The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 6464 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5,355 out of 6464
  2. Mixed: 634 out of 6464
  3. Negative: 475 out of 6464
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  1. pnoozi
    May 12, 2015
    7
    The Witcher 2 is one of the most memorable action RPGs in recent memory. The graphics and sound are great, and the gameplay is pretty good for an RPG. It plays best with a mouse and keyboard, in my opinion. You can tell it was developed for PC. But anyone who gives this over a 7 is delusional. The story is like a LARP. The game freezes and crashes almost regularly. Automatic saveThe Witcher 2 is one of the most memorable action RPGs in recent memory. The graphics and sound are great, and the gameplay is pretty good for an RPG. It plays best with a mouse and keyboard, in my opinion. You can tell it was developed for PC. But anyone who gives this over a 7 is delusional. The story is like a LARP. The game freezes and crashes almost regularly. Automatic save points are lacking. Should you play it? Yes.… Expand
  2. ATG141
    Jul 3, 2011
    7
    As much as I hate saying it the witcher 2 is good in the way of being a work of art than a game. The game almost seems to hate being a game. The gameplay almost feels like padding imbetween the witcher's set pieces and political intrigue. It's extremely difficult even on the normal settings. Some people say that it's difficult in a good way. It makes you use everything at your disposal andAs much as I hate saying it the witcher 2 is good in the way of being a work of art than a game. The game almost seems to hate being a game. The gameplay almost feels like padding imbetween the witcher's set pieces and political intrigue. It's extremely difficult even on the normal settings. Some people say that it's difficult in a good way. It makes you use everything at your disposal and to think on the fly in order to succeed. To a point this may be true but this is best in a game that doesn't focus so much on it's story. So getting stuck in this game is like watching an awesome movie and it keeps freezing in the same places so you have to restard the dvd player and hope that you can get past that part in order to get back into the story. The big reason why the game is so difficult is because the game plays like assassin's creed but if the camera didn't pan out to give you a better sense of the battlefield, and if enemies all ganged up on you at once. Again some people like this since it makes more sense for gangs of enemies to actually gang up on you. But again this would be fine if enemies didn't juggle you hulk--style uncontrollably. Allot of these issues are relieved in easy mode (predictably) but the problem still remains. The game looks beutifull. At least that's what I got from trailers and screen shots. If I try to play the game on high settings I'm afraid my pc will suffer a heart attack. To go along with the story the game has a really good atmosphere with peopel acually doing things unlike obvivion where it's like watching a dog doing house hold chores. The game appeals to my liking of game boxes having extra "stuff" in theme. The standard game might as well be a special edition. Along with a sleeve cover to hold it all the box contains the basic game, a neat letter with a short story in it, a walkthrough ( nearly useless with game faqs) the soundtrack , a paper craft figure, and a bonus features disk . If you can get past these big problems then you'll get a game that you will have a good time with but as it stands if you prefer a game that is more pure in how it fits into int's genre you might want to look elsewhere.… Expand
  3. egocentryk
    May 17, 2011
    7
    Definitely one of the best games I've ever played. Amazing story, compelling characters, incredible graphics and great battle mechanics. Congratulations CD Project RED - You've done great job making most immersing RPG ever.
  4. thelamontagne
    May 28, 2011
    7
    The Witcher 2 is an ambitious game that regretfully doesn't deliver a compelling experience on all fronts. It's a fantastic looking game and the story is excellent, the character development, dialogue and player choices are also great. I'd love to give this an eight or nine but it's simply not justified. Standing between you and what should be an immersive and brilliant game-world is aThe Witcher 2 is an ambitious game that regretfully doesn't deliver a compelling experience on all fronts. It's a fantastic looking game and the story is excellent, the character development, dialogue and player choices are also great. I'd love to give this an eight or nine but it's simply not justified. Standing between you and what should be an immersive and brilliant game-world is a sub-optimal UI/menu system, poor interation model and frustrating combat mechanism. I'm having trouble forgiving the design flaws and it's a real shame, the Witcher 1 was a great game despite it's flaws - the Witcher 2 is only a passable one because of them. I was close to giving it an eight, after all it's an amazing achievement for a small studio such as CDPR, but it's not the scope that is lacking a or vision that hasn't quite been realised - it's the fundemental elements of a computer game that aren't particularly workable and these should have been nailed.… Expand
  5. wooopeee
    May 21, 2011
    7
    Good:
    - graphics is amazing
    - superb story - this is not your regular hack and slash rpg ~~ Bad: - inventory mechanics is a bit disorganized and sometimes confusing. - item looting is lame; picking up items is too fast that i don't even see what i'm picking up because it just grabs everything. - bugs are present but should be fixed with future patches. - fighting animation should be    Good:
    - graphics is amazing
    - superb story
    - this is not your regular hack and slash rpg



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



    ~~ Conclusion:
    a well made game but not a perfect one.    … Expand
  6. DonnaMyers
    May 28, 2011
    7
    I finished the game last night for the first time and I have to say I'm disappointed. Last night I completed Act III AND the Epilogue. Yes, they are short enough to complete in one night, about 2.5 hrs in fact. What happened CDProject? Did you run out of money? Time? Enthusiasm? The ending is piss-poor. The story is such a huge build up, the King has been killed, all other lands will beI finished the game last night for the first time and I have to say I'm disappointed. Last night I completed Act III AND the Epilogue. Yes, they are short enough to complete in one night, about 2.5 hrs in fact. What happened CDProject? Did you run out of money? Time? Enthusiasm? The ending is piss-poor. The story is such a huge build up, the King has been killed, all other lands will be fighting over the Kingdom, we have to find the Kingslayer. Then at the end, nothing. Nothing is resolved. You get a cut-scene where a few people are talking, you have a bit of a fight then that's it. The Epilogue is you finding the Kingslayer. And even selecting every conversation option it only lasts 5 minutes. You get a crafting diagram for some really good armour but you only get to wear it for 5 minutes. You get a crafting diagram for a really good silver sword but you don't get the final ingredient until the very end of Act III but there's no one round to make it so what's the point? Unless the free DLC's that CDProject keep going on about extend the end of the game and aren't just some stupid additional quests that last about an hour, then CDProject turned this game from GOTY material into just another good RPG. Which is a real shame as up to the end of Act II it's amazing and deserves 10/10. So disappointing. I give it 7.5/10. I think a lot of these reviews are over-generous. And that's probably because a lot of them haven't played it through to the end yet. Oh well, guess I'll go back to the Witcher 1.… Expand
  7. karmasleeper
    Jun 11, 2011
    7
    The Witcher 2 represents a step forward in terms of visuals mitigated by more than a couple steps backward in terms of combat, user interface, and alchemy.

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

    Visually, TW2 impresses, even on mid level machines. On high end hardware, the game is simply breath taking. Few games boast such a robust attention to detail. The game is highly GPU dependent as any PC game should be, and even on my outdated EVGA GTS 250, I was able to achieve a more than playable frame rate between 40 and 60 FPS on â    … Expand
  8. knave84
    Jun 3, 2011
    7
    I think this game is extremely overrated and required at least 6 months of added development time in order to polish (pun not intended) some issues and bugs which deter the whole experience...sure the world is beautiful and the story interesting but the game has control and AI issues hindering gameplay...I mean...design choices such as: only one person can go through a door at a time...orI think this game is extremely overrated and required at least 6 months of added development time in order to polish (pun not intended) some issues and bugs which deter the whole experience...sure the world is beautiful and the story interesting but the game has control and AI issues hindering gameplay...I mean...design choices such as: only one person can go through a door at a time...or you can only drink potions while meditating (having to go through menus and choices) and not during fights...I just don't understand these...also some people call this game an RPG...I don't see this..this is an action adventure...you can't design your character, abilities are limited and given from the start, quests are small, dungeons are tiny...I don't think you can even begin to compare this game to epics such as DA:O...finally there are no tactics during combat...you can beat every opponent with the same move..dodge and attack...the boss fights are well done but personally I just don't like quick time events...just pressing one button to complete an elaborate action sequence?! kills the atmosphere...mini games suck and are pretty pointless you'll have seen them all within 3 hours of gameplay...also some quests are just confusing...where you are left clueless wondering what to do or where to go next...this game is just mediocre...but if they ever get a Witcher 3 out..I this that one is going to be pretty good!… Expand
  9. CD001
    Jun 12, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Graphics are great, voice acting is good, storyline's good and it's actually challenging (a definite plus) - really, this should be "the greatest RPG of 2011" ... but it's not, sorry. The game is flawed; CD Projekt Red have made some definitely strange decisions with The Witcher 2. First off, potions - a Witcher without potions is hardly a Witcher - and yet now you can't quick-slot them, you have to meditate before combat to drink your potions... definitely a bad move. Quick Time Events (QTE) - really, leave these on the consoles - tap X, now Y, now Z ... sorry, W, A or S. What? I wanted a game, not a movie with a random reaction test to occasionally hit a key. Oh, and it doesn't matter what level you are, mis-time hitting that key and you're dead. And boss fights? Really? This isn't Sonic the Hedgehog where I'd expect to bounce off the head of Doctor Robotnik at the end of every level - this is supposed to be a mature RPG. If you're going to do "boss fights" you have to do them well (like in say Metal Gear Solid 4) where you've generally got at least a couple of ways to achieve your goal - the Witcher 2 does them badly; they generally run to the effect of - drop you in an inescapable room with a badass monster/NPC and let you die repeatedly until you've worked out which particular tactics you're supposed to use to win... you must dodge 30 insta-death attacks until you tire the monster enough to whip a pink tutu over its head so that it dies of embarrassment - or something.

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

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

    At least they've fixed the "Invert Mouse" and key bindings options now - otherwise I'd have only given it a 6. Still, I suspect if I was playing this game on the XBoX I'd have been much more impressed - on the PC I'm getting a distinct feeling of "crap, they've consolised another great game and borked it on the PC".    … Expand
  10. JudgmentJay
    Jun 14, 2011
    7
    Decent game. The graphics aren't as great as people claim, and the game is fairly restrictive as far as exploration is concerned. Combat can be difficult at first, but becomes comfortable with more experience. It's somewhat buggy, though most have been stomped out via patches. Despite the flaws it's a solid RPG with good replay value.
  11. Nightrist
    Jun 23, 2011
    7
    How should I say it? The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has an excellent story line. The graphics are good, and the character development is phenomenal. However the game seems a bit incomplete. After about 2 hours of playing the game, the one thing that bothered me most was the combat system. The Witcher 2 went for an Assassin's Creed style of Combat. The only problem is that instead ofHow should I say it? The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has an excellent story line. The graphics are good, and the character development is phenomenal. However the game seems a bit incomplete. After about 2 hours of playing the game, the one thing that bothered me most was the combat system. The Witcher 2 went for an Assassin's Creed style of Combat. The only problem is that instead of dancing with beautiful combat movements finishing enemy after enemy in awesome combos, you are 70% of the time dodging, waiting, and running around until your energy to replenises for your next spell. This totally kills the flow of combat. After playing Batman: Arkham Asylum, the Witcher 2 seems like a major step down in terms of combat. Another thing that bothers me is the Tutorial. Sure it might be fine for veterans of the game, but I can help but mourn for any newcomers who start off utterly confused with the mechanics and interface from the very start. The Witcher 2 has simply a very steep learning curve. 10/10 Storyline, Graphics. 5/10 for Combat.… Expand
  12. George1998
    Jul 2, 2011
    7
    This definitely is Game of the Year 2011. The single best RPG I have played since Planescape: Torment. The characters are deep and complex, the storyline develops depending on your actions and choices. It takes what was good from every single RPG released in the last 15 years and makes it into something better. The graphics are simply the best ever seen in an RPG
  13. Sandman
    Jul 3, 2011
    7
    This could have been an amazing game but unfortunately has been released as the scourge of modern PC RPGs - a dumbed down console conversion. There are some truly outstanding qualities here, a complex adult storyline, top notch voice acting and good graphics to name but a few. However to anyone who is a fan of PC games and has been since the days before cross platform releases became theThis could have been an amazing game but unfortunately has been released as the scourge of modern PC RPGs - a dumbed down console conversion. There are some truly outstanding qualities here, a complex adult storyline, top notch voice acting and good graphics to name but a few. However to anyone who is a fan of PC games and has been since the days before cross platform releases became the norm to boost the developer's revenue, this game epitomises all that is wrong with PC gaming today. The clunky and at times poorly responsive controls, the invisible walls, the simplistic yet awful 'Quick-Time Events', the simple inventory, the context sensitive ('push 'x' to win') cursor and character progression system to name but a few. Even from the start when the box to redefine your keys is tacked on like an afterthought to the out-of-game menu and then subsequently the QTEs fail as the on screen directions cannot tell you which key to press at the critical moment you are left with no doubt that you are playing a game aimed at the distinctly less cerebral console market. None of these factors in themselves is enough to ruin the game entirely but their sum total and the overall 'feel' suffers badly to the point where I really didn't feel immersed anywhere near as much as the first Witcher. In fact by the end I was almost beyond caring which is the polar opposite of how a decent RPG should draw you in and engage you.
    It is a strange direction for CD Projekt to have taken. On the one hand the story is wonderfully complex, the characters are deep and engaging, we have to take some difficult decisions and see through their consequences and there is enough sex and violence to be certain this is aimed at a mature audience. On the other a number of the gameplay aspects have been simplified and console convert glitches left in to annoy those who thought this was going to be a 'proper' PC game. If you're a recent console convert, cannot relate at all to the things I'm talking about or just want a good-looking, deep RPG which, don't get me wrong, has an awful lot going for it, then jump right in and have a blast. If you were disappointed by Far Cry 2, loved Call of Pripyat and don't want your precious memories of The Witcher tarnished - still give it a go; just wait a while for the price to drop and enjoy it for what it is.    … Expand
  14. JadedPuppy
    Jul 18, 2011
    7
    Contrary to popular belief, this game isn't actually the best thing since sliced bread. Though, yes, it is a good game. Its visuals are, especially compared to its competitors, stunning. The story is gripping, and will make you want continue playing - if only the gameplay will allow it.

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

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

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

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

    All in all this is a good game, but it's not as great as some people make it out to be. While you may want to keep playing in order to see how the story will unfold, the gameplay will more often than not make you search the web frantically for game guides, so that you'll know what maneuver to use on the next boss, or worse it might make you feel like you just need a break from it. And this is the problem for me; no good game should ever make you feel that you need a break from it.    … Expand
  15. beetsaregood
    Aug 12, 2011
    7
    Compelling story and incredible visuals marred by buggy combat mechanics and tedious quests. There's no denying that the Witcher 2 is one of the best looking games to date. Trees, grass, and urban textures and objects are rendered in great detail. Depth of field and lighting effects are also put to great use. The story is also quite good, allowing you to choose a morally complicated pathCompelling story and incredible visuals marred by buggy combat mechanics and tedious quests. There's no denying that the Witcher 2 is one of the best looking games to date. Trees, grass, and urban textures and objects are rendered in great detail. Depth of field and lighting effects are also put to great use. The story is also quite good, allowing you to choose a morally complicated path that appears to have real effects down the line in true Witcher style. Unfortunately the combat mechanics are incredibly buggy, which leads to lots of frustration and reloading. After several patches (up to 1.35 currently), which improved the combat from unplayable to merely terrible, the biggest issue remains sign casting. For no apparent reason, signs will often fail to cast in the middle of combat: For example, with vigor to spare, Geralt will simply stare out into space as you repeatedly hit the hotkey for Quen. Jam it enough times, though, and Geralt snaps back into action. This makes battle outcomes feel random: get lucky and signs cast on the first or second attempt and you can win easily, but if you're unlucky it's time for another reload. Beyond this, combat is okay though very imprecise and unsatisfying.

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

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

    In sum, Witcher 2 has the story and graphics to make it an excellent interactive movie, but with respect to gameplay, it leaves much to be desired.    … Expand
  16. laxleonidas
    Sep 17, 2011
    7
    I'm fan of Witcher 1 and after the first reviews of assassins of Kings i was sure it will be perfect score. not this time. i compared this game to prodecessor and i found too many missing elements. Where's trophy monsters? Where's interesting NPC's out of main city? Where's length which was in first game? But there's not all - where's breath-taking ending, which was in original Witcher?I'm fan of Witcher 1 and after the first reviews of assassins of Kings i was sure it will be perfect score. not this time. i compared this game to prodecessor and i found too many missing elements. Where's trophy monsters? Where's interesting NPC's out of main city? Where's length which was in first game? But there's not all - where's breath-taking ending, which was in original Witcher? huge dissapointment.… Expand
  17. Aiden_Cora
    Oct 9, 2011
    7
    Overall a decent game, though I still find the first Witcher to be slightly better. Very nice graphics and the movie-like gameplay unfortunately do not cover up the fact that the game gets boring fast. Despite that, in my opinion it deserves a strong 7.0.
  18. kilop206
    Mar 11, 2012
    7
    Game is amazing in prologue and first act. Later is... Eh... . But graphic is awesome. Animation is awesome. Story is good, you don`t a awesome soldier who must save the world. Universe is very good. This is a dark fantasy. The worst is only epilogue.
  19. Skycrimson
    Apr 17, 2012
    7
    My favorite game on the PC by far. Everything is great! Best graphics, story and gameplay in a game ever created. There is nothing like it on the consoles. Shame this game will be completely overlooked.
  20. UnderTheSun
    Dec 6, 2012
    7
    Good game to play and complete,
    Cons in my opinions are:
    -Poor animations during dialogues
    -Boring combat gameplay
    -Storyline progression not than entertaining
    I'm looking forward the developers next game, Cyberpunk 2077.
  21. captainkane
    Aug 25, 2015
    7
    The original Witcher was a fantastic game. It took all the fairies and unicorns out of fantasy rpg’s and brought us a gritty world filled with sex, war, hypocrisy, and racism. The game is based on the novels of a Polish author. So the Witcher doesn’t lack for story. In fact, it excels at storytelling and immersion. But it is incredibly broken. Janky mechanics and numerous bugs held it backThe original Witcher was a fantastic game. It took all the fairies and unicorns out of fantasy rpg’s and brought us a gritty world filled with sex, war, hypocrisy, and racism. The game is based on the novels of a Polish author. So the Witcher doesn’t lack for story. In fact, it excels at storytelling and immersion. But it is incredibly broken. Janky mechanics and numerous bugs held it back from mainstream success. When the Witcher 2 was announced, fans eagerly expected developers to address these bugs while bringing a gigantic, epic world filled with intrigue and monster slaying. By its tepid reception, we know fans felt the developers fell short on those expectations. The W2 is not bad. However, is suffers from an identity crisis.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Despite 11gb of updates, W2 lacks polish. Combat and exploration, which should be 2 of its biggest focuses, are actually the biggest drawbacks. The developers took steps backwards in areas where they shouldn’t, such as story. And they failed to effectively push forward in areas that needed the most work, like combat. So the best elements of the Witcher devolved while the broken parts remained broken. If W2 didn’t look so damn good, I’m certain its scores would’ve been much lower. For Witcher fans, this game is worth playing. But other rpg fans look elsewhere.    … Expand
  22. damnitall
    Sep 13, 2013
    7
    I am very sure this will get better, but the first bit with the tutorial is an absolute mess of a system. I haven't been this dumbfounded by a tutorial in a while, and the lack of the ability to save before or during the tutorial is a rash decision. I found that whole section to be very buggy too. If you do something to early, the game doesn't progress, because its cr*p.
  23. kucyk
    Sep 28, 2014
    7
    Im from Poland so i should rate this game 9/10 but i cant. 7/10 because the story lane is not bad but when you leave the village, you will see a lot of mobs, totaly **** In the book (the book is 999999x better than this game), people dont meet mobs every 10 meters, sometimes people can sleep in the forest and see zero monsters but in the game, mobs are everywhere and not 2 mobs per 200Im from Poland so i should rate this game 9/10 but i cant. 7/10 because the story lane is not bad but when you leave the village, you will see a lot of mobs, totaly **** In the book (the book is 999999x better than this game), people dont meet mobs every 10 meters, sometimes people can sleep in the forest and see zero monsters but in the game, mobs are everywhere and not 2 mobs per 200 yards but spam of mobs.
    You should read the books "The Witcher", by Andrzej Sapkowski. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Witcher    … Expand
  24. leodmonkey
    Sep 30, 2014
    7
    I really wanted to love this game, but the game play flaws are terrible.

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

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

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

    it gets a 7 because i really liked the theme, will be waiting for the Witcher 3 :P    … Expand
  25. jimbobslimbob
    Jan 8, 2015
    7
    Is the game good? Yes. It's a flawed gem of a game and one that could well have been one of the best RPG's ever made, if it wasn't for one thing: the combat. The combat is either shallow and dreadfully easy on "Easy", or absolutely impossible on "Normal". "Normal" is really hard mode and they need another difficulty in-between.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    This game does have some really jaw dropping moments. I like the new combat on a conceptual level, but the execution is not that great. The rest is just more of the first Witcher mechanics. With the dialogue dialled up to way more edge lord status and the new addition of mission based crappy stealth mechanics. For all its flaws and edge I still had way more fun in this than I thought I would. So go figure hey?    … Expand
  30. Kaszmiro
    Nov 1, 2017
    7
    Despite overwhelmingly positive opinions I didn't enjoy witcher 2 as previous CD Red's game
    Pros
    + Improved combat system
    + Great gameplay with lots of side quests
    + Very well voiced and beautiful
    + Crafting system
    Cons
    - Game is very short, you have to play 2 times otherwise game is really short it contains only prologue, 2 chapters and epilogue
    - Main characters are boring and featurless
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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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