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. Mattmcdonald
    May 19, 2011
    10
    Okay first off i love this game. It is fantastic in almost every level, despite i few problems under the hood (freezing and what not). That is not why i am posting though. This whole riot between DA and witcher fans needs to stop. Both are fantastic franchices. I would consider myself more of a witcher fan. Witcher fans: We owe a lot to Bioware, if it werent for them and there fantasticOkay first off i love this game. It is fantastic in almost every level, despite i few problems under the hood (freezing and what not). That is not why i am posting though. This whole riot between DA and witcher fans needs to stop. Both are fantastic franchices. I would consider myself more of a witcher fan. Witcher fans: We owe a lot to Bioware, if it werent for them and there fantastic Auora engine the witcher might not have even seen the light of day. And dragon age fans: Just face the facts and accept that Bioware did not follow up with the sequel all you hardcore fans deserved. I'm not trying to hate but it felt like they took out a lot of things that made the first one so great. So let's just end this. We are all gamers and need to stick together on stuff like this. How about we just love both franchices.… Expand
  2. Goekhan
    May 25, 2011
    10
    At first, I was disappointed a little bit, because some major mechanics of the game are entirely different. I loved the realistic inventory system of Witcher 1, that's gone completely. But that's not a big issue, we get a more traditional RPG inventory system now. It may use some tweaks however, and I'm sure they'll be delivered with the future patches. Combat is totally different. IAt first, I was disappointed a little bit, because some major mechanics of the game are entirely different. I loved the realistic inventory system of Witcher 1, that's gone completely. But that's not a big issue, we get a more traditional RPG inventory system now. It may use some tweaks however, and I'm sure they'll be delivered with the future patches. Combat is totally different. I always wanted more games like God of War, Batman: AA, or Darksiders on PC, because of their combat mechanics, and Witcher 2 delivers that. You need practice however, and higher difficulties punish the players if not careful, especially Insane; you cannot load your saves if you die. Hardcore mode so to speak. Really enjoying the combat mechanics.

    Graphics are the best I've ever seen, and I've played other games that support DX11 and so on. I just can't believe this is a DX9 game. However, many players experience FPS problems with high-end PCs, but that's not entirely their fault, as AMD and NVidia are working on hotfixes to address the issues in the game. Patience, and you won't have any trouble.

    Voice acting, music and sounds are really good. Especially the music, it is a vast improvement over Witcher 1 in my opinion.

    I just love this game. And I throw my hat off to developers. It seems they knew what they wanted, aimed for it, and bullseye... A perfect PC game!    … Expand
  3. JackyBeans
    May 18, 2011
    10
    Excellent Game. Excellent RPG.
    PC Power Hungry RPG too.

    Graphics, Atmosphere, Ambiance..
    Improvement over the original in nearly all aspects: graphics, gameplay, combat.. Refined and tuned.. Surpasses the good first sequel..

    So many things to do and so many places to explore.

    Geralt is charming too. You play an interesting character.

    People take notes. This is how PC Gaming should be.
  4. tommy22
    Aug 4, 2011
    10
    Great Game. The atmosphere is very very good. Minor points are the last chapter that is not on the same level as the first two and also the introduction: a little to difficult because there is not ennough help. Game of the year for now...
  5. uk_john
    May 18, 2011
    10
    Can we at last put tot bed that games like Jade Empire, Mass Effect and Dragon Age are NOT real cRPG's! This game and it's predecessor, along with Skyrim later in the year, show that Bioware and others now release Action-Adventures and call them RPG's when they are not! Thank god for European publishers like CD Projekt, that still give us deep, mature PC cRPG's like the good old days!
  6. WukWhiteWolf
    May 18, 2011
    10
    The only reason not to buy The Witcher 2 is 1) You´re a console fanboy (Idiot)
    2) Have a Low-spec PC
    Otherwise this is a must-play. Visuals are amazing, combat is challenging and the Insane difficulty is a cool add-on.
  7. csesium
    May 20, 2011
    10
    I am very much a fan of the first Witcher, and I am glad to say the second game in the series is nothing short of astonishing in nearly every aspect. It's clear from the beginning that the developers took special care in analyzing the problems with the first game and made effort into either eliminating or reducing those problems. The story is very intricate and complex. There is a plethoraI am very much a fan of the first Witcher, and I am glad to say the second game in the series is nothing short of astonishing in nearly every aspect. It's clear from the beginning that the developers took special care in analyzing the problems with the first game and made effort into either eliminating or reducing those problems. The story is very intricate and complex. There is a plethora of pivotal choices that you must make in the game that feel very important and changes the direction of the game drastically, unlike other RPGs that provide black and white choices that ultimately means nothing in the grand scheme of things. Side stories tie in very well with the main plot, and give extra incentive to complete them as even they can change the outcome of some of the main quests by providing important information. One problem however is because the story is so complex it throws a lot of characters and major players at you very quickly, making it hard at times to keep everything together and trying to make sense of what's going on as you unravel several mysteries at once. But it also provides replay value most other single player games simply can't match. The graphics engine can bring even some of the best PCs to their knees. Even if you have to put it on the lowest settings, thanks to the beautiful art style it's hardly a problem. While a lot of modern games being released have simple color schemes and bland, dead environments, this is not so in The Witcher 2. The game is rich with colors, foliage is in abundance, environments are busy and aren't repeated to the point you want to gouge your eyes out, NPCs are going about their daily lives, and with weather patters and full day/night cycles the world feels alive and approaches Crysis level beauty. One of the biggest problems I think the game suffers from when it comes to graphics is even if you have a pretty medium level PC even on the lowest settings it can get a little bogged down. Maybe the engine could be optimized a little better, but this is a minor complaint as, again, even on lowest settings the world is beautiful.

    The soundtrack is amazing. Music is always appropriate for the situation and area where it plays, complimenting the gorgeous environments well. There's really nothing wrong at all with the soundtrack; everything is great.

    Character customization is off the chart. I finished the game at about level 35 and I had barely touched most of the talent points available. There are a lot of combinations that can be done for specific play styles without compromising your character to the point you have trouble with fights. However, starting out you won't necessarily know this, so it can be a little intimidating because of the shear amount you can pick from, worrying you could be picking the "wrong" one or mutegen which could harm you down the road. The combat is significantly improved from the first game. It takes on an Arkham Asylum style combat system and it works great. Fighting multiple opponents can be quite challenging though until you get a few specific talents to help you with that, and even then tougher opponents make it difficult. Enemy variation is above average, with a lot of them requiring vastly different tactics to take down than others. Effective use of traps is required for some fights even on normal difficulty. Some of the mini bosses/main bosses suffer from being either extremely difficult bordering on impossible (or maybe I just sucked at that point) to nearly trivial (or I was just particularly effective at that point). Either way, boss difficulty can vary greatly. Also, the game doesn't do much hand holding, so some of those boss fights require a lot of trial and error to figure out what you need to do to finish the fight.

    I've heard easy is too easy and normal is too hard. I haven't tried easy, but I found normal to be just challenging enough for my taste. Next play through I'm going to go for hard mode and I'm expecting it to be very, very challenging. I'll probably never try insane mode just because I know I'd die at some very stupid point long into the game and it wouldn't do anything but irritate me. Anyway, there are difficulty settings for everyone, so find what works for you and enjoy.

    One last note. Installation was the most PAINFUL EXPERIENCE I HAVE EVER GONE THROUGH IN MY GAMING CAREER. CRC error on my gaming PC. Tried copying disc 1 on 2 other computers and used an external DVD drive and they all had the same problem. Finally borrowed my friends laptop and it was able to read the disk. There's no excuse for the disc being unreadable by 4 out of 5 drives!!! Only reason I got it on a DVD and not digital download was because I wanted the CE version and all the swag, but this has taught me to never, ever buy a PC game that isn't digital download ever again, no matter what.    … Expand
  8. bernlin2000
    Mar 26, 2012
    10
    Likely one of the best RPGs I've ever played, and I've played most of the major ones of the last decade (DAO, Oblivion, Skyrim, Deus Ex: HR). What's most remarkable is how your choices truly do have a major impact on the world: it's not a gimmick or half-gimmick like so many modern RPGs (which often give you the illusion of choice, then railroad your choices as you approach the ending). ItLikely one of the best RPGs I've ever played, and I've played most of the major ones of the last decade (DAO, Oblivion, Skyrim, Deus Ex: HR). What's most remarkable is how your choices truly do have a major impact on the world: it's not a gimmick or half-gimmick like so many modern RPGs (which often give you the illusion of choice, then railroad your choices as you approach the ending). It certainly should have scored higher than Dragon Age: Origins, that's a testament to the flaws of "expert" reviews.… Expand
  9. Fr0s7y
    May 17, 2011
    10
    If one were to look at my past reviews they'd see that I'm reluctant to give a game a 10, even ones that I loved (Portal 2, for example). However, I had to make an exception for this absolute masterpiece of PC gaming. I can say without any doubt that the Witcher 2 is one of the greatest RPGs ever created, and CD Projekt Red have absolutely awed me with the quality of work they have putIf one were to look at my past reviews they'd see that I'm reluctant to give a game a 10, even ones that I loved (Portal 2, for example). However, I had to make an exception for this absolute masterpiece of PC gaming. I can say without any doubt that the Witcher 2 is one of the greatest RPGs ever created, and CD Projekt Red have absolutely awed me with the quality of work they have put into this game. Everything is perfect, from the intense combat, to the enormous living world, to the engaging story.. All of it has proven me wrong in thinking that amazing RPGs were simply not possible in this era of modern gaming. Any developer that seeks to make a quality RPG should take notes from the Witcher 2, and display the same amount of effort that this amazing company has in working to create such a masterpiece. CDPR has earned a life-long customer with me as a result of this title, and I'd strongly urge anyone on the fence in regards to purchasing this to do so. I can guarantee you will not regret it.… Expand
  10. darksydex3226
    May 19, 2011
    10
    The Witcher 2 is an amazing experience. I'm on the second act now, and I haven't played an RPG with so many good things going for it in a long time. Depth, story, characters, graphics, items, crafting, traps... so much stuff you can do in this game. There's nothing quite like it that's out there right now, and this is easily RPG game of 2011, if not Game of the Year. Well done, CD Projekt Red.
  11. smeg4brains
    May 18, 2011
    10
    Truly one of the best games of all time... The combat is quick and satisfying the characters are as well developed and as brilliant as the story! A true successor to the first game
  12. puscyfer
    Aug 21, 2011
    10
    Everything that's wrong in the (post)modern gaming industry... done right! Marvelous game with a caring developer behind it...CD Projekt's support seems to fulfill the meaning of "user support"... even topping it with free DLC and a soon-to-be-released free update bringing Witcher 2 to patch version 2.0 with true game-improvement (and that...as we all know - lately - is a rarity).
  13. yogibbear
    Nov 28, 2011
    10
    In one word: stunning. In a few more: the greatest game of 2011. The saddest part is so many people will skip playing it purely because it doesn't fall within their limited preconceptions of what sort of game they want to play, yet it is these people that could gain so much by playing it. Play it. Love it. Cherish it. PC gaming has never been so good. Arcanum and Planescape: TormentIn one word: stunning. In a few more: the greatest game of 2011. The saddest part is so many people will skip playing it purely because it doesn't fall within their limited preconceptions of what sort of game they want to play, yet it is these people that could gain so much by playing it. Play it. Love it. Cherish it. PC gaming has never been so good. Arcanum and Planescape: Torment lookout. This series has it's eyes fixated on severly knocking on the door and boldly proclaiming that it is possible to beat nostalgia and you don't need a crowbar to do it.… Expand
  14. MikeMaximus
    May 27, 2011
    10
    Kudos to cdprojekt for creating this shining gem in a genre that is starting to become very stale and lowest common denominator. They've created one of the most enjoyable, beautiful, well written RPGs I've played in many years. If you're a true cRPG fan you need to play this game and the first Witcher as well. To those complaining about difficulty (including critic reviews), give it aKudos to cdprojekt for creating this shining gem in a genre that is starting to become very stale and lowest common denominator. They've created one of the most enjoyable, beautiful, well written RPGs I've played in many years. If you're a true cRPG fan you need to play this game and the first Witcher as well. To those complaining about difficulty (including critic reviews), give it a rest. Games used to be about using your head, learning mechanics, trying different things to overcome an obstacle, not crying because you can't "one-shot" everything on the first try.… Expand
  15. Grez
    Aug 14, 2011
    10
    !! Game of the Year !! Epic story , great gameplay and amazing graphics . It's all you need to say that fresh game can be still created among all those fps. waiting to see the Witcher 3, cause this game is the best what gamer can get into his hands
  16. LonBorah
    Jun 20, 2011
    10
    One word to describe it all epic .A little known developer has created a FANTASTIC RPG .Bioware should learn . Many are complaining about the difficulty but its not affecting me.The witcher 2 s graphics make dragon age 2 many generations old.Hats off to CD Projekt Red Studio.This really is a game of the year material.One complain though is that of the inventory and casting ofOne word to describe it all epic .A little known developer has created a FANTASTIC RPG .Bioware should learn . Many are complaining about the difficulty but its not affecting me.The witcher 2 s graphics make dragon age 2 many generations old.Hats off to CD Projekt Red Studio.This really is a game of the year material.One complain though is that of the inventory and casting of spells..While dragon age 2 was a letdown wheres witcher 2 steps into another gear.The atmosphere & environment is great.It makes you sit out and enjoy the environment.The trend is changing .Its not always about the big developers.Along with the price tag I Recommend it to all .Witcher 2 is really anti-bioware material.Bioware u listening… Expand
  17. tarekmallo
    Jun 10, 2011
    10
    The Witcher 2 truly is a great sequel to an already wonderful game, the combat finally makes sense and the story is exhilarating. Shame about about the ending though.
  18. casshern09
    May 17, 2011
    10
    Do not pay any attention to those stupid negative scores, it's simply Bio Ware Meta bombing this fantastic game. Game of the year for me by a country mile. Superb visuals, storyline, dialogue. Great combat and questing is fun. If you are an RPG fan there is simply no way you shouldn't play this. Get it, get it now.
  19. Apz
    May 17, 2011
    10
    Game looks absolutely fantastic. Dialogue is immersive and well written. m_stannard is a gelatinous, buttperturbed jackass who is super mad DA2 sucked dick.
  20. Lycanthrope
    May 21, 2011
    10
    Almost completely flawless; a work of art and an RPG masterpiece. My only qualm is with the new clunky and overly simplified inventory/journal/quest/codex screen.
  21. metro_cube
    May 20, 2011
    10
    I've got to give this game the highest marks. Aside from a few technical bugs at the beginning (that I was able to fix and were the fault of my computer) and a (to me) awkward control scheme (that can be edited), I've had no complaints. This game truly presents an immense number of options and pathways for the player to take. Absolutely recommend!
  22. Gamingking007
    May 17, 2011
    10
    They should remove that rating from that incompetent gamer!!! It is impossible to give a game like this a 0!!! Thats like saying that barbie performed better than this awesome title!!! This game will definitely be nomintated for goty!!! Perfection is all I can say!!!
  23. lilkillpappy
    May 20, 2011
    10
    Finally a game from a company not bought out by EA. Bioware should be ashamed of themselves after seeing how good of a job CDProject has done on this game. This is what a real game looks like. Beautiful graphics that run great, deep gameplay, characters that I care about, dialog that is actually something I would want to say. Fighting that is not automated, story that makes sense and isFinally a game from a company not bought out by EA. Bioware should be ashamed of themselves after seeing how good of a job CDProject has done on this game. This is what a real game looks like. Beautiful graphics that run great, deep gameplay, characters that I care about, dialog that is actually something I would want to say. Fighting that is not automated, story that makes sense and is enjoyable, and enough depth and complexity to actually warrant playing the game. After Dragon Age was completely destroyed I was heart broken, thankfully this game has come around to take up the slack. Just wait though, EA will buy up CDProject, and they will start producing 1 piece of **** game a year just like the rest of them.… Expand
  24. kram789
    Jun 11, 2011
    10
    I liked the game, but after playing it through once, I have not been able to muster up enough interest to play it through again. The balance is off. Combat in the early part, especially for the side quests in Flotsam are ridiculously hard, while the boss fights and combat in the later chapters is too easy.
  25. Taichoojack
    Aug 8, 2011
    10
    I really must congratulate CDprojekt they have done an outstanding job. This is definitely the best game I have ever played. The graphics made me spend hours wandering in the forests of Flotsram ( I admit they are so good I actually got lost in the forest), the combat is what all RPGs should have, not the DPS type but actual swordsmanship you strike, you duck or you die. The other aspectsI really must congratulate CDprojekt they have done an outstanding job. This is definitely the best game I have ever played. The graphics made me spend hours wandering in the forests of Flotsram ( I admit they are so good I actually got lost in the forest), the combat is what all RPGs should have, not the DPS type but actual swordsmanship you strike, you duck or you die. The other aspects of traps, bombs, signs, potions and oils etc are also a welcome addition to the complexity of battle ( I was getting frustrated with the mindless consolized games that are coming out of late with dummed down combat, no need to state names DA2 you know yourselves) And last but not least the story just wraps it all up into one amazing spectacle of brilliance.… Expand
  26. coltsr2
    May 18, 2011
    10
    Ignore the scores you see on metacritic giving 0 theye are from competing games employees and in no way are sincere or reflect this awesome game!...am not going to say much other than this game is the best RPG i have ever played its so polished and immersive its hard to spot the odd flaw or blemish....This game msut surely raise the bar for others to follow...all games should be likeIgnore the scores you see on metacritic giving 0 theye are from competing games employees and in no way are sincere or reflect this awesome game!...am not going to say much other than this game is the best RPG i have ever played its so polished and immersive its hard to spot the odd flaw or blemish....This game msut surely raise the bar for others to follow...all games should be like this...well done to the polish team who developed it and shame on those sad people abusing metacritics user ratings system to try to downgrade this in favour of their own companies games..

    I see one previously confirmed BioWare employee gave Dragon Age Origins 2 a 10/10...yet he gives this game 0..... It is a shame to see this happen.....MAKE NO MISTAKE FOLKS THIS GAME IS AWESOME!!!!...    … Expand
  27. Deinsleaf
    May 19, 2011
    10
    Saying that The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is an insulting understatement. The story has a lot of branching paths. Three or four playthroughs will not be enough. Combat is kind of hard to understand to begin with. But once you get the past the hurdle, it will feel like that you have mastered something important. Graphics wise, the game just looks great. It might be DX9, but it's good.Saying that The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is an insulting understatement. The story has a lot of branching paths. Three or four playthroughs will not be enough. Combat is kind of hard to understand to begin with. But once you get the past the hurdle, it will feel like that you have mastered something important. Graphics wise, the game just looks great. It might be DX9, but it's good. The only downside is that you need a monster machine to run it at full settings. Single GPU cards just can't handle it. Or maybe there is something wrong with the coding of the game. I hope that CDPR will fix that with patches.

    The Witcher 2: Assassins of KIngs can be compared to -- dare I say it -- Baldur's Gate 2: SOA. It is simply epic. Thank you CD Projekt RED for developing a PC game that the PC gaming community really deserved. It feels good to be remembered as a gamer.    … Expand
  28. Raz0r
    May 21, 2011
    10
    One of the best, if not the best game of the 2011. From the first moment you feel ultimate climate of the game. Since release of the first Witcher developers improved almost everything: - combat is more challenging, -graphic is brilliant and whole experience from the game is much better. Even tho there are some minor flaws (DLC problems), in compare to first Witcher buggy at release gameOne of the best, if not the best game of the 2011. From the first moment you feel ultimate climate of the game. Since release of the first Witcher developers improved almost everything: - combat is more challenging, -graphic is brilliant and whole experience from the game is much better. Even tho there are some minor flaws (DLC problems), in compare to first Witcher buggy at release game developers achieved world level. I was really scared that CDP Red would not handle task of providing better game than first part but now I am happy to recommend this game to everyone who enjoy top-level cRPG games!

    PS. PC platform games can still beat any console game!    … Expand
  29. Brutal_rus
    Feb 13, 2012
    10
    Superb game. Awesome unique world of Witcher: tough, brutal, racism, sexism, bloody true medieval for mature players.
    Gameplay is very addicitive but very easy to absorb in. You should think and find a way for a victory for the each enemy you would fight( humans, and monsters( for example ctulhu-kraken boss). Story is awesome. You always surrounded by your friends( Zoltan, Sexy Triss).    Superb game. Awesome unique world of Witcher: tough, brutal, racism, sexism, bloody true medieval for mature players.
    Gameplay is very addicitive but very easy to absorb in. You should think and find a way for a victory for the each enemy you would fight( humans, and monsters( for example ctulhu-kraken boss). Story is awesome. You always surrounded by your friends( Zoltan, Sexy Triss). Its one of the best storyline i ever played. And ofcourse its non-linear!

    Graphic is tough too. Vert good art job, style and HD textures. Id like nake many screenshots that look like photos while i playing it!
    Summary - its good alternative for each mature player, whose remember old-schoo rpg but wanna new features( like graphic, battle system, and dialogue). Its not like Skyrim( not soo endless) and not like bioware( here in Witcher not copy paste location and characters. Its made with a soul, i thought) but the unique new way of rpg!    … Expand
  30. GalisCooper
    May 27, 2011
    10
    If you're willing to invest in a game, if you are willing to get sucked in and truly engage with an RPG, this is the game for you. People who have scored this game low, either critics or users, have as main negative points:
    -bugs (very few that are now fixed with the patch)
    -difficulty in battles (that's one of the games biggest strengths for people who want a challenging strategic battle    If you're willing to invest in a game, if you are willing to get sucked in and truly engage with an RPG, this is the game for you. People who have scored this game low, either critics or users, have as main negative points:
    -bugs (very few that are now fixed with the patch)
    -difficulty in battles (that's one of the games biggest strengths for people who want a challenging strategic battle instead of a button-mash)
    -Bad UI (I'll give them a little point there - it's not bad, but could be better)

    So please ignore them, and support a game developer that is truly passionate about creating quality games.    … Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

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