developers fell short on those expectations. The W2 is not bad. However, is suffers from an identity crisis.

    Most gamers agree that the W2 is a remarkably gorgeous game. It uses the DX9 api, which also powered the original Crysis. And it’s extremely demanding on higher settings. But the game is best enjoyed maxed out so players can fully enjoy the lush environs and meticulously detailed mountains on the horizon. But it isn’t well optimized. Fps drops are normal and it stutters every few minutes (or seconds) as new textures are loaded in. W2 has odd visual quirks too. Shadows and facial features are pixelated. It’s downright distracting at times. A graphic’s option called ubersampling will eliminate that, but it’s too demanding. Players are better leaving ubersampling off and maxing out everything else.

    Although graphics are a huge improvement over the original, the story is a step back. The campaign is better than haters claim. The problems lie in the side quests. There are only a handful, and they are easy to complete. There are few monsters to slay. Few caves to explore. And no water nymphs to romance. The story’s focus on politics is well-done, but it’s too heavy-handed. CD Projekt created a gorgeous world with nothing to do except slog thru a campaign. Sure, there are choices to be made. But only a few have noticeable impact. Players can import their saves from the first Witcher. However, the bonuses from this are slight.

    Combat sucks namely since the targeting system that is broken. Enemies will be directly in front of Geralt, but no target appears. The tutorial says to adjust the camera to target new enemies. That doesn’t work. So players will have to swing their swords or cast spells blindly. Although spells have the same names and characteristics as those in the original Witcher, developers dumped their AOE’s. This would make sense, if the targeting system worked. As a result, Geralt casts puny looking spells that don’t hit their intended targets.

    But combat sucks for other reasons too. W2 also wedges in QTE’s. Why this annoying convention keeps poking its ugly head into games is beyond me. Do developers even listen? Boxing and some boss fights rely on QTE’s to succeed. Even certain dialogue options require on split second timing. W2 also forces gamers to play as other characters who are completely stripped of all Geralt’s abilities they’ve worked so hard to obtain. These conventions are ever more common, and players absolutely hate them. I bought the Witcher to play as the Witcher! I don’t want to play as a weak ass spy, a dead soldier, or fat king.

    Other problems with combat result from the restrictive leveling and limited move sets. Instead of the appreciated complexity of the original, W2 “simplifies” upgrade paths. Again, another convention of mass market games. As a result, combat in W2 is downgraded into a button mashing fest. It’s not as fun, and wholly repetitive. One problem carried over from the original is close quarters fights—a bunch of enemies crammed into a tiny room. W2’s broken combat mechanics means these battles are frustrating—just like for first game. And if there is a fight immediately after a video scene, Geralt will have already taken damage before players get to control him. On harder difficulties he endures massive damage before the fights even start.

    Other issues with W2 include illegible maps (and mini maps) making objectives hard to find. Inventory management is a bit confusing. Lots of loot is inaccessible. There are few rewards for exploration and limited dialogue outside the main quest.

    Lastly, the Witcher’s soundtrack was highly regarded. Unfortunately, the Witcher 2 failed to live up to that legacy as well. Instead, players are given a generic, forgettable score.

    Despite 11gb of updates, W2 lacks polish. Combat and exploration, which should be 2 of its biggest focuses, are actually the biggest drawbacks. The developers took steps backwards in areas where they shouldn’t, such as story. And they failed to effectively push forward in areas that needed the most work, like combat. So the best elements of the Witcher devolved while the broken parts remained broken. If W2 didn’t look so damn good, I’m certain its scores would’ve been much lower. For Witcher fans, this game is worth playing. But other rpg fans look elsewhere.    … Expand
  31. kilop206
    Mar 11, 2012
    7
    Game is amazing in prologue and first act. Later is... Eh... . But graphic is awesome. Animation is awesome. Story is good, you don`t a awesome soldier who must save the world. Universe is very good. This is a dark fantasy. The worst is only epilogue.
  32. Knoedel
    Apr 23, 2013
    6
    It's all about expectations. People hate DA2 because it's a Bioware game, and they love TW2 because it comes from an underdog developer. In fact, both games have significant flaws. Here are some of the qualms I'm having with TW2: 1. Game unexpectedly quits to desktop and needs a fairly arcane fix to work properly. I'm told this is pretty rare, but who cares? I've never had any trouble likeIt's all about expectations. People hate DA2 because it's a Bioware game, and they love TW2 because it comes from an underdog developer. In fact, both games have significant flaws. Here are some of the qualms I'm having with TW2: 1. Game unexpectedly quits to desktop and needs a fairly arcane fix to work properly. I'm told this is pretty rare, but who cares? I've never had any trouble like this with any Bioware game. 2. Convincing story and depth of character? Please. In the prologue, the king literally fights in the front lines, which is completely implausible. No king would expose himself like that. 3. Very cumbersome loot system. Casting the medallion spell to show available loot adds nothing, it's just another annoying click, click, click, click... 4. Long loading times. No, it's not my hardware setup, believe you me. 5. The graphics aren't any better than DA2, say what you want. 6. Superfluous and offensive female-only nudity. If you want to be explicit, fine just show me some full frontal male nudity as well, to prevent me from thinking that you're some kind of sadist who fantasizes about big-breasted women in chains. Don't get me wrong, I think the game has many strengths the combat system rocks, imo, and the story is generally fairly engaging. It just doesn't deserve all the praise it's received, just as DA2 doesn't deserve all the scorn that's been heaped upon it.… Expand
  33. LostCreed
    Jun 16, 2013
    6
    I installed the game today, I played through the tutorial, the first two quests and I was disillusioned. So many flaws and problems, where shall I begin?

    Firstly, the animations: they are choppy. Whether it is Geralt's switch between running and walking or the general animation quality of enemies and NPC's, one can easily see: the developers are not able to deliver quality animations.    I installed the game today, I played through the tutorial, the first two quests and I was disillusioned. So many flaws and problems, where shall I begin?

    Firstly, the animations: they are choppy. Whether it is Geralt's switch between running and walking or the general animation quality of enemies and NPC's, one can easily see: the developers are not able to deliver quality animations. The animations create a feeling of "amateurs at work". Feel free to disagree, but I am used to seeing another level of quality. For example, Resident Evil 5 or Dark Souls, see for your self.

    Secondly, the controls: they are counter-intuitive, and the way the controller is treated clearly exposes the lack of experience and care by the developer when it comes to AAA products. An AAA product has to be on a high level regarding accessibility. The controls are chunky, imprecise and lack required customisation.

    Then, bad graphics, yes, you've read correctly: bad graphics. Why? One should measure the graphics of a game not only by their fidelity when they are powered by the most powerful but also most expensive hardware available, but also by their efficiency and their aesthetics. The result is clear: the graphics are below average. Pushing the graphics based on superior hardware is a nice way of luring in new players and supporting the hardware manufacturers, but it does not say anything about the beauty of your game. Turn down the graphics to playable levels on an average gaming computer and you will get the picture. Games like “Forza Motorsport” or “The Last of Us” demonstrate what good graphics mean: they are beautiful to look at, not because of hardware-hungry effects, but because of aesthetical and skilled design. “The Witcher 2” is below average in this department.

    Next, cluttered inventory: another unintuitive segment of the game. Be it the layout, responsiveness of the menus or the presentation, everything screams: clutter, badly optimised.

    Also, the story: I know that most of you will argue that this is a strong point of the game. And I may not be in the position to judge the story based on my experience, but from what I saw and heard, it was cringe worthy. Cliché and corny, nothing felt mature or advanced. Contrary, it felt as hilarious as a B-movie.

    This leads me to my last point: Bad voice acting. This feature complements and underlines the impression of a hard to care about and hilarious story. Geralt is barely hear able as he grunts and mumbles along, and the rest of the cast does sound more or less like amateurs, there are some exceptions though.

    Overall, I cannot fight the impression that the developer was overambitious. They probably do have the imagination, the spirit and the creativity, but they certainly lack the technical know how, the talent and the experience in order to produce a high quality game, which would pay justice to their vision.

    Slightly above average game. Ambitious, but lacking in many aspects: some crucial.

    6/10    … Expand
  34. leodmonkey
    Sep 30, 2014
    7
    I really wanted to love this game, but the game play flaws are terrible.

    WORST -camera all over the place made me sick, and wanting to puke -scripted combats .... hate this **** no freedom to chose what to do, just pressing a button that appears on the screen... fu$#k#ing ridiculous, finish animations get in the way of combat. -scenery no freedom , you will get stuck in little    I really wanted to love this game, but the game play flaws are terrible.

    WORST
    -camera all over the place made me sick, and wanting to puke
    -scripted combats .... hate this **** no freedom to chose what to do, just pressing a button that appears on the screen... fu$#k#ing ridiculous, finish animations get in the way of combat.
    -scenery no freedom , you will get stuck in little things, running nowhere at the edge of a precipices. can't even jump to the side of a freaking stair .

    THE OK
    -the combat was nice(when it's not scripted) liked the preparation part , the two swords are cool
    -the history was ok, but execution and timing was poor ... fu3$#$ing third party narration by some kid.

    it gets a 7 because i really liked the theme, will be waiting for the Witcher 3 :P    … Expand
  35. TheTownDrunk
    Jan 25, 2021
    5
    THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF KINGS is a near masterpiece destroyed by Quick Time Events (QTEs) for which it loses 4 points. It's a pity that CDProjekt RED destroyed their game with this crap. Said QTEs are not optional mini games either, they are incorporated in the boss battles, which is just infuriating.
    What THE WITCHER 2 gets right is the the character building (which they    THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF KINGS is a near masterpiece destroyed by Quick Time Events (QTEs) for which it loses 4 points. It's a pity that CDProjekt RED destroyed their game with this crap. Said QTEs are not optional mini games either, they are incorporated in the boss battles, which is just infuriating.
    What THE WITCHER 2 gets right is the the character building (which they unfortunately scaled down for THE WITCHER 3): you can make many different builds with proper skill trees that actually make for different gameplay. I also like the tactical aspect of the combat (not the combat itself, which is mediocre): you cannot heal during combat. Potions have to be consumed before you enter combat, so if you want regenerating health, you got to plan ahead and drink those potions (which don't last forever) before you iniate the encounter. Graphics are really good for 2011 and the voice acting is sublime with Doug Cockle reprising his role of Geralt.
    The main campaign splits after the prologue into two different paths before coming together to the final act which is lackluster and feels rushed. As is typical for CDPR the side missions actually outshine the main campaign.
    However, the combat is mediocre: fast attack - left click, strong attack - right click, roll with space (which I don't care for, I mean who in their right mind would ROLL around with a sword and in armor?!). It's simplistic.
    But what destroys this game for me are the QTE's. Even though in the Enhanced Edition there is the option for "easier QTEs" but they are still annoying and hard (during boss battles). But they are used for just about everything: fist fights (mini game): QTEs. Dagger throwing (mini game): QTEs. These are (mostly) optional, but if you want to max out experience levels you need to do them.
    Thus it's a 5 out of 10 (AVERAGE). It's the weakest in the series. Without the QTEs this would be an 8 out of 10. If you don't mind QTEs then this might be for you.    … Expand
  36. chiroben
    May 27, 2011
    7
    So I just finished The Witcher 2 and I am left feeling a little undecided still. There were moments that were fantastic and others where I struggled to force myself to go on. I am a great fan of the old classics. The first Baldur's Gate game still stands out in my mind but I enjoyed the sequel, as well as Morrowind and Oblivion - the latter slightly less than the former. So I suppose itSo I just finished The Witcher 2 and I am left feeling a little undecided still. There were moments that were fantastic and others where I struggled to force myself to go on. I am a great fan of the old classics. The first Baldur's Gate game still stands out in my mind but I enjoyed the sequel, as well as Morrowind and Oblivion - the latter slightly less than the former. So I suppose it comes down to taste. I thought there were some good scripting moments but a lot of the time I had no real idea what people were talking about (perhaps a symptom of having played but not finished the first game) or even if I did know what they were talking about I just didn't care. I wasn't fighting my own fight but merely a pawn in a greater struggle I had no real sympathy for. I was really excited about the combat after the first couple of tutorial fights. I played through Demon's Souls a number of times and loved that and there were certainly similarities. But sadly that was as good as it got. As you upgrade your skills the combat becomes less and less skillful and more and more of a button-mash fest. This was a real disappointment.

    So all in all I liked the game but certainly didn't love it. It was a big improvement from the first one in many ways and hopefully they can continue that trend with what will almost certainly be a third game. On the right track but not quite there yet. Good, but not great. 7.5/10    … Expand
  37. MrFpeas
    Jul 16, 2011
    7
    Starting off being one of the best RPG's I have ever played, the last two chapters did not shine off so well to me. The beginning was beautiful and wonderful, don't get me wrong. The story, setting, characters, and map design felt fresh and great to play in. The combat has gotten more difficult, which I like to see in games (considering how many games like to go easy on players theseStarting off being one of the best RPG's I have ever played, the last two chapters did not shine off so well to me. The beginning was beautiful and wonderful, don't get me wrong. The story, setting, characters, and map design felt fresh and great to play in. The combat has gotten more difficult, which I like to see in games (considering how many games like to go easy on players these days). However, I was not a fan of the potion-usage in the Witcher 2. In fact, I still question what was wrong with just keeping the Witcher 1's potion usage. Did they feel like being able to use your potion whenever was wrong? Unless I missed something, you could only use your potion when meditating, but it's a matter of opinons. When I entered the city in Chapter 3 (I believe), something felt off. It really did not feel like there was much to do and there really wasn't. The main quest line was a breeze and the dragon fight felt a little unsatisfying to me, it honest to god did not felt like I fought a dragon. And then in the epilogue, I did not like how they decided to have the bad guy (forgot his name, sorry) answer all your questions right there and then, instead of answering the questions slowly. He had at least 25 things to say (if you decided to listen) and I was sitting there wondering "Why couldn't they just answer some of these things over the game, not at once." And the ending was just so bland, it really had no meaning. The Witcher 1's ending was very intense and very story-compelling to me, they gave you a very good reason why the bad guy's were doing what they did. In the Witcher 2, the bad guy assassinated kings, which sparked off revolts, just because the king in the south caught him and said "I will start a new Witcher academy if you kill the king". Felt cliche and bland to me. To sum it up for any "tl;dr" people. First half of the game: Witcher 2>Witcher 1. Ending chapters of the game: Witcher 1 >>>>>>>>>> Witcher 2. Let's hope in the Witcher 3 that they can ultimately conclude this game series with a very interesting and mind-twisting ending.… Expand
  38. Pagey
    Dec 20, 2012
    5
    Nope. This doesn't do it. This is way too HACK and SLASH for an RPG and take away the cut scenes, what do you have? Hack and slash through one wave of badies, next wave spawns - etc. etc. Do I like or care about the main character? Nope. his dull monotone voice and long hair just gets on my nerves. Maybe OK for all the console owners out there - but I prefer something with a little moreNope. This doesn't do it. This is way too HACK and SLASH for an RPG and take away the cut scenes, what do you have? Hack and slash through one wave of badies, next wave spawns - etc. etc. Do I like or care about the main character? Nope. his dull monotone voice and long hair just gets on my nerves. Maybe OK for all the console owners out there - but I prefer something with a little more thought, planning and intelligence.… Expand
  39. lgndsgn
    Jun 17, 2011
    6
    Just finished the game (on Hard setting). Ok... I wanted to love this game, my hopes were high throughout the prologue but then realized it just wasn't to be. First, the graphics are downright beautiful... more-so static than in motion as the game is plagued by horrid texture pop-in regardless of settings and a high-end gpu, at least for myself and quite a few others. Shrubs and rocks willJust finished the game (on Hard setting). Ok... I wanted to love this game, my hopes were high throughout the prologue but then realized it just wasn't to be. First, the graphics are downright beautiful... more-so static than in motion as the game is plagued by horrid texture pop-in regardless of settings and a high-end gpu, at least for myself and quite a few others. Shrubs and rocks will change size when you are within 5 feet of them - understandable for consoles but not for current gpus. Now... the story... The game is divided into 3 chapters. It is extremely political (more than The Witcher 1) and may be unsatisfying to some people. I found it rather dry, but not horrid. I would have preferred less of the medieval political intrigue and more character development along with a more fantasy/mythological outlook, but I suppose they were trying to keep in context to the books... Now, the combat... I didn't hate it but I didn't like it. I found the first Witcher game to have a more satisfying combat system with the role timing played in it. The Witcher 2 took away the timing as well as the group, fast and strong styles, opting for a simple parry system (which I very very rarely used in the game) and the steel sword/ silver sword combo along with magic. The main problem in my view is the balance. I spent 95% of my time using the same strategy for EVERY enemy, and not because I didn't want to experiment but because everything else took much longer and just didn't work as well. It worked like this - use Quen (guard spell that basically makes you invincible for a few seconds), dodge, attack and kill with sword. You have 3 paths you can take for development - Magic, Swordplay, and Alchemy. I first went for magic, but when realizing how pathetic a fully upgraded fire spell was compared to the sword I lost interest. Now for the alchemy - the game has made this quite a chore in my opinion. You can no longer use potions at anytime. You must use them BEFORE battle. And every time it requires an animation scene that definitely could have been shortened. Because of this I never used potions. Let me reiterate - even on Hard combat requires nothing more than what I mentioned before. Also, for some reason they decided to take away storage. You will be spending a lot of time with too much weight on your hands and will try to decide what you need to keep and throw away/or sell. Some might like this but I didn't not find it enjoyable. Now... the environments. I found them to be beautiful but they felt very limited. The witcher cannot swim. He cannot jump. This isn't open-world. Therefore everything seemed rather linear to me. The environments are nice but not nice enough to prevent you from getting tired of them after doing more than a few quests through them - my main gripe of the first witcher. There isn't much interaction with the environment other than lighting and unlighting fires. The NPCs say the same things constantly regardless of time of day often, and as the chapters progress they seem to say less and less. The diffictultiy... starts off pretty difficult on hard but by the 2nd chapter is pretty easy. I found the ending to be quite unsatisfactory as well, but I won't spoil anything.… Expand
  40. DonnaMyers
    May 28, 2011
    7
    I finished the game last night for the first time and I have to say I'm disappointed. Last night I completed Act III AND the Epilogue. Yes, they are short enough to complete in one night, about 2.5 hrs in fact. What happened CDProject? Did you run out of money? Time? Enthusiasm? The ending is piss-poor. The story is such a huge build up, the King has been killed, all other lands will beI finished the game last night for the first time and I have to say I'm disappointed. Last night I completed Act III AND the Epilogue. Yes, they are short enough to complete in one night, about 2.5 hrs in fact. What happened CDProject? Did you run out of money? Time? Enthusiasm? The ending is piss-poor. The story is such a huge build up, the King has been killed, all other lands will be fighting over the Kingdom, we have to find the Kingslayer. Then at the end, nothing. Nothing is resolved. You get a cut-scene where a few people are talking, you have a bit of a fight then that's it. The Epilogue is you finding the Kingslayer. And even selecting every conversation option it only lasts 5 minutes. You get a crafting diagram for some really good armour but you only get to wear it for 5 minutes. You get a crafting diagram for a really good silver sword but you don't get the final ingredient until the very end of Act III but there's no one round to make it so what's the point? Unless the free DLC's that CDProject keep going on about extend the end of the game and aren't just some stupid additional quests that last about an hour, then CDProject turned this game from GOTY material into just another good RPG. Which is a real shame as up to the end of Act II it's amazing and deserves 10/10. So disappointing. I give it 7.5/10. I think a lot of these reviews are over-generous. And that's probably because a lot of them haven't played it through to the end yet. Oh well, guess I'll go back to the Witcher 1.… Expand
  41. Jaxbrain
    Nov 4, 2012
    6
    I do not understand this game. The "action" is slow and boring and the story didn't interest me whatsoever. Just moving around the world is clunky and feels like an interactive (bad) movie.
  42. HighwayUK
    Sep 5, 2011
    7
    It's a good RPG but I found the combat system was a bit of a backwards step and spoilt what remained, the graphical performance was ropey at release despite having a high end PC... and TBH the effects didn't impress me to much, could have done this on the original's engine and would have been just as good.
  43. laxleonidas
    Sep 17, 2011
    7
    I'm fan of Witcher 1 and after the first reviews of assassins of Kings i was sure it will be perfect score. not this time. i compared this game to prodecessor and i found too many missing elements. Where's trophy monsters? Where's interesting NPC's out of main city? Where's length which was in first game? But there's not all - where's breath-taking ending, which was in original Witcher?I'm fan of Witcher 1 and after the first reviews of assassins of Kings i was sure it will be perfect score. not this time. i compared this game to prodecessor and i found too many missing elements. Where's trophy monsters? Where's interesting NPC's out of main city? Where's length which was in first game? But there's not all - where's breath-taking ending, which was in original Witcher? huge dissapointment.… Expand
  44. marc5477
    Jul 30, 2016
    6
    Good story elements ruined by weak gameplay. The combat in this game is atrocious almost as bad as Demon Souls. Its not hard at all (I started, like always, at the highest difficulty; in this case Dark Mode), but it is cheaply made and very poorly implemented thus you die a lot not due to lack of skill but due to the poor design and just bad luck. This is not how RPG's are supposed toGood story elements ruined by weak gameplay. The combat in this game is atrocious almost as bad as Demon Souls. Its not hard at all (I started, like always, at the highest difficulty; in this case Dark Mode), but it is cheaply made and very poorly implemented thus you die a lot not due to lack of skill but due to the poor design and just bad luck. This is not how RPG's are supposed to play. If I wanted luck I would go to a casino.

    The biggest problem is the auto-target functionality which likes to switch enemies on a whim. So there you are trying to engage one enemy but at the very last moment a different enemy gets closer to you and auto-targeting switches to the new enemy before you know it happened. Since Geralt is a dancing fool, he will do a double twirl towards the new target, exposing his back to the 1st enemy, who takes a lucky swings and kills you in 1 hit. This happened to me at least a dozen times in act 1 until I finally stopped engaging groups and fought them from far away using weak lunges and range weapons (daggers, bombs, traps etc). The problem is that this way of fighting is plain cheap and boring because once you realize how easy it is to kill everything with bombs, it becomes like a "I win" button.

    Next the close angle over the shoulder camera is retarded. There you are fighting an enemy and you decide to roll to avoid a hit and whooops.... you encounter the dreaded tree branch! Oh great now there is something blocking 75% of the screen. No problem I will just roll back where I came from... nope cant do that because the enemy follows you and he has an HUGE invisible collision box which blocks your path. Okay so Ill take a chance and roll left... oh oh... its the dreaded 2 inch high tree root with a collision box the size of Detroit... you apparently cannot dive above that little root and instead you hit an invisible wall and the enemy nonchalantly walks up to you (laughing the entire way), looks at you funny for 2 seconds, then lazily stabs you in the neck. Cheap death.

    Next you have the ultimate stupidity... all the rolling and twirling. It works ok if you lunge from range then roll back but say you just want to quickly stab someone standing 2 inches in front of you. The enemy has their back turned to you so you figure just a quick back stab is perfect but NO! Geralt decides to do a double somersault 1st because... you know... you dont want to make things too easy... and of course, by the time you do all the ballerina twirls the enemy had had time to turn and you can no longer back-stab so you dive back away before a different enemy back-stabs you...

    Horrible gameplay. Once you adjust the combat becomes trivially easy but boring because it is so limited.

    Now the good news. The story elements are very good. The story makes sense, the conversations are good, the voice acting is good, and your decisions really do make a difference. I really wanted to progress to see what happens and I really hated some characters (in the good way) and liked some others.

    The RPG character build elements are also ok but very limited. There are only 3 trees to pick from but really there are only 2 since the entire Alchemy tree can be reduced to the 1st selection on the left, the one that double the damage from bombs and traps (its the only one you need from that tree and only costs 2 points). There is a mage tree that improves the few spells you have and a combat tree which offers better defense (helpful since combat is so bad) and improve offense. I would prefer more options for gameplay myself with more customization options but thats just me.    … Expand
  45. Deturis
    May 23, 2011
    7
    So this is my second review here, TW2 is one of the best RPG games I've played - it has great graphics, good humor, nice story, animations and so on but on the second hand simply I can't give this game more than 7,5. CD Project Red I hope your next game will be better and thanks for TW2!
  46. sethman75
    Jul 31, 2011
    5
    The original Witcher is possibly the best game i have ever played. It had everything you could want or ask. Witcher 2 to me is a bit of letdown. First the positives. The game graphics are beautiful , the story is great and the music is incredible. Now the negatives. The controls are wonky as hell, i just started to get used to them and the game finished. Game length is i think 1/4 of theThe original Witcher is possibly the best game i have ever played. It had everything you could want or ask. Witcher 2 to me is a bit of letdown. First the positives. The game graphics are beautiful , the story is great and the music is incredible. Now the negatives. The controls are wonky as hell, i just started to get used to them and the game finished. Game length is i think 1/4 of the size of the original. There are many choices to make which promotes replays but i was so shocked it was over i couldn't muster the will to start again. I got it on release and there where many bugs and crashes which were very frustrating because i could not completely immerse myself in the world because i was thinking it would crash any minute. In saying that CD Project are well known for there post release fixes so i hope that is sorted. Bottom line is that i was looking forward to this game for several years and for me it was over in 10 hours. For an FPS that is small but for an RPG it is almost criminal. That ontop of the constant crashes and lack of real control of the character i can only give it a disappointing 5/10… Expand
  47. drachehexe
    Aug 2, 2011
    5
    This game is NOT equal to its predecessor nor does it supersede the first Witcher title. Indeed it is a step backwards for the franchise.

    The storyline is weak, sporadic, uninspired and incomplete. The game engine is full of bugs or just plain bad designs. Scripts break, characters get stuck a lot, and controls are very cumbersome and response time is slow. The only decent "mini-game"    This game is NOT equal to its predecessor nor does it supersede the first Witcher title. Indeed it is a step backwards for the franchise.

    The storyline is weak, sporadic, uninspired and incomplete.

    The game engine is full of bugs or just plain bad designs. Scripts break, characters get stuck a lot, and controls are very cumbersome and response time is slow. The only decent "mini-game" is dice, whereas the fist fights are "press correct key at the correct time" and the arm wrestling is just plain goofy and uncontrollable.

    The potions system is decent save for you have to be in meditate mode to use a potion and you can't meditate once combat starts so you'll often fine when you need the potions most you won't be able to use them without reloading a save, meditating to drink the potions, then continue to the fight.

    The game is beautiful. Textures and environments are top notch, models and characters are nicely rendered, and animations are excellent.

    But the aforementioned flaws will have you constantly reloading because of a broken quest, or your character is stuck, or you need to potion up before an unexpected fight. (You could always make sure potions are up but then you'd be spending most of your time foraging for ingredients to support that much use as potions run 10 minutes max).

    All in all this game is an extreme disappointment from the first. It's sad to see the developers go from one of the greatest (if not the greatest) RPG to a sequel that falls short of the first in every way except for the visual and sound.    … Expand
  48. gas
    Nov 30, 2011
    7
    Im going to update my rating from 6/10 to 7/10 for the 2.0 patch relase.

    This is my past review talking about the first release: Dont get me wrong, i think this game is quite good at the end, i personally trust in CDP as developer, they did a great job patching and improving the witcher 1, proving they aim to be a solid company for their customers. Im not talking about bugs here because    Im going to update my rating from 6/10 to 7/10 for the 2.0 patch relase.

    This is my past review talking about the first release:
    Dont get me wrong, i think this game is quite good at the end, i personally trust in CDP as developer, they did a great job patching and improving the witcher 1, proving they aim to be a solid company for their customers. Im not talking about bugs here because actually even with 1.1 patch the game is full of them, but we know everything possible will be fixed later on. CDP did a huge step forward with this release with the introduction of a new and great engine, but there are many opinable if not poor decisions about developing different aspects of the game. There is a very poor design of all the menus (inventory, crafting system, trading etc) and a gameplay too much script based, really limiting the freedom, in many occasions the game plays like an interactive movie as don bluth dragon's lair, not sure how some ppl can see an rpg masterpiece in this mess. The new engine is one of the best if not the best around, the game even at mid video setting looks impressive. The music and the audio effects are excellent, anyway most of the npcs are repeating to death the same statement every 5 seconds when you stand near them, which is really really annoying. The combat system is different from wt1, now its full real time and its developed to be played with a joypad more then keyboard+mouse, anyway it works fine and its fun and interesting as idea. There are ranged weapons like throwing knives (actually op) and bombs, many different traps to place on floor, the possibility to parry (and counterattack if you have the proper talent), the signs to add more depth. Overall the combat system is fun and nice, it relays a lot on the user skill and i think the result is quite good. Anyway after some time you will see some issues in this system cause the best tactic at the end is always rolling on the floor like a madman and strike when you can, in many occasions it seems just an hack'n'slash, but i return to tell, the combat system has his ups and downs, but overall its good. On a side note the use of the potions is different from wt1, you need to drink the potions out of combat, so you should prepare yourself before a fight, too bad this system obviously works only if you know in advance if you are going to be involved in a fight, wich is possible only with a die-and-reload-gameplay. Bad choice tbh, as potions should be part of the withcer combat arsenal and in this game you will end to use potions only after you died in a fight to repeat it with a little help, also the pots lasts too little and you will end to use them marginally. The story may be appealing itself but if you played tw1 and you know what happened before it make no sense at all in many circumstances, the problem is how the story is implemented in the game, and especially the fact Gerald seems always without the knowledge of any important event, person, situation, that should be part of his background. I will not go specific here to avoid spoilers but just the fact that Gerald starts as level 1 character having issues to beat even the most crap solider, without the knowledge of any monster is totally in contrast with any possible prelude to this plot. The gameplay is action based, heavily cinematic and deeply scripted, with a very limited freedom in interaction and exploration, and short dialogues with very limited choices. The looting system is not really user friendly, its hard to position Gerald to pick up items, also the window is very tiny and you cant scale it. The inventory system and the menu in general are the weak part of this game, you cant sort junk from all the rest, so you need to pass the whole inventory list looking every line one by one to check what is junk and what not, what to buy or sell. there is not the possibility to sort the schematics resulting in a huge list of potions, upgrades, crafting sheets etc with no possibility even to sort them alphabetically. There is not any customization and even if the game was a console port i think its possible to do something better then this. Trading and alchemy suffers the same issue. What you can carry is based on weights, the game is full of different ingredients, patterns, items in general and you will see soon that what you can carry is quite limited, so at a point you will end to continue go back and forth to sell items or just you will leave most of the loot on the floor. Mini games should be cut out. I think this game is a great title under some aspects, but its really lacking in others. Tbh even if this was announced as an rpg made for pc, the feeling is to play a console oriented game. This game plays more similar to console action games then any rpg, its oki CDP wanted to implement something more modern into a genre maybe a bit redundant, but the result seems looking more to the console market then the expectations of the rpg players.    … Expand
  49. guinevere2
    May 21, 2011
    5
    Pro: best graphic I have ever seen in a game, great mature story that has nothing to do with fighting mindless horde of orcs/undeads or spawns and saving the world again, best immersion and atmosphere I have experienced in a video game for many, many years, well optimized and no technical problems at all for me (Q6600@3.4Ghz, Ati 4870 512 RAM, 8 Gb RAM) CON: Combat - is veryPro: best graphic I have ever seen in a game, great mature story that has nothing to do with fighting mindless horde of orcs/undeads or spawns and saving the world again, best immersion and atmosphere I have experienced in a video game for many, many years, well optimized and no technical problems at all for me (Q6600@3.4Ghz, Ati 4870 512 RAM, 8 Gb RAM) CON: Combat - is very action-oriented and poorly balanced (regular fights are to easy, boss fights are way to difficult, upgrades of armors and weapons barely noticeable in actual game play). If I would like to play something like this I would buy Assassin Creed. From a game that claims to be an RPG I expect more of a brain use to win fights, and not just a fast reflex in my index finger...messy inventory interface, low replayability value, some minor bugs, especially with crafting.… Expand
  50. Chupwn
    Aug 1, 2011
    5
    The graphics and story are terrific. The choice system is a breath of fresh air because it doesn't dumb everything down to evil or good. However, it crashes frequently. Even worse, throwing a grenade at the wrong time, or even just randomly after a cutscene, Geralt will be unable to move or attack and you have to load your previous save which could be over an hour back. I think this gameThe graphics and story are terrific. The choice system is a breath of fresh air because it doesn't dumb everything down to evil or good. However, it crashes frequently. Even worse, throwing a grenade at the wrong time, or even just randomly after a cutscene, Geralt will be unable to move or attack and you have to load your previous save which could be over an hour back. I think this game needed another couple of months of beta testing - I feel I purchased an incomplete product.… Expand
  51. Maximo
    Sep 11, 2011
    6
    This game went the same direction as Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age 2. RPG elements cut down to minimal, lots of sexual attractivity to lure the horny masses in front of the screen and a washed-up rest of what was a great game in Witcher 1. What a pity ..
  52. BleedingKnee
    Jul 17, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great story, great characters. Like another reviewer posted, as an interactive movie, the game is fantastic. The graphics and voice acting are fabulous too.

    Gameplay, however, is terrible. Why? Here are a few examples:
    Control over the moves of your character is very limited. The game chooses when you move forward with a sword strike, which often ends up with the character in a space you did not want him in.
    The over the shoulder camera movement has been executed very poorly. Often times, the camera will move as you get into a corner, which will move the 'target' to another opponent, or end up with a tree branch completely blocking your view. I found it very disorienting to have my camera jump like that.
    Quite a few combat scenes start out immediately, giving you 0 time to react, meaning reloading at least once for all the important fights.
    First fight with the kingslayer can be won by repeatedly pounding the fast hit key. Wii Sports swordfight has better combat.
    This is not a PC game. Same key does a sword attack, opens doors, reads posters, etc. Also, the stealth part of the game is the worst in gaming history.
    The signs are unbalanced: get Quen level 2 and every combat is a cake walk even on difficult.
    Inventory management, although pretty and a great improvement over Witcher 1, has not been polished. If you want to make more than one potion with certain ingredients, you have set the ingredients for each potion you want to make.

    All that criticism aside, I am addicted to the storyline and will play the game to the end.    … Expand
  53. Hudson
    Dec 30, 2012
    6
    Wow it looks like the Witcher 2 company paid someone to come in and post a bunch of positive reviews on this site. At best This is the same thing that Bioware tried to pull off with DA II, just better executed, but it is still light years away from great classics like Baldur Gates/Wizardy/Might and Magic/Elder Scroll series. Poor console port, lame combat and really long and annoying cut scenes
  54. spydercanopus
    May 29, 2011
    7
    Nowhere near as good as the original. Completely linear. Might as well just watch the game unfold without controlling it. Graphics are amazing, but LA Noire leaves me feeling duped by outdated technology.
  55. kotekzot
    Apr 29, 2012
    5
    The game is mediocre at best, due to developers never stopping to think what would actually be fun in a game. Would it be fun to wander around without knowing which way is north? No, but that's what you are forced to do. Would it be fun to not be able to drink potions in battle? No, but you have to spend a minute navigating menus and watching Geralt take a sip and a breath every time youThe game is mediocre at best, due to developers never stopping to think what would actually be fun in a game. Would it be fun to wander around without knowing which way is north? No, but that's what you are forced to do. Would it be fun to not be able to drink potions in battle? No, but you have to spend a minute navigating menus and watching Geralt take a sip and a breath every time you do. You also have to repeat the process every 10 minutes. Would it be fun to have size 3 font at HD resolutions? No, but that's how it is. Would it be fun to be unable to attack at full strength after using signs? No, but, inexplicably, that's how it is.… Expand
  56. JudgmentJay
    Jun 14, 2011
    7
    Decent game. The graphics aren't as great as people claim, and the game is fairly restrictive as far as exploration is concerned. Combat can be difficult at first, but becomes comfortable with more experience. It's somewhat buggy, though most have been stomped out via patches. Despite the flaws it's a solid RPG with good replay value.
  57. Vangriffeth
    Jul 5, 2012
    5
    While the graphics are astounding, and the cut scenes are breathtaking, the actual game play is piss poor. When I actually have to plug in a controller on a computer to play a game correctly, something is dire wrong.
  58. micielk
    May 26, 2011
    6
    Hello There
    Witcher is a cool game i must say, I'm from Poland but I wont blindly go with other whos said that Witcher is best game ever blah blah. First of all - Bugs. It should get a title Witcher Bug Catcher. In game is so many bugs: bug in instalation, patcher, DLC, registration. Every one option which is defaut in other games in Witcher is bugged. Its really not cool. OK game has good    Hello There
    Witcher is a cool game i must say, I'm from Poland but I wont blindly go with other whos said that Witcher is best game ever blah blah. First of all - Bugs. It should get a title Witcher Bug Catcher. In game is so many bugs: bug in instalation, patcher, DLC, registration. Every one option which is defaut in other games in Witcher is bugged. Its really not cool. OK game has good graphics, very clever dialogues, and overall good scenario. Its fun and challenging, in my opinion block system needs to be polished couse in first act game is way to difficult and even two weakest monsters in game are extremly dangerous because Geralt will block after animation attack will end, thats stupid, Should they do something like in Batman Arkham Asylum but hey we get what we get. I should give 9 or 8 score but I cant, I just cant. I know its a polish and I should give nice score but no. Every game deservs a fair score and Witcher didnt devervbe for more than 6. f they repair some of issues You should give 2 more points. Best regards from Poland, sorry for my eng its not perfect    … Expand
  59. Teaser38
    Aug 31, 2011
    6
    Not as big as a console hatchet job as DA2 was, but the RPG elements have been cut down. Combat balancing was uneven and repetitive. I hated the potion system. The camera was atrocious. It's not very long, but you should get 2 very different run thoughs. A mixed bag, overall.
  60. mpr
    May 29, 2011
    6
    Absolutely not impressed! Frustrated and annoyed: that's how I felt during the first two hours of play. To me, this is NOT a good role playing game, but nevertheless, still a decent action/adventure game. I really don't see what could justify all these 9 and 10 ratings out there. This is probably the most overrated game of the year...
  61. defive
    May 28, 2011
    6
    All I can say is some people are easily impressed and clearly taken in by the hype. While the world, the graphics and the writing are all first class, it's all let down by a disastrous combat system, obviously consolised UI a general lack of depth compared to the first Witcher game. The combat system is particularly bad, being laggy, unresponsive and repetitive (combat ultimately boilsAll I can say is some people are easily impressed and clearly taken in by the hype. While the world, the graphics and the writing are all first class, it's all let down by a disastrous combat system, obviously consolised UI a general lack of depth compared to the first Witcher game. The combat system is particularly bad, being laggy, unresponsive and repetitive (combat ultimately boils down to dodge-attack-dodge-attack ad nauseum). Plus there are some very strange design decisions (like not being able to drink potions in combat)

    It's not a bad game by any means, but it could have been so much better.    … Expand
  62. JonAM
    Jul 7, 2011
    5
    This second part of The Witcher is not what it looks like. If you loved the first part, then run away from this 3rd Person Action Game with some light touches of RPG. It is exactly the same unfortunate story that previously happened with Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2. Although they used the same name followed by a 2, the gameplay is completely different. It is not a pure RPG, so ifThis second part of The Witcher is not what it looks like. If you loved the first part, then run away from this 3rd Person Action Game with some light touches of RPG. It is exactly the same unfortunate story that previously happened with Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2. Although they used the same name followed by a 2, the gameplay is completely different. It is not a pure RPG, so if like me this was what you were looking for, then you'll be disappointed (and with less money in your purse!).… Expand
  63. a5cent
    Jul 9, 2011
    6
    I enjoy the more "involved" RPG's like Baldurs Gate 2, Wizardry 8, Neverwinter Nights, DA:O (Dragon Age Origins) and the Witcher. I enjoy an RPG if it provides three things: (a) great plot and good story telling, (b) deep and meaningful character development, and (c) easy to learn combat system with tactical depth: The Witcher 2 has an original, complex and well written story. However, II enjoy the more "involved" RPG's like Baldurs Gate 2, Wizardry 8, Neverwinter Nights, DA:O (Dragon Age Origins) and the Witcher. I enjoy an RPG if it provides three things: (a) great plot and good story telling, (b) deep and meaningful character development, and (c) easy to learn combat system with tactical depth: The Witcher 2 has an original, complex and well written story. However, I didn't realize the extent of it until I was reaching it's end. The quests along the way are varied and entertaining, but I often found myself asking why I'm completing them. In chapter 1 I was fighting the Kayran instead of searching for the king slayer, in chapter 2 I was defending the peasantry in Vergan instead of searching for the king slayer, and in chapter 3 I was searching for Triss/Philippa instead of searching for the king slayer. Yes, everything ties in with the king slayer, but only at the end do you truly understand why. I would have preferred it if the designers had tied the quests closer to the main plot, thrown in a plot twist or two (which is what I loved about Morrigan in DA:O) and revealed a bit more about what's going on along the way. Understanding more of the situation earlier would certainly have heightened the suspense.

    The technicalities of story telling (writing, voice acting) are handled excellently and among the best. In contrast to the story, character development is the games week spot. Nevertheless, this should be the central element of any RPG; this is what defines the genre. An RPG should allow for various character builds. New abilities should combine with others in meaningful and surprising ways so their sum is greater then their parts. New abilities should affect game play, determine how the character is most efficiently played, and make the character unique.

    Given this definition of an RPG, the game barely deserves to be called one. At level 35 your character might have three or four abilities more then he did when he started out, otherwise character progression simply adds more "umpf" to existing abilities.

    Furthermore, I never found myself having to make tradeoffs. At level 35 I had skilled-up all the abilities I found important. I enjoyed two play-throughs (Hard & Insane), made the exact same build both times and have no desire to try a different character build.



    I actually enjoy pausing a battle and having to think my way out of a sticky situation, by creatively using my abilities, timing and the terrain to my advantage. Unfortunately, I'm afraid this puts me in the minority.

    In chapter 3 my pet dog is literally smart enough to win most battles (at this stage button mashing will rid you of most mobs). Prior to that tactics can be summed up as follows:
    >if possible, avoid engaging multiple enemies at once (pull one at a time).
    > never get caught with your back to a wall (you need room to dodge attacks).
    > at all times you should be either dodging, blocking or attacking.
    > attack from behind or wait for an opening (after the enemy attacked).
    > if the enemy wears armor and/or is big: attack with right mouse button.
    > if enemy is small and/or fast: attack with left mouse button.
    > if all else fails set lots of traps before engaging.
    From this list it is obvious that combat is more about action then tactics. Some people will enjoy this, but I do not.

    Summary:

    The game is rated mature for two reasons: language and nudity/sex. The sex scenes are short and void of any emotion whatsoever. Making them more relevant for the characters or the story would be a big improvement. I have no issues with course language, but I would have appreciated less modern lingo. People discussing f**king and/or genetics in a medieval setting just doesn't seem appropriate.

    The Witcher 2 is by far the best looking game, ever. Excluding the last chapter (which seems rushed) all locations are incredibly detailed and realistic. Twice I just stopped to watch the sun rise. However, even with really modern hardware you won't be able to max out everything.

    The UI still needs a lot of polish, specifically inventory management (sorting, filtering, determining what books you've already read etc) and alchemy (making & drinking potions takes too long). I'm guessing future patches will fix a lot of this, but right now it can really be a pain.

    The game is well programed and tested. Bugs tend to be quest related, but it is certainly playable now. I didn't experience a single crash in my two play-throughs.

    In this review I concentrated on what I didn't like. However, it turns out this just isn't the right game for me. If you enjoy light, action oriented RPG's then this is a MUST HAVE and likely one of the best titles of the year. If you are looking for a true RPG then this will disappoint you just as DA2 (Dragon Age II) did.    … Expand
  64. Pneuvo
    Aug 29, 2011
    6
    I loved the original Witcher game so much I looked forward to this sequel for years. I have tried many times to complete the game just to see where the story goes, but I just can't get into it. What a beautiful game! No complaints about the story. They changed so much and provided so little help I feel frustrated and lost almost all the time. I have seen a lot of games become harderI loved the original Witcher game so much I looked forward to this sequel for years. I have tried many times to complete the game just to see where the story goes, but I just can't get into it. What a beautiful game! No complaints about the story. They changed so much and provided so little help I feel frustrated and lost almost all the time. I have seen a lot of games become harder to beat lately. I think this is to make them appeal to FPS players. My feeling is they went too far on this one. Why didn't their beta testers warn them?… Expand
  65. CoolDadTx
    Dec 4, 2011
    6
    Witcher was awesome. Most of what made it good was sucked out of W2 though. Most of the battles were easy but the combat system has to be one of the worst I've ever used - especially towards the end. The whole "can't heal during combat" might be more realistic but it means you will be reloading more often if you walk into an ambush. But I'm not sure why realism matters because it is aWitcher was awesome. Most of what made it good was sucked out of W2 though. Most of the battles were easy but the combat system has to be one of the worst I've ever used - especially towards the end. The whole "can't heal during combat" might be more realistic but it means you will be reloading more often if you walk into an ambush. But I'm not sure why realism matters because it is a fantasy world anyway. The weapons and upgrades throughout the game were mostly hoo-hum. The new skill system was pretty good but none of the skills were really that useful during combat. What really kills this game is the bugs. Even after all the patches there are showstoppers - but no crashes. The dice game is buggy frequently, the scenery gets in the way during combat and some of the quests don't complete properly. Even worse is the new minigames. The dice game is buggy such that you can't always even move the dice. Additionally some of the players seem to get 4 or 5 of a kinds or full houses with statistically magical accuracy. The arm wrestling game is just stupid. It doesn't feel in any way like I'm really arm wrestling. It's just frustrating. The fist fighting minigame is pretty good though.

    The game is mature but other than 2 scenes and a lot of bad language I don't see why. The first game made Geralt out to be a womanizer and prostitution as just part of any town. W2 relegates it to romance with brothels thrown in for no reason. The language seems overly mature just to justify the rating I think. Take out the language and it isn't worthy of M.

    Overall I'm disappointed in W2. The first one was better. I hope they go back to the original formula for the next version. One thing I do like about them, and one reason why I support them, is there DRM stance and their post-release support. As a company they are top notch. I just hope they fix Witcher for the next go around.    … Expand
  66. kamishky
    May 26, 2011
    6
    It could have been a contender, instead the Witcher2 is just another console victim. Gone is the quality PC RPG with a deep story, an engaging charters. In it's place is a confusing mess that for some is not even playable. To be fair, this is a beautiful game if you have a PC that can handle it. The environments are beautiful and the amount of invisible walls is far less than otherIt could have been a contender, instead the Witcher2 is just another console victim. Gone is the quality PC RPG with a deep story, an engaging charters. In it's place is a confusing mess that for some is not even playable. To be fair, this is a beautiful game if you have a PC that can handle it. The environments are beautiful and the amount of invisible walls is far less than other similar game. The cities seem to have some life to them unlike the empty world in Dragon Age where the people don't speak and the doors don't open.

    The story is passable, but at times it confuses even it's self. NPC's deliver bits of the story, and then stay in the same location forever. The Prologue really bothered me. Here is our Witcher being interrogated by Roche like they are complete strangers including the initial greeting, but as the Witcher tell his story, you can clearly see that they know each other. A bad start that left me questions where it was going to go from here.

    The interface is pure console. While nothing is wrong with that, I enjoy many console game and find that a well done menu system works well with a controller. However, this is so poorly implemented for use with a mouse and keyboard. Icons have no clear meaning, the inventory has no sorting or filtering and for some reason, Geralt has become so dumb that he cannot memorize anything, he has to carry everything with him.

    Gameplay is a true mix of good and bad. At times combat seems to work, when you are battling a few enemies it can be enjoyable. But as soon as you add a few more enemies to the mix, it becomes a button clicking mess. Dare to turn your perspective during these battles and you immediately change enemies. Gone is the combat strategy from W1 where timing and clicking at the right time lead to a flurry of moves. In place we have a whirling slashing mess that we have no control over. An please, developers, stop with the QTE's, we do not enjoy them. I don't want limited control, I want full control.

    Alchemy has become a frustrating disaster. Apparently Geralt has to know the future. Because the only way to consume potions is to meditate BEFORE you start a battle and no,,there is no healing at all. So save lots. Lastly, is the state of the game. For me it was a constant crash fest. I look forward to going again now the patches have started, but after 3 years of development it should have been better. And forget support, CDProjekt should be ashamed of themselves. Days before the launch, the official forums were taken down, and over a week into the launch, gamers are expressing their frustrations on GOG and Steam, but not in any place that the support behind the game can help. Fans helping fans is what we are are left with.

    What I was hoping for, was the Witcher world taken to a new level. What I got was the Witcher world shaken up, half baked, converted from a stat based RPG, to an Action based RPG for the console crowd. Looks like my hopes will need to be directed to Skyrim.    … Expand
  67. meediocre
    Dec 20, 2011
    6
    The last RPG I played was Mass Effect 2. Am not really into these kinds of games as a rule but thought I'd check this out after seeing such good metascores. Suffice to say that I found the Witcher 2.0 to have some elements that I really liked - such as lush visuals, challenging combat and a complex story. However, even with a high-end PC and card I was having framerate issues and regularThe last RPG I played was Mass Effect 2. Am not really into these kinds of games as a rule but thought I'd check this out after seeing such good metascores. Suffice to say that I found the Witcher 2.0 to have some elements that I really liked - such as lush visuals, challenging combat and a complex story. However, even with a high-end PC and card I was having framerate issues and regular freezing. Also, the overarching story and back-story is so convoluted, that I found myself pining for less characters and a tighter plot. Biggest gripe though is with the inventory system and the combat. Some of the boss fights are literally rock hard, making Deus Ex's boss battles seem like a walk in the park. Maybe I didn't have the right equipment on me, but I've played and completed so many games I've lost count. Alas, I completed 90% of the Witcher then gave up, impressed to an extent but ultimately wanting a different kind of experience. Open world this is not.… Expand
  68. noobr
    May 21, 2011
    6
    The game would have been pretty good (certainly not 10/10 that people are excitedly scoring) but it's just so incredibly rough around the edges. The game I will no doubt have these ironed out with mods and patches but I would suggest waiting for that time rather than a purchase now. And as for why only pretty good, the game has lost the atmosphere of the first game - crypts caves swampsThe game would have been pretty good (certainly not 10/10 that people are excitedly scoring) but it's just so incredibly rough around the edges. The game I will no doubt have these ironed out with mods and patches but I would suggest waiting for that time rather than a purchase now. And as for why only pretty good, the game has lost the atmosphere of the first game - crypts caves swamps forests - they don't feel intimidating places to be anymore.… Expand
  69. Nathanielvk
    May 22, 2011
    6
    Has to be the best game made this year so far, Amazing story, Characters and graphics. plus none of the romance **** like other games seem to think are important.

    you can tell the developers put alot of hard work in to this and it payed off :)
  70. Boogus
    May 29, 2011
    5
    I don't see what all the hype is about. I pre-ordered in an instant thinking it would be great. I so wish I could have my money back. First of all the difficulty spikes are totally unbalanced and frustrating. Second the game is not a free exploration RPG - it's a linear rat maze. Third, the combat feels clunky - dodge, mouse click - dodge mouse click. I won't even go into the frustratingI don't see what all the hype is about. I pre-ordered in an instant thinking it would be great. I so wish I could have my money back. First of all the difficulty spikes are totally unbalanced and frustrating. Second the game is not a free exploration RPG - it's a linear rat maze. Third, the combat feels clunky - dodge, mouse click - dodge mouse click. I won't even go into the frustrating boss battles - seriously are we still doing frustrating boss battles in what is supposed to be an epic RPG? Don't get me wrong - I like a well constucted boss battle but not this type of annoying fail and repeat until you get just the right dodge and swing. Are we playing mario brothers or something???? The interface is functional but so many times it seemed to get in the way of gameplay. Also what is up with not letting PC users re-map to the keys we like to use???? It let me re-map a few keys but the important keys I use it would not let me re-map too. I will regretfully be uninstalling. I so thought I had learned my lesson not to pre-order too early.… Expand
  71. Wraeththix
    May 18, 2011
    6
    The Witcher 2 (TW2) the best and worst game of 2011 so far, simultaneously. The story is interesting and not cookie cutter. It is semi faithful to the books, though not completely consistent with some breakthroughs from TW1 imports. It's beautiful looking and the sound score is interesting. The characters seem to have depth and you can feel attached to some of them.

    On the bad side the    The Witcher 2 (TW2) the best and worst game of 2011 so far, simultaneously. The story is interesting and not cookie cutter. It is semi faithful to the books, though not completely consistent with some breakthroughs from TW1 imports. It's beautiful looking and the sound score is interesting. The characters seem to have depth and you can feel attached to some of them.

    On the bad side the controls are inconsistent and grating. As an action game it's horrible, and as an RPG it relies far too much on action elements. If you were to hold up games like Assassins Creed or Arkham Asylum as simple action games that have compelling and inclusive combat systems, TW2 is a jarring and horrible system where neither of your two attack buttons provide any positive or visceral feel; and you spend most of your time trying to not die. The assumption is that you will begin every fight hopped up on potions, setting traps, etc. but it ends up just being tedious. To produce potions you need to gather/buy/borrow/steal ingredients. To produce traps and such you need to find a craftsman to produce these items. Every combat in TW2 is like an MMO raid where you're farming ingredients just to produce the items you need to beat up a few petty thugs. And even then, it's likely you're going to beat the tar out of you, and only your massive health regeneration from potions is saving you.

    The menu system is extremely non-intuitive and terrible if you try to use the gamepad controls in the game. Which is unfortunately, because you need to spend a lot of time in the menus micro-managing your inventory weight, your item productions, your recipes, and every other aspect of an extremely tedious consumables system.

    The camera is terrible. It perches on your shoulder, with no way to zoom out, and is generally staring you in your face while people beat on you. There's a target lock system, but since parrying is directional and you can't dodge or parry many actions, it's difficult to stay locked on. The free-form locking switches intermittently for no foreseeable reason, causing you to suddenly lunge past the person you were fighting to try to stab someone out of range behind him.

    It's a confusing thing to hear the AI actors talk about how scary "The Witcher" is, when in fact he happens to be one of the more pathetic combatants in the game. In certain parts you're left cowering behind your female companion waiting for her to save you from the incoming hordes. Gone is the Geralt of TW1 with his acrobatic attacks and theatrical swordplay. It's replaced by mostly blocking, rolling away, or running away. The combat in TW1 was odd, with other creatures and terrain getting in the way of clicking them to continue your combos, but it generally worked. If you had the time to actually watch Geralt (instead of waiting for the next "click to continue the combo" icon) he was an impressive killing machine. Not so in TW2. So, if you can overlook the worst fighting system I can actually remember playing in the past 10 years, and an overly tedious inventory and consumable system; the rest of the game is brilliant. I find playing it in short bursts helps split up the tediousness of it and let's the strengths shine through.    … Expand
  72. upupandaway
    May 23, 2011
    6
    First off, I need to say that I only bought Witcher 2 out of curiosity and that I haven´t played the first part. I´ve played Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, New Vegas, Gothic 3, Risen and STO over the last years (on harder difficulties) - so that´s more or less the foundation for any evaluation and comparison...

    THE GOOD: The game has absolutely    First off, I need to say that I only bought Witcher 2 out of curiosity and that I haven´t played the first part. I´ve played Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, New Vegas, Gothic 3, Risen and STO over the last years (on harder difficulties) - so that´s more or less the foundation for any evaluation and comparison...

    THE GOOD:

    The game has absolutely beautiful and stunning visuals that create an atmosphere in some places which is matched by few other games to date. At least it blew my mind a couple of times. Along with this, most of the level design ist absolutely first rate, too. Animations are generally very smooth, the voice acting (EN) is very good and "authentic" and the characters are mostly appealing. While I haven´t completed the story yet, I (not knowing The Witcher 1) must say that the characters show a certain unpredictability and duality. I´m not familiar with any kind of fantasy literature (except LOTR - which I read before the movies came out), so this whole plot thing may be significantly less predictable to me than to others... Up to now the game has proven to be very motivating - I really like exploring the small but gorgeous areas in forests, plains, towns etc. The hunt for new items is fun, too - as it should be in any good RPG. While you do not have a breathtaking amount of freedom in this game, it doesn´t create any strong sense of things recurring too often. All in all, this portion of the game(play) works absolutely fine with me.

    The rest will have to be cut down in length due to the limited number of characters... It´s no less significant though!

    THE BAD:

    - The difficulty is already ridiculous on "normal" (thanks in no small part to the AI and controls)
    - Combat is mostly either frustrating or nothing but button mashing and rolling around on the ground (resembles Gothic 3); magic mostly sucks
    - Unrefined controls; you can´t jump and you can (and will) get stuck on every tiny little object (especially fun during combat)
    - More MMO-like AI behaviour (trigger zones for whole mobs etc.)
    - No real tutorial (read the manual!)
    - Poor inventory screen (remember Obllivion?)
    - Little character development & customization (it´s more like Dead Space than Oblivion for example)

    THE UGLY:

    - Lots of invisible level barriers (Geralt can´t jump because he´s too old for that)- this one sucks big time
    - Graphics glitches (NPCs popping up out of thin air, moonwalk-NPCs etc.)
    - Loading screens when entering/leaving buildings (not really a big one in this list)
    - Registration required to get all the quests and items in the game (really wtf?!)

    CONCLUSION:

    This game does have a lot of atmosphere and potential - both of which are ruined to a certain degree by really unnecessary flaws in game design and gameplay. It more or less works a s a whole, but at times the gameplay is simply infuriating or it has you sitting in front of the screen thinking "What were they thinking!?" Additionally, the character development in this game is quite limited. It works more like those shooter games that have implemented RPG-elements. Be aware of this before you buy the game. After this experience I´ll gladly be waiting for Skyrim...
    I may be nitpicking at times, but why should we just quietly accept all the bad ideas that game designers come up with?! After all, I payed 50â    … Expand
  73. Lacroix765
    May 30, 2011
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Witcher is a good game. Beautiful, and something i waited for a long time. since kotor or NwN i havent played rpg that good. but that's all it is. good. there are no games in which we could see something new, something that could surprise us in a good way. witcher is rpg the way it should be, and there's a lot of things i like in it. conversation, graphics, nudity...hehe. i give it six, because this is reality of games today, everything leads to one goal, and that is better graphics, better graphics, better graphics,etc. actually the prime time of rpg-s was long time ago, time of black isle, and time of troika games. this is just another times, modern times, times of making money, and not making games.cheer… Expand
  74. bigbath
    Jun 15, 2011
    6
    Didn't play the 1st. I admit it was the graphics who convinced me to play it. I have an xbox controller for Windows so I was ready for some action.
    But there is a big problem with the combat system. On normal difficulty its a challenge. The boss fights were are so frustrating. You inevitably have to restart them a few times. I normally love a challenging game because the reward is so much    Didn't play the 1st. I admit it was the graphics who convinced me to play it. I have an xbox controller for Windows so I was ready for some action.
    But there is a big problem with the combat system. On normal difficulty its a challenge. The boss fights were are so frustrating. You inevitably have to restart them a few times. I normally love a challenging game because the reward is so much sweeter. But there is a difference between between challenging and cruel.
    I stopped playing after 7-8 hours. I rage quit and un-installed. Perhaps another time I'll have the calmness to play it.    … Expand
  75. infantry4949
    Dec 20, 2011
    5
    Seems like a good game, if I could play it for more than 10 minutes. Even that time frame is only if the moon and stars align in just the right way. I have a top of the line system and the game run, *when it runs* very smoothly and looks great. However the problem is constant crashing where the game will just exit to windows. I have not found a patch that fixes this issue though I haveSeems like a good game, if I could play it for more than 10 minutes. Even that time frame is only if the moon and stars align in just the right way. I have a top of the line system and the game run, *when it runs* very smoothly and looks great. However the problem is constant crashing where the game will just exit to windows. I have not found a patch that fixes this issue though I have seen that others are having this same problem. You simply cannot tell when the game will crash. Is it when I select the map? How about when I try to save? This one is especially brutal when you've just played 15 minutes, hit the save button and the game crashes forcing you to replay everything. I would love to rate this game higher but this bug (there are a few more, but all minor in my opinion) prevent me from enjoying it. I would STRONGLY recommend that you do not purchase until this bug is fixed or until the game goes for a bargain price. Or unless your attention span lasts 5 to 10 minutes at a time, you know whatever.… Expand
  76. veelckoo
    May 24, 2011
    6
    Witcher series is going down with this one. From the start you can tell it is "console" oriented - fist fights dumbed down with some button mashing, the same with first boss fight(forgot its name). But the worst part is that this game is unfinished - lots of bugs, clunky interface, clunky movement, clunky combat, most annoying doors in any computer game i have played and quest trackingWitcher series is going down with this one. From the start you can tell it is "console" oriented - fist fights dumbed down with some button mashing, the same with first boss fight(forgot its name). But the worst part is that this game is unfinished - lots of bugs, clunky interface, clunky movement, clunky combat, most annoying doors in any computer game i have played and quest tracking from hell. Not to mention loot picking. I loved first part but this game is far far away. Big step backwards. I've fooled myself that it would get better later on but i gave up at the end of act 2.
    Watching all the positive reviews I am really sorry that my favorite genre is going that way. Biggest disappointment of the year.
    I am really sorry that i wasted ANY money on this game.    … Expand
  77. Vixremento
    May 27, 2011
    5
    This got such excellent reviews and I'm struggling to understand why. The lack of freedom while playing is the one thing that put me off - not freedom as in decided to go wherever I want to go but more in terms of it just being so forceful as to how I get there. You can't climb up most things or jump over them - when you can you have to "left click". You can't just enter a door unlessThis got such excellent reviews and I'm struggling to understand why. The lack of freedom while playing is the one thing that put me off - not freedom as in decided to go wherever I want to go but more in terms of it just being so forceful as to how I get there. You can't climb up most things or jump over them - when you can you have to "left click". You can't just enter a door unless you're right in front of it and when you can you "left click". To attack enemies you "left click" ok and you can "right click", "Q" and "E" but most of the time it's "space" "space" "left click" "Q" "left click" "space" "left click" etc. It's just not satisfying.

    You're "pulled" or "pushed" through doorways rather than having free movement and the invisible walls (more like blocks) make it feel like I'm playing in a maze with very tight corners. The graphics are rather pretty but not pretty enough to have it killing my PC as it currently does. Oh and the camera view feels off as does the movement. Find herbs and making potions is another boring part of the game.

    Conclusion: I just don't find this fun to play...isn't that way games are meant to do - be fun?    … Expand
  78. Wintermute
    May 23, 2011
    6
    A game with unique artistic direction and a mature story. And by mature I don't mean sex and violence, although the game obviously has plenty of these too. The only thing that seriously took a turn for the worse is the combat system. Because you'll be constantly kiting and rollin' rollin' rollin' even when fighting the easiest opponents. Which is NOT fun. Almost like they didn't playtestA game with unique artistic direction and a mature story. And by mature I don't mean sex and violence, although the game obviously has plenty of these too. The only thing that seriously took a turn for the worse is the combat system. Because you'll be constantly kiting and rollin' rollin' rollin' even when fighting the easiest opponents. Which is NOT fun. Almost like they didn't playtest to check for combat balance. The whole game was apparently a little bit rushed and the combat is only one of the aspects that are unpolished. Still s**ts all over Dragon Age II.… Expand
  79. Strategist
    May 21, 2011
    5
    I beat the game and i have to say that this game WAS amazing, up until part 3. RED did well on making the game, but 16 endings is a little too much i think. If any one of you think that after u finish exploring the city you go to after chapter 1 (Futsome or something like that, i forgot) that is the only unique city you going to go to in your playthrough. Right after that, you don't goI beat the game and i have to say that this game WAS amazing, up until part 3. RED did well on making the game, but 16 endings is a little too much i think. If any one of you think that after u finish exploring the city you go to after chapter 1 (Futsome or something like that, i forgot) that is the only unique city you going to go to in your playthrough. Right after that, you don't go to any other city, instead, u go to the Gathering and end the story. There is no sense of epicness at all, where something big happens, you pretty much go straight to chapter 3, the shortest chapter, around 2 hours long. It seem like they focus their energy on Chapter 1, then they make 16 otehr places you can go to in chapter 2. At first i think u will play all the places and finally go to chapter 3, nope, you only get to do one land per playthrough. it is pretty, pretty sad. Right now this game will be among the greats, but after a week or two, when people start beating the game, you will start seeing it fall down and down, probably to among the 7-8s.… Expand
  80. thelamontagne
    May 28, 2011
    7
    The Witcher 2 is an ambitious game that regretfully doesn't deliver a compelling experience on all fronts. It's a fantastic looking game and the story is excellent, the character development, dialogue and player choices are also great. I'd love to give this an eight or nine but it's simply not justified. Standing between you and what should be an immersive and brilliant game-world is aThe Witcher 2 is an ambitious game that regretfully doesn't deliver a compelling experience on all fronts. It's a fantastic looking game and the story is excellent, the character development, dialogue and player choices are also great. I'd love to give this an eight or nine but it's simply not justified. Standing between you and what should be an immersive and brilliant game-world is a sub-optimal UI/menu system, poor interation model and frustrating combat mechanism. I'm having trouble forgiving the design flaws and it's a real shame, the Witcher 1 was a great game despite it's flaws - the Witcher 2 is only a passable one because of them. I was close to giving it an eight, after all it's an amazing achievement for a small studio such as CDPR, but it's not the scope that is lacking a or vision that hasn't quite been realised - it's the fundemental elements of a computer game that aren't particularly workable and these should have been nailed.… Expand
  81. Spartan111
    Sep 14, 2011
    6
    The game was not special in my opinion and had countless flaws, oblivion and mass effect are much better. Pros: The games graphics are very good... yeah and that is where it all ends. Cons: The games difficulty variability is plainly retarded, being the most difficult in the prologue of the game as well as two of the bosses. The game's combat is shallow, all you do is time your strikes,The game was not special in my opinion and had countless flaws, oblivion and mass effect are much better. Pros: The games graphics are very good... yeah and that is where it all ends. Cons: The games difficulty variability is plainly retarded, being the most difficult in the prologue of the game as well as two of the bosses. The game's combat is shallow, all you do is time your strikes, alternate between heavy and light attacks, and use the Quen spell all the time as you pretty much have to do this in order to stay alive on hard difficulty or higher, there is no strategy with any of the enemies besides being patient and rolling all the time while giving a strike here and there only later when one is stronger can one be more straight forward. The game goes way too textbook fantasy, elves blah blah, dwarves blah blah, generic enemies we have all seen done better in other games. Also the cursing and the sexual connotations become tedious very quickly. One of the biggest problems was that there are so many useless things put into this game, the 5 other spells i didn't use because they were simply USEless, the potions and bombs etc. that could be created were never used except 1 type of bomb in the beginning called the grapeshot. The game is not very big at all, there are only two main locations where one spends 95% of the game time the other 5% is in the beginning and end.Lets also mention the very dumb AI and annoying glitches where the game restricts movement, i was also unable to finish 1 of the secondary quests due to a glitch and i felt this game was an unfinished product. Finally i simply found the characters bland, boring,generic, uninteresting, yeah do i need to use any more synonyms. Lastly the story was just nothing special and had in my opinion a bad ending. a mediocre 6.5/10.… Expand
  82. DaGleese
    Aug 15, 2012
    6
    An RPG that *almost* nails it.

    The game has an amazingly immersive story, possibly one of the best rpg stories I've played through, the characters you meet are believable, and well voice acted. The graphical art style is often mind blowingly beatiful, the lighting, and effects in certain areas is very stylish. The sound art direction is also great, hearing trees creak and rocks crumble    An RPG that *almost* nails it.

    The game has an amazingly immersive story, possibly one of the best rpg stories I've played through, the characters you meet are believable, and well voice acted. The graphical art style is often mind blowingly beatiful, the lighting, and effects in certain areas is very stylish. The sound art direction is also great, hearing trees creak and rocks crumble as you embark alone on your quest really brings about a thrilling feel of being a 'lone wolf'.

    However, the game's combat system is just severely broken, it's clumsy at best. You get stuck to character models, other models get in your way, and even if the combat WAS fluent and flawless, its not really very fun at heart, simply leading to slash, dodge, harder slash, block and a magic move. thats it. It lacks innovation, which is frustrating because this game does have innovative ideas, they are just poorly implemented, such as adding oils to your blades, and drinking potions that have different effects.

    The problem with these innovations is that you may only drink potions when you are in a safe location, so it leads to alot of getting killed trial and error to know which potions to use for the upcoming battles.

    Getting killed is a big deal. You will die a lot in this game. A lot. The difficulty curve is indestinguishable; on easy the game is insultingly easy, and on normal the game is just enfuriatingly difficult. Unfortunatly due to the buggy combat, the high difficulty isnt due to clever gameplay and AI, but rather issues like getting stuck on a tree root as you were trying to dodge an attack, and being killed in 2 hits because you didnt drink that potion that gives you resistance to poison X before the battle.

    Unfortunatly I find the only way to excel at the game in normal mode is to exploit the terrible combat bugs in my own favour, which sort of kills the immersiveness of the story.

    Another minor issue is the gameover screen. It's sort of buggy, sometimes the button to 'continue' just doesnt work, and you have to spam clicking it for like a minute then it finally responds... Im being picky, I know, but honestly... it's a screen you will see alot of if you don't play on easy.

    All in all without slating the game too much, it's worth picking up, and perhaps the 6 is slightly fuelled by frustration, but the points I have made are valid, and you will run into these problems in the game. If you are looking for a game with no particular challenge, and would intend to play through on easy for the story and immersive qualities, this game is a must-buy, but if you are looking for a perfect game with intense and challengeing *but fair* combat, then look elswhere.    … Expand
  83. Demonbox
    Nov 11, 2011
    5
    Game is nice, for sure not a masterpiece as a whole.
    graphics are great , even thou on my i7 with a gtx560 i can't run them fully.
    Story is interesting and you can play the game twice (or even 3 times), but no more. what i didn't like: -instanced maps, you see that road?, fine now that you've seen it go back to what you were "paid" to go -console "press X" mechanics, wanna hit that big    Game is nice, for sure not a masterpiece as a whole.
    graphics are great , even thou on my i7 with a gtx560 i can't run them fully.
    Story is interesting and you can play the game twice (or even 3 times), but no more.
    what i didn't like:
    -instanced maps, you see that road?, fine now that you've seen it go back to what you were "paid" to go
    -console "press X" mechanics, wanna hit that big baddie? click B..swirl swirl now click B again
    -console inventory, how the hell you'r goin to find something in your backpack is a miracle
    -stupid potions, drink now you never know what you might face tomorrow..you drank the wrong one? haha silly witchy
    -fighting animations, i don't like playin the role of a pale monkey swirling and jumpin around while weavin a stick at big guys    … Expand
  84. colin_jack
    Dec 15, 2011
    6
    I bought this just after finishing Skyrim and the experience was jarring. Skyrim is huge, free flowing and fun. In comparison witcher 2 feels small, cramped and constraining. It does have its good points like some good combat but thats offset by how short it is (its truly tiny), the lack of freedom, and the awful awful boss battles.

    Still its an OK game, just made to look very weak by Skyrim.
  85. steveyk
    Mar 5, 2012
    6
    The story is decent and interesting albeit rushed towards the end. The actual character building through adding stats to your desired gameplay preference is pretty flawed too as I didn't even fill one tree (there are 3). And it was pretty light on the rpg element of manipulating your character really. As for any real combat tactics, there really is none. This game doesn't shine in theThe story is decent and interesting albeit rushed towards the end. The actual character building through adding stats to your desired gameplay preference is pretty flawed too as I didn't even fill one tree (there are 3). And it was pretty light on the rpg element of manipulating your character really. As for any real combat tactics, there really is none. This game doesn't shine in the combat department like for instance batman arkham city did. It pretty much is a button bashing nightmare sometimes. Then we have games engine. It felt un-optimized, with an above average computer I couldn't get it to run with it high settings at all and had to live with mid level settings so the game is hugely demanding. Which means they spent no time on whether PC could handle the game. I give this game a 6 as I only pushed to complete it as I just wanted to know the ending to the story not for the accomplishment of completing the game.… Expand
  86. akelz7
    May 26, 2011
    5
    Alright let me begin by saying that this game is NOT GoTY material, and it's May you jarheads, don't make such assumptions. The combat is more broken than a glass house after a tornado hit it; a tornado filled with golf-balls. then we have the STORY. Is it me, or is this game just a cheap cash in on trying to portray "mature" sex in video games. This game had potential, but it's just nothing.
  87. dkerpal
    May 21, 2011
    5
    I am very disappointed with this game and I can't believe when people say that it could be the GOTY and one of the best RPGs out there. The game has insane performance issues. The game is very demanding on the graphics requirements, so I must run it on low settings and even with that the game sometimes bogs down horribly. Moreover, the camera and characters have horrible issues, especiallyI am very disappointed with this game and I can't believe when people say that it could be the GOTY and one of the best RPGs out there. The game has insane performance issues. The game is very demanding on the graphics requirements, so I must run it on low settings and even with that the game sometimes bogs down horribly. Moreover, the camera and characters have horrible issues, especially in cutscenes, where a character, for example, will finish speaking a line and then glitch into another position. Sometimes archers will shoot at you while facing a wall. Interacting with objects can be horribly annoying, especially since Geralt likes to keep moving for an excessive amount of time after you've released movement keys. The tutorial could be useful if it had been done properly, half the time I didn't even notice the tips; sometimes because they appeared after the event, sometimes because I was too busy fighting enemies to notice -no, the game doesn't pause for you to read. All of these can be considered as minor issues once you get to the core of the problem: The game is not an RPG, unless you consider FFXIII an RPG. Character growth is a joke, and combat is an even bigger joke. The game feels like a port even though it isn't. Fighting enemies requires absolutely no strategy, just smashing the left and right mouse buttons. There is also a very broken stealth system and before you end the initial sequence of the story, you find more holes in it than a cheese grater.
    I wanted to like this game, really. But when the characters are shallow and the gameplay is absolutely dreadful, well, wanting to like it just doesn't cut it. If you want a real RPG, go back to Bethesda or Bioware.    … Expand
  88. Ericius
    Nov 13, 2011
    6
    Being spoiled by open worlds from the Bethesda studio's this is disappointing. All though the story is great it really pissed me off that the story telling cuts in all the time and even lets you lose a fight which I was totally winning just to be able to tell the story. Also lets you fight fights with other characters of your party on occasion. The game player just has to follow. I knowBeing spoiled by open worlds from the Bethesda studio's this is disappointing. All though the story is great it really pissed me off that the story telling cuts in all the time and even lets you lose a fight which I was totally winning just to be able to tell the story. Also lets you fight fights with other characters of your party on occasion. The game player just has to follow. I know this is part of role playing but as I said I'm spoiled by the free open worlds in other games. But great graphics, fighting system and story!… Expand
  89. Iyunzusto
    Apr 4, 2012
    5
    "IAM" --- Interactive Movie --- This needs to be a new genre, because Witcher 2 is not an RPG. One of the player reviews here says the game went the same way as Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect.. and they're right. It's not really that fun to play, but looks gorgeous. The characters are impressive but the story has glaring holes and wouldn't get a passing grade in creative writing 101. I had"IAM" --- Interactive Movie --- This needs to be a new genre, because Witcher 2 is not an RPG. One of the player reviews here says the game went the same way as Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect.. and they're right. It's not really that fun to play, but looks gorgeous. The characters are impressive but the story has glaring holes and wouldn't get a passing grade in creative writing 101. I had high hopes for CDProjekt because they're oldschool gamers and run the great GOG.com website, but they've sold out. I can't blame them.. maybe I would do the same.. who doesn't like getting paid for what they do? It's just a damn shame that the victim of that crime is creative, challenging, deep RPGs. The consoles won - PC RPGs are dead.… Expand
  90. peanuts
    Oct 18, 2011
    6
    Were there were pretty graphics? Yes. Nice magical effects? Sure. But some things were lost in the sequel which I enjoyed and took for granted in The Witcher 1. First off, The Witcher 1 was a 100% adult game that involved drinking. In the Witcher 2, alcohol is removed almost entirely and is now a rare option in specific dialogue paths. Instead of buying beer from the bar wench youWere there were pretty graphics? Yes. Nice magical effects? Sure. But some things were lost in the sequel which I enjoyed and took for granted in The Witcher 1. First off, The Witcher 1 was a 100% adult game that involved drinking. In the Witcher 2, alcohol is removed almost entirely and is now a rare option in specific dialogue paths. Instead of buying beer from the bar wench you get the option to buy junk items like rotten apples. That's a bit unrealistic in my opinion. And now that I mention food- the food and drink option I had so much fun playing with in the Witcher 1 was completely scrapped in #2. You cannot consume food- only sell it as junk. This leaves natural regen healing as your primary option for healing (which happens much quicker in this game, yet you have a much smaller health pool in comparison to The Witcher 1). Your health pool is so very low in this game that you are practically encouraged to drink health potions constantly in order to survive. Now I have to comment on the alchemy system- it has some similarities but there are major differences. Health regen potions have different regen rates for in and out of combat and if you don't drink a healing potion prior to a battle, by default you do not heal at all while in battle. That I find quite strange, because part of the challenge in The Witcher 1 was finding a balance between combat and your remaining health. Often I would eat food, or use a Swallow potion while fighting monsters in #1, since you had a huge pool of hitpoints that regenerated so slowly. Your practically required supplements in order to progress in a timely manner. Now, In the Witcher 2, I just stand still for a couple minutes and I am fully healed. Geralt's health pool is quite low and you are forced to wait unless you just like dying on subsequent battles. Potion drinking requires a safe area to initiate meditation yet every battle including the difficult boss battles, you aren't even given a chance to meditate. This results in difficult battles with no health regen or potions- which becomes painfully apparent as you progress throughout the game and is unfortunately still present in major boss battles at the end. Playing dice, a fun-filled challenge which I enjoyed in The Witcher 1 is a painful affair now. The Witcher one had a simple design with easy to read numbers on the dice- No excessive shaking of the camera when you rolled, and your best hand was figured out for you by the A.I. In comparison, The Witcher 2 has this weird slanted view in which you roll the dice, and then switches to a top down view to inspect the dice. The slanted view is absolutely no help- you can't see a single detail of the dice including the numbers on them. In the top-down view you see the dice numbers but they are hard-to-read Roman Numerals and the lighting of the board is so horrible you can't help but squint in order to read the dice. Unfortunately the game does not outright tell you if you have a good hand like it does in The Witcher 1, so you really have to sit there for about 15-30 seconds just to read the dice and ascertain what hand you have. So in conclusion, while combat and whatnot have new fancy graphical interfaces, I was disappointed in some of the implementation. I miss having 20 bottles of beer on my character and getting slam drunk (in fact, I do believe this was a combat mechanic in the Witcher 1, specifically pain resistance via the Strength Line). And the drinking challenges were always fun... not to mention you received good rewards. One other thing that sort of turned me off about the game was the last level. I found it a little claustrophobic, and it tried to cram a lot of content into several separate, yet very confined game areas. Ultimately, I felt the design was a bit rushed towards the end. A lot of changes, a lot of design alterations, yet many of these changes do not increase game playability and in some ways make the game less fun. As is is- I think The Witcher 2 deserves a 6. If it would have implemented relatively easy to program mechanics (such as drinking games, fun uncomplicated dice games, easy to use potions, large health pool, a food and drink system, slowly regenerating constant health over time with no in and out of combat differences) then I would have given it a 9 or 10. I mean, how does one fight in this game with a low health pool that has no regen by default and no chance to drink potions in the midst of battle? If they feel so strongly about drinking potions in battle without meditating prior, then implement a 25% penalty for potions drank while in combat. It is not impossible to implement, all of tehse things I mention are implemented in The Witcher 1! Why did they remove so many fun-filled mechanics? It's a step back.… Expand
  91. babylon
    Jun 18, 2011
    6
    Nice game, but boss fights are ridiculously OP vs the regular fights. And use some stupid mechanics so that it's really a fight vs the game engine more than a fight vs the boss. Frustrating in many places, lots of things require that you use a cheatsheet on the internet (ie obtain spoilers) just to get through the plot and progress the damn game. They managed to create some very good AI inNice game, but boss fights are ridiculously OP vs the regular fights. And use some stupid mechanics so that it's really a fight vs the game engine more than a fight vs the boss. Frustrating in many places, lots of things require that you use a cheatsheet on the internet (ie obtain spoilers) just to get through the plot and progress the damn game. They managed to create some very good AI in open world situations (people milling about etc - they actually seemed to have lives of their own) - the boss AI = not so good. Gave it a 6 as game itself is really cool, and did make me want to finish it (more out of determination not to let some piece of fool coding beat me more than anything else) but the frustrating elements means I would not recommend this game to anyone I know, least of all people who aren't familar with frustrating rpg mechanics. Even I hated it most of the time, so wouldn't want to pass the curse onto people I like. Tl;dr: Excellent exercise in world-building; do not let these people near boss fight AI coding again.… Expand
  92. TemplarGR
    Sep 9, 2016
    7
    The most overrated of the Witcher series.The first Witcher which i enjoyed back when it was released, was a very good but flawed gem. Witcher 3 is probably the best RPG yet. But Witcher 2, is overrated.

    This game was praised a lot for its graphics and story. Both are really great. But as a game, this is poor. Gameplay is boring. Combat system is among the worst ever. Roll and roll    The most overrated of the Witcher series.The first Witcher which i enjoyed back when it was released, was a very good but flawed gem. Witcher 3 is probably the best RPG yet. But Witcher 2, is overrated.

    This game was praised a lot for its graphics and story. Both are really great. But as a game, this is poor.

    Gameplay is boring. Combat system is among the worst ever. Roll and roll with the occasional Quen sign and some mouse clicks. Boring.

    The maps are really small, and the gameplay is really just busywork in between the story segments.

    Alchemy is useless, magic aside Quen is not really useful.

    There enemy AI is braindead, and playing in higher difficulties just makes the enemies HP sponges and the bosses like the Kraken, a cancer.

    I am sorry, but this is a video game, not an interactive novel, and as a game it is just not very good.

    The story is still stellar, and the graphics are awesome. And you will enjoy Witcher 3 much more if you complete this as well.

    2 options exist, either watch a "movie version" of the story on Youtube, or play in this on the easiest difficulty setting, just for the story. The game, as a video game, is overrated. I typically use "extreme" ratings for overrated or underrated games, but since this is the Witcher series, one of my favourites, i am biased, so i will give it the rating it deserves, 7/10. Don't let that score fool you though, you definitely need to watch or play this once, in any case, despite its flaws.    … Expand
  93. pnoozi
    May 12, 2015
    7
    The Witcher 2 is one of the most memorable action RPGs in recent memory. The graphics and sound are great, and the gameplay is pretty good for an RPG. It plays best with a mouse and keyboard, in my opinion. You can tell it was developed for PC. But anyone who gives this over a 7 is delusional. The story is like a LARP. The game freezes and crashes almost regularly. Automatic saveThe Witcher 2 is one of the most memorable action RPGs in recent memory. The graphics and sound are great, and the gameplay is pretty good for an RPG. It plays best with a mouse and keyboard, in my opinion. You can tell it was developed for PC. But anyone who gives this over a 7 is delusional. The story is like a LARP. The game freezes and crashes almost regularly. Automatic save points are lacking. Should you play it? Yes.… Expand
  94. hoohoo
    Jan 8, 2017
    6
    Playability (or lack of it) ruins a game with a good story that I wanted to follow. I don't know how many times I had to climb down ladders I climbed up by accident. There is quite a bit of senseless running around on the side quests. And the inventory is a UI nightmare. Let's show the stats of items (weight, price) of items on the list except of the item that the player select, then thePlayability (or lack of it) ruins a game with a good story that I wanted to follow. I don't know how many times I had to climb down ladders I climbed up by accident. There is quite a bit of senseless running around on the side quests. And the inventory is a UI nightmare. Let's show the stats of items (weight, price) of items on the list except of the item that the player select, then the stats are dropped below the inventory list. Written like this that sounds crazy, right? But that how it is..… Expand
  95. sirtyman
    Nov 20, 2011
    6
    First of the game was overestimated due to lack of any other RPG till its release in this year. The story is moderate. The world is so enclosed and tiny (It takes 10 - 15 hours of playing to finish the main quest with some side ones). Graphics is amazing but the engine has no physics (it's for sure not Frostbite). There is little amount of gear and other stuff in this game. Fight withFirst of the game was overestimated due to lack of any other RPG till its release in this year. The story is moderate. The world is so enclosed and tiny (It takes 10 - 15 hours of playing to finish the main quest with some side ones). Graphics is amazing but the engine has no physics (it's for sure not Frostbite). There is little amount of gear and other stuff in this game. Fight with monsters is shovel, with no strategy (high difficulty). The game is not for real RPG fun.
    Any positives... ehm.. mentioned graphics, good dialogs and in some moments its really interesting. But is is no for sure for 10.    … Expand
  96. ShadowofZexa
    Sep 19, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this game is decent but just not innovative the only way I could describe this game is a extremely bored porno artist was walking around in the streets and Projekt Red hired him to make a unbearable sex scenes and also for the combat its just one of your extremely boring diseny games the combat is good but just gets old real fast also if it were not for the would get zero!!… Expand
  97. mrel
    Nov 19, 2014
    6
    Nice graphics,
    As new player to the Witcher storyline, the story was just shoved in my face, way to much story in the start, it was not to my liking when getting to knowing the game and dying regularly on normal, the time the character takes to notice he's in from of objects(doors, ladders, or during combat targets) seems almost unbearable(only 1-3 sec, but a lot of ladders and thing to    Nice graphics,
    As new player to the Witcher storyline, the story was just shoved in my face, way to much story in the start, it was not to my liking when getting to knowing the game and dying regularly on normal, the time the character takes to notice he's in from of objects(doors, ladders, or during combat targets) seems almost unbearable(only 1-3 sec, but a lot of ladders and thing to climb over). Ended up finding my self skipping the cut-scenes to get more game-play, and ended up quitting, since it was not a nice way to play the game.    … Expand
  98. UnderTheSun
    Dec 6, 2012
    7
    Good game to play and complete,
    Cons in my opinions are:
    -Poor animations during dialogues
    -Boring combat gameplay
    -Storyline progression not than entertaining
    I'm looking forward the developers next game, Cyberpunk 2077.
  99. i0n
    Sep 4, 2013
    6
    In itself this is a solid title, but for obvious reasons it's difficult to avoid comparisons with the first game of the series. While you could certainly argue with merit that some issues from the first game have been improved upon, I found the overall experience to be significantly less rewarding than the original. Simply doesn't have the depth of the original, and some of the gameplayIn itself this is a solid title, but for obvious reasons it's difficult to avoid comparisons with the first game of the series. While you could certainly argue with merit that some issues from the first game have been improved upon, I found the overall experience to be significantly less rewarding than the original. Simply doesn't have the depth of the original, and some of the gameplay mechanics have taken a turn for the worse rather than being an improvement. Playing a game should not be a chore.… Expand
  100. asfj
    Aug 5, 2015
    5
    Too long conversation, too slow path, just like torture for my patience.

    Too slow walking speed, there's neither fast travel nor speedy transport that I have to repeat walking through the same routes n times to get to check points. Feels like I was teased by the dev, but yes, dont forget to upgrade Feet work in Swordsmanship Tree ASAP, then dodging the whole map eases travel a bit only    Too long conversation, too slow path, just like torture for my patience.

    Too slow walking speed, there's neither fast travel nor speedy transport that I have to repeat walking through the same routes n times to get to check points. Feels like I was teased by the dev, but yes, dont forget to upgrade Feet work in Swordsmanship Tree ASAP, then dodging the whole map eases travel a bit only if your 'space' button is tough.

    Scattered and interweaved plots cannot engage me into the story and usually make me feel confused and directionless.

    The menu system is designed very poorly in almost every aspect. Too many to point out.
    For example, have to access alchemy, character and drinking portions via meditation. Extra layer that lows the speed of access.
    Items cannot be indexed, and are displayed only as list, making it difficult to have an overview and localization.
    When refining a specific portion, there is no way to know how many it I have had, Plus no way to skip the annoying drinking animation.
    Of course, the response of the whole menus is relatively lagging.

    To get orientation in the game is frustrating.
    The mini map is almost useless that can only give a yellow arrow. My question is if terrain is so unclear on that mini map, why use it to fold a bit view instead of just giving us an arrow? Put it simple, the only way to make me directional is to press 'm', but for every several steps I have to press it....which is fatiguing.

    Maybe 2/3 time is spent on menus operations, walking and conversation.    … 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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