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. 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
  2. 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
  3. 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.
  4. 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
  5. 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
  6. 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
  7. 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
  8. 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
  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. 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.
  11. 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
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. 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.
  18. 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.
  19. 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.
  20. 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.
  21. 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
  22. damnitall
    Sep 13, 2013
    7
    I am very sure this will get better, but the first bit with the tutorial is an absolute mess of a system. I haven't been this dumbfounded by a tutorial in a while, and the lack of the ability to save before or during the tutorial is a rash decision. I found that whole section to be very buggy too. If you do something to early, the game doesn't progress, because its cr*p.
  23. kucyk
    Sep 28, 2014
    7
    Im from Poland so i should rate this game 9/10 but i cant. 7/10 because the story lane is not bad but when you leave the village, you will see a lot of mobs, totaly **** In the book (the book is 999999x better than this game), people dont meet mobs every 10 meters, sometimes people can sleep in the forest and see zero monsters but in the game, mobs are everywhere and not 2 mobs per 200Im from Poland so i should rate this game 9/10 but i cant. 7/10 because the story lane is not bad but when you leave the village, you will see a lot of mobs, totaly **** In the book (the book is 999999x better than this game), people dont meet mobs every 10 meters, sometimes people can sleep in the forest and see zero monsters but in the game, mobs are everywhere and not 2 mobs per 200 yards but spam of mobs.
    You should read the books "The Witcher", by Andrzej Sapkowski. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher    … Expand
  24. 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
  25. jimbobslimbob
    Jan 8, 2015
    7
    Is the game good? Yes. It's a flawed gem of a game and one that could well have been one of the best RPG's ever made, if it wasn't for one thing: the combat. The combat is either shallow and dreadfully easy on "Easy", or absolutely impossible on "Normal". "Normal" is really hard mode and they need another difficulty in-between.

    Putting that aside, pretty much everything else in the game    Is the game good? Yes. It's a flawed gem of a game and one that could well have been one of the best RPG's ever made, if it wasn't for one thing: the combat. The combat is either shallow and dreadfully easy on "Easy", or absolutely impossible on "Normal". "Normal" is really hard mode and they need another difficulty in-between.

    Putting that aside, pretty much everything else in the game is good. Graphically it looks very pretty when maxed out for a game this old.

    Having never played Witcher 1, I found it's not very beginner friendly with regards to the story - but then I kind of expected that anyway. Nevertheless, if you have not played the previous game, expect to be confused... a lot. When you finally get your head round it you will find it has significant depth and is highly engaging.

    Your companions all have back stories of their own and they are well fleshed out. Not many games have had me caring for characters I have only spent a minimal amount of time with in game, but this one got me!

    The RPG elements are solid and allow for quite a bit of customisation. It has an interesting potion mechanic, based on your "toxicity level", so you can't just swig every potion you have before a fight.

    So, all in all, it's a good game. It could have been brilliant if a few issues were resolved. Regardless of which, it has made me want to get Witcher 3 this February, so consider me hooked!

    Jimbo Rating: 7/10    … Expand
  26. Sanastusa
    Feb 29, 2016
    7
    Slightly shorter then the first Witcher yet more satisfying. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings expands off the first game evolving in many ways and creating a more enjoyable game. Ill cover some of the positive changes and some negative ones through the review while also covering the topics I generally do.

    Story: Spanning over 3 chapters and a Epilogue you are continuing off the ending    Slightly shorter then the first Witcher yet more satisfying. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings expands off the first game evolving in many ways and creating a more enjoyable game. Ill cover some of the positive changes and some negative ones through the review while also covering the topics I generally do.

    Story: Spanning over 3 chapters and a Epilogue you are continuing off the ending of the Witcher. Each chapter is perfectly paced, but takes a huge drop on the amount of quests. Compared to the first game having numerous contracts and side quests to contend with the main story, you only have 3-4 side quests each chapter. With the downside of lacking side material, the main story is involving enough for it to not really matter. Making you want to keep pushing the main story forward. Along the story you are presented with a handful of choices giving the series a boost to replay value.

    Gameplay: Have to throw first mention to the combat overhaul. A completely different combat system to the first game, yet it infuriates me. Combat has such a difficulty curve from the start. You are presented with all these options of different signs but only 1 stands out above the rest and becomes the only viable option if you wish to push on. Shield and roll, roll roll roll and roll. You also have to be mindful when rolling because you can block yourself into a corner and be destroyed into oblivion. At one point I was fighting a golem and had it one hit away from death, a miss judged roll landed me into a corner and the stoned behemoth did a rush attack into me and kept me there. Slamming my face into the ground over and over again. Was not pretty.
    Alchemy, potions, herbs, crafting. All that is present again for the Witcher to indulge in but you are restricted to a inventory weight limit. Things stack up quickly and prevent you from hoarding materials. Having to meditate before you can drink potions was aggravating. Couple of situations when I needed that vitality boost and couldn't use my stash in combat.
    Arm wrestling = Stupid. Dice Poker = Fun. They also changed how the fist fighting works. No longer is it challenging and fun. It now switched to a simply one button command when prompted, removing any sense of difficulty. Granted the moves Geralt performs during the fights are entertaining to watch.    … Expand
  27. BinaryRunner
    May 29, 2015
    7
    Would be way better entertainment without annoying bugs, frequently in the stupid quick time events, and with more freedom of movement. Some dialogs are really funny but the interaction with environment, especially NPCs is poor.
  28. auditbadger
    Jul 30, 2017
    7
    I think that this is truly a unique game and I would recommend that if you are a fan of this type of genre then I think you should give this game a try.
  29. CoreGamer1408
    May 30, 2019
    7
    I played the first Witcher EE and it was ok from what I remember. Combat wasn't that amazing, but I got through to the end credits. Again much like the first WItcher the game world and monster types was very interesting to look at. They also continued with the same mission structure as the first game. When some missions had a investigative edge to them and not just simple kill or fetchI played the first Witcher EE and it was ok from what I remember. Combat wasn't that amazing, but I got through to the end credits. Again much like the first WItcher the game world and monster types was very interesting to look at. They also continued with the same mission structure as the first game. When some missions had a investigative edge to them and not just simple kill or fetch quests.

    Sound and visuals are fairly pleasing enough for a game of this time. The VA is mostly a mixed bag, The main playable character VA is so monotone dull. Oh wow lots of edgy swearing and vulgar dialogue. Not really warming to the increased edge lord vibe of this game world.

    Combat yeah was ok I suppose. Very fluid and flashy looking, but how did you know when to take buff potion and what type is beyond me? As I could only use a buff potion before a fight and who knows when the hell they was going to happen/trigger? Which did lead to some scum saving now and again oh well.

    What the hell was still going on with the steal/mechanic as in this game has none. No new innovation just the same as the first game. Anything can be taken under the eyes of the NPC without any come back. Trying to loot in this one is so super annoying. With constant fiddly adjustments to the camera angle to try and get the pick up icon to trigger.

    A flexible RPG allows for stealth any time any where so if you get caught you can A) fight your way out or B) run away like a sissy. Nope stealth is scripted to only certain missions with instant death on fail.

    This game does have some really jaw dropping moments. I like the new combat on a conceptual level, but the execution is not that great. The rest is just more of the first Witcher mechanics. With the dialogue dialled up to way more edge lord status and the new addition of mission based crappy stealth mechanics. For all its flaws and edge I still had way more fun in this than I thought I would. So go figure hey?    … Expand
  30. Kaszmiro
    Nov 1, 2017
    7
    Despite overwhelmingly positive opinions I didn't enjoy witcher 2 as previous CD Red's game
    Pros
    + Improved combat system
    + Great gameplay with lots of side quests
    + Very well voiced and beautiful
    + Crafting system
    Cons
    - Game is very short, you have to play 2 times otherwise game is really short it contains only prologue, 2 chapters and epilogue
    - Main characters are boring and featurless
  31. Gaudy
    Jan 8, 2021
    7
    Lo jugué despues del The Witcher 3 y tal vez ese haya sido el problema. Graficamante es bastante potente para la época pero se notan las carencias. Es el tipico mundo abierto simplon de ir haciendo recados, de correrte el mapa de punta a punta. La historia es muy buena, a la altura de The Witcher al igual que los personajes aunque a estos ultimos les falta "vida". El doblaje y el mapa sonLo jugué despues del The Witcher 3 y tal vez ese haya sido el problema. Graficamante es bastante potente para la época pero se notan las carencias. Es el tipico mundo abierto simplon de ir haciendo recados, de correrte el mapa de punta a punta. La historia es muy buena, a la altura de The Witcher al igual que los personajes aunque a estos ultimos les falta "vida". El doblaje y el mapa son realmente excelentes, aunque el mapa puede hacerse pesado por eso de ir recorriendolo constantemente. Las misiones no estan tan desarrolladas como en The Witcher 3 pero ya apunta claramente el estilo.

    La musica y el sonido no son tan espectaculares y el combate deja bastante que desear. Los menus son bastante complejos y los controles nada intuitivos. Algunas misiones secundarias estan bastante bien pero los contratos son repetitivos e innecesarios. No hay variedad de enemigos y hay jefes que puedes matar con tan solo apretar rapido el boton de ataque. Es bastante lineal hasta para la epoca y nada intuitivo.    … Expand
  32. Gelaos
    Feb 7, 2019
    7
    Witcher 2 has great storyline, memorable characters, well-written dialogues, outstanding soundtrack and overall it's one of the most immersive games of it's time.

    However, apart from the great universe and its lore (mostly the work of Andrzej Sapkowski), Witcher 2 is not that good game from the gameplay perspective. The combat and RPG elements are almost non-existent, combat is waaaay    Witcher 2 has great storyline, memorable characters, well-written dialogues, outstanding soundtrack and overall it's one of the most immersive games of it's time.

    However, apart from the great universe and its lore (mostly the work of Andrzej Sapkowski), Witcher 2 is not that good game from the gameplay perspective. The combat and RPG elements are almost non-existent, combat is waaaay too simplistic, maps are small and very limited. It's not bad, but it definitely isn't great either.

    Witcher 2 is great as an story-oriented adventure but it's average game otherwise. And it's not RPG in any way.    … Expand
  33. Soullex
    Nov 15, 2022
    7
    Gerçekten yan görevler kendisini tekrar etmese, günümüzde bile bir başyapıt olabilecekmiş.
  34. lapkina
    Apr 13, 2020
    7
    A detailed progression system, interesting characters and wartime gray morality — a perfect example of a good rpg game. Bad sides: optimization, sometimes boring quests and short game itself.
  35. laertan
    Feb 3, 2020
    7
    Would it be some random game of unknown studio, I'd probably rate it higher. But this is sequel of genius game, and, sadly, in this role It's not good enough. Still, it is decent. Bright side: good story, intresting quests, dark secrets of hole town, Saskia/Saesenthessis. Dark side: bad combat system, terrible boss battles, inconvenient search of loot, bad map. Considering two completelyWould it be some random game of unknown studio, I'd probably rate it higher. But this is sequel of genius game, and, sadly, in this role It's not good enough. Still, it is decent. Bright side: good story, intresting quests, dark secrets of hole town, Saskia/Saesenthessis. Dark side: bad combat system, terrible boss battles, inconvenient search of loot, bad map. Considering two completely different ways of second act, game certainly has replay value.… Expand
  36. Kriticality
    Feb 10, 2023
    7
    This one is tough- on one side it is more of Geralt's adventures, on the other it is the worst of the trilogy.
    The CONSOLE-ISATION is ...ugh...Consoles should just cease to exist at this point.
    It is not like there are arcades that need to be downsized to be enjoyed at home. Also because CDPR were again wrong in their calculations, they butchered literally half of the planned content    This one is tough- on one side it is more of Geralt's adventures, on the other it is the worst of the trilogy.
    The CONSOLE-ISATION is ...ugh...Consoles should just cease to exist at this point.
    It is not like there are arcades that need to be downsized to be enjoyed at home.
    Also because CDPR were again wrong in their calculations, they butchered literally half of the planned content for the game, the story also is a bit meh. Radovid goes full schizo.
    Just because it is more of Geralt it gets 7, if it was not part of the series, it is 2 at best.    … Expand
  37. Bruterake
    Oct 30, 2020
    7
    7/10 - Pontos positivos

    Decisões para tomar durante a história Tem vários momentos para mudar as escolhas e jogar novamente, tendo também o modo arena pra só jogar o combate do jogo Sistema de luta interessante e com muitas variedades Protagonista massa O jogo é divertido em sua maior parte Pontos negativos Problemas de iluminação Ter peso nos itens que você carrega    7/10 - Pontos positivos

    Decisões para tomar durante a história

    Tem vários momentos para mudar as escolhas e jogar novamente, tendo também o modo arena pra só jogar o combate do jogo

    Sistema de luta interessante e com muitas variedades

    Protagonista massa

    O jogo é divertido em sua maior parte

    Pontos negativos

    Problemas de iluminação

    Ter peso nos itens que você carrega

    O jogo é muito fácil, principalmente indo mais para o final

    Algumas escolhas não parecem mudar em nada o resultado final

    O jogo não dá muito incentivo as side quests por você estar forte demais sendo que a história do jogo é muito curta no geral    … Expand
  38. Wrathzo
    Mar 21, 2022
    7
    The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (Polish: Wiedźmin 2: Zabójcy królów) is a 2011 action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt Red, based on The Witcher series of fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. It is the sequel to the 2007 game The Witcher and the second main installment in The Witcher's video game series. The player directs the actions of Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunterThe Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (Polish: Wiedźmin 2: Zabójcy królów) is a 2011 action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt Red, based on The Witcher series of fantasy novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. It is the sequel to the 2007 game The Witcher and the second main installment in The Witcher's video game series. The player directs the actions of Geralt of Rivia, a monster hunter known as a Witcher. The fantasy world in which his adventures take place owes much to Polish history and Slavic mythology.… Expand
  39. 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
  40. ErayTellezi
    Aug 29, 2021
    7
    Pek beğenmedim. Witcher 3'ü 170 saat oynamama rağmen bu oyundaki kadar sıkılmadım. Üstelik bu 25 saatte bitti. Combatlar eğleneceli değil, boss savaşlarında quick time event olması tam bir saçmalık, yan görev kalitesi witcher 3'ün binde biri bile değil (akıl hastanesi hariç), fast travel olmadığı için küçük haritalarda aynı yeri 100 defa yürümek zorunda kalıyorsunuz, para kazanıp veya itemPek beğenmedim. Witcher 3'ü 170 saat oynamama rağmen bu oyundaki kadar sıkılmadım. Üstelik bu 25 saatte bitti. Combatlar eğleneceli değil, boss savaşlarında quick time event olması tam bir saçmalık, yan görev kalitesi witcher 3'ün binde biri bile değil (akıl hastanesi hariç), fast travel olmadığı için küçük haritalarda aynı yeri 100 defa yürümek zorunda kalıyorsunuz, para kazanıp veya item satıp satıcılardan bir şey almak imkansız çünkü aşırı pahalı (Bunu çözen bir mod var). Oyunda tek büyük bir harita yok, görev icabı gittiğimiz 3-4 harita var, onlar da küçük ve karanlık. Etrafta kafanızı kaldırıp izleyeceğiniz bir manzara yok, şehirler ölü gibi. Oyun eski bir oyun olduğu için küçücük engeli geçememe, karakterin kabızlığı, görünmez duvarlar gırla. Açık dünyada keşif ve macera hissi yok, şuraya da gireyim bakayım belki ilginç bir hikaye bulurum demiyorsunuz. Yine de denk geldiğim yan görevlerin yüzde 90'ını ve 3-4 tane contract görevi yaptım. Bir ikisi dışında ilgi çekici bir yanı yoktu.
    Artıları ise yan hikayeler olmasa da ana hikaye ilgi çekici, bol bol entrika var, görevlerin gidişatına müdahale edebiliyorsunuz yani yaptığınız seçimler oyuna etki ediyor ki bu bir rpg için hayati bir konu.
    Hikayeyi sevdim ama bazı şeyler saçmaydı. Geralt'ın hafızasını kaybetmiş olması ve hatırlamak için bazı maceralara atılmak zorunda olması ve bu esnada hatırlama şekli hiç ikna edici değil. Bunun yanında gittiğimiz ilk şehrin politik durumu, ırkçılık ve buna direniş iyi verilmiş.
    Skill ağacında açtığımız skillerin neredeyse tamamı istatistik geliştirmesi, oyunun oynanışını değiştirmiyorlar veya aktif bir yetenek vermiyorlar.
    Sonuç olarak hem kaliteli zaman geçirme hem maceradan maceraya koşma hem de duygusal bağlanma olarak 3. oyunun onda biri bile değil. Oyun bu kadar eskimemiş olsa ya da ben zamanında ve witcher 3 gibi bir şaheseri görmeden oynamış olsam daha çok sevebilirdim belki. Oyun eskimiş çünkü.    … Expand
  41. Zailer
    Dec 2, 2020
    7
    This is my first ever touch of The Witcher franchise, and I'm not disappointed at all. I will definitely get my hands on The Witcher 3 and maybe on the Witcher if I will have enough time for it.
    Pros:
    - The characters. They feel like real people, there are some stereotypical yet recognizable heroes. For instance, Zoltan feels like the most generic Slavic hornydog. People prone to make    This is my first ever touch of The Witcher franchise, and I'm not disappointed at all. I will definitely get my hands on The Witcher 3 and maybe on the Witcher if I will have enough time for it.
    Pros:
    - The characters. They feel like real people, there are some stereotypical yet recognizable heroes. For instance, Zoltan feels like the most generic Slavic hornydog. People prone to make dumb moves out of greed and eager for power.
    - The side quests are as exciting as the main story.
    - So many storyline choices that keeps your brain enabled while playing this game.
    Cons:
    - Combat is a joke.
    - Protagonist's moves feel super-clunky and unnatural for 2011 standards. Even Gothic 2 and Gothic 3 feels smoother in this regard.
    - It just way too short for 2011 RPG even if you beat all side quests you can see.
    All in all, I am regret at the moment I've come across Skyrim instead of Witcher 2 9 years back. This game is surely better in general.    … Expand
  42. LesandroBonucci
    Mar 29, 2021
    7
    good game, but the worst among Witcher games,
    could have been better ;(((((
  43. Ympero
    Dec 20, 2020
    7
    Game: 7/10
    Story: 7/10
    Playability: 8/10
    Graphics: 8/10
    Music: 8/10
    Stability: 9/10

    Very good game!
  44. Fixil_CZ
    Sep 18, 2021
    7
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  45. Wondux
    Jun 2, 2023
    7
    The characters and story were phenomenal and complex. The voice acting was amazing. The RPG element is also beyond sufficient for an action-based game. There were a couple of story routes I could choose from and many small decisions I could make, which didn't significantly affect the story, but were very satisfying. I loved seeing characters from The Witcher 3 and learning more about them.The characters and story were phenomenal and complex. The voice acting was amazing. The RPG element is also beyond sufficient for an action-based game. There were a couple of story routes I could choose from and many small decisions I could make, which didn't significantly affect the story, but were very satisfying. I loved seeing characters from The Witcher 3 and learning more about them. Using the signs was also very enjoyable. Although, Yrden was quite useless, as there are too few instances where you have to use it, once with some wraiths, and once with a boss battle.

    Combat, on the other hand, felt like a chore. Fighting with multiple enemies was a nightmare, more so when surrounded by them. Then, the controls become unresponsive and clunky. Other than that, it was reasonably decent. The dodging mechanic was kind of clumsy. Another thing I could criticize is the level design. At times, you get a mission objective on the other side of the map, and it can be difficult and very boring to navigate through space, without the help of quick travel.

    The audio mixing was not well done. At any certain music/voiceover sound level, sometimes you don't hear the voice acting due to the music. Usually, you do. I know I can change the settings, but I don't want to deal with that each time this happens, and then change it back. Also, there were some bugs with the voice. Sometimes, I heard every noise, but the voice acting just didn't work. Another bug I noticed was at some point, in between two chapters, the game would just black-screen. I had to Google it to solve the problem, but it only happened once.

    Overall, very solid game. Was a memorable experience, except for a few cases of very frustrating battle designs.    … Expand
  46. ZzTopNemesis
    Nov 5, 2022
    7
    Score: 7.8

    I played this one after the incredible Witcher 3, for which i gave a 9.6 score... I wanted more Witcher and tried the first one, but i couldn't play that one... Soo i decided to give this one a go This was spectacular The story was very very engaging The combat was not as fun as TW3, but was very close The enviorment was also not as good, but we couldn't ask for more    Score: 7.8

    I played this one after the incredible Witcher 3, for which i gave a 9.6 score...
    I wanted more Witcher and tried the first one, but i couldn't play that one... Soo i decided to give this one a go
    This was spectacular
    The story was very very engaging
    The combat was not as fun as TW3, but was very close
    The enviorment was also not as good, but we couldn't ask for more given the fact that this was made in 2010....

    Overrall, anyone who wants to try this franchise, and can't play TW1 because of how old it is, should just play this one first before going into TW3, it will give you soo much more knowledge about this world that when you go into TW3, you'll love it even more!!    … Expand
  47. AgentLvi
    Jun 18, 2023
    7
    Decent game. The story is so --so, scoring is great, visual is decent, and the voice is also great
  48. ZID346
    Jul 5, 2022
    7
    Good game but something was missing. Worse climate and average combat system. The game is too simple and too short. However, the story is very interesting and inventive. Great Gerald with a normal face
  49. Pizi
    Feb 9, 2023
    7
    Witcher 2 is a very good game with a great story but has some bugs that are game braking.
  50. Magical_Viktor
    Apr 30, 2023
    7
    Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»Существуют просто Зло и Большое Зло, а за ними обоими в тени прячется Очень Большое Зло. Очень Большое Зло, Геральт, это такое, которого ты и представить себе не можешь, даже если думаешь, будто уже ничто не в состоянии тебя удивить. И знаешь, Геральт, порой бывает так, что Очень Большое Зло схватит тебя за горло и скажет: «Выбирай, братец, либо я, либо то, которое чуточку поменьше»
  51. 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.
  52. 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
  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. 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
  55. 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
  56. 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
  57. 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...
  58. 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 ..
  59. 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
  60. 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
  61. 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
  62. 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
  63. 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
  64. 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
  65. 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
  66. 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
  67. 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
  68. 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 :)
  69. 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
  70. 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
  71. 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
  72. 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
  73. 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
  74. 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
  75. 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
  76. 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
  77. 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
  78. 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
  79. 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.
  80. 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
  81. greywolf00
    Apr 21, 2013
    6
    This grade is mostly for the UI overhaul and removal of ISO camera. Anyone who gets motion sickness avoid this game, the 2 ISO cams from the original game are gone. You're going to get stuck with the annoying over the shoulder cam (even the widescreen mod isn't a massive improvement). They redid pretty much everything about the UI for this game, needed for the additions but more clunkyThis grade is mostly for the UI overhaul and removal of ISO camera. Anyone who gets motion sickness avoid this game, the 2 ISO cams from the original game are gone. You're going to get stuck with the annoying over the shoulder cam (even the widescreen mod isn't a massive improvement). They redid pretty much everything about the UI for this game, needed for the additions but more clunky than the original. Story is still solid, gameplay pretty much the same with some slightly more complex options added (traps/thrown weapons). The the cam isn't an issue and you liked the first no reason not to grab it.… Expand
  82. 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
  83. Budget_Security
    Aug 26, 2013
    6
    A nice game nearly ruined by inconsistent difficulty and frustrating or unreliable mechanics. It has sadly contracted Xbox consolitis (on top of the first game's already mediocre controls). You may have to mash a button 5 times before it registers. Many quests and scripted sequences are convoluted and confusing, leading to excessive trial and error gameplay. Often I had to trawl forums andA nice game nearly ruined by inconsistent difficulty and frustrating or unreliable mechanics. It has sadly contracted Xbox consolitis (on top of the first game's already mediocre controls). You may have to mash a button 5 times before it registers. Many quests and scripted sequences are convoluted and confusing, leading to excessive trial and error gameplay. Often I had to trawl forums and wikis for help. Combat is more difficult & realistic but some fights seem far too difficult, as if the difficulty setting randomly changes. At least TW1 was consistently too easy. But despite its flaws, this is an atmospheric game set in a detailed believable world, that continues the great story of Geralt of Rivia. Worth a look, but you may want to play on 'easy'.… Expand
  84. 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
  85. 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.
  86. 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
  87. 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
  88. Yurie
    Jul 14, 2013
    6
    Good graphics though I didn't like the art direction. Somewhat fun combat system for 10 minutes, passable story, a lot of backtracking for side quests. Good sound.

    Some bugs remaining even after 2 years of patching, getting stuck in walls, game crashing, items disappearing etc. Somewhat immersive environment, biggest complaint I had was the sex scenes (played too many games in that    Good graphics though I didn't like the art direction. Somewhat fun combat system for 10 minutes, passable story, a lot of backtracking for side quests. Good sound.

    Some bugs remaining even after 2 years of patching, getting stuck in walls, game crashing, items disappearing etc.

    Somewhat immersive environment, biggest complaint I had was the sex scenes (played too many games in that genre I guess), either ignore them fully or develop them more. Another thing was in a sneaking event you were instantly killed if discovered, while if discovered later you could fight your way out?

    The choices did matter more than in most other games on the plus side.    … Expand
  89. 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
  90. verbal_666
    Aug 13, 2016
    6
    Overrated. Is a simple Action/ Hack'n'Slas sold as an RPG, mistakenly. Too often frustrating, nice quests, but nothing intriguing, beautiful main story, but remains just that, in the midst of a thousand cutscenes. Just sufficient.
  91. Zahrada
    Feb 24, 2014
    6
    I had lot of fun with this game and I think it deserves to be played and loved. Excelent storytelling, graphics, etc. One of the best RPGs of our time. The biggest issue I have with it now, is that the original DVD does not work anymore. For some reason it keeps re-installing something and it is no longer possible to even launch the game. I think the system of pacthing is probably broken.I had lot of fun with this game and I think it deserves to be played and loved. Excelent storytelling, graphics, etc. One of the best RPGs of our time. The biggest issue I have with it now, is that the original DVD does not work anymore. For some reason it keeps re-installing something and it is no longer possible to even launch the game. I think the system of pacthing is probably broken. So even though the game is great, considering how much money I spent on it when it launched and the fact that the original DVD isn't playable anymore, I don't think it was that much of a good deal.… Expand
  92. qwerty8883
    May 11, 2014
    6
    This game has a very good story, amazing graphics and brilliant voiceovers/cast. What really lets it down so much is the combat system which i feel is completely broken. For a man who is renowned for his physical combat prowess, Geralt seems only capable of defending himself when rolling around on the floor. There are some people who say the difficulty of combat adds to the game and thatThis game has a very good story, amazing graphics and brilliant voiceovers/cast. What really lets it down so much is the combat system which i feel is completely broken. For a man who is renowned for his physical combat prowess, Geralt seems only capable of defending himself when rolling around on the floor. There are some people who say the difficulty of combat adds to the game and that it has a huge learning curve but all i have found is that rolling around again and again like sonic the hedgehog is the only way to defend yourself.

    The Witcher 3 on the other hand looks amazing.    … Expand
  93. 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
  94. godwarrock
    Jun 24, 2014
    6
    I was trying to find a game like Dragon Age, and this was recommended to me. I have only put in about ten hours, but I do not intend to put in anymore. While the combat in this game is by far the best I have ever seen in an action RPG, there are so many other issues with this game that frustrated me to no end. First off, the map is just ridiculous. It is annoying to use, and gives veryI was trying to find a game like Dragon Age, and this was recommended to me. I have only put in about ten hours, but I do not intend to put in anymore. While the combat in this game is by far the best I have ever seen in an action RPG, there are so many other issues with this game that frustrated me to no end. First off, the map is just ridiculous. It is annoying to use, and gives very little information. Tracking multiple quests at a time is also needlessly difficult. As someone who really enjoys doing side quests and trying to do everything a game has to offer, at some points in the game I felt so frustrated with the quest tracking and quest system that I just gave up on them entirely and only followed the main story. The stealth in the game is also just terrible. It looks and feels like it was scrapped together as a last minute idea, and I think the game would be better off without it just because of how dull and uninspired it is. While this game has a lot of great things, these few issues have frustrated me to the point where I just don't want to continue playing.… Expand
  95. GeekSquad
    Oct 7, 2014
    6
    It doesn't contain jump.
    The enhanced version is over colorful and painful in the eyes.
    You can't easily saw the quest item, there's no lighting on the object.
    Need to craft often to became over power.
    The map is confusing.
  96. UncleEd
    Dec 24, 2019
    6
    I had enjoyed the first game, its dark setting in particular. Having heard Witcher series gets better with every game, I am utterly disappointed. The Witcher 2 at its core is a bad game and its flaw lies in its design. From the controls to the movement mechanics and combat, t is very obvious that Witcher 2 wants to appeal to console gamers. Yes, the graphics and voice acting are good. TheI had enjoyed the first game, its dark setting in particular. Having heard Witcher series gets better with every game, I am utterly disappointed. The Witcher 2 at its core is a bad game and its flaw lies in its design. From the controls to the movement mechanics and combat, t is very obvious that Witcher 2 wants to appeal to console gamers. Yes, the graphics and voice acting are good. The intro cinematic is one of the best I have seen in video games. Story is good enough and the script writing is top notch. However, in terms of “gameplay”, Witcher 2 is terrible. The game makes you feel like a mouse in a labyrinth because very often, you can only walk within pre-set boundaries. Combat is overall quite boring and there is not much monster variety. Overall gameplay can be described as watching long cutscenes, running to a quest marker, get involved in a tedious combat, do some QTEs and loot stuff that you will probably never need. It also doesn’t help every chapter is worse than the previous one.

    This is a game with a good story and narrative but poor gameplay. I was planning to play Witcher 3 right after this one. The Witcher 2 changed my mind.    … Expand
  97. Kire_92
    Mar 7, 2018
    6
    This was a fun but overall unpolished game with a lot of flaws. The positives is that I really liked the story, the quests and overall feeling of the game and that the characters were interesting… and that’s about it.

    The negatives on the other hand are numerous. The combat for example is simply not fun. It offers no complexity and feel very clunky. And in an RPG such as this it’s a    This was a fun but overall unpolished game with a lot of flaws. The positives is that I really liked the story, the quests and overall feeling of the game and that the characters were interesting… and that’s about it.

    The negatives on the other hand are numerous. The combat for example is simply not fun. It offers no complexity and feel very clunky. And in an RPG such as this it’s a huge flaw.

    And the game fails multiply times in its attempt to be an adult game. This is something a lot of people have praised the game for but I on the other hand feel is laughable (though the Witcher 3 does a great job in this area). When the game tries to be mature, cool or edgy I usually face palm or start shaking my head or straight our start laughing. It feels like some scenes are written by young teenagers. And its attempt to be mature ends up feeling very juvenile. Having adult content is not the same as having a mature game. It’s how you use the content that matters. Letting two adults have sex all of a sudden because it’s cool is one example of how the adult content makes the game feel immature instead.

    Other negatives in the game are:
    - Bad UI
    - Stale facial animations
    - Bad sound mixing
    - Bad pacing in the story
    - The Potion system is terrible
    - Many reused character models
    - The game is short
    - Bad transitions in/out of cutscenes
    - Bugs

    Even though it has its flaws, the story and the quests and characters made it a fun experience. But it could have been so much better than it was.    … Expand
  98. OZcomingFRoo
    Jun 20, 2018
    6
    honestly have no clue as to why Angry Joe liked this game so much since I kinda both think its bad , but good.
    Before I talk about this game , I just wanna say I play Witcher 3 on PS4 before I even played 2 or 1 but never finished it.
    So to my ACUTAL REVIEW : Pros -Great Story -Beautiful Animations + Graphics -Rich lore -Side quests are unique Cons -The gameplay.... the whole    honestly have no clue as to why Angry Joe liked this game so much since I kinda both think its bad , but good.
    Before I talk about this game , I just wanna say I play Witcher 3 on PS4 before I even played 2 or 1 but never finished it.

    So to my ACUTAL REVIEW :
    Pros
    -Great Story
    -Beautiful Animations + Graphics
    -Rich lore
    -Side quests are unique

    Cons
    -The gameplay.... the whole gameplay system is just not right
    I have played many Hack and Slash games like Nier Automata , DmC , God of War.
    Now , I know , these games were mainly designed around Combot only and not preparing for combat with potions and such.
    But the way Garelt fights , the CORE hack and SLASH mechanics , just suck.
    You can't cancel your hits, Garelt's hit box is akward and evading is just useless.
    Not to mention the time it takes for Garelt to Cast a single spell during combat is down right frustrating.
    This is especially annyoing when fighting the dragon aka S****a.

    -Another thing specific thing about the gameplay is magic/spells :
    Aard (Wind/Force) and Axii (Mind Contol). they seem to not work properly.
    +Try to blow evemy with Aard from a roof and he doesn't even thou he was near the edge.
    +Trying to use Axii is stupid :
    1.You need to lock on a target to perform it , otherwise Garelt will be "self stunned" and waste mana/vigor
    2.Some enemies that should be affected by Axii sometimes decides like they dun wanna ,
    so guess what ? you just wasted mana/vigor .... THEY HELL ?!

    Overall , I would recommand this for a one time playthrough session , ON EASY or normal with COMBAT MODS that somewhat improve the gameplay.
    For 3/2.99$ its worth it.

    Quick Note : fortunately , Witcher 3 , unlike 2 , has a much better combat.
    -Casting spells is faster
    -Dodging really works    … Expand
  99. Alnmedray
    Aug 4, 2019
    6
    El diseño y graficos son muy buenos aunque la historia es algo aburrida! Eso depende de cada persona!!
  100. AxeWould
    Jul 14, 2021
    6
    Я понимаю почему люди восхищаются этой игры, но она меня дико выбесила. Первый ведьмак мной очень любим, а в этой вроде все в порядке, но она просто-напросто не работает. Боевка наверное более подходит для мира ведьмака, и она мне поначалу понравилась, но блин столько моментов, где ведьмак ударит то не того, то станет и пару ударов пропустит, если у противника идет какая это анимация, ударЯ понимаю почему люди восхищаются этой игры, но она меня дико выбесила. Первый ведьмак мной очень любим, а в этой вроде все в порядке, но она просто-напросто не работает. Боевка наверное более подходит для мира ведьмака, и она мне поначалу понравилась, но блин столько моментов, где ведьмак ударит то не того, то станет и пару ударов пропустит, если у противника идет какая это анимация, удар не проходит, а противники с постоянным магическим щитом, не делают игру интересней, а наоборот угнетает унынием. Бомбы бесполезная вещь, за игру только в начале попробовал как их использовать, и все за игру больше не использовал. Прокачка настолько ленивая и пресная, что у меня еще осталось 5 очков в конце игры, просто не было что прокачать что мне бы подошло. Зелье также настолько не интересны что кроме ласточки больше ничего не использовал, а то что они 10 мин лечат, это такой бред, и перед боем надо задийти в медитацию и просто смотреть как ведьмак их пьет и нельзя скипнуть заставку, и лечит она как на меня медленно, а то что во время боя юзать нельзя, это такой минус. Геймдизайн он красивый и красочный, но блин это просто лабиринт, в первом Ведьмаке как-то пободрей было. Но вот кого б я за яйца подвесил так это тот кто создал и выполнил мини карту, она убер не удобная и кривая. Квесты парочка интересных есть, а вообще большинство квестов и не интересны и однообразны, что капец. Графон завезли и он реально красивый, и окружение прекрасное, но лабиринт портит впечатление. Сюжет основной, мне не зашел, так как и в 4-5 книгах, эта политика мне была не интересна, поэтому сюжет как на меня слаб.… 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

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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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