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. applenine
    Jan 22, 2012
    0
    I have put more time than I would like into trying to get the game to run. I have downloaded it twice now since buying it. The 2.1 patch supposedly broke the game for many steam users, and the only way to make the game go is a workaround that disables achievements and doesn't always work for everyone. There's no 2.2 patch to fix the game. As old as the issue is there is no official fix,I have put more time than I would like into trying to get the game to run. I have downloaded it twice now since buying it. The 2.1 patch supposedly broke the game for many steam users, and the only way to make the game go is a workaround that disables achievements and doesn't always work for everyone. There's no 2.2 patch to fix the game. As old as the issue is there is no official fix, and so I guess there is no plans for one either. All I can do is say that the game is unplayable and give it an awful rating.… Expand
  2. velvetmeds
    May 17, 2011
    0
    Poorly optimized, simplistic and straightforward combat, emo story and characters trying to convey something that is nothing at all. I mean really, no matter how good your hardware, sure you can run the game and it's playable, but the performance is simply not acceptable if you're a regular gamer and value your framerate and visual quality. Combat and RPG-wise it's barely anything morePoorly optimized, simplistic and straightforward combat, emo story and characters trying to convey something that is nothing at all. I mean really, no matter how good your hardware, sure you can run the game and it's playable, but the performance is simply not acceptable if you're a regular gamer and value your framerate and visual quality. Combat and RPG-wise it's barely anything more than Assassin's Creed, not deserving the "RPG" label at all. Clearly all the devs cared about was making a game with "wow" graphics and trying to make it mature (failing hard!) so that people would buy the game en masse. Let's hope it doesn't work because it certainly doesn't deserve it.

    Avoid! There are far better RPGs coming this year, no need to waste money on this.    … Expand
  3. TemplarGR
    Sep 9, 2016
    7
    The most overrated of the Witcher series.The first Witcher which i enjoyed back when it was released, was a very good but flawed gem. Witcher 3 is probably the best RPG yet. But Witcher 2, is overrated.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    2 options exist, either watch a "movie version" of the story on Youtube, or play in this on the easiest difficulty setting, just for the story. The game, as a video game, is overrated. I typically use "extreme" ratings for overrated or underrated games, but since this is the Witcher series, one of my favourites, i am biased, so i will give it the rating it deserves, 7/10. Don't let that score fool you though, you definitely need to watch or play this once, in any case, despite its flaws.    … Expand
  4. 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.
  5. iamthewizard2
    Sep 13, 2013
    9
    A truly epic achievement in the RPG genre. Enjoyed every bit of it. mature, action pack and full of great dialogue. I would have given it a 10 if it weren't for the fact that it was a very very short game...:C
  6. moifoi
    Jan 15, 2012
    1
    The timed dialogue is horrible, i like to relax while gaming and this makes me feel rushed. Make it a player option don't force crap like this on the gamer. I have to keep reloading my game due to it.
    The sneaking sections of the game are laughable, i just played the new deus ex which had amazing sneaking, then i play this and it has the horrible sneaking laugh worthy.
  7. 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
  8. 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
  9. hoohoo
    Jan 8, 2017
    6
    Playability (or lack of it) ruins a game with a good story that I wanted to follow. I don't know how many times I had to climb down ladders I climbed up by accident. There is quite a bit of senseless running around on the side quests. And the inventory is a UI nightmare. Let's show the stats of items (weight, price) of items on the list except of the item that the player select, then thePlayability (or lack of it) ruins a game with a good story that I wanted to follow. I don't know how many times I had to climb down ladders I climbed up by accident. There is quite a bit of senseless running around on the side quests. And the inventory is a UI nightmare. Let's show the stats of items (weight, price) of items on the list except of the item that the player select, then the stats are dropped below the inventory list. Written like this that sounds crazy, right? But that how it is..… Expand
  10. oso
    Feb 17, 2013
    9
    This is how modern RPGs should look like. It has reference graphics, a enjoyable story and great characters. Don't expect an open world though. You go straight from location to location but there are several decisions that have major effekt on the story. Gameplay mechanics are great once you mastered it.
  11. sirtyman
    Nov 20, 2011
    6
    First of the game was overestimated due to lack of any other RPG till its release in this year. The story is moderate. The world is so enclosed and tiny (It takes 10 - 15 hours of playing to finish the main quest with some side ones). Graphics is amazing but the engine has no physics (it's for sure not Frostbite). There is little amount of gear and other stuff in this game. Fight withFirst of the game was overestimated due to lack of any other RPG till its release in this year. The story is moderate. The world is so enclosed and tiny (It takes 10 - 15 hours of playing to finish the main quest with some side ones). Graphics is amazing but the engine has no physics (it's for sure not Frostbite). There is little amount of gear and other stuff in this game. Fight with monsters is shovel, with no strategy (high difficulty). The game is not for real RPG fun.
    Any positives... ehm.. mentioned graphics, good dialogs and in some moments its really interesting. But is is no for sure for 10.    … Expand
  12. jakerfv
    Feb 5, 2013
    8
    I need to mention this especially since a sale is going on right now.

    You need 8 gigs of ready ram to run this, so if you just have 8 gigs of sticks ready in your computer, your not gonna be able to run this because other programs are gonna use it. Upgrade to 12 to make sure you can run this. I get a low framerate on a 5700 which is expected with a resolution of about 1280-720. There    I need to mention this especially since a sale is going on right now.

    You need 8 gigs of ready ram to run this, so if you just have 8 gigs of sticks ready in your computer, your not gonna be able to run this because other programs are gonna use it.

    Upgrade to 12 to make sure you can run this. I get a low framerate on a 5700 which is expected with a resolution of about 1280-720. There are not any graphics options that can tweak this so bear all this in mind.

    I can run crysis 2 in direct x 11 with the official texture and tesselation packs on ultra with around 25-30 FPS witcher 2 is about 24ish.

    As for the game, can't exactly play it but that's kind of a problem, gonna give it an 8 but take that with a grain of salt (I have to submit a review nonetheless to put out this message).    … Expand
  13. 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
  14. 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
  15. 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
  16. 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
  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. Aeryx
    Feb 18, 2013
    10
    To sum up this game as quickly as possible, it's up there with the greatest, most badass games ever. The story is immensely dark, gripping and sexy while the gameplay is superb and has everything you look for in an action-rpg. Now don't get me wrong, this game does not have the length of a total fantasy experience like Skyrim but it doesn't have to be as it gives you something else just asTo sum up this game as quickly as possible, it's up there with the greatest, most badass games ever. The story is immensely dark, gripping and sexy while the gameplay is superb and has everything you look for in an action-rpg. Now don't get me wrong, this game does not have the length of a total fantasy experience like Skyrim but it doesn't have to be as it gives you something else just as great. For what you pay for, you get pure gaming awesomeness for the best price imaginable. CD Projekt has once again delivered a masterpiece!… Expand
  19. suneater
    Dec 11, 2012
    9
    This game is truly beautiful on just about every level. Combat can be frustrating when multiple enemies take turns knocking you back but you always have a dozen toys at your disposal to wipe the floor with them. The story is hard to follow with all the name dropping and the fact it feels like it was pulled from the middle of a book instead of the beginning or end. It's also moreThis game is truly beautiful on just about every level. Combat can be frustrating when multiple enemies take turns knocking you back but you always have a dozen toys at your disposal to wipe the floor with them. The story is hard to follow with all the name dropping and the fact it feels like it was pulled from the middle of a book instead of the beginning or end. It's also more politically focused this time taking place on a grander scale compared to the Geralt-focused original. Graphics are a sight to see showing off the strength of the best PC power on the market. This is probably the most beautiful & detailed game available today. All in all this game is superior to the original (which is also amazing) on just about every level (I liked the old inventory, alchemy & combat systems better but they are small differences) and superior to most RPGs and games on the market.… Expand
  20. Blyzzard
    Nov 1, 2012
    10
    This is truly the best game I have ever played. I shouldn't have to say much for you to understand what I mean, really just read the other reviews. I love this game! Amazing story, characters, world + lore, graphics and more!
  21. BearzYo
    Nov 13, 2012
    10
    Very enjoyable sequel to a fantastic game! If you liked The Witcher, you'll love The Witcher 2. The combat is well paced and the story is brilliant wrote, the voice acting is good too.
  22. AdaReview
    Dec 3, 2012
    10
    The best game I played since Baldur's Gate 2. This is the only game ever made that comes this close to Baldur's Gate 2 in epicness. Everything is amazing; from storyline, choices, progression, characters, graphics, difficulty, economy... there is NOTHING bad about this game. I'd love to see an RPG where I can create my own character though. That'd be epic epicness. Great game!
  23. Patrick94
    Mar 12, 2013
    10
    I only recently started playing The Enhanced Edition, and I must say, The Witcher 2 is an RPG gem. Sure it has it's flaws, like a few performance issues here and there, the lack of a PROPER tutorial (yes, the EE has a prologue that SORT OF explains SOME of the games features, but even during that tutorial I sometimes found myself confused, having to consult Google to progress), beside thatI only recently started playing The Enhanced Edition, and I must say, The Witcher 2 is an RPG gem. Sure it has it's flaws, like a few performance issues here and there, the lack of a PROPER tutorial (yes, the EE has a prologue that SORT OF explains SOME of the games features, but even during that tutorial I sometimes found myself confused, having to consult Google to progress), beside that the game is really good, slightly harder than your average western RPG, but not impossible. If you're a fan of fantasy worlds with magical elves that live in the forest eating berries, goofy dwarves that make you laugh, and a merry atmosphere all around, then The Witcher 2 is about to give you a mature slap in the face with it's gritty world, filled with murderers, whores, and violence. Don't get me wrong, the adult content does not overshadow the fantasy setting, the world of The Witcher 2 is a magical, mysterious one, filled with dark secrets and fascinating characters. Now down to combat, combat in this game is a little more complicated than your average Fable or Elder Scrolls game, but it's also pretty fun, and doesn't take that long for you to get used to. Graphics? The graphics are superb, but I must warn you, consult a guide on it's graphics settings before starting the game to get the best performance/visual setup, as you may find your FPS dropping for unnecessary graphical settings that don't really add anything to the visuals. (set "texture memory size" from anywhere above medium if you have a graphics card with more than 1 gig of video memory, it'll give you a good FPS boost). Overall this game is well worth your money. Let's just hope CD Projekt puts more effort into a tutorial in The Witcher 3… Expand
  24. UnderTheSun
    Dec 6, 2012
    7
    Good game to play and complete,
    Cons in my opinions are:
    -Poor animations during dialogues
    -Boring combat gameplay
    -Storyline progression not than entertaining
    I'm looking forward the developers next game, Cyberpunk 2077.
  25. rafanerd
    Dec 30, 2012
    10
    The best game of 2011 (IMO) and also one of the greatest RPG's of all time, I fail to pinpoint some major flaw. Everything here is top notch: story, characters, graphics, gameplay, sound, you name it.
    The ONLY problem with the game is that it ends, leaving you wanting for more.
  26. Karabanera
    Dec 27, 2012
    10
    Realy very impressive RPG game, the only thing that makes me angry, is optimization, its not as good as it could be. But though thtas first game on that engine, i can deal with that
  27. hotfix666
    Mar 6, 2013
    10
    This game is worth 9 and get last points so that be 10 when him whores I really like naked girls and porn in games beacuse that make me play them more.
  28. 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
  29. JungleSama
    Apr 2, 2013
    8
    Though I am still just halfway through the game, the need to rate this game was great. This is A great rpg one that I have been wanting since forever. The last rpg's that made me lock myself up were kotor and a few others. The witcher 2 is the first since those enjoyable titles who tempt me to neglect the real world haha. Nice to see singleplayer rpg's still hold up in this mmorpg day and age.
  30. koinsky
    Apr 3, 2013
    9
    This is the best CRPG I played from a long time. First, the gameplay (fights, alchemy, magic) is quite good and fun. Second, the story and characterization is excellent. The graphics are stunning. Plus there are choices that matter, which is rare in a CRPG these days. Really good stuff.
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

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Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

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