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. Howmaster
    Aug 31, 2015
    9
    Love this game! A lot of changes from the first Witcher title, but there is much more depth, action, and story here.

    Story: Get ready to explore a world full of exciting political turmoil and chaos. This new Witcher installment has a lot of in-depth characters and an exciting story which involves political figures, rebels, and mages. You really feel as if your choices and actions    Love this game! A lot of changes from the first Witcher title, but there is much more depth, action, and story here.

    Story:

    Get ready to explore a world full of exciting political turmoil and chaos. This new Witcher installment has a lot of in-depth characters and an exciting story which involves political figures, rebels, and mages. You really feel as if your choices and actions shape the game quite a bit as you go along. This leads to a lot of attachment to certain characters and a great amount of replay value. The quests are interesting and engaging. It is nice to see some adult themes being thrown around in a game nowadays too rather than the usual generic boring fetch quests. I really enjoyed the story of this game, much more than the first Witcher.

    Gameplay:

    There is a learning curve for combat. Gone are the styles of the first game and, in my opinion, a much better type of combat takes its place. At first, it can be quite difficult which I thought was actually enjoyable. You start with all of your signs and get thrown right into combat with no tutorial which, if you never played the first game, I can see why some complained. For me, I welcomed the difficult combat. It’s a nice change of pace to actually have to use oils and potions to prepare for battle as compared to just running in and button mashing. That being said, there are some targeting issues that can be annoying. You may find yourself having trouble targeting the correct enemies which can become frustrating. All in all combat can be difficult, but it’s not that difficult especially once you get dodging down it then becomes much easier.

    The skill tree is expended and much more in-depth than many other mainstream RPG’s. However, my only complaint is that the alchemy tree can almost be ignored. I just didn’t find much use for it when compared to the other two.

    My main complaint with the game is the menus. They look and navigate like a poor console port. It can be a pain to search for certain items as the organization is feeble.

    Graphics/Sound:

    Voice acting is top notch here. Geralt, Triss, and all the major players are done with great writing and voice acting. In my opinion the voice acting and writing here blows games like Skyrim and Dragon Age 2 out of the water.

    The game looks amazing. The graphics here are crazy good, even without playing on max settings. I played on medium and the amount of detail and interaction is outstanding.

    Conclusion:

    In my opinion its the 2011 Game of the year, if not RPG of the year. Tons more depth, interaction, and action than most games out there. A really enjoyable experience and a must own for any RPG or adventure gamer.    … Expand
  2. 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
  3. PrincessRose
    Aug 17, 2015
    5
    The combat is a lot better than the first Witcher, but still can feel rather clunky and awkward.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This game is more for those who like a light action oriented RPG with a limited set character, than those who like a deep, open RPG with more freedom, seemingly endless choices and character builds that can vary a lot.    … Expand
  4. asfj
    Aug 5, 2015
    5
    Too long conversation, too slow path, just like torture for my patience.

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

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

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

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

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

    Maybe 2/3 time is spent on menus operations, walking and conversation.    … Expand
  5. Kyech
    Aug 5, 2015
    2
    Can't believe this game got this much appraisal, it must be because the players don't have any reference to compare or something, the history must be it's strong point, but the game play suck big hard time, in an game medium its the worst aspect to suck.

    To start, the controls are realy bad, the feedback of the controller imput take almost 1 second some times, the targeting system is    Can't believe this game got this much appraisal, it must be because the players don't have any reference to compare or something, the history must be it's strong point, but the game play suck big hard time, in an game medium its the worst aspect to suck.

    To start, the controls are realy bad, the feedback of the controller imput take almost 1 second some times, the targeting system is trash, the combat could be good if these problems were corrected.

    Stealth sections, quick time events with bugged controls, a hell lot of thing preventing you from enjoying what should be a open world game, the introduction of the game is pure gameplay **** shoved down your troath, i dont get why they didn't just made a cut scene or so, its poison in game play wise.

    Most of the witcher 2 problems would be solved if they played any Souls game for half a hour, i guess it must be too humilhating to do so...    … Expand
  6. Nuker
    Jun 29, 2015
    8
    - Good: Writing, Story, Atmosphere, Setting, Characters, Flotsam, Side quests
    - Mixed: Gameplay, Soundtrack, Boss fights
    - Bad: UI

    I like more first Witcher, but this game is still very very solid.
  7. davidherrington
    Jun 28, 2015
    2
    I have signed up for metacritic just so I can review this game. Don't waste your time!

    It's crap! Horrendous combat mechanics, completely unbalanced and infuriatingly (and unnecessarily) difficult. Story seems great if you didn't have to go through the awful combat and fight scenes. You have to google how to complete half the questions and all of the bosses, can't be done on their own.
  8. Zen-Zinxe
    Jun 19, 2015
    9
    One of the best looking games I have ever played. Crysis tier graphics combined with gameplay that is far more engaging than the first witcher game make this one of the best games I've played in recent years.

    The story takes a moment to get going but once it does it never slows down. True to the first game in the series you can still bang hookers, get drunk and gamble your money away.    One of the best looking games I have ever played. Crysis tier graphics combined with gameplay that is far more engaging than the first witcher game make this one of the best games I've played in recent years.

    The story takes a moment to get going but once it does it never slows down. True to the first game in the series you can still bang hookers, get drunk and gamble your money away. But unlike the first game, the combat is far more complex.

    In combat it is similar to dark souls in the sense that you have a light attack, strong attack, and can roll to dodge attacks. There are more difficulty levels and there is actual coordination involved instead of just knowing potions/stances to use at a certain time. On top of the swordplay there are bombs and traps you can craft and purchase, traps being sort of a niche item that I ended up not using much. All in all the combat is a lot of fun and far less tedious than the first game. The only thing about this game I didn't care for was you are unable to drink potions in the midst of combat.

    A lot of old friends show up in the second game, there is a definite sense of continuity, largely because the end of the first game carries right over into the major conflict of the second. Once again Geralt carefully trying to stay on the edge of politics, yet someone is always dragging him into it.

    This game takes almost everything that the Witcher had and makes it better. While some people may be turned off by the lack of a character creator, the story this game has to tell of Geralt the Witcher is far more interesting than the nameless self-insert the RPG industry is usually prone to these days.

    Near perfect with lots of different ways to play and level, plus a combat arena mini game if you want to just fight waves of monsters over and over.    … Expand
  9. BaronMonaco
    Jun 17, 2015
    10
    Improving over The Witcher 1, on the whole combat system and with more engaging side quest, The Witcher 2 is not perfect (if possible I would have rate it 9.5) with some minor defaults like the fact that you don't remember formulas, but I love it way to much to lower the mark to 9. Fantastic graphics at the times and above everything else the best story of modern videogames with detailedImproving over The Witcher 1, on the whole combat system and with more engaging side quest, The Witcher 2 is not perfect (if possible I would have rate it 9.5) with some minor defaults like the fact that you don't remember formulas, but I love it way to much to lower the mark to 9. Fantastic graphics at the times and above everything else the best story of modern videogames with detailed and realistic characters, and choices that have enormous consequences, in fact the 40-50 hours that the game needs to be complete could be almost doubled giving that a choice in the end of Act 1 will change the rest of the game in almost every aspect (only a few quests will be the same) .

    I've already said this on my review of the first Witcher, but those games are to videogames what Game of Thrones is to series : high production value, faithful to the original works, addicting story and characters, etc. It's a must have !    … Expand
  10. GolovA
    Jun 10, 2015
    8
    This game would have gotten a 9/10 from me, but due to its very narrow FOV i have to take one point off. I was also able to implement a MOD which fixes the FOV; unfortunately, that mod prevented me from using other good mods (such as Full Combat Rebalance MOD), which i had to forsake in order to have a normal field of view.

    That aside - i enjoyed the game thoroughly. I am a fan of the    This game would have gotten a 9/10 from me, but due to its very narrow FOV i have to take one point off. I was also able to implement a MOD which fixes the FOV; unfortunately, that mod prevented me from using other good mods (such as Full Combat Rebalance MOD), which i had to forsake in order to have a normal field of view.

    That aside - i enjoyed the game thoroughly. I am a fan of the first one, and the sequel did not disappoint. The gameplay is not a simplified hack-n-slash - i played on Hard and found combat quite a challenge, final bosses being a real pain in the ass!

    Unlike an illusion of choice (such as in Mass Effect) of the path, Witcher 2 offers choices which affect the path and the plot of the main story. Not to give away any spoilers - your choice in the beginning of the Prologue will actually effect the following Chapter. So if you replay the game and make a different choice in the beginning, you will play through a different level in the upcoming chapter - a level which you have never played before. This adds a high value to replayability and believability to the gameplay.

    My best part of this whole game is the narrative. This is a game for adults - not because of graphics violence or nudity but because of the depth the story has been developed. It is full of politics, assassinations, intrigues, manipulations, and so on, told through a very witty and eloquent narrative (i just love the prose). The story is magnificent and well-shoed and, as expected from the Witcher universe, thoroughly thought through and explained in detail.    … Expand
  11. 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.
  12. Fastpoose
    May 22, 2015
    3
    So far I'm about 5 hours into this game. First off graphics are great. This is not an RPG, this is a hack in slash, and is pretty much just linear game so far, and extremely boring. Gonna give The Witcher 3 a shot now, but I won't hold my breath. It seems 80% of the gaming community are at odds with what I call a good RPG but oh well.
  13. Witcher_2_Fan
    May 19, 2015
    9
    This is in my opinion one of the greatest RPGs of all time. It hasthings holding it back like the fact that it isn't open world, or that the boss battles suck cock, but it's still very good.
    Also, I highly recommend playing with a controller.
  14. styku91
    May 19, 2015
    10
    Great successor to the first game of the series. TW2 greatly improves where TW1 was lacking some polish, and still manages to tell you a great, involving story with meaningful choices and consequences. I mean - half of the game is completely different (Act 2) depending on who you choose to side with. That's huge.
    And the graphics. For me it is still one of the best looking cRPGs, even    Great successor to the first game of the series. TW2 greatly improves where TW1 was lacking some polish, and still manages to tell you a great, involving story with meaningful choices and consequences. I mean - half of the game is completely different (Act 2) depending on who you choose to side with. That's huge.
    And the graphics. For me it is still one of the best looking cRPGs, even after 4 years from the release date.
    Combat system is very good, and demanding. A lot of people bash it for not being dumbed down, but if you're up for a challenge, it'll be a big plus for you.    … Expand
  15. 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
  16. frankielee
    May 7, 2015
    9
    in terms of gameplay this game might have gone a little backwards compared to witcher 1 but in other terms it is still a very fun, deep and hard-to-forget game. probably the most sophisticated and grown-up rpg game in the last couple of years.
  17. CriticoDubioso
    May 1, 2015
    8
    After playing through this game many times and viewing the game in its entirety, I realized how much
    CD Projekt Red has gone downhill as a game developer and it doesn't make me look forward to Witcher 3, AT ALL.
    I want to go on record, and say I am all for their GOG, DRM-Free business model regarding PC games, which is where I got my copy of Witcher 2 and all my PC games. 3D Vision    After playing through this game many times and viewing the game in its entirety, I realized how much
    CD Projekt Red has gone downhill as a game developer and it doesn't make me look forward to Witcher 3, AT ALL.

    I want to go on record, and say I am all for their GOG, DRM-Free business model regarding PC games, which is where I got my copy of Witcher 2 and all my PC games.

    3D Vision Review: This is for those of us like me out there locked into Nvidia's 3D Vision solution, which I prefer to the idiotic notion of playing a game in what I call "photosphere mode" others want to call it virtual reality. I prefer 3D, where things have an amazing depth and actual realness to them, versus the "photosphere mode" being hyped up, because unlike 3D, is all hype compared to 3D, I want to experience the game with extreme 3D depth and smoothness at 120hz per eye, not play the game in a "photosphere mode". In fact, I can't wait for the true 240hz 3D monitors where we get to play the game in 3D with 120hz to each eye with some upgraded 3D glasses. Okay, rant over. This title is Nvidia 3D Vision Ready. My own personal experience with it is that it is great, there's a wonderful sense of 3D Depth at all times when playing in 3D mode, especially with depth and convergence settings set how I want. This is made better by the high quality audio the game has, the environmental sounds are good, the people sound like real people and the music is okay, I'm not a big fan of it, it's just okay to me but it is very high quality.

    Gameplay/Story Review: It's a action RPG with a few major dialogue choices here and there, you can interact with everyone but only a few npcs serve a purpose, like merchants and major npcs. It's supposed to be a game world of making choices, but there's no way to go your own way, I personally didn't care for being forced to go Roche's path or Iorveth's path. You can customize Geralt's look somewhat, and there a few armor choices here and there. Not to mention you can't get rid of characters you don't like and change the story, you're forced (once again) to play by the games twisted rules of letting obviously evil characters go, in many cases. There are only a few instances in which you can get rid of the obviously evil characters. I would have preferred more freedom to change the story. It is comparable to a corridor shooter, in that there are very limited choices on where you can go and what you can do and you must go the way the game tells you to with an extremely limited degree of control, which is not what an RPG should be doing. Potions should be able to taken whenever you want, not just during meditation. To me the story is needlessly complicated. I would have preferred if it was more focused. The first glaring flaw that sticks out to me, is that somehow Geralt is being blamed for what happens to King Foltest at the beginning, because there were no witnesses, one simple question for that, is why don't I have the choice to wait for Roche, so Roche can go with me? or better yet, why not wait for Roche to bring along a few Blue Stripes? This comes up a lot, I can think of many situations in the game, where I think out loud, why can't I say no? It makes sense, but no, there is a scripted narrative I must follow, despite how little sense it makes to do so.

    Basically, the entire game is scripted in advance, its like playing a modern take on the PC games of old, the point and click interactive movies with digitized or real scenes which also didn't give you much choices either. This game has multiple endings but so do some of those really old point and click games. The areas you get to explore are little more than just pretty scenery, sometimes there's some enemies or a new quest, but you are locked down to a grid. I expect I will feel the same way when I play Witcher 3, which won't happen until I can buy the fully patched game with all DLCs.

    2 out of 5, for the great 3D Vision, sound, graphics and the Red Kit SDK. Everything else is just bad and brings the score down a lot.

    I do appreciate them providing us with the Red Kit SDK along with this game.
    I hope they provide us with the updated SDK with the release of Witcher 3 and I hope Witcher 3 is a much better game, but like I said, I'm not buying it until I can buy it fully patched and with all of its DLC added in.    … Expand
  18. PhoneyFree
    Apr 27, 2015
    10
    Near perfect RPG. Great characters, story, plot. The choices you make as a character do have consequences in the game. Depth and rich character/npc interaction. Great game if you like your games to be story rich. The game treats you as an intelligent adult. Some games you play are enjoyable right up to the end until you get hit with a completely ill thought out conclusion that can leaveNear perfect RPG. Great characters, story, plot. The choices you make as a character do have consequences in the game. Depth and rich character/npc interaction. Great game if you like your games to be story rich. The game treats you as an intelligent adult. Some games you play are enjoyable right up to the end until you get hit with a completely ill thought out conclusion that can leave you deflated and frustrated as you are left with a feeling that all the hours put into the game were completely pointless. This game does not do that. It is an enjoyable adventure with great characters which leaves you feeling that you got your moneys worth. Money well spent.… Expand
  19. vistachiri
    Apr 26, 2015
    9
    This entire series was somewhat of a hidden gem for me. It's got great writing, good characters, and pretty fantastic gameplay.

    I will caution anyone getting into it though, it took me about an hour to really start getting invested in it. Might just be me, but if it seems slow going with this or the first one, give it a chance.
  20. RP421969
    Apr 6, 2015
    5
    Meh.... I tired to finish Witcher 1 couldn't do it. So in an attempt to get psych'd for witcher 3 i bought witcher 2. I think i finished it in under 24 hours. the voice acting is underwhelming as well as the general story arc, and most of NPCs are boring and don't really add to much. The graphic and combat were good, but the map was god awful. i'm not sure what the redeeming qualities areMeh.... I tired to finish Witcher 1 couldn't do it. So in an attempt to get psych'd for witcher 3 i bought witcher 2. I think i finished it in under 24 hours. the voice acting is underwhelming as well as the general story arc, and most of NPCs are boring and don't really add to much. The graphic and combat were good, but the map was god awful. i'm not sure what the redeeming qualities are for this game, I'm glad it didn't buy it new, and Im going to have to wait for review on W3. in the mean time I guess it's back to the DA series for me.… Expand
  21. Smilingcookie
    Apr 1, 2015
    8
    It's a good game, but a bit overrated in my opinion. I wanted to give a 7.5/10. I think from a CRPG point of view the first The Witcher was slightly better. Frankly I am not all that impressed with the combat system in The Witcher 2. The animations feel slow and I don't always feel in control of the character. I wonder if this has to do with console compatibility. Somehow this feels likeIt's a good game, but a bit overrated in my opinion. I wanted to give a 7.5/10. I think from a CRPG point of view the first The Witcher was slightly better. Frankly I am not all that impressed with the combat system in The Witcher 2. The animations feel slow and I don't always feel in control of the character. I wonder if this has to do with console compatibility. Somehow this feels like it was made with controllers in mind.

    There seem to be less options in character development than in the first one.

    The story is good and choices are meaningfull. Graphics are very detailed but somehow they annoy me. If this game had the art design and crisp combat of Dark Souls II it would have been perfect.    … Expand
  22. Pchela
    Mar 5, 2015
    10
    Simply it was a masterpiece of its own time. Deep and entertaining story, very realistic characters, real oral choices and dilemmas. Great graphics. I have really enjoyed that one. All my hopes now go for the so-long awaited sequel.
  23. xXDrowXx
    Feb 14, 2015
    9
    9/10
    .............................................................................................................................................................
  24. Tyreneous
    Feb 3, 2015
    5
    Don't know if this will update my previous rating however I finally got the game to run using a third party no dot net patch. Sad yet simple. I still can't recommend this game due to these circumstances as it should be fixed as soon as you update the thing
  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. Xxsonicfan69xX
    Dec 27, 2014
    10
    Probably the best game I've ever played

    Pros
    **** ****
    +Fight Monsters
    +Get Money
    +Drink Beer

    Cons
    -Too pretty
    -Too good

    10/10 would reccomend
  27. Athansor
    Nov 30, 2014
    9
    Awesome game. I was able to really get in and feel like the witcher, which was great. I had my own motivations that were very separate from the motivations of those around me, but the game never forced me to go along and really commit to a faction. Yes, I had to pick a side, but even after I picked that side they didn't much like me and I didn't much like them, we just needed each otherAwesome game. I was able to really get in and feel like the witcher, which was great. I had my own motivations that were very separate from the motivations of those around me, but the game never forced me to go along and really commit to a faction. Yes, I had to pick a side, but even after I picked that side they didn't much like me and I didn't much like them, we just needed each other for a brief time. The fact that a video game could carry that type of tension this well was incredible.
    The story unfolds gradually and each reveal feels important, interesting, and distinct. I never felt hurried by the plot, and the side quests all felt like something my Geralt would do. Combat is difficult without feeling like the game is cheating, which is important to me for game play. Some games you lose a fight and you say "oh comon, there's nothing I could have done about that" but in this game, every time I died I swore a few times and tried again because I knew it was my fault, not the game's, that I had died.
    I could hardly ask for a better game experience. The only reason I don't think it was perfect is because the combat, while difficult in all the right ways, did eventually feel repetitive. I kept taking the same potions every time, doing the same dodges, and firing off the same spell, or sign. Even though there are a lot of different possibilities, I played on the hardest difficulty and it felt like there was only ever one combination of things that gave me the best chance. It was still exciting and difficult to pull off, and the game didn't drag on so long that I felt completely bored by that combat, but it was repetitive nonetheless.

    Overall an excellent game, and I will likely play through again to make some decisions differently than I did the first time. I may turn down the difficulty to save time though!    … Expand
  28. cylian3
    Nov 29, 2014
    0
    Any role-playing game that's heavily relying on action and fighting mythical creatures should be ashamed of itself when the design decisions were made that you could only take potions BEFORE entering fights, thereby effectively integrating the save function as a core of people's gameplay.

    SHAME ON YOU, Witcher 2.
  29. Gamed2long
    Nov 25, 2014
    10
    I loved TW1. So I got this game as soon as it came out. I beat it and enjoyed every minute of the process. Its beautiful. As soon as I learned The Witcher 3 is in the works I picked it up and beat it again. This time I made all the opposite choices. Thats right! Silly me. My first game ended with me saving Triss over the king's kids with the help of Roach. I never explored all the otherI loved TW1. So I got this game as soon as it came out. I beat it and enjoyed every minute of the process. Its beautiful. As soon as I learned The Witcher 3 is in the works I picked it up and beat it again. This time I made all the opposite choices. Thats right! Silly me. My first game ended with me saving Triss over the king's kids with the help of Roach. I never explored all the other choices. My second play-through I was a freedom fighter with Iorveth who helped the non-humans carve out a kingdom. Its amazing how I could start in the same place. Make completely reasonable choices and end with such a different experience. The whole second act of the game was completely different.
    This game is mature. The characters are complex. The plot is mature. Unlike so many games where there is the clearly good option and the clearly evil option, in this game you try to do good but the choices are hard. Do you let innocent people burn to death, or do you let a bad guy get away without punishment? Choices like that.
    I do have 2 criticisms. Combat is a little hit or miss. Like the real world when the bad guys gang up on you, you are going to take a beating. Also the game is too short. Both these things were partially resolved by the FREE RELEASE of the Enhanced Edition.
    I can't wait for The Witcher 3 to come out.    … Expand
  30. Gothic90
    Nov 21, 2014
    8
    The world of witcher is incredibly intriguing and rich. Monarchs being **** people are out to get others, violence, corruption, etc. I am amazed that such a short game can give me all of that, and I am eager to learn more. Its multiple paths tell the story from different perspectives, and your actions actually have consequences that you would care about during the game, and that is a rareThe world of witcher is incredibly intriguing and rich. Monarchs being **** people are out to get others, violence, corruption, etc. I am amazed that such a short game can give me all of that, and I am eager to learn more. Its multiple paths tell the story from different perspectives, and your actions actually have consequences that you would care about during the game, and that is a rare find in recent games, or any games. There are characters that I actually grow to love and care about, which is great.

    Releasing the Enhanced Edition for free is just CDPR being awesome towards players. The side quests are fun things, unlike some of the "MMO quests" adopted by a certain company. They might be similar but you do feel the difference as each type of monsters need a different means to exterminate.

    Downsides: combat wise it feels like the PC gains more powerful too quickly and scales out of control, and the actiony combat can be repetitive. Also the game's system requirements are ridiculous and I still sometimes get lags on a PC I bought 3 years after its release. The more save files you have, the longer loading screens you experience - definitely an issue (I have to manually delete saves outside of the game as deleting inside is a chore). Also the game is too short, which gives me a sad face.    … Expand
  31. 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
  32. EvilTerrorizer
    Nov 19, 2014
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Played on PC. Loved all the great NPCs and storyline. Some minor issues like not being able to craft an armor from the Mist boss since chapter ended before I could do anything. I liked original Witcher a bit better, but the extra choices were a welcome addition for any gripes I had with minor things.

    All-in-all the game ran very well for me, UI very good. Gerald is a regular bad-ass. W3 here I come.    … Expand
  33. ccam
    Nov 16, 2014
    3
    This game contains too many dialogues, cinematic and readings that sometimes you do not know what you have to do until you read it again. Poor instruction of the game and gameplay. UI is confusing. Controls are poor. Combat is terrible, unless you like ROLLING and ROLLONG all the time.
    I do not recommend this game if you are not fun of RPG games and you don't care about the controls and combat.
  34. DeusXCom
    Nov 12, 2014
    9
    The Witcher 1 was a perfect RPG experience in my eyes and in retrospect I would rank it among the very best in the genre. The Witcher 2 changes quite a lot of things, some of them for better, others for worse, but despite some problems, it's still a fantastic RPG ride and a worthy successor.

    The story is still top notch, maybe little too much politics for my taste, it can be hard to    The Witcher 1 was a perfect RPG experience in my eyes and in retrospect I would rank it among the very best in the genre. The Witcher 2 changes quite a lot of things, some of them for better, others for worse, but despite some problems, it's still a fantastic RPG ride and a worthy successor.

    The story is still top notch, maybe little too much politics for my taste, it can be hard to follow all the kingdoms, their situation, kings, intentions etc., but it makes it feel more grandiose in scope. The game itself however is quite a bit shorter than the first one, only 3 chapters and the last chapter went by really fast, but if you do everything, it's still about 30 hours, which is good enough.

    The visuals are beautiful, I loved all 3 locations and their environments, some of the locations were just breathtaking, but the overall art direction seems to be pushed into more punch in the face aesthetic, so the colors are often way too over saturated to my taste. I preferred more subtle style of the first Witcher.

    The biggest change is the controls and combat. I love the fact you can grip the controller and feel your character, move around, the combat is also much more fluid and it feels tight, that's a good change, but what is not so good is the UI, the inventory management, all the additional menus, it suffered from the overall console controllers interface, it needs some serious getting used to and I really hope this will be improved in TW3.

    Another disappointment is the alchemy, one of my favourite things to do in TW1. gathering herbs, mixing potions and effectively use them in battle. Here, you cannot drink once the combat starts, but before that in preparation. You would need to be a seer visionary to know when you are going to need it, this basically ruined the effective use and I just ignored the alchemy completely, focusing solely on the sword techniques.

    The biggest problem of TW2 imo is it's linearity and non-open world corridor style world design. Especially now when you can control Geralt with such fluidity it's really immersion breaking to encounter all those invisible walls and barriers, it feels very restricting, you can't even jump over the obstacles, it just lacks the freedom of many other more open world RPGs, but that's exactly the issue that the new Witcher 3 should address.

    There are some other minor bugs, I had few crashes during my playthrough, there are many audio balance issues, voice overs too loud or too quiet every once in a while, and they somehow managed to ruin the dice poker mini-game which is not nearly as good as in the first game, but nothing that can destroy your RPG experience.

    And what an experience it is, captivating story, interesting characters, well-written quests, in the first half of the game pretty challenging battles that force you to use all your resources to win and important decisions that have a strong impact on the actual world around you and the last but not least - fantastic soundtrack again. All the things I loved about the first Witcher and reasons why I love The Witcher series so much. I'm looking forward to the new open world TW3 that's looking amazing so far and hopefully is going to improve all the shortcomings of TW2 to create the ultimate masterpiece and finish this amazing trilogy. 9/10    … Expand
  35. TUHD
    Oct 26, 2014
    10
    The top game of its year (although not recognized as such due to heavy lobbying for the blockbusters), it refreshed the formula used in The Witcher 1, solves a couple of its problems (including the combat system) and brings the graphics to the limit. Beautifully made, with an at times dark story, The Witcher 2, especially with the free updates of it (and the Extended Edition patch inThe top game of its year (although not recognized as such due to heavy lobbying for the blockbusters), it refreshed the formula used in The Witcher 1, solves a couple of its problems (including the combat system) and brings the graphics to the limit. Beautifully made, with an at times dark story, The Witcher 2, especially with the free updates of it (and the Extended Edition patch in special) still remains an sight to behold. Yes, by now some graphical errors become more obvious. But The Witcher 2 remains one of the best RPGs ever made, and with The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt upcoming which promises to be even better, the series will likely remain an shining example of good RPGs.… Expand
  36. 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.
  37. 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
  38. 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
  39. Blazefire96
    Sep 27, 2014
    10
    One of the best rpg's of 2011 if not the best game is visually stunning and challenging combat especially on dark mode edrea queen 1 shotted me without quen love this game so much
  40. Skyrar
    Sep 21, 2014
    10
    One of the best games- and the best rpg I have ever played. Graphics and the atmosphere are superb, but what really makes this game outstanding is it's character- and storywriting. It's story is very complex, but if you spent some time trying to understand it you will be rewarded with a intelligent written story full of memorable moments, twists and political issues. The combat is decentOne of the best games- and the best rpg I have ever played. Graphics and the atmosphere are superb, but what really makes this game outstanding is it's character- and storywriting. It's story is very complex, but if you spent some time trying to understand it you will be rewarded with a intelligent written story full of memorable moments, twists and political issues. The combat is decent but compared to other aspects not outstanding. But still- this game deserves a 10/10. I play rpg's since 15 years and Witcher 2 managed to became my new #1… Expand
  41. kactusotp
    Sep 20, 2014
    10
    One of the best RPG's I've played, a game that forces you to make meaningful choices that have a huge effect on the game. Combat took a bit of getting used to since I started just going in button mashing and ending up dead. had to sit back think about all the tools in my arsenal and play with a bit of thought. Tracking an elite hunt? Set some traps and ambush it. Use your abilities, signsOne of the best RPG's I've played, a game that forces you to make meaningful choices that have a huge effect on the game. Combat took a bit of getting used to since I started just going in button mashing and ending up dead. had to sit back think about all the tools in my arsenal and play with a bit of thought. Tracking an elite hunt? Set some traps and ambush it. Use your abilities, signs and weapons

    It is great I would recommend it to anyone, and it still looks beautiful even today.    … Expand
  42. TraceofHatred
    Sep 17, 2014
    0
    Bland, repetitive game-play with poor controls, boring characters, and even worse compatibility.
    The World is very 2 Dimensional with puppet NPCs and lacks anything outside of an RPG stereotype.
    I can run damn near any game with all graphics settings on max with skype running, but if I try to run witcher on even mediocre settings - It's completely laggy. There are better things you    Bland, repetitive game-play with poor controls, boring characters, and even worse compatibility.
    The World is very 2 Dimensional with puppet NPCs and lacks anything outside of an RPG stereotype.

    I can run damn near any game with all graphics settings on max with skype running,
    but if I try to run witcher on even mediocre settings - It's completely laggy.

    There are better things you can spend your money on - Like any other RPG.    … Expand
  43. Sirik_Matak
    Sep 15, 2014
    5
    The game looks marvelous, the execution of visuals, storytelling and everything connected is just perfect. You can actually care about characters and their stories, and the main plot isn't just shoveled down with an uninspired ending like in the previous title. The story connections to the prequel surely will make me to replay this title few times.

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

    Why 5 then? Because the gameplay absolutely sucks in every possible way. The combat system is a clusterf***, the lack of control and annoyances surrounding it (picking up items in the middle of the fight, come on) and the character development is just subpar and far below what the first game offered. The UI is tiring and navigating takes definitely too much time and clicking, drinking potions is just a chore to do, magic signs are unprecise and not really useful. They could ditch out the combat entirely, making a point'n'click adventure game and the game would only benefit from it.    … Expand
  44. AlienSpaceBats
    Sep 6, 2014
    8
    Graphically impressive with exceptional production values, and a good game, but not the second coming, and definitely not the next big thing in RPGs. Restrictive in the same way console RPGs are, just with hi-res textures, presented as an adult game, yet under the surface it's just as adolescent as the first game was, with it's ridiculous sex cards. Gameplay (particularly combat) is oftenGraphically impressive with exceptional production values, and a good game, but not the second coming, and definitely not the next big thing in RPGs. Restrictive in the same way console RPGs are, just with hi-res textures, presented as an adult game, yet under the surface it's just as adolescent as the first game was, with it's ridiculous sex cards. Gameplay (particularly combat) is often quite bad, particularly on Normal difficulty or higher - controls feel unresponsive, delayed, keymapping can be altered but not in game and only using the game's config tool. Good, but not great.… Expand
  45. GreedyPope
    Aug 19, 2014
    10
    This is a MUST if you enjoy games with a solid story and incredible combat mechanics. Very few bugs compared to your usual RPG. Sound and graphics are top notch. Only game better than this is Fallout 3, which are unrealistic standards...
  46. Ostake
    Aug 12, 2014
    10
    The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings.. The perfect combination into the tematics of the first game and a great gameplay. Not the best but is higher than The Witcher 1. Amazing game.
  47. tomasz009
    Aug 3, 2014
    10
    This game is beautiful. Holy crap, just beautiful. Gives me feels. Original Witcher was sublime and this follows suit. Some linearity doesn't stop it from being immersive and feeling like a real goddamn world. 9.7/10.
  48. pferguso
    Jul 14, 2014
    10
    I had a great time playing The Witcher 2. The quality of this title exceeded my expectations. And while I can not recommend this game for younger players due to the mature content, I would definitely recommend it for older players, particularly if you are a fan of The original Conan comics, as I feel there are a lot of similarities in the way these works are played out. The gameI had a great time playing The Witcher 2. The quality of this title exceeded my expectations. And while I can not recommend this game for younger players due to the mature content, I would definitely recommend it for older players, particularly if you are a fan of The original Conan comics, as I feel there are a lot of similarities in the way these works are played out. The game features Elves, Dwarves, and humans, along with plenty of monsters, and magic. The story is very complex, and the characters are all richly developed. Most importantly, there is a combat system that is both challenging, and entertaining. The voice work is top notch, and the graphics and music are triple A quality. I have to say that this game takes the crown as my favorite role playing game since the Mass Effect games.… Expand
  49. iansarmy1
    Jul 8, 2014
    8
    Pros: Beautiful graphics, a great and extremely deep story with loads of profound and impacting choices and a solid combat system.

    Cons: An odd compromise between linear and open world game play similar to the Fable series, the story is unfocused and confusing at times but comes together very nicely at the end, poorly implemented interface, map and quest markers leave you lost and    Pros: Beautiful graphics, a great and extremely deep story with loads of profound and impacting choices and a solid combat system.

    Cons: An odd compromise between linear and open world game play similar to the Fable series, the story is unfocused and confusing at times but comes together very nicely at the end, poorly implemented interface, map and quest markers leave you lost and confused at times.

    Overall: Gorgeous RPG with a story far superior to anything Bethesda could ever conjure up, but there are times when you are painfully reminded that you are playing a game from an Indie publisher that had grander ambitions than what they were actually able to achieve.    … Expand
  50. rscl
    Jul 7, 2014
    9
    Out of my limited selection, this is my favorite RPG game. It plays very similar to Skyrim - but comes out slightly ahead. While Skyrim has a better combat system and more content, The Witcher 2 gives you a much more meaningful story combined with colorful graphics, beautiful cities and good cinematics.
    For those who couldn't handle the p.o.s controls in TW1, The Witcher 2 gives a great    Out of my limited selection, this is my favorite RPG game. It plays very similar to Skyrim - but comes out slightly ahead. While Skyrim has a better combat system and more content, The Witcher 2 gives you a much more meaningful story combined with colorful graphics, beautiful cities and good cinematics.
    For those who couldn't handle the p.o.s controls in TW1, The Witcher 2 gives a great recap of the previous title.    … Expand
  51. TRON666
    Jul 5, 2014
    1
    Overrated game, looks good, and thats about it.
    really decent fighting, and overall exp. if youre looking for it, i suggest you to look elsewhere.
    i do believe youre going to be disappointed.
  52. NyaR
    Jul 5, 2014
    10
    This game was incredibly captivating that I had to close it and immediately obtain Witcher 1 and study the witcher lore before I dared approach it.

    Then, when I did, I enjoyed every minute of it. Gameplay and dialogues, the darkness of the world, the books and the mysteries involved. This game sets precedent for the future of this genre.
  53. bosh_cod
    Jul 3, 2014
    10
    This is a great, great game in a great, great series. It's hand's down the only modern series that can stand toe to toe with classic RPG's of Infinity engine.
  54. barnz3000
    Jun 26, 2014
    10
    Look this is just a STUNNING game. I don't know why I didn't find it earlier. Its an amazing example of what an RPG can be. And it really puts the open world games like Skyrim in their place. Sure, its nice to be able to walk everywhere and do anything - but The Witcher 2, shows us what you are Missing. Amazing environments, and REAL storytelling.

    Character Development, with a million    Look this is just a STUNNING game. I don't know why I didn't find it earlier. Its an amazing example of what an RPG can be. And it really puts the open world games like Skyrim in their place. Sure, its nice to be able to walk everywhere and do anything - but The Witcher 2, shows us what you are Missing. Amazing environments, and REAL storytelling.

    Character Development, with a million different characters its one face fitting into many. You are Geralt - not only do you LOOK better, you have an amazing back story.

    Gameplay - It takes some getting used to, but the slow down time quick keys etc, are awesome. Special take downs, magic. Just so good.

    Story - Did I mention the storytelling? Its just so superior to a bunch of fetch and kill quests - of course they are in there, thats all RPG'ing IS afterall. But you really feel you are part of the Story. Some of the environments, like sieges and battles are awesome.

    In short - Witcher 2, one of the best games I have ever played. After completion I Immediately wanted to do again. There are actual divergent storylines and quests.

    Its HARD to play, Medium difficulty, I just can't kill some of the bosses. Takes real skill. Great game. (there is always easy :P)    … Expand
  55. 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
  56. ghost2512
    Jun 13, 2014
    10
    an awesome story driven RPG with great character development which makes us wanna love the characters. every action we take has a consequence. the gameplay is effective with and an enhanced difficulty which makes us want to prepare beforehand .the crafting system is also equally good and the visuals is mesmerizing .
  57. buzkashi
    Jun 12, 2014
    4
    Bugs! Still there even in the latest fully patched edition from GOG.
    A very good looking and potentially very enjoyable experience which is turned into an exercise in tedium by significant bugs. Specifically, there are times in combat, apparently at random, when the keys do not respond. The combat system ought to be amazing - simple but tough to master. But just as you start to get used    Bugs! Still there even in the latest fully patched edition from GOG.
    A very good looking and potentially very enjoyable experience which is turned into an exercise in tedium by significant bugs. Specifically, there are times in combat, apparently at random, when the keys do not respond. The combat system ought to be amazing - simple but tough to master. But just as you start to get used to it and you start thinking about tactics, and it's all looking interesting, your character stands there and does nothing while you hammer the keys. ARGH!
    And the crafting system which you start to enjoy and you make yourself a nice new sword and you forgive the game for its combat bug, and you finally win a big fight, and then your sword has disappeared! And it isn't part of the plot... it's another bug. Double ARGH!
    I realise that games such as this are massive undertakings, but bugs like this really spoil the potential enjoyment and turn what is meant to be entertainment into a dull exercise in repetition.    … Expand
  58. lordpyrope
    Jun 8, 2014
    5
    This game is a great ACTION RPG so if you are into that kind of stuff, go for it. I hesitate to give this game beyond a mediocre score because I was unable to assume the role of our dear Witcher. For me relating to a character is of utmost importance within a role-playing game. Usually, this comes from a large amount of character customization. I have no issue taking a stock madeThis game is a great ACTION RPG so if you are into that kind of stuff, go for it. I hesitate to give this game beyond a mediocre score because I was unable to assume the role of our dear Witcher. For me relating to a character is of utmost importance within a role-playing game. Usually, this comes from a large amount of character customization. I have no issue taking a stock made character as long as I can take ownership of them, however, this was not the case in Witcher 2. While customization does exist a character cannot become more than a warrior that can occasionally throw a spell or, if luck was with you, sneak and take out an enemy.

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

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

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

    If you are a fan of pure RPGs this will leave you a little disappointed, but if you like action oriented play with some customization then go for it.    … Expand
  59. Paulystan
    Jun 3, 2014
    8
    Pretty good all rounder. Playable if sometimes a tiny bit sluggish with the controls, in depth story and enjoyable characters. All in all I would say it is a win.
  60. Banhammer0
    May 31, 2014
    9
    An EPIC journey !
    Gameplay, graphics and story all are on equal level of epicness.
    It's no shame to say that Witcher 2 is the GREATEST RPG game created so far. This is not a game, it is an epic adventure to live through. I am proud to be Polish because Polish people created the Witcher. Zero major flaws, great replay value (no kidding, middle of the game is entirely diffrent depending on    An EPIC journey !
    Gameplay, graphics and story all are on equal level of epicness.
    It's no shame to say that Witcher 2 is the GREATEST RPG game created so far. This is not a game, it is an epic adventure to live through. I am proud to be Polish because Polish people created the Witcher. Zero major flaws, great replay value (no kidding, middle of the game is entirely diffrent depending on your choices) FREE DLCs for everyone (take notes EA games!). The only flaws are very minor problems with some locations and quests, but these are kinda unavoidable because of the project scale and present in every big RPG that came out in recent years.
    The only flaw is the combat which looks a bit ridiculous at times, and the fact that the game's world isn't really that open.
    If you don't own it yet, you are seriously missing out on a great adventure.    … Expand
  61. Fonzy
    May 28, 2014
    3
    I just don't get it, you guys, and I find it hard to believe that CD Projekt has 2,860 employees, so someone explain to me where all these 10s are coming from. After about 5 hours of playing this, I am straight up BORED. Gruff-voiced tough-guy anti-hero? Check. Big breasted female characters who serve primarily as window dressings? Check. Meandering, "complex" story that doesn'tI just don't get it, you guys, and I find it hard to believe that CD Projekt has 2,860 employees, so someone explain to me where all these 10s are coming from. After about 5 hours of playing this, I am straight up BORED. Gruff-voiced tough-guy anti-hero? Check. Big breasted female characters who serve primarily as window dressings? Check. Meandering, "complex" story that doesn't appear to be really going anywhere? Check. Amnesia trope? Check. Random narration with no real rhyme or reason? Check. Scripted/directed _everything_? Check.

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

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

    Mediocre at best.    … Expand
  62. capo193
    May 26, 2014
    10
    Im fan of first person shooters and i dont like games like this, BUT Witcher 2 is amazing, i cant stop playing! Lot of quests, interesting story (very good storytelling) , beautiful graphic and good fight system. For example how good this game is, I play 10 hours consistently on first launch.
  63. Indian_SlverPen
    May 23, 2014
    8
    Witcher 2 is one of best RPGs i happened to play in recent past.Though frequent loading screens and restricted world design annoyed me, I must say CD PROJECT RED did a brilliant job. Combat is really great and so is the multi-thread story. Witcher 2 let me immerse into the game world like no other game.
    I am giving it 8 because it lacks an open world environment which i believe is the    Witcher 2 is one of best RPGs i happened to play in recent past.Though frequent loading screens and restricted world design annoyed me, I must say CD PROJECT RED did a brilliant job. Combat is really great and so is the multi-thread story. Witcher 2 let me immerse into the game world like no other game.
    I am giving it 8 because it lacks an open world environment which i believe is the future. BRAVO CDPR.......Keep Up The Good Work    … Expand
  64. Witcharob
    May 20, 2014
    10
    Cons:
    -Plays way better in a controller vs playing it with mouse + keyboard.
    -Needs more naked women! XD -Resource demanding (con if you play it on low end computer). Pros: -Excellent story. -Excellently written characters, they all feel obscenely real. -Awesome decision system and the way those decisions determine the events of the game. -Great replayability, since a decision    Cons:
    -Plays way better in a controller vs playing it with mouse + keyboard.
    -Needs more naked women! XD
    -Resource demanding (con if you play it on low end computer).

    Pros:
    -Excellent story.
    -Excellently written characters, they all feel obscenely real.
    -Awesome decision system and the way those decisions determine the events of the game.
    -Great replayability, since a decision you make at the end of Chapter 1, will give you different Chapters 2 & 3.
    -The morale of the game rejects black and white perspectives, giving it a more realistic feel.
    -DRM free.
    -In game porn.
    -Minigames like dice poker are fun.
    -Amazing music.
    -Amazing visuals.
    -Talent trees allow you to customize your game play in 3 different ways.    … Expand
  65. uberdoku
    May 13, 2014
    8
    I'm extremely impressed by the storyline, which provides an in-depth plot as well as myriad choices directing your own individual outcomes. The game-play is basically masterful; the ability to wield two weapons is surpassed only by the number of spells and approaches to battle, not to mention varied enhancements in the form of alchemy, formulas, and drinkable potions. I would've liked toI'm extremely impressed by the storyline, which provides an in-depth plot as well as myriad choices directing your own individual outcomes. The game-play is basically masterful; the ability to wield two weapons is surpassed only by the number of spells and approaches to battle, not to mention varied enhancements in the form of alchemy, formulas, and drinkable potions. I would've liked to have seen more moves available, but that's simply not the style they were aiming for. The music is also quite well done.

    My only real qualm with this game is the graphics. The graphics seen in the trailers are truly immaculate, but you're required to have a phenomenal gaming computer to utilize the settings to provide those graphics. The minimum requirements will provide you 'low settings', while the recommended requirements will provide you 'medium settings', which are pretty terrible, and you'll still find lag and choppiness in movement. Every other game I play I'm able to utilize my 27" monitor's 2560 ×1440 resolution basically on high/very high. On this game, I can only run 1600x900 and it's still incessantly choppy.

    As I said, other than that, great game.    … Expand
  66. 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
  67. Iluvatar21
    Apr 29, 2014
    5
    This series has always obeyed the 'more' philosophy. It's more in story, more in gameplay, more in graphics and that philosophy, unfortunately, is it's downfall. It does too much for it's own good and comes out boring & stodgy.
    ===========
    HOW I RATE: 10-9 score: perfect or near-perfect don't exist; 8 score: one of the best games ever. Top score; 7-6 score: great but not one of the best;    This series has always obeyed the 'more' philosophy. It's more in story, more in gameplay, more in graphics and that philosophy, unfortunately, is it's downfall. It does too much for it's own good and comes out boring & stodgy.
    ===========
    HOW I RATE: 10-9 score: perfect or near-perfect don't exist; 8 score: one of the best games ever. Top score; 7-6 score: great but not one of the best; 5-below score: serious flaws.    … Expand
  68. Pelu
    Apr 20, 2014
    8
    A great RPG with a massive plot. Somehow the game style changed towards console games, which I don't like, for example the boss fight with quick time events.
  69. theruthlessbrit
    Apr 17, 2014
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm sorry but I must be missing something in playing this ,for I could never understand why someone would give this a 10/10? People are claiming it "redefined the rpg genre" bull.Skyrim redefined the genre ,this game is just so anticlimactic ,I read reviews for this game and decided yes,this seems a brilliant game,But no, its characters are NOT deep and complex,Geralt ,the main character is a monster slayer that seems to be kind of experienced despite being decorated by scars and sporting signs of aging and is there evidence that hes slain many monsters ? nope.,and another thing there is NO EMOTION WHATSOEVER IN THE FREAKING GAME I do not care for the characters ,and they don't care for each other ,Geralt is a monosyllabic shape-shifter,by that I mean he claims he is a monster slayer yet seems to know of curses,herbs despite claiming earlier "I'm no herbalist" and part time freaking detective! His love,triss merigold is so boring and contradictory also,she must pop a breast out every now and then just to keep viewers interested.contradictory because one minute she can't fight for sh*t and gets captured and claims magic takes it's toll on my body ,yet the next shes bustin out 2000 magic spells at once ,leveling enemies left and right.So the combat and the checkpoint system,both go hand in hand at sucking d*ck and not flowing WHAT SO EVER ,the checkpoint system decides not save periodically at a fighting sequence yet to save at the start (usually at the level start) and when you die like f*cking usual it will send you back to the start of the sequence.The combat,OK so it's not the worst I've ever seen but it could be a **** side better that's for sure ,Geralt locks on to one person despite 90% of the time you're fighting multiple enemies so that mechanic is f*cking useless with 3 out of 4 enemies bludgeoning you as you tap one guy with your completely underpowered weapon,Witcher's magical powers are also kind of useless as they claim to perform to a certain degree for example ,"Yrden is a magical trap the immobilizes foes" so the cg looks sweet and the graphics in general are good on the eye,but the magic itself ,Yrden SOMETIMES immobilizes foes,other times it says "nah f*ck it I won't do anything" and does nothing to the target.OK so other things... the game's story is good,but the things the characters say and do always left me saying why the hell is that happening,WTF is this happening ,like the characters may say "ZOMG PROTECT THE DRAGON SLAYER SHES SOOOO IMPORTANT !!!!!!111 and just thinking yeah..why? a golden owl ,flies over to protect you amidst a f*cking zombies Apocalypse caused by a guy ,prince stannis baratheon oh wait no stennis ,falls on to a rock,aaaaaand the the only explanation you get for why this curse is happening,then a golden owl begins destroying zombies with golden lightning bolts and no questions it,more things are wrong with this game ,loading minimal areas there's a f*cking loading screens for like 5 seconds! Skyrim can load it's ENTIRE WORLD in like 7! ,If you're not a main character chances are you're a brain dead npc who seems to shout abusive and retarded things randomly,And to finish this rant just a little point.Some npc's ,even before the murder of foltest seems to to distrust Geralt ,*gulps in air* WHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY HE HASN'T DONE SH*T FOR F*CKS SAKE AHHH THIS GAME IS SO F*CKING STUPID ON SO MANY LEVELS… Expand
  70. Larux18
    Apr 14, 2014
    9
    This game is CDK Projekt Red's masterpiece, it truly deserves all the praise it has gotten, and I haven't found myself more immersed in the story of any other RPG. What The Witcher 2 completely nails is giving you the feeling that your character is extremely important, as here you will literally be deciding the fates of entire kingdoms, and it is interesting how a sense of scale existsThis game is CDK Projekt Red's masterpiece, it truly deserves all the praise it has gotten, and I haven't found myself more immersed in the story of any other RPG. What The Witcher 2 completely nails is giving you the feeling that your character is extremely important, as here you will literally be deciding the fates of entire kingdoms, and it is interesting how a sense of scale exists without the game being truly open-world, and how your decisions as small as they seem can result in great or very grim consequences to you or somebody else. I love the story and the aspects that reinforce it, and the characters are great, Geralt himself is a complete badass and still has the charisma that a video game hero needs in a big story, and some interactions can be extremely amusing indeed. Moving on from the story, the graphics are incredible, it is one of the best looking games I have played to date, you don't even need them maxed out for the game to look amazing, and the lighting also does a great job. The sound is also great, the soundtrack is one of the best I have heard in a while, and I have no complaints about the sound effects themselves. The gameplay is interesting, given that it does have an extra layer of depth despite what is rather few combinations and possibilities when it comes to combat itself, I do wish for more variety, however I was content with what was presented. When you're not in combat you're in dialogue or possibly exploring a place. Quests and side quests are well balanced and interesting, they never feel like a drag and can lead to some interesting outcomes that only reinforce the story and setting. I do wish for better collision detection however, since I have encountered problems with that. And I also had a few problems with the difficulty curve at the beginning of the game, but that evened out later. Overall this is a must buy, this game is an experience you won't get anywhere else, I can guarantee that.… Expand
  71. Mitul
    Apr 8, 2014
    9
    I absolutely dejected the game after playing it for initial few hours probably because it was my first RPG experience. Eventually had to play the game because i had no other game left in my game library.
    And I'll accept that I totally enjoyed it. The story and its complexity leaves you spell bound. Every character has been so intricately designed and their voice acting is perfect. The    I absolutely dejected the game after playing it for initial few hours probably because it was my first RPG experience. Eventually had to play the game because i had no other game left in my game library.
    And I'll accept that I totally enjoyed it. The story and its complexity leaves you spell bound. Every character has been so intricately designed and their voice acting is perfect. The more you explore the more it amazes you.
    Most game of this era have realistic graphics and it is no exception.
    So finally all those gamers like me who don't have much experience of the RPGs do try this game for sure.
    The only flaw in this game is its combat system which makes it pretty hard to kill multiple enemies.    … Expand
  72. Player_2
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    My long written review just vanished in a server error, so I'll make it short.

    This game does everything right. Story - deep and thought provoking Combat - engaging, fun and versatile Characters - believable and interesting World - beautiful, atmospheric and detailed Skill system - balanced and varied In my opinion easily the best game in years and on par with great RPGs such as    My long written review just vanished in a server error, so I'll make it short.

    This game does everything right.
    Story - deep and thought provoking
    Combat - engaging, fun and versatile
    Characters - believable and interesting
    World - beautiful, atmospheric and detailed
    Skill system - balanced and varied

    In my opinion easily the best game in years and on par with great RPGs such as Gothic and Morrowind.
    With this game on hand I have great expectations for (and of) CD Project Red and their upcoming titles.    … Expand
  73. Jenkins
    Mar 23, 2014
    8
    The Witcher 2 is a very strong RPG with so-so aspects.

    The combat ranges from decent to mediocre with nice looking animations and a strong variety of enemies. However the animations can be too extravagant making the "quick attack" not as quick thanks to the stylish sword spinning, so instead of planting attacks immediately on an enemy, you're waiting for the animation to finish. The    The Witcher 2 is a very strong RPG with so-so aspects.

    The combat ranges from decent to mediocre with nice looking animations and a strong variety of enemies. However the animations can be too extravagant making the "quick attack" not as quick thanks to the stylish sword spinning, so instead of planting attacks immediately on an enemy, you're waiting for the animation to finish. The lack of strafe and back peddling hurt the combat too, making movement feel sloppy.

    Enemy AI is bad, their attacks barely differ from run at you and swing, and if you stray just a little too far from your opponents they will give up. I tested this on all difficulties and found no difference.

    The difficulty is another issue, I have no issue with brutal difficulty but the load times which occur at game over make it unbearable to die. For this reason I found myself on easy half the time to avoid these load screens altogether. It doesn't help that there's no achievements for higher difficulties either, so if you merely want that challenging aspect of weak vitality then go for it, but I recommend steering clear.

    The story is pretty good, the characters are interesting and the general arch is intriguing. More often than not you will find yourself confused at what is happening in the mish-mash of politics, luckily the journal is fantastic. The journal simplifies every aspect of the story to a couple of paragraphs, making it easier to get the lore down-pat. What's also great is how the story will drastically change depending on what decisions you make, upping the replay-ability.

    The graphics are the strongest aspect of the game. Frame-rate rarely drops on the 360 version and the environments are entirely hand crafted with detailed textures. That may sound like a very general description, but in action the game is absolutely beautiful. The soundtrack isn't very memorable and the loop is short for most tracks, so you may find yourself getting tired of the repetition.

    Despite the issues, I had a great time with the game. If you're a fan of fantasy then you must look into The Witcher 2.    … Expand
  74. Consequences
    Mar 20, 2014
    10
    Best gaming experience of my life.
    Poor default controls especially for signs and unable to change them without exit.
    Game like this deserves some farming for items... Gauntlets,boots and trousers...you can play the entire game without changing them(there is no point exept for insane difficulty). You can buy amazing armor and swords from vendors(the diagram crafting concept is wasted)    Best gaming experience of my life.
    Poor default controls especially for signs and unable to change them without exit.
    Game like this deserves some farming for items...
    Gauntlets,boots and trousers...you can play the entire game without changing them(there is no point exept for insane difficulty).
    You can buy amazing armor and swords from vendors(the diagram crafting concept is wasted)
    Signs can use tooltips describing their effect, duration, damage etc.    … Expand
  75. ageofwinter
    Mar 16, 2014
    10
    One of the greatest games ever made, every thing about this game is excellent. The attention to detail that CD Projekt had during this project is obvious. It is one of the best looking games around, and the gameplay is surprisingly great (considering that sword-based combat games usually lack in that department), the story is fantastic and wonderfully voice acted. This is one of the bestOne of the greatest games ever made, every thing about this game is excellent. The attention to detail that CD Projekt had during this project is obvious. It is one of the best looking games around, and the gameplay is surprisingly great (considering that sword-based combat games usually lack in that department), the story is fantastic and wonderfully voice acted. This is one of the best games ever made. 10/10!… Expand
  76. Ihuarraquax
    Mar 11, 2014
    10
    The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has the best plot which I have ever experience in game. It is based on Polish books series by Andrzej Sapkowski, named The Witcher. In this game we can admire phenomenal graphics, in my opinion it is better than any other RPG. The amazing soundtrack fits the game setting. Gameplay is perfectly pleasant. The game has highly expended upgrade system. TheThe Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has the best plot which I have ever experience in game. It is based on Polish books series by Andrzej Sapkowski, named The Witcher. In this game we can admire phenomenal graphics, in my opinion it is better than any other RPG. The amazing soundtrack fits the game setting. Gameplay is perfectly pleasant. The game has highly expended upgrade system. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is incredibly excellent. I definitely recommend this unbelievable game.… Expand
  77. whatever523
    Feb 24, 2014
    10
    The Witcher 2 has a great story with decisions that really matter and that gives it a very high replay value, which is rare these days. The characters, music and surroundings are fantastic. There's a lot to do and discover. They also worked on the fighting mechanics and menus compared to the first game, which are still not perfect, but better (movements are too console-ish, no strafingThe Witcher 2 has a great story with decisions that really matter and that gives it a very high replay value, which is rare these days. The characters, music and surroundings are fantastic. There's a lot to do and discover. They also worked on the fighting mechanics and menus compared to the first game, which are still not perfect, but better (movements are too console-ish, no strafing etc.). The leveling/skill system has bonuses that can be aquired in many different ways and there's always something to do.

    The graphics are also very good, but the engine seems to lack optimization and could perform better at times.
    Potions are pretty useless, because you can't drink them during battles and you can't always tell when a difficult fight is coming up. The boss fights are seriously tough compared to most other games, but once you get the hang of it it's all manageable.

    Overall, The Witcher 2 is one of the best RPGs I've played and I'm very much looking forward to The Witcher 3.    … Expand
  78. BigDegs29
    Feb 24, 2014
    10
    The Witcher 2 is one of very few games I'd give a 10/10. It improves on its predecessor dramatically, while retaining what was good about it. Combat system is incredibly versatile. It's literally the only RPG I've played where I didn't just prefer and concentrate on one aspect of the combat (such as physical sword/shield or Magic). No, in this game I used regular sword combat, potions,The Witcher 2 is one of very few games I'd give a 10/10. It improves on its predecessor dramatically, while retaining what was good about it. Combat system is incredibly versatile. It's literally the only RPG I've played where I didn't just prefer and concentrate on one aspect of the combat (such as physical sword/shield or Magic). No, in this game I used regular sword combat, potions, bombs, traps, AND signs. Some battles were tough enough that you had to get creative and think beforehand, which is awesome and exactly how a strategic RPG should play out. I heard that some people complained about the steep learning curve. While I didn't personally have a problem with it playing on dark difficulty, that's perhaps because I was introduced to the series with The Witcher. I've played TW2 both with a m/k setup, and with a controller. As a rule for all but RTS games, I usually prefer a controller, but this game plays well either way. Graphics are gorgeous, though a few lighting elements are slightly annoying.

    Where this game really shines is the mature story and character relationships/personas. Choices actually matter and have great impact (I mean, the game completely diverges for a third of the game based on one choice).

    Overall, a fantastic game for anyone who loves story-driven RPGs.    … Expand
  79. 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
  80. shatterblox
    Feb 19, 2014
    9
    This has the best cinematic graphics I have ever witnessed! It's a shame that an i7 can't handle the game properly even in low specs, but after playing a few arena games just to try it out, the combat system improved A LOT from the first Witcher to now, and the attacks are more juicy.

    Although I didn't experience the story, I strongly recommend the game.
  81. POCTOB
    Feb 17, 2014
    10
    Great game cutscenes are enjoyable and an overall pleasant story make this game a must have! Combat is also likeable and the graphics are quite good and visually appealing.
  82. davidpiksi
    Jan 24, 2014
    10
    This is definitely the best RPG that currently exists. The story, the combat, the enviroment, the graphics and the characters are all perfect. I can't wait for The Witcher 3.
  83. Tetsuro
    Jan 15, 2014
    5
    Terrible combat system, boring dialogues, exploration very limited, bad level design, mediocre music, bad inventory system, nice sound effects. The quality of the character models is mixed, in particular womens, the ones that counts, have no charisma and are predictable (like top models). Everything in the game is sub-par, except the graphics (nice models and textures, but boring anyway)Terrible combat system, boring dialogues, exploration very limited, bad level design, mediocre music, bad inventory system, nice sound effects. The quality of the character models is mixed, in particular womens, the ones that counts, have no charisma and are predictable (like top models). Everything in the game is sub-par, except the graphics (nice models and textures, but boring anyway) and the skill system that seems good enough. It's propably a game developed with a simpleton userbase in mind, even if some riddles are just a pain in the... The game is stressing in everything, combat system, game design, level design. It just put stress on the player. I would not recommend it to anyone except simpletons who need virtual sex, a darkish anti-hero, profanities and boobs. It's far far away from Skyrim or Mass Effect even if it tends to copy them in multiple ways (but with abysmal results).… Expand
  84. kairock
    Jan 11, 2014
    10
    a must play. do yourself the favor now. if u like rpgs like elder scrolls or dragon age. or just love medieval fantasy, its a no brainer.

    simply put, expect the quality to be of a bioware product b4 ea took over them.
  85. BountyCritic
    Jan 9, 2014
    4
    Overrated as **** The gameplay consists of running around towns and an averege combat system. The RPG elements are barely existant and don't really matter. The quests are boring and not anything special. But the thing people seem to like the most about the game is the story. And I find it to be a total piece of **** It has a nice setup, then for hours on end, nothing happens in the secondOverrated as **** The gameplay consists of running around towns and an averege combat system. The RPG elements are barely existant and don't really matter. The quests are boring and not anything special. But the thing people seem to like the most about the game is the story. And I find it to be a total piece of **** It has a nice setup, then for hours on end, nothing happens in the second act and little is added in terms of the story, which is a shame, sicne it's the longest act. The third act really tries hard to make a good twist and fails full frontal. Ooh, this character is bad? I DON'T CARE since I don't care about any of the characters except for Iorveth, who is the only person who gets any damn backstory and a some spotlight. And even when everything is unraveled and the mysteries revealed, it feels like the writers were just making **** up as they went on. So far, the only reason why I think people actually like it is because of its "mature" world. No, it is not mature. All it does is throws sex and curse words at you face! And politics! Like we play games to listen to politics! And since it is a fantasy world, you'd expect them to at least make the politics more interesting, but no! All they do is recite one point over and over again! And it's about equality of elves and humans and then nothign interesting along with it whatsoever! In Skyrim, for example you have the whole history of elven and imperial rivalry with the victory of Numidium, then the new Aldmeri dominion and the white gold concordate, but no interesting backstory is given! And if you haven't played the previous Witcher game, then get ready to read lots of Wiki lore, because the game couldn't be bothered to explain what the Wild Hunt is, even though it's one of the most essential plot elements of the game. Bottom line, it's not bad, but it is overrated. Is it worth playing? Only if you're a hardcore RPG fan, otherwise it's a straight no.… Expand
  86. LoboDerPraesi
    Jan 4, 2014
    2
    This game has really nice graphics but the combat system is just plain unbalanced and the huge boss fights often defy normal video game logic and trick you with false weak spot attack oppurtunitys and then kill you in some mysterious ways (like with electro shocks).

    You will often find yourself facing enemys that have unfair advantages over you like infinite and complete blocking of    This game has really nice graphics but the combat system is just plain unbalanced and the huge boss fights often defy normal video game logic and trick you with false weak spot attack oppurtunitys and then kill you in some mysterious ways (like with electro shocks).

    You will often find yourself facing enemys that have unfair advantages over you like infinite and complete blocking of your melee attacks while you have your mana depleted with every single block or being forced to take serious damage even while blocking. The lack possibility to heal yourself properly during fights and the lack of the ability to use your much needed potions during fights is just plain annoying.

    The game forces you to either drink potions the whole time to be prepared if there is a fight coming and thus wasting your often tedious gathered ressources for potions or you will often find yourself in an very unbalanced fight and in the desperated wish that you could drink your potions.

    This really killed the game for me because this is not genuine fair challenge but often annoying trial and error.    … Expand
  87. kotgaf
    Dec 21, 2013
    10
    So, Witcher 2. A great game indeed. For me, it stands in one line with my favorite RPG games Planescape Torment, Baldur's Gate,SW Knights of the Old Republic 1, Fallout, Arcanum. What makes this game so great it's adult fantasy world. It's cruel and beautiful, just like real world. There are dragons, elves and they get along well with slavic mythic creatures.
    Second, it's game plot and    So, Witcher 2. A great game indeed. For me, it stands in one line with my favorite RPG games Planescape Torment, Baldur's Gate,SW Knights of the Old Republic 1, Fallout, Arcanum. What makes this game so great it's adult fantasy world. It's cruel and beautiful, just like real world. There are dragons, elves and they get along well with slavic mythic creatures.
    Second, it's game plot and dialogs.And of course characters. They are interesting by themselves. Lutik(Dandelion), Zoltan,Iorveth,Roche they looks like real, with they own motivation and goals.
    And the last, but not least. The game is not black&white. Very often you must make decisions. And often you don't quite sure about them. Is it good or bad? Did you save people or doom them? Who is worse humans or mindless monsters?
    The truth is that you and only you can judge your actions. Game won't do it. No good & evil alignment. Make decisions. Face consequences.
    All these parts make the world in which I believe.
    The world, which story I am eager to hear.
    p.s. sorry for my poor english.    … Expand
  88. Terpander
    Dec 20, 2013
    10
    This game can be difficult to start out on, however it's in depth gameplay, character development and rich storytelling make it my favorite RPG. It is a traditional RPG that takes the traditional style and does it very well. Let me repeat the story is amazing, and will have you waiting for the 3rd installment destined for the new gen consoles. If you stick to this game, filled with greatThis game can be difficult to start out on, however it's in depth gameplay, character development and rich storytelling make it my favorite RPG. It is a traditional RPG that takes the traditional style and does it very well. Let me repeat the story is amazing, and will have you waiting for the 3rd installment destined for the new gen consoles. If you stick to this game, filled with great combat, great writing and a unique and mysterious protagonist you will come to love it. It's an exemplum of what an RPG should be.… Expand
  89. Ghob
    Dec 11, 2013
    10
    This is by far the best RPG I have ever played. The graphics are amazing, the combat very satisfying (I only played the enhanced edition), the story is so deep and mature, its an amazing game and if you are a fan os RPG's, you should not only buy this game, but you should also play The Witcher 1 the get the best experience possible
  90. Pravs
    Dec 2, 2013
    10
    Game is fantastic! It is awesome, gorgeous and brilliant. One of the best RPG's I have played. Definitely Game of the Year 2011. It just could be a little bit longer.
  91. GenMateusz12148
    Nov 9, 2013
    10
    Best RPG I have played in a while. Incredibly engaging, beautifully crafted and really well planned out, this game is staying on my PC's hard drive for over a year and most games I have haven't even made it that long. I never got bored of Geralt of Rivia and his adventures.

    The story of this game is really mature and incredibly engaging. Throughout the game I have made the choices that    Best RPG I have played in a while. Incredibly engaging, beautifully crafted and really well planned out, this game is staying on my PC's hard drive for over a year and most games I have haven't even made it that long. I never got bored of Geralt of Rivia and his adventures.

    The story of this game is really mature and incredibly engaging. Throughout the game I have made the choices that I would make in real life if I would be put up under same situations and that got me really engaged in the story. Plot twists really make sense and keep you engaged. I have completed almost all quests including side quests and I am still playing the game. :)

    Graphics-wise Witcher 2 beats most RPG Games. I still can't believe it is a game from 2011, the graphics like that are only getting improved because of next gen consoles. Beautiful areas such as Ruins in Flotsam are really good to look at, just stand and enjoy the view.

    Fighting is some of the best fighting I have seen. Geralt is a true sword master, but if you're not careful you will get him killed easily. You have to plan out and think about the fights. Different characters such as normal soldiers are easy to kill, but then you get more armored knights or even bosses which will kick your butt if you just jump in and fight.

    The only problem was the lack of tutorial. I had to find out the controls of the game until half-way of the story for me to actually remember them. Some things I still cannot use after over a year of playing this game. The accents for English aren't the best either. Polish language is so much better in the sense of acting, because of the character and realism.

    Overall 10 out of 10, really recommended for any RPG fans. Amazing story, graphics, fighting mechanism and really well executed overall.    … Expand
  92. Larwick
    Nov 1, 2013
    10
    As an RPG, this has the absolute highest tier storytelling you could hope for. Graphically it is also superb, outshining many, if not most games that have been released years after. The world is believable and engrossing, with fantastic character design, adept voice acting and beautiful landscapes. Combat is visceral, but it can feel slightly awkward and it is possible to becomeAs an RPG, this has the absolute highest tier storytelling you could hope for. Graphically it is also superb, outshining many, if not most games that have been released years after. The world is believable and engrossing, with fantastic character design, adept voice acting and beautiful landscapes. Combat is visceral, but it can feel slightly awkward and it is possible to become stun-locked. Perhaps this is merely a mistake on my part. The game is hard to criticize considering the passion that has evidently gone into its creation.… Expand
  93. The_Ommadawn
    Oct 27, 2013
    9
    Simply stunning on all levels. I bought this game on release date but my hardware at the time made playing it painful. I decided to wait until I could afford a PC that justified this classic game. fast forward to 2013 and I reinstalled on my new rig. Wow jaw dropping work of art godlike THIS game is something very special and deserves to be played at max settings. Nothing compares to it.Simply stunning on all levels. I bought this game on release date but my hardware at the time made playing it painful. I decided to wait until I could afford a PC that justified this classic game. fast forward to 2013 and I reinstalled on my new rig. Wow jaw dropping work of art godlike THIS game is something very special and deserves to be played at max settings. Nothing compares to it. Everything about this game is perfect (especially since it's been patched and modded). The only thing I found initially tough was A) the sheer amount of stuff Geralt can do B) the combat takes a while to master. The Witcher 2 is breathtaking and an example of why I play games. Enjoy.… Expand
  94. nix1331
    Oct 25, 2013
    10
    probably the best game i have played in years. everything is above par and this game literally made me think other game si used to like are garabage.....looking at u dragon age and
  95. Kronos362
    Oct 10, 2013
    8
    A decent game with interesting gameplay; however not something that really sucked me in. Something about not being able to pick up an enchanted flaming sword and interesting new piece of armour that I could never get my head around, I'm a bit old fashioned that way.
  96. DAOuser
    Sep 24, 2013
    2
    Áreas grandes, muchos enemigos, unas cuantas escenas picantonas (por decirlo suavemente)... pero, por lo demás, aburrido, aburrido, aburrido. Empecé a jugarlo porque tenía entendido que se trataba de un rpg, pero... para nada. Es un juego de acción con unos cuantos toques de rol. Intenté llegar hasta el final, por ver si la cosa se animaba en algún momento, pero no fue así. Que yoÁreas grandes, muchos enemigos, unas cuantas escenas picantonas (por decirlo suavemente)... pero, por lo demás, aburrido, aburrido, aburrido. Empecé a jugarlo porque tenía entendido que se trataba de un rpg, pero... para nada. Es un juego de acción con unos cuantos toques de rol. Intenté llegar hasta el final, por ver si la cosa se animaba en algún momento, pero no fue así. Que yo recuerde, es el único juego que he abandonado cuando me faltaba menos de 1/2 hora para acabarlo. Y sin remordimientos.… Expand
  97. vence
    Sep 21, 2013
    9
    I've been a gamer for 20 years now, since baldur's gate days i played every RPG out there, and this is one of the best RPG adventure game i played, i hope they make a witcher 3.
  98. ShadowofZexa
    Sep 19, 2013
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. this game is decent but just not innovative the only way I could describe this game is a extremely bored porno artist was walking around in the streets and Projekt Red hired him to make a unbearable sex scenes and also for the combat its just one of your extremely boring diseny games the combat is good but just gets old real fast also if it were not for the would get zero!!… Expand
  99. Eglin
    Sep 16, 2013
    9
    This is a very good RPG. My primary gripe with The Witcher 2 is that the decision to use one key/button for nearly every action means that the controls take on a muddy feel. Since the player uses the same key to swing their sword that they use to climb a stair or loot a corpse, there's an awkward delay between fighting and action that, over the course of a very long game, becomes aThis is a very good RPG. My primary gripe with The Witcher 2 is that the decision to use one key/button for nearly every action means that the controls take on a muddy feel. Since the player uses the same key to swing their sword that they use to climb a stair or loot a corpse, there's an awkward delay between fighting and action that, over the course of a very long game, becomes a little frustrating. Otherwise, it's a great game with tons of replayability.… Expand
  100. Isengrim
    Sep 14, 2013
    9
    A great RPG, with mature non-linear story, interesting characters and stunning graphics and soundtrack.
    It's a must for every RPG fan that likes his games to have a good story, likes the grim fantasy world and likes his choices to make a difference.
    Witcher's issues are seriously minor, combat is more tactical than hack&slashy, and personally I had ever issue with the inventory system.    A great RPG, with mature non-linear story, interesting characters and stunning graphics and soundtrack.
    It's a must for every RPG fan that likes his games to have a good story, likes the grim fantasy world and likes his choices to make a difference.
    Witcher's issues are seriously minor, combat is more tactical than hack&slashy, and personally I had ever issue with the inventory system.
    Overall, a very good game, that seriously kicks arse of other RPGs on the market.
    A newcomer to the series may be a bit lost but if what I wrote sounds interesting to you go ahead and buy it. And a disclaimer it's not a game for kids.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 70 out of 76
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 76
  3. Negative: 0 out of 76
  1. Pelit (Finland)
    Oct 21, 2011
    93
    Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. A true, polished diamond. Watch and learn Bioware. [May 2011]
  2. GamingTrend
    Sep 14, 2011
    92
    The Witcher 2 easily stands amongst the big boys in the CRPG crowd and is also the best Action RPG to come out since Mass Effect 2.
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  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.
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