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. Ster217
    May 19, 2011
    10
    The Witcher 2 is a game for which i was waiting almost since i launched The Witcher 1. In comparison with the first one there is HUGE difference in almost everything. I've never seen such wonderfull graphics running on older computers. As for the story i donlt want to write any spoiler, Only thing i am obligated to write is that depth of the story is unbeliveable. Every choice you makeThe Witcher 2 is a game for which i was waiting almost since i launched The Witcher 1. In comparison with the first one there is HUGE difference in almost everything. I've never seen such wonderfull graphics running on older computers. As for the story i donlt want to write any spoiler, Only thing i am obligated to write is that depth of the story is unbeliveable. Every choice you make have consequenses. Whats funny there are no easy ones. Most of the moral choices are very hard to make, cause sometimes there is just no right way, you need to judge situation and choose less evil one, and that decision will affect the story line many many hours of playing later. There are often retrospections to remind us of our previous decisions and show us consequenses of them. Story line also changes if you travel with different companions, because with everyone of them happens something completly diffrent. For me its best RPG with amazing storyline, graphics and combat system.… Expand
  2. Alex1096
    May 20, 2011
    10
    This is the best game i've ever play.
    I think this is the best game in this decade. (no, sorry the witcher 2 will be better^^)
    The Witcher 2 has very good plot and combat system.
    I recommend that game for every player who like RPG games
  3. blinking
    May 25, 2011
    10
    I'm writing this little review simply because I believe that you can never say enough positive things about this game. I run a mid-range PC (with a 3.2 Ghz phenom x4 cpu and Radeon HD 5770 gfx card) and I played this game at the recommended (high) settings and I never ran into any problems. The game is gorgeous, the characters are believable and sympathetic, the story is enthralling, andI'm writing this little review simply because I believe that you can never say enough positive things about this game. I run a mid-range PC (with a 3.2 Ghz phenom x4 cpu and Radeon HD 5770 gfx card) and I played this game at the recommended (high) settings and I never ran into any problems. The game is gorgeous, the characters are believable and sympathetic, the story is enthralling, and it's a helluva lot of fun. You'll feel like your choices have impact and you'll want to play again and again to see how the story can unfold. It's clear that the developers put a lot of love into this game. If you're a fan of well-made, mature RPGs, then this game is right for you. Do yourself a favor and pick this game up.… Expand
  4. Kebab
    May 23, 2011
    8
    I'll try to make it short. If you enjoyed the first Witcher game, you will like this one.
    The story is interesting and you have choices where your adventure leads you, who will be your friends and who will be your enemies adding more replay value. Dialogue is one of the finest parts of the game, although the voice acting can change a bit. At one point your main character might be    I'll try to make it short. If you enjoyed the first Witcher game, you will like this one.
    The story is interesting and you have choices where your adventure leads you, who will be your friends and who will be your enemies adding more replay value. Dialogue is one of the finest parts of the game, although the voice acting can change a bit. At one point your main character might be whispering his lines for no reason and the character talking to him yells his lines back.
    Combat is fun and engaging until up to a level in swordsmanship where you get to the point you can just buttonsmash enemies to a wall and not letting them even lift their sword in time until they recoil back in pain. It's quite balanced as when the enemy hits you even in the easiest difficulty they usually take 1/10th of your maximum health. Multiple enemies is where the combat is most fun, although the game suffers from awkward targeting system. Until you level your character with skill that lets you hit enemies who you aren't targeting with a sword, you'll be trying to hit the enemy in front of you only to make your hits go through that enemy because the enemy behind the enemy you are trying to hit is selected as target.

    The games UI is probably the worst aspect of the game. You pick up enchantments early in the game even though you get armor that actually can be enchanted later in the game, but I might have missed something. The UI also doesn't tell you how to drink potions or how to throw throwing knives and bombs. Meditation and drinking of potions is only talked in passing in small tutorial window and if you run too far away from the trigger point or accidentally cancel it you won't be told about the button to get access to it. There isn't control re-arrangement that can be accessed from in game where you could check the buttons and re-arrange them. To this moment I don't know how to throw knives or bombs and I'm currently far in the 2nd chapter.

    It's an okay game though if Witcher 1 was something you enjoyed. It's more polished than the first game, yet the game designers should have hired crack team of playtesters to polish out all the issues with the UI and combat.    … Expand
  5. Aver
    May 19, 2011
    10
    This game is freakin' masterpiece. Great combat, AWESOME storyline, amazing graphics and unforgettable soundtrack! DA2 shouldn't even stay on the same shelf!
  6. biowareisjelly
    May 22, 2011
    10
    game of the year, rpg of the year...bioware is jealous and they cant handle how amazing this game is...as far as i am concerned, bioware is dead for pc gamers, and all hail the new king! phuck you bioware!
  7. liondragon
    May 27, 2011
    8
    Ok, I just took the Witcher 2 off of my computer. Not because I hated the game, but because the new patch caused some problems with the game. The thing is, I don't think I will be putting it back on. This game is thoughtful, gritty, beautiful, and has one of the best individual story lines I've seen in an RPG in many years. Unfortunately, it is all laid to waste by the combat. I am a fanOk, I just took the Witcher 2 off of my computer. Not because I hated the game, but because the new patch caused some problems with the game. The thing is, I don't think I will be putting it back on. This game is thoughtful, gritty, beautiful, and has one of the best individual story lines I've seen in an RPG in many years. Unfortunately, it is all laid to waste by the combat. I am a fan of Ninja Gaiden. Having said that, I do not mind difficult combat. What I do have a problem with, is sluggish and unresponsive combat. I suppose playing with a microsoft controller instead of a keyboard might help a bit, but combat on a keyboard has been little more than an exercise in frustration for me. Clunky and unintuitive are the nicest terms I can use to describe it. In an environment where three or four unblocked strikes can kill one of the toughest Witchers in Temerian history, it stands to reason that the combat should be as polished as possible. I don't mind challenging, or even very challenging, but fighting a control system hell bent on as much micomanagement as possible just seems a little tedious. One of the reasons I loved the Witcher one so much, was because you could play the entire game with just the mouse. The setup was as simple as it was elegant and made for fun, engrossing experience. I could put in the time and effort needed to master the keyboard combat in this game, and I am told it actually gets much easier as you progress and invest in the skill trees, but it just sounds like a chore to me now. I may give it another shot with my new PC controller and see if I can make better progress, but for now I think I'll just try L..A. Noire.… Expand
  8. gun661
    Jun 4, 2011
    10
    That's the World Wide Web: Even for the things you really really, authentically like, there's always opinions about it who don't. ALWAYS. It's a bit sad, but...so what? These are just my 2 cents, and I want to make them simple:
    A.) Thank you world that games like The Witcher 2 still are being made.
    B.) The Witcher 2 is new and it is different, but If you for some unexplainable reason liked    That's the World Wide Web: Even for the things you really really, authentically like, there's always opinions about it who don't. ALWAYS. It's a bit sad, but...so what? These are just my 2 cents, and I want to make them simple:
    A.) Thank you world that games like The Witcher 2 still are being made.
    B.) The Witcher 2 is new and it is different, but If you for some unexplainable reason liked games like Planescape Torment, Baldur's Gate, The Longest Journey, Outcast, Silver (yes, they are related in some special way).... felt their magic, felt that if you cared about them, your time wasn't wasted, you GOT something out of these games besides shallow entertainment: Then you may like The Witcher 2. If on the other hand you somehow, deep down, couldn't understand what good there really was about the "rationally" awesome games of the last decade: Mass Effect, Dragon Age, Crysis, even Neverwinter Nights.... if you somehow were disappointed by them... you may like The Witcher 2, too.    … Expand
  9. Yasuchika
    May 19, 2011
    9
    Amazing game, while it's quite difficult at the start due to confusing tutorials the entire game is breathtaking. Possibly one of the best RPGs ever made.
  10. Ethel
    May 20, 2011
    10
    You must buy The Wither 2 if you are true RPG fan. It's not 3rd person Shooter with a few RPG elements like ME1-2 and it's not slasher with rpg elements like DA 2, it's a REAL RPG.
    Small Polish studio CD Project shows Bioware how to create awesome high quality RPG.
    Definitely Best RPG 2011 and GOTY 2011.
  11. No_LiMiT
    May 20, 2011
    10
    Best RPG that came out in years, worthy sequel to already great game. Everything about this game is great and to enjoy it you'll need a good computer. GOTY easily for any PC gamer and RPG fan.
  12. varden
    May 19, 2011
    10
    Combat/Difficulty = 10: This game is incredibly challenging. Many users will be put off by the lack of help or kindergarten button mashing. At any level above easy this game requires a combination of preparation, strategy, action style timing, and patience. There is a sense of discovery when figuring out how to take down a monster or well armored and shielded characters.

    Gameplay =    Combat/Difficulty = 10: This game is incredibly challenging. Many users will be put off by the lack of help or kindergarten button mashing. At any level above easy this game requires a combination of preparation, strategy, action style timing, and patience. There is a sense of discovery when figuring out how to take down a monster or well armored and shielded characters.

    Gameplay = 9.0: The various mini games are a riot. They offer a nice break from fighting and make me think of games like Ultima 7. This game is polished and relatively bug free. The only real knock against gameplay is the targeting system, while better than most, it can be hard to lock on to certain objects.

    Story = 9.5: It isn't the epic feel, incredible polish, or voice acting that stand out here. It is the dark and brutal atmosphere in a world where you are both loved and hated that bring this game alive. Motivations aren't simply good or bad, they are neither. Characters are fleshed out, actually most are fantastic, but Geralt takes the cake. He is the quintessential tough guy. I want to be Geralt! Thank you Andrzej Sapkowski! DA:2 tried to play the middle ground, but at the end of the day everyone was just an evil one-dimensional punk...The Witcher 2 truly succeeds here.

    Graphics = 9.5: The graphics are stunning, the environments are beautiful, the main characters are absolutely fantastic. I do take a little bit of fault with some of the character animations which is why I slipped this one to a 9.5. Other than that little bit, this is the best looking game I've seen in a RPG.

    Sound = 10: The musical score in this game blows me away. I feel like I'm listening to Wing Commander 3 for the first time again. I sometimes just sit back in my seat and listen to the music.    … Expand
  13. Gulczwkas1
    May 23, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. bardzo mi siÄ… Expand
  14. PresCthulhu
    May 20, 2011
    10
    What can you expect from the game: a fantasy world that feels real, living and breathing. Stunning visuals, awesome voice acting, quite challenging (if you set it on normal or above) combat. Good involving story that changes so big time you will replay it at least once. Also this is a mature game that really treats you as a mature adult and not an American teenager who has to be protectedWhat can you expect from the game: a fantasy world that feels real, living and breathing. Stunning visuals, awesome voice acting, quite challenging (if you set it on normal or above) combat. Good involving story that changes so big time you will replay it at least once. Also this is a mature game that really treats you as a mature adult and not an American teenager who has to be protected from life. The only disadvantage I can mention are small glitches (omg the dooooors), nothing game breaking, but some part feels a bit less polished (including the last chapter). They promised FREE DLCs to even it out. It is a bit hard to adapt how the combat works, but if you actually read it up from the manual it is not hard to catch up. The game itself never freeze for me even once and runs smoothly with high graphics (I consider my i5, NV GF460 average).
    After how messed up DA2 was I was actually afraid that the RPG genre is dead, but I am VERY happy I pre-ordered it after all. This game is easily the best RPG game since the planescape torment! I really hope BW will learn from them, because this is the way to go.    … Expand
  15. 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
  16. Amstaad
    May 19, 2011
    7
    This is a great game. The only problems I've had are with the controls/camera during combat which are unresponsive at times and the lack of a decent tutorial. Art work is excellent. Story is decent for a video game. All in all the game is worth picking up if you have a upper end PC.
  17. RogerWilco2099
    May 17, 2011
    7
    New to the series. Still early on but im really am quite happy with it so far. I dont own the first game so some parts are confusing. I clearly missed a lot of stuff and delving straight into the second game wasnt as easy as I thought it would be. To be expected I know, but I didnt expect it to this level. Anyway guess I should have spent my free time over the past few months gettingNew to the series. Still early on but im really am quite happy with it so far. I dont own the first game so some parts are confusing. I clearly missed a lot of stuff and delving straight into the second game wasnt as easy as I thought it would be. To be expected I know, but I didnt expect it to this level. Anyway guess I should have spent my free time over the past few months getting into this series rather then hyping myself up to being bitterly disappointed with DA2... oh how I got that so wrong =P Anyway I digress. Graphics are great and the environments rich. Interacting are awesome and I find myself smiling a lot at some parts. The game has froze up on me several times though, but nothing that hasn't sorted itself out several seconds later. Combat was a little awkward at first and I was sure there was a better way to do it. But its all in the learning curve. Fun experience so far, not sure its Game of the Year as some people are already saying, but I can easily understand why they are saying it. =)… Expand
  18. PsyCoil
    May 26, 2011
    10
    The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is how a sequel and fantasy world should look like, Just by staying 10 minutes inside the world of The Witcher you will understand that this game is bigger, prettier, full of life, and more realistic than BioWare and EA could ever hope to achieve in their future games.

    It's amazing how non-linear is the story really, when I first watched the dev diaries    The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is how a sequel and fantasy world should look like, Just by staying 10 minutes inside the world of The Witcher you will understand that this game is bigger, prettier, full of life, and more realistic than BioWare and EA could ever hope to achieve in their future games.

    It's amazing how non-linear is the story really, when I first watched the dev diaries those guys just kept describing how non-linear is the story and I thought to myself "HA! Those guys are full of **** I'll just wait and see it for myself" thus I started playing the game and after finishing the tutorial I just realized how wrong I was doubting cd projekt developers, almost everything you do inside this game changes it's direction, Some of them even drastically like changing an entire city or an whole chapther. This game is the definition of AWESOME! Stop wasting your time reading reviews and get it!    … Expand
  19. Perfik
    May 20, 2011
    10
    what else i can say for witcher 2 other than it is pure perfect?

    graphics? if you have the rig they are eye blowing (playing at ultra settings myself:P), and you will be happy to see what your beast pc can pull out music? perfect combat? hard yes but rewarding (no more ROARRR I CHARGE YOU DIE NPCs) story? deep and cool (no more I SAVE THE WORLD archetype) main character? geralt is one of    what else i can say for witcher 2 other than it is pure perfect?

    graphics? if you have the rig they are eye blowing (playing at ultra settings myself:P), and you will be happy to see what your beast pc can pull out
    music? perfect
    combat? hard yes but rewarding (no more ROARRR I CHARGE YOU DIE NPCs)
    story? deep and cool (no more I SAVE THE WORLD archetype)
    main character? geralt is one of the best created characters in the gaming industry (very close or equal to shephard)
    other story related characters? they have their own personallity and seem "real"
    dialogs? funny and mature :P the witcher2 is one of the best games ever created in the cRPG universe :)

    thnx CDProjekt keep up the good work :)

    ps. buy the game , support developers who respect their customers ;)    … Expand
  20. Pacyfikator
    May 18, 2011
    10
    LOL @ Bioware fanboys rating this down. Expect a lot more 0s in the next days. This game is everything DA2 should have been but failed. Suck it down. FTW 10.0
  21. simon123
    May 19, 2011
    10
    I never wrote a review before, but this is very Special game to me. It one of this games that are gonna be in the top 5, iv been playing for 15 years. Im running the game on i7 core and 5990 gtx and im just going to run through the gd points.

    The graphics, top quilty, lighting effects amazing, detail very gd, i would even say even better then crysis 2. Also the game world seems so alive    I never wrote a review before, but this is very Special game to me. It one of this games that are gonna be in the top 5, iv been playing for 15 years. Im running the game on i7 core and 5990 gtx and im just going to run through the gd points.

    The graphics, top quilty, lighting effects amazing, detail very gd, i would even say even better then crysis 2. Also the game world seems so alive with detail everythink is different and intresting, you just walk around thinking fking hell they have put so much effect into this game What I really like about this game its not ported down to play on crappy (can't swear)xbox 360 or playstation. Its runs on top settings around 60 -70 frams avarge. i think the journel setup is great, each quest is told like a story, great and uniquie, main quest is mark on map, side quest are not , pefect balance. im playing it on hard taking my time over it, thankyou devlopers for witcher 2!

    p.s Pc gamer review, not gd, 89 % don't know what plant ther living on. lol "its was too easy when i play on easy and nomal settings", turn to hard maybe, noob lol    … Expand
  22. bigtpsychoboy
    May 19, 2011
    10
    One of the best RPGs I have ever played. Yes you may need a higher end PC to run this game, but they did a fantastic job making this game look as good as it does using DX9. TW2 improves on almost every aspect of TW1. There are so many (different) choices to make through out the game that you can't help but want to playthrough it more than once. Kudos to CD Projekt Red for making us such aOne of the best RPGs I have ever played. Yes you may need a higher end PC to run this game, but they did a fantastic job making this game look as good as it does using DX9. TW2 improves on almost every aspect of TW1. There are so many (different) choices to make through out the game that you can't help but want to playthrough it more than once. Kudos to CD Projekt Red for making us such a great game, I can only hope all their future titles have the the same time and care put into them as TW2 had.… Expand
  23. pro77
    May 20, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I'm thinking that the Witcher 2 is one of the best rpg ever. This game have everythink what do you want in action-rpg game. Graphic is brilliant I never see better graphic in rpg game… Expand
  24. SkeletorsUncle
    May 20, 2011
    10
    I haven't played all the way through obviously, but so far everything is great. Graphics are amazing, combat is fun and challenging. Easily ten times better than either Dragon Age one ore Dragon Age two.
  25. 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
  26. divine1976
    May 25, 2011
    10
    Brilliant game after the disappointment of Dragon Age 2. An involved Story with memorable characters, stunning graphics and an immersive world where the residents actually feel alive. The combat takes some getting used to and makes you plan for encounters before jumping in.

    Not a fan of the 'quick time events' particularly and would recommend a thorough read of the manual before    Brilliant game after the disappointment of Dragon Age 2. An involved Story with memorable characters, stunning graphics and an immersive world where the residents actually feel alive. The combat takes some getting used to and makes you plan for encounters before jumping in.

    Not a fan of the 'quick time events' particularly and would recommend a thorough read of the manual before playing. The standard premium edition box makes a pleasant change from the usual crappy standard plastic DVD case and disc and represents brilliant value for money.

    I'm already looking forward to the next game    … Expand
  27. cainx10a
    May 18, 2011
    10
    The Witcher 2 makes Dragon Age 2 looks like the poor man's RPG. A beautifully designed world, an engaging and mature storyline, mature not by the measure of **** and blood it shoved in your face, or the pretext of being dark fantasy by murdering your companions and families for shock value, mature because the storyline, the choices given to you, always feel like you are in a real world,The Witcher 2 makes Dragon Age 2 looks like the poor man's RPG. A beautifully designed world, an engaging and mature storyline, mature not by the measure of **** and blood it shoved in your face, or the pretext of being dark fantasy by murdering your companions and families for shock value, mature because the storyline, the choices given to you, always feel like you are in a real world, rather than one written by a little kid who need his fix of instant gratification. Your choices have real consequences, not some help random good guy, get gold **** reward, or bully the peasant and get some negative karma, as if a number had any effect on what some other peasant will think about you, in another kingdom miles away. Yes, you do get to be the Hero, but the consequences of your action is ambiguous. Did you do the right thing you will keep thinking? The combat is challenging and engaging. It's fluid, and feels like a great action title like Bayonetta or DMC, yet, hacking and slashing brainlessly will only get you killed. Use your magical abilities wisely, parry, dodge, try to get in the enemy's blindside, or you will be on the ground faster than you can say "This game is awesome!". The difficulty is brutal even on the normal difficulty. Unlike DA2 awful difficulty setting, this game does feel balanced, as you have a great many set of abilities, and tools to help you, provided you use them wisely.… Expand
  28. enlive
    May 18, 2011
    10
    I haven't been impressed by a game in years and I'm not a huge RPG fan, hating Mass Effect and Dragon Age, but this game is just perfect. It looks graphically amazing, maybe even better than Crysis, a big improvement over Witcher 1.
  29. Madao
    May 20, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. To be honest I didn't expect anything great from The Witcher 2. I just wanted to play a Gothic-like game. But after spending a hour playing I was amazed. Great visuals (even on minimal settings), awesome plot, choices that greatly matter. The only thing that is a bit flawed is the combat system, but after spending some time mastering it you're gonna love it. Anyway I recommend The Witcher 2 to anyone who likes games like Risten or Gothic. It has all their advantages and adds a lot on its own. I give it a 10.0… Expand
  30. rpgbigfan
    May 27, 2011
    10
    Excellent game! With beautiful graphics and complex world.
    Surprising and innovative.
    Malcontents who are looking only for bugs, they should be ashamed. Besides, half of it is not bugs. Especially in combat. It is rather a novelty. Added to give specificity to the world of Geralt Rivia. Appearance of the hero, his way of fighting, its nature, its capabilities - it is all very specific.    Excellent game! With beautiful graphics and complex world.
    Surprising and innovative.
    Malcontents who are looking only for bugs, they should be ashamed. Besides, half of it is not bugs. Especially in combat. It is rather a novelty. Added to give specificity to the world of Geralt Rivia. Appearance of the hero, his way of fighting, its nature, its capabilities - it is all very specific. This is a very clearly defined character.
    This game is not "average", this game is controversial.
    And stirs emotions. But it deserves very high marks.
    From 8 to 10
    No less! If it is too hard for you because you are accustomed to easily play ... well ... Time to grow up! You play or not.
    But be honest in their assessments. It's a great game!

    I compared the different RPG. And what? This is one of the best games for a mature player. Others are more for teenagers.
    This year I am waiting for Skyrim yet, but if the story is as boring as Oblivion, then TW will remain No. 1 for me

    And another thing ... Bioware fanboys - Kids! - you are ridiculous with your fury.    … Expand
  31. stealthops77
    May 28, 2011
    8
    This game is a little bit below what I expected. After Playing the first game, I had high hopes for the second one. Some of the things I did like about TW2 was the environment that was set up. Everything looked beautiful. Also, the didn't have nearly as many bugs as TW1 did when it first came out. The story line was pretty solid and let me say this; this game feels linear, but playThis game is a little bit below what I expected. After Playing the first game, I had high hopes for the second one. Some of the things I did like about TW2 was the environment that was set up. Everything looked beautiful. Also, the didn't have nearly as many bugs as TW1 did when it first came out. The story line was pretty solid and let me say this; this game feels linear, but play through again making different choices and you probably won't end up with the same conclusion, maybe not even the same story. Now, there are some things that I didn't like about this game. There was barely any tutorial at all. The only help you got was from a little box in the corner of the screen to tell you what to do. They also made the tutorial more difficult than it should have been. I get that this game was meant to be for the hardcore player, but the game gets easier as you go further into the game, which also means the level pacing was bad. Many people have complained about the inventory mechanics and other things, but that didn't bother me too much because it was similar to TW1. The one thing that killed the game though, was the scripting into American English. Talking in the medieval tone and accent is fine, but when you start dropping the f-bombs and other slang that doesn't fit in with the game at all, that is NOT ok. Overall, This game is pretty good. It didn't meet my expectations, But it was still an enjoyable experience.… Expand
  32. dallaen
    Aug 17, 2011
    10
    Desik's review and score of a 1 is exactly what i would expect form the new lazy gamer generation that doesn't have any idea how to explore. All they want is everything handed to them with cheat codes and guides. This games setupa nd mechanics are a greta throw back to the old days of gaming and keeps well with the old witcher game.

    If you are a WoW kiddie who has to have everything    Desik's review and score of a 1 is exactly what i would expect form the new lazy gamer generation that doesn't have any idea how to explore. All they want is everything handed to them with cheat codes and guides. This games setupa nd mechanics are a greta throw back to the old days of gaming and keeps well with the old witcher game.

    If you are a WoW kiddie who has to have everything handed to you on easy mode than don't play this game and go back to WoW please.    … Expand
  33. wm4l
    Jul 8, 2011
    9
    I love this game. The Witcher has "Slavic" climate. Story is interesting and "adult". Moral choice are difficult (not black and white). I must mention the great dialogues (I played in the Polish language version). / Co tu pisaÄ
  34. Lulgrim
    May 21, 2012
    10
    One of the best video games in the last 10-15 years I think (not many worth playing, generally). RPG base with actual meaningful decisions (when did you ever have those since PS: Torment?) and mature setting/story. They also basically added an action game on top for combat. Needs to be played in the original Polish (English subtitles for me) in my opinion.
  35. fandango89
    Jun 25, 2011
    7
    This game has a lot of positives but also negatives that go with each one. It handles the story and nudity very maturely and has a great world filled with interesting lore and creatures. The fact you really get no new spells or anything is pretty boring and can be a major put-off. The spells you do get are limited and only some of them are useful. I found myself using the shield abilityThis game has a lot of positives but also negatives that go with each one. It handles the story and nudity very maturely and has a great world filled with interesting lore and creatures. The fact you really get no new spells or anything is pretty boring and can be a major put-off. The spells you do get are limited and only some of them are useful. I found myself using the shield ability 70% of the time. This has nothing to do with play-style, but since fights put 3 guys against you who all attack at the same time and who can infinitely block and chain attack you, it is a must. The fire was useless and the mind control didn't even work when I used it. The combat seems great but has many flaws. They make blocking use the same bar as spells, which starts off with only 2 uses and doesn't regenerate fast enough. This means when your opponents can keep attacking and blocking, you really can't play defensive or offensive. They can block and counter or if u try to block you can only do it 2 times before starting to get hit. They should have made block separate. Some would say that is why the "roll" is there but usually it is too slow and doesn't really put you in a good position to counter. It is almost like they don't want you to be able to defend yourself. What RPG makes all your spells take 1/2 or 1/3 of your mana bar? None, because it is stupid and makes the game not as much fun, as there is too much time running around waiting for it to recharge. Then there is the graphics. They are beautiful but require too much to run them. With my top-of-the-line comp I was only able to run most things, and even those on medium settings and still with texture problems. This could be a major put-off for most. The biggest problem is the difficulty. I started out with "hard" and having been a gamer my whole life and playing most games on hard, I was appalled by how this setting was. Everything 2-3 hit you, which made the lack of defense even harder. That mixed with the crowds who could juggle you and it was too much. I would spend 1 hour replaying boss fights as well as random mobs. "Hard" shouldn't mean making the computer overpowered or making you every 30 min have to replay a part over and over for an hour. That;s not difficult, its just aggravating and time consuming. It doesn't challenge you, it just asks you to be flawless or get really lucky. Especially because you can't take potions in combat (why did they think this was a good idea) which means there is no healing yourself. If they would have included a sign that would be ok, but they didn't. This all comes to a head with the save system. I applaud the use of the quicksave, but then you cannot use it in battle, the time when it makes most sense. Since this is already too hard in combat, you should be able to save your progress, but you can't. This means you have to go the entire fight perfectly or after 5 min of a boss fight where you almost kill him but make one error you are forced to replay the entire thing again. I would like the ability to save after I kill each member of a party in battle, due to how unfair it already is that you are facing a party. This makes it seem like a glorified checkpoint system. But other than these glaring weakness and botched ideas, there is a good game at heart. I think it has to due with a wonky way of thinking in Europe how an RPG should be.… Expand
  36. markeras
    Jul 8, 2011
    7
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. One of the best RPG's i've ever played, in my opinion it's only beaten by some of the Bioware's games (Baldur's Gate 1 and 2, Neverwinter Nights, Dragon age: Origins,...) and maybe The Elder Scrolls. I only wish its length was a little bit longer...… Expand
  37. bagelobo
    Jun 3, 2011
    8
    8.5 / 10 The Witcher 2 is a strange mix. It does some things really well and some things really poorly. The good outweighs the bad though. The Good: 1) Best graphics of any RPG. Well designed environments. The world/setting is immersive and feels very believable. 2) Many of your decisions have meaningful consequences. Sometimes picking a bad dialog option actually leads to your immediate8.5 / 10 The Witcher 2 is a strange mix. It does some things really well and some things really poorly. The good outweighs the bad though. The Good: 1) Best graphics of any RPG. Well designed environments. The world/setting is immersive and feels very believable. 2) Many of your decisions have meaningful consequences. Sometimes picking a bad dialog option actually leads to your immediate death. That's not something you see very often. 3) Strong story, though sometimes convoluted. Much better than most RPGs. 4) Interesting, believable characters. All have unique personalities. Most of the voice acting is good. The Bad: 1) Many aspects of the UI are poorly designed. It feels designed for gamepads rather than a mouse and keyboard. Inventory is definitely designed for gamepad navigation. Can't unequip/equip items when trading with NPCs. Targeting system is very clumsy. Minimap is not fixed to a direction and constantly rotates. World map is useless. Item descriptions slowly scroll instead of having a scroll bar. Can't interact with objects while being attacked. Many more. 2) Dialog response options are not verbatim. Not knowing what you will say means you'll sometimes pick options that you didn't intend, and that kills immersion. 3) False dialog options. What I mean by this is, sometimes you are given two dialog options, and picking either one will give the same response. I really hate when RPGs do this. 4) Lack of interactivity. Most objects can't be interacted with. Many NPCs have generic responses and won't talk to you. I noticed about halfway through that generic NPCs have randomly generated names, and will change if you reload. 5) Somewhat linear areas. Could be worse, but it's definitely not a free, open world.… Expand
  38. 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
  39. Kietharr
    Jul 7, 2011
    9
    The Witcher 2 presents a strong story and is wrought with opportunities to make choices that deeply impact the gameworld. However I feel that the gameplay has several flaws. It was an improvement over the first game which had a rhythm based combat system, but didn't take it all of the way. Drinking potions only during meditation was silly, also potions were far less useful. The difficultyThe Witcher 2 presents a strong story and is wrought with opportunities to make choices that deeply impact the gameworld. However I feel that the gameplay has several flaws. It was an improvement over the first game which had a rhythm based combat system, but didn't take it all of the way. Drinking potions only during meditation was silly, also potions were far less useful. The difficulty standards of the game start very, very high but the game becomes easy a little more than halfway through, even on hard. Fortunately for all of the flaws, the gameplay remains fairly fun. I think that hard difficulty should have disabled combat rolling. There are a few sequences when it is disabled and they show that it would've fixed most of the issues with difficulty curve. Another issue I had was the story seems to taper off much too quickly which was the opposite problem of the first game which was long, but for all of the wrong reasons. I feel like there should have been one more chapter.

    But even with those issues it blows any and all contemporary competition out of the water as a ROLE PLAYING game. The world of the Witcher is the most immersive I've experienced since the first two Fallout games. The characters are great and memorable, the environments are visceral and memorable, and the graphics are great. But more importantly the art and area design makes the graphics shine even more brightly, producing a visual experience that is clearly second to none. Easily a 9/10, certainly should be up for GOTY, certainly WILL be RPG of the year.    … Expand
  40. 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
  41. CompanionCube
    Jul 20, 2011
    10
    Outstanding, breathtaking RPG! Non-linear deep story, awesome characters, great atmosphere, interesting gameplay, improved combat system and really difficult choices will not let anybody to go out from the screen till the end. This game is fun as hell.
  42. Snowless
    Jul 27, 2011
    8
    I really love this game. I think the atmosphere and the graphics are really great. I love the non-vanilla approach to fantasy, the gritty feel of it. NO big evil badass to defeat, just the intrigue of a handful of morally wayward characters. But, as has been said elsewhere, I feel that some of the boss fights are ridiculous, and the lack of information on how you actually need to do stuffI really love this game. I think the atmosphere and the graphics are really great. I love the non-vanilla approach to fantasy, the gritty feel of it. NO big evil badass to defeat, just the intrigue of a handful of morally wayward characters. But, as has been said elsewhere, I feel that some of the boss fights are ridiculous, and the lack of information on how you actually need to do stuff is incredibly annoying. The developers could use a few usability lessons: this has got nothing to do with being hardcore or old style - this is just plain bad.… Expand
  43. Fishy0
    Jul 28, 2011
    10
    This is the best game I've played this year. The Graphics are amazing, the storyline and characters are amazing. The game has some, though small, flaws. The one thing that annoys me the most were the caves beneath vergen, which were really hard to navigate. And I got lost several times, I miss the ability to set your own waypoints on the map. All in all this is a great game, but you shouldThis is the best game I've played this year. The Graphics are amazing, the storyline and characters are amazing. The game has some, though small, flaws. The one thing that annoys me the most were the caves beneath vergen, which were really hard to navigate. And I got lost several times, I miss the ability to set your own waypoints on the map. All in all this is a great game, but you should only play it if you have a powerful enough computer to be able to enjoy the visuals.… Expand
  44. kindzadza
    Nov 3, 2011
    10
    Wow I was really amazed by that game. Story-wise this game is same level of interest if not better than assassins creed series.
    Its Best RPG i have ever played. incredible graphics.
    It had greater level of impression on me than when dragon age origins came out. 10+/10 diablo 2 < Dragon age 2 < Dragon Age Origins < Witcher 2 there is Baldurs Gate game that i havent played, and witcher To    Wow I was really amazed by that game. Story-wise this game is same level of interest if not better than assassins creed series.
    Its Best RPG i have ever played. incredible graphics.
    It had greater level of impression on me than when dragon age origins came out.
    10+/10
    diablo 2 < Dragon age 2 < Dragon Age Origins < Witcher 2
    there is Baldurs Gate game that i havent played, and witcher
    To beat this game, Blizzard and Bioware Betheda and others would have to work really hard    … Expand
  45. Soujirop
    Apr 18, 2012
    9
    Very cinematographic and deep story telling. Gameplay is really enhanced since the first game, being this one less linear and with a pretty good system of dialogue choices. Geralt is better portrayed and the graphic quality and artistic direction have made this game the title with probably the best environments ever! To me, this game is a must have. I will give it a 9/10.
  46. HolyDiver005
    Jul 25, 2012
    10
    It is beautiful. The game play is fun and challenging. And most of all, the story line is extremely addictive. I can't wait to play this game 2 or 3 times more over.
  47. 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
  48. BountyCritic
    Jan 9, 2014
    4
    Overrated as **** The gameplay consists of running around towns and an averege combat system. The RPG elements are barely existant and don't really matter. The quests are boring and not anything special. But the thing people seem to like the most about the game is the story. And I find it to be a total piece of **** It has a nice setup, then for hours on end, nothing happens in the secondOverrated as **** The gameplay consists of running around towns and an averege combat system. The RPG elements are barely existant and don't really matter. The quests are boring and not anything special. But the thing people seem to like the most about the game is the story. And I find it to be a total piece of **** It has a nice setup, then for hours on end, nothing happens in the second act and little is added in terms of the story, which is a shame, sicne it's the longest act. The third act really tries hard to make a good twist and fails full frontal. Ooh, this character is bad? I DON'T CARE since I don't care about any of the characters except for Iorveth, who is the only person who gets any damn backstory and a some spotlight. And even when everything is unraveled and the mysteries revealed, it feels like the writers were just making **** up as they went on. So far, the only reason why I think people actually like it is because of its "mature" world. No, it is not mature. All it does is throws sex and curse words at you face! And politics! Like we play games to listen to politics! And since it is a fantasy world, you'd expect them to at least make the politics more interesting, but no! All they do is recite one point over and over again! And it's about equality of elves and humans and then nothign interesting along with it whatsoever! In Skyrim, for example you have the whole history of elven and imperial rivalry with the victory of Numidium, then the new Aldmeri dominion and the white gold concordate, but no interesting backstory is given! And if you haven't played the previous Witcher game, then get ready to read lots of Wiki lore, because the game couldn't be bothered to explain what the Wild Hunt is, even though it's one of the most essential plot elements of the game. Bottom line, it's not bad, but it is overrated. Is it worth playing? Only if you're a hardcore RPG fan, otherwise it's a straight no.… Expand
  49. ChaoticTitan
    Nov 7, 2015
    3
    The witcher 2 has a relatively short but excellent story. The combat system and majority of the gameplay elements are absolute trash unfortunately. Frivolous and useless combat and spells, poor animations that are out of sync with the combat so badly that you'll want to throw the game in the garbage. Even worse is the miserable boss battles where you can die in literally 1 hit with noThe witcher 2 has a relatively short but excellent story. The combat system and majority of the gameplay elements are absolute trash unfortunately. Frivolous and useless combat and spells, poor animations that are out of sync with the combat so badly that you'll want to throw the game in the garbage. Even worse is the miserable boss battles where you can die in literally 1 hit with no warning. Storyline is worth it though. I only wish the game developers who bastardized the combat and side quests, **** die.… Expand
  50. milpol
    Jun 28, 2011
    9
    I have to give this game definitely worth a look. The story, voice acting, and graphics are all amazing. While character development could have been deeper and the combat is a bit hack and slash, the positives out-weight those negatives. I find myself already looking forward to 3 to see how the story further develops. Definitely worth the money.
  51. nix1331
    Oct 25, 2013
    10
    probably the best game i have played in years. everything is above par and this game literally made me think other game si used to like are garabage.....looking at u dragon age and
  52. IriathZhul
    Dec 7, 2012
    8
    A pretty good RPG. The story, music, and graphics are all top-notch--I had goosebumps for literally minutes after the ending. Decisions have real consequences that aren't always apparent, making this much more like a real story than any other RPG out there. The gameplay, however, is a bit clunky. Combat is weightless and hollow, and while the creature design is amazing, few enemies comeA pretty good RPG. The story, music, and graphics are all top-notch--I had goosebumps for literally minutes after the ending. Decisions have real consequences that aren't always apparent, making this much more like a real story than any other RPG out there. The gameplay, however, is a bit clunky. Combat is weightless and hollow, and while the creature design is amazing, few enemies come down to anything other than "slash-dodge-slash-dodge". Moreover, the minigames are shallow and truly quite pointless. So while the game is definitely worth a buy, just go in treating it more like a gorgeous, interactive novel than a normal video game.… Expand
  53. Miskin
    Aug 25, 2012
    10
    Initially I turned The Witcher 2 down being biased against console style RPGs. Luckily, I accidentally tried it and I was immediately hooked in. The Witcher 2 (enhanced edition) is truly a gem. I had to enjoy so much an RPG, since Mass Effect 1. Behind the console style design, there is a deep, old school core waiting to absorb you. The graphics, the story, the non-linearities, itsInitially I turned The Witcher 2 down being biased against console style RPGs. Luckily, I accidentally tried it and I was immediately hooked in. The Witcher 2 (enhanced edition) is truly a gem. I had to enjoy so much an RPG, since Mass Effect 1. Behind the console style design, there is a deep, old school core waiting to absorb you. The graphics, the story, the non-linearities, its gameplay variety remind me of KoToR. Well done TW2 team. I give it a 10 wholeheartedly.… Expand
  54. Dusty_Hayes
    Oct 4, 2012
    9
    If you love fantasy action role-playing games his is the game for you, with grit and lore from Andrzej Sapkowski work and CD Projekt RED being a fan friendly company even throwing in the upgrade to Enhanced Edition for free when most bigger companies would charge a fee its worth the buy.
  55. 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.
  56. vence
    Sep 21, 2013
    9
    I've been a gamer for 20 years now, since baldur's gate days i played every RPG out there, and this is one of the best RPG adventure game i played, i hope they make a witcher 3.
  57. O_Hai_Mark
    Jul 15, 2012
    8
    I truly loved the first Witcher. It was dark, adult, and presented a rich fantasy world full of memorable settings and interesting characters. The sequel also offers this but not nearly as much as the first. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings looks downright gorgeous. The greatest graphics I have ever seen in any modern game to date. The attention to the tiniest detail is also astounding.I truly loved the first Witcher. It was dark, adult, and presented a rich fantasy world full of memorable settings and interesting characters. The sequel also offers this but not nearly as much as the first. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings looks downright gorgeous. The greatest graphics I have ever seen in any modern game to date. The attention to the tiniest detail is also astounding. The gameplay is also fine. After a series of updates and patches the combat became much more balanced and enjoyable. The story and plot at first was really enjoyable and had numerous memorable moments. And the fact that there are two possible story paths to partake in doubles the amount of replay-ability. However, the ending left me purely disappointed. I felt the game had been building up to something great and was only let down with a lackluster conclusion. If one were to play this game and take advantage of both story paths then the play time would be around 70 hours. A good investment if you're a fan of the universe, the first game or video games in general even with the tagged on ending.… Expand
  58. Zonzai
    Jan 4, 2013
    9
    Story: 9 --- What makes the Witcher 2's story so interesting is it's multiple paths. I have played through the game six times and there are 16 endings. Each one is detectably different but there are really only four major endings. The story is well-written and interesting but not particularly unpredictable. --- Visuals: 10 --- This is a pretty game, a very pretty game and the visualStory: 9 --- What makes the Witcher 2's story so interesting is it's multiple paths. I have played through the game six times and there are 16 endings. Each one is detectably different but there are really only four major endings. The story is well-written and interesting but not particularly unpredictable. --- Visuals: 10 --- This is a pretty game, a very pretty game and the visual splendor is most clearly emphasized when it matters - during the many cutscenes. --- Sound: 8: The music is great but very repetitive. The VO is fantastic in most cases though. What strikes me most is that when music is important it is there and when silence is more important than music, you will have it too. --- Combat: 8 --- The combat in the Witcher 2 beats its predecessor hands down. But it isn't perfect and shows it's clumsiness in certain parts of the game, especially when in confined spaces. --- Fun Factor: 8 --- This game is very fun to play game (fun enough to play through six times). The reason I give it an 8 instead of a 9 is because it is too short in the mouth and too long in the knee. That is at certain spots the side quests feel drawn-out and not that interesting. --- Overall: 9 --- Actually an 8.6 but I rounded up. With a great story, beautiful cinematic vibe and solid all-around playing experience, this game is well worth the $30.… Expand
  59. Knoedel
    Apr 23, 2013
    6
    It's all about expectations. People hate DA2 because it's a Bioware game, and they love TW2 because it comes from an underdog developer. In fact, both games have significant flaws. Here are some of the qualms I'm having with TW2: 1. Game unexpectedly quits to desktop and needs a fairly arcane fix to work properly. I'm told this is pretty rare, but who cares? I've never had any trouble likeIt's all about expectations. People hate DA2 because it's a Bioware game, and they love TW2 because it comes from an underdog developer. In fact, both games have significant flaws. Here are some of the qualms I'm having with TW2: 1. Game unexpectedly quits to desktop and needs a fairly arcane fix to work properly. I'm told this is pretty rare, but who cares? I've never had any trouble like this with any Bioware game. 2. Convincing story and depth of character? Please. In the prologue, the king literally fights in the front lines, which is completely implausible. No king would expose himself like that. 3. Very cumbersome loot system. Casting the medallion spell to show available loot adds nothing, it's just another annoying click, click, click, click... 4. Long loading times. No, it's not my hardware setup, believe you me. 5. The graphics aren't any better than DA2, say what you want. 6. Superfluous and offensive female-only nudity. If you want to be explicit, fine just show me some full frontal male nudity as well, to prevent me from thinking that you're some kind of sadist who fantasizes about big-breasted women in chains. Don't get me wrong, I think the game has many strengths the combat system rocks, imo, and the story is generally fairly engaging. It just doesn't deserve all the praise it's received, just as DA2 doesn't deserve all the scorn that's been heaped upon it.… Expand
  60. HyperDuck
    Jun 26, 2013
    10
    Purchased this game because of a Steam sale the other week, do not regret it! I would have paid full price. It is certainly one of the best games I have ever played.

    Story 9.5/10
    Game play 9.5/10
    Graphics 9.7/10

    The only problem I had was a few bugs here and there, but they weren't game breaking. Over all I give this game a 9.5/10.
  61. JLK88
    Jun 21, 2013
    10
    Pretty epic game and improves upon The Witcher in several ways. The developers put a lot of time and effort into this game. Another AAA RPG that is best played on the PC
  62. LostCreed
    Jun 16, 2013
    6
    I installed the game today, I played through the tutorial, the first two quests and I was disillusioned. So many flaws and problems, where shall I begin?

    Firstly, the animations: they are choppy. Whether it is Geralt's switch between running and walking or the general animation quality of enemies and NPC's, one can easily see: the developers are not able to deliver quality animations.    I installed the game today, I played through the tutorial, the first two quests and I was disillusioned. So many flaws and problems, where shall I begin?

    Firstly, the animations: they are choppy. Whether it is Geralt's switch between running and walking or the general animation quality of enemies and NPC's, one can easily see: the developers are not able to deliver quality animations. The animations create a feeling of "amateurs at work". Feel free to disagree, but I am used to seeing another level of quality. For example, Resident Evil 5 or Dark Souls, see for your self.

    Secondly, the controls: they are counter-intuitive, and the way the controller is treated clearly exposes the lack of experience and care by the developer when it comes to AAA products. An AAA product has to be on a high level regarding accessibility. The controls are chunky, imprecise and lack required customisation.

    Then, bad graphics, yes, you've read correctly: bad graphics. Why? One should measure the graphics of a game not only by their fidelity when they are powered by the most powerful but also most expensive hardware available, but also by their efficiency and their aesthetics. The result is clear: the graphics are below average. Pushing the graphics based on superior hardware is a nice way of luring in new players and supporting the hardware manufacturers, but it does not say anything about the beauty of your game. Turn down the graphics to playable levels on an average gaming computer and you will get the picture. Games like “Forza Motorsport” or “The Last of Us” demonstrate what good graphics mean: they are beautiful to look at, not because of hardware-hungry effects, but because of aesthetical and skilled design. “The Witcher 2” is below average in this department.

    Next, cluttered inventory: another unintuitive segment of the game. Be it the layout, responsiveness of the menus or the presentation, everything screams: clutter, badly optimised.

    Also, the story: I know that most of you will argue that this is a strong point of the game. And I may not be in the position to judge the story based on my experience, but from what I saw and heard, it was cringe worthy. Cliché and corny, nothing felt mature or advanced. Contrary, it felt as hilarious as a B-movie.

    This leads me to my last point: Bad voice acting. This feature complements and underlines the impression of a hard to care about and hilarious story. Geralt is barely hear able as he grunts and mumbles along, and the rest of the cast does sound more or less like amateurs, there are some exceptions though.

    Overall, I cannot fight the impression that the developer was overambitious. They probably do have the imagination, the spirit and the creativity, but they certainly lack the technical know how, the talent and the experience in order to produce a high quality game, which would pay justice to their vision.

    Slightly above average game. Ambitious, but lacking in many aspects: some crucial.

    6/10    … Expand
  63. tomasz009
    Aug 3, 2014
    10
    This game is beautiful. Holy crap, just beautiful. Gives me feels. Original Witcher was sublime and this follows suit. Some linearity doesn't stop it from being immersive and feeling like a real goddamn world. 9.7/10.
  64. Player_2
    Apr 4, 2014
    10
    My long written review just vanished in a server error, so I'll make it short.

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

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

    In my opinion easily the best game in years and on par with great RPGs such as Gothic and Morrowind.
    With this game on hand I have great expectations for (and of) CD Project Red and their upcoming titles.    … Expand
  65. 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
  66. styku91
    May 19, 2015
    10
    Great successor to the first game of the series. TW2 greatly improves where TW1 was lacking some polish, and still manages to tell you a great, involving story with meaningful choices and consequences. I mean - half of the game is completely different (Act 2) depending on who you choose to side with. That's huge.
    And the graphics. For me it is still one of the best looking cRPGs, even    Great successor to the first game of the series. TW2 greatly improves where TW1 was lacking some polish, and still manages to tell you a great, involving story with meaningful choices and consequences. I mean - half of the game is completely different (Act 2) depending on who you choose to side with. That's huge.
    And the graphics. For me it is still one of the best looking cRPGs, even after 4 years from the release date.
    Combat system is very good, and demanding. A lot of people bash it for not being dumbed down, but if you're up for a challenge, it'll be a big plus for you.    … Expand
  67. V0X_Populi
    Jul 21, 2020
    9
    Шикарная на момент выхода графика. Хороший сюжет и отличные персонажи. В чём то упрощённая а в чём то наоборот улучшенная по сравнению с первой частью боевая система.
  68. TheTownDrunk
    Jan 25, 2021
    5
    THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF KINGS is a near masterpiece destroyed by Quick Time Events (QTEs) for which it loses 4 points. It's a pity that CDProjekt RED destroyed their game with this crap. Said QTEs are not optional mini games either, they are incorporated in the boss battles, which is just infuriating.
    What THE WITCHER 2 gets right is the the character building (which they    THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF KINGS is a near masterpiece destroyed by Quick Time Events (QTEs) for which it loses 4 points. It's a pity that CDProjekt RED destroyed their game with this crap. Said QTEs are not optional mini games either, they are incorporated in the boss battles, which is just infuriating.
    What THE WITCHER 2 gets right is the the character building (which they unfortunately scaled down for THE WITCHER 3): you can make many different builds with proper skill trees that actually make for different gameplay. I also like the tactical aspect of the combat (not the combat itself, which is mediocre): you cannot heal during combat. Potions have to be consumed before you enter combat, so if you want regenerating health, you got to plan ahead and drink those potions (which don't last forever) before you iniate the encounter. Graphics are really good for 2011 and the voice acting is sublime with Doug Cockle reprising his role of Geralt.
    The main campaign splits after the prologue into two different paths before coming together to the final act which is lackluster and feels rushed. As is typical for CDPR the side missions actually outshine the main campaign.
    However, the combat is mediocre: fast attack - left click, strong attack - right click, roll with space (which I don't care for, I mean who in their right mind would ROLL around with a sword and in armor?!). It's simplistic.
    But what destroys this game for me are the QTE's. Even though in the Enhanced Edition there is the option for "easier QTEs" but they are still annoying and hard (during boss battles). But they are used for just about everything: fist fights (mini game): QTEs. Dagger throwing (mini game): QTEs. These are (mostly) optional, but if you want to max out experience levels you need to do them.
    Thus it's a 5 out of 10 (AVERAGE). It's the weakest in the series. Without the QTEs this would be an 8 out of 10. If you don't mind QTEs then this might be for you.    … Expand
  69. Simonyan4ik
    Mar 7, 2022
    0
    I didn’t have time to complete the game, they took it from the library on Steam, because I’m from Russia. I require a refund.
  70. BiggieWiggle
    Apr 15, 2022
    0
    Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы Хохлы пидорасы
  71. Mrr_DOCTOR
    Mar 7, 2022
    1
    Плюсы:
    - Интересный сюжет;
    - Хороший геймплей; Минусы: - QTE; - CD Project Red, который думает, что российский геймер это причина всех проблем во всём мире. Я обычный протагонист, который через /roll заспаунился в локации Россия на уровне hardcore. Я выбрал класс геймер, а не воин. Но report в свою сторону получают обычные геймеры. Press F to Respect российскому геймингу. Итоги:    Плюсы:
    - Интересный сюжет;
    - Хороший геймплей;

    Минусы:
    - QTE;
    - CD Project Red, который думает, что российский геймер это причина всех проблем во всём мире. Я обычный протагонист, который через /roll заспаунился в локации Россия на уровне hardcore. Я выбрал класс геймер, а не воин. Но report в свою сторону получают обычные геймеры. Press F to Respect российскому геймингу.

    Итоги:
    Игра - 10/10;
    Разработчики - националисты.    … Expand
  72. Nighthorns
    May 19, 2011
    10
    I'm a huge fan of Dragon Age Origins, and felt VERY let down by Dragon Age 2. I honestly had to force myself to finish it. From that point on I had my hopes for a great RPG set on The Witcher 2. Now my opinion comes from having only played until near the end of Chapter 1, but the game is head and shoulders above Dragon Age 2 already. There are technical issues for sure, I've had toI'm a huge fan of Dragon Age Origins, and felt VERY let down by Dragon Age 2. I honestly had to force myself to finish it. From that point on I had my hopes for a great RPG set on The Witcher 2. Now my opinion comes from having only played until near the end of Chapter 1, but the game is head and shoulders above Dragon Age 2 already. There are technical issues for sure, I've had to re-verify the game cache through steam 3 times already for a launcher bug. The combat controls feel a bit wonky. I adapted to the original witcher combat controls fairly fast, but am having a slightly harder time with TW2. However I still feel like I'm learning tricks on how to fight better and to keep from getting killed all the time on normal. I'm a major RPG story guy, so i'm sad to hear that the story wraps up so poorly and that will probably lower my opinion of the game once there, but even with that considered, THE WITCHER 2 BLOWS DRAGON AGE 2 OUT OF THE WATER in my opinion.… Expand
  73. Serpieri
    May 19, 2011
    9
    Witcher 2 is a game that isnâ
  74. l3wdandcr3wd
    May 19, 2011
    10
    Just bought this game this morning at my local Gamestop. couldn't find it elsewhere and wanted a physical copy. It has been years since I have played a game this well made. I have never seen so much detail put into the ambiance and life of a town (haven't got that far yet). I'm so glad that are some dedicated developers out there still, they seem to be a dying breed. Really lookingJust bought this game this morning at my local Gamestop. couldn't find it elsewhere and wanted a physical copy. It has been years since I have played a game this well made. I have never seen so much detail put into the ambiance and life of a town (haven't got that far yet). I'm so glad that are some dedicated developers out there still, they seem to be a dying breed. Really looking forward to finishing it and replaying for the multiple endings and outcomes.… Expand
  75. zoldmanoka
    May 22, 2011
    8
    Don't believe the hype, it's an o.k game, but not a goty, graphics is 8/10 ( with a powerful pc ) , combat 7/10 (hack & slash ) , story is 8/10, controls and interface = consolport, it deserves an eigth , but not better .
  76. zmaint
    Dec 31, 2012
    1
    The good: It's pretty.
    The bad: Pretty much the rest of the game. Poor controls (non-customizable, feels like a bad Xbox port) no open world, you can't jump?, interface is bad, NOT an RPG, combat is horribly clunky, no replayability... really, very poorly done. I honestly bet the mod community could write a "witcher" mod and have it done in half the time, on 0 budget, and have it play    The good: It's pretty.
    The bad: Pretty much the rest of the game. Poor controls (non-customizable, feels like a bad Xbox port) no open world, you can't jump?, interface is bad, NOT an RPG, combat is horribly clunky, no replayability... really, very poorly done. I honestly bet the mod community could write a "witcher" mod and have it done in half the time, on 0 budget, and have it play 2000% better.

    It get's 1 pt from me for the graphics, but nothing else.    … Expand
  77. M_Alex
    Jul 9, 2011
    9
    Not as good as the first part IMHO, but still a very good game. Basically I'd like it to be slightly longer and not have certain inconsistencies and sudden jumps of the plot. Love the new fighting system, graphics are awesome, most parts of the game glue you to the screen. There are no more issues with having to fight the drowned dead all the time, which was irritating in the first partNot as good as the first part IMHO, but still a very good game. Basically I'd like it to be slightly longer and not have certain inconsistencies and sudden jumps of the plot. Love the new fighting system, graphics are awesome, most parts of the game glue you to the screen. There are no more issues with having to fight the drowned dead all the time, which was irritating in the first part (per game mechanics and there constant respawning regardless of yout level, shouldn't they just run away?). Some memorable characters, primarily Roche. On the down side, I really wished that more characters were more develped in this game.… Expand
  78. Imlies
    Aug 3, 2011
    10
    Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!Good!!
  79. Orctownorc
    Oct 2, 2012
    9
    Witcher 2 represents a brilliant effort at role-playing game design, that if anything took itself too seriously, and so fell a deal short of its potential. This game however was made with passion and love for its characters, its world, its tale! That level of passion pushes the game towards a 10/10 score despite a fairly large number of warts, blemishes and imperfections. If nothing else,Witcher 2 represents a brilliant effort at role-playing game design, that if anything took itself too seriously, and so fell a deal short of its potential. This game however was made with passion and love for its characters, its world, its tale! That level of passion pushes the game towards a 10/10 score despite a fairly large number of warts, blemishes and imperfections. If nothing else, the game tells a story worth witnessing to the end. It's a game perhaps to be bought and played only once. But that once should suffice to crete powerful memories, much like reading a good book or seeing a good movie. This game has a GREAT plot. GREAT characters heros villains and NPCs. Great locations. Even the combat is pretty good once you figure out how to do it (hint: roll roll roll roll, never walk always roll) With every reccommendation in the world, potential players need to be warned of the shortcomings of Witcher 2: (1) The implementation of quick time events is TERRIBLE. (2)The combat is clumsy, (3) The lack of camera flexibility is TERRIBLE in a game that demands reactions, and skill. (4) The U.I is extremely bothersome to use. (5) The explorable world is too small. (6) The story is too short. (7) The ending is REALLY BAD. (8) No real replayability after a first playthrough. Cudos go to the designers for patching the first release and for lots of free DLC and a great attitude to their customer base. We can only pray they keep their level of passion for their work and find a way to offer all they do well again in a larger space with more player imput. CD Projekt Red have shown themselves to be a design team to watch and pray for. If these guys do everything right we could have a true masterpiece on our hands.… Expand
  80. lordofthetrue
    May 26, 2011
    10
    Finally! An RPG that doesnâ
  81. chiroben
    May 27, 2011
    7
    So I just finished The Witcher 2 and I am left feeling a little undecided still. There were moments that were fantastic and others where I struggled to force myself to go on. I am a great fan of the old classics. The first Baldur's Gate game still stands out in my mind but I enjoyed the sequel, as well as Morrowind and Oblivion - the latter slightly less than the former. So I suppose itSo I just finished The Witcher 2 and I am left feeling a little undecided still. There were moments that were fantastic and others where I struggled to force myself to go on. I am a great fan of the old classics. The first Baldur's Gate game still stands out in my mind but I enjoyed the sequel, as well as Morrowind and Oblivion - the latter slightly less than the former. So I suppose it comes down to taste. I thought there were some good scripting moments but a lot of the time I had no real idea what people were talking about (perhaps a symptom of having played but not finished the first game) or even if I did know what they were talking about I just didn't care. I wasn't fighting my own fight but merely a pawn in a greater struggle I had no real sympathy for. I was really excited about the combat after the first couple of tutorial fights. I played through Demon's Souls a number of times and loved that and there were certainly similarities. But sadly that was as good as it got. As you upgrade your skills the combat becomes less and less skillful and more and more of a button-mash fest. This was a real disappointment.

    So all in all I liked the game but certainly didn't love it. It was a big improvement from the first one in many ways and hopefully they can continue that trend with what will almost certainly be a third game. On the right track but not quite there yet. Good, but not great. 7.5/10    … Expand
  82. Jerek95
    May 20, 2011
    10
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Witcher is best game i've ever played. I enjoyed 3years playing Oblivion, and then came Witcher1. I like Dragon age 1, but thing that BIOWARE did to DA2 is not to forgive. Only thing that is bad in W2 is ending.
    I recommend it to all !    … Expand
  83. sambeckard
    May 26, 2011
    10
    For me, the game is excellent! Beautiful, quite difficult and addictive.
    Some people here probably don't know how to read. Clearly it is written - from 18 years! Too difficult for you? Everything has to be easy and friendly as for preschoolers?
    Well, kids, TW2 is not for you. Wait a few years.
    My real rating is 9.8.
  84. Dante-0
    Aug 2, 2011
    10
    The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings is very good game, with amazing graphics, good gameplay with a pretty good story, with non-linear story, nice characters. Game have several errors, but not enough and do not hinder the game.
  85. MrFpeas
    Jul 16, 2011
    7
    Starting off being one of the best RPG's I have ever played, the last two chapters did not shine off so well to me. The beginning was beautiful and wonderful, don't get me wrong. The story, setting, characters, and map design felt fresh and great to play in. The combat has gotten more difficult, which I like to see in games (considering how many games like to go easy on players theseStarting off being one of the best RPG's I have ever played, the last two chapters did not shine off so well to me. The beginning was beautiful and wonderful, don't get me wrong. The story, setting, characters, and map design felt fresh and great to play in. The combat has gotten more difficult, which I like to see in games (considering how many games like to go easy on players these days). However, I was not a fan of the potion-usage in the Witcher 2. In fact, I still question what was wrong with just keeping the Witcher 1's potion usage. Did they feel like being able to use your potion whenever was wrong? Unless I missed something, you could only use your potion when meditating, but it's a matter of opinons. When I entered the city in Chapter 3 (I believe), something felt off. It really did not feel like there was much to do and there really wasn't. The main quest line was a breeze and the dragon fight felt a little unsatisfying to me, it honest to god did not felt like I fought a dragon. And then in the epilogue, I did not like how they decided to have the bad guy (forgot his name, sorry) answer all your questions right there and then, instead of answering the questions slowly. He had at least 25 things to say (if you decided to listen) and I was sitting there wondering "Why couldn't they just answer some of these things over the game, not at once." And the ending was just so bland, it really had no meaning. The Witcher 1's ending was very intense and very story-compelling to me, they gave you a very good reason why the bad guy's were doing what they did. In the Witcher 2, the bad guy assassinated kings, which sparked off revolts, just because the king in the south caught him and said "I will start a new Witcher academy if you kill the king". Felt cliche and bland to me. To sum it up for any "tl;dr" people. First half of the game: Witcher 2>Witcher 1. Ending chapters of the game: Witcher 1 >>>>>>>>>> Witcher 2. Let's hope in the Witcher 3 that they can ultimately conclude this game series with a very interesting and mind-twisting ending.… Expand
  86. Ungato
    Jul 31, 2011
    10
    Well worth my money, and can't wait for the next one. Really enjoyed the depth of decision making and the outcomes of my choices, and this game trumps DA2.
  87. Kurt
    Aug 2, 2011
    8
    Great game, one of the best of the year. Excellent graphics and visuals, good story and excellent atmosphere. The game play is very good and after a while you forget you are even playing a game. Choices in the game will effect the overall experience and enhance the replay value. Also; it is nice to see more non linear games coming out.
  88. Pagey
    Dec 20, 2012
    5
    Nope. This doesn't do it. This is way too HACK and SLASH for an RPG and take away the cut scenes, what do you have? Hack and slash through one wave of badies, next wave spawns - etc. etc. Do I like or care about the main character? Nope. his dull monotone voice and long hair just gets on my nerves. Maybe OK for all the console owners out there - but I prefer something with a little moreNope. This doesn't do it. This is way too HACK and SLASH for an RPG and take away the cut scenes, what do you have? Hack and slash through one wave of badies, next wave spawns - etc. etc. Do I like or care about the main character? Nope. his dull monotone voice and long hair just gets on my nerves. Maybe OK for all the console owners out there - but I prefer something with a little more thought, planning and intelligence.… Expand
  89. sinadoom
    Feb 21, 2013
    2
    Being a total noob at RPGs, I bought this game because I thought the combat looked very good and graphics were awesome. But don't trust the reviews. This game is far too complicated and has too many elements. Graphics are nice and I'm sure there's a good game in there for hardcore dungeon dwellers, but for me it's too complicated. This is NOT a simple Action RPG. The tutorial doesn't do aBeing a total noob at RPGs, I bought this game because I thought the combat looked very good and graphics were awesome. But don't trust the reviews. This game is far too complicated and has too many elements. Graphics are nice and I'm sure there's a good game in there for hardcore dungeon dwellers, but for me it's too complicated. This is NOT a simple Action RPG. The tutorial doesn't do a bad job, but it certainly is off-putting.… Expand
  90. lgndsgn
    Jun 17, 2011
    6
    Just finished the game (on Hard setting). Ok... I wanted to love this game, my hopes were high throughout the prologue but then realized it just wasn't to be. First, the graphics are downright beautiful... more-so static than in motion as the game is plagued by horrid texture pop-in regardless of settings and a high-end gpu, at least for myself and quite a few others. Shrubs and rocks willJust finished the game (on Hard setting). Ok... I wanted to love this game, my hopes were high throughout the prologue but then realized it just wasn't to be. First, the graphics are downright beautiful... more-so static than in motion as the game is plagued by horrid texture pop-in regardless of settings and a high-end gpu, at least for myself and quite a few others. Shrubs and rocks will change size when you are within 5 feet of them - understandable for consoles but not for current gpus. Now... the story... The game is divided into 3 chapters. It is extremely political (more than The Witcher 1) and may be unsatisfying to some people. I found it rather dry, but not horrid. I would have preferred less of the medieval political intrigue and more character development along with a more fantasy/mythological outlook, but I suppose they were trying to keep in context to the books... Now, the combat... I didn't hate it but I didn't like it. I found the first Witcher game to have a more satisfying combat system with the role timing played in it. The Witcher 2 took away the timing as well as the group, fast and strong styles, opting for a simple parry system (which I very very rarely used in the game) and the steel sword/ silver sword combo along with magic. The main problem in my view is the balance. I spent 95% of my time using the same strategy for EVERY enemy, and not because I didn't want to experiment but because everything else took much longer and just didn't work as well. It worked like this - use Quen (guard spell that basically makes you invincible for a few seconds), dodge, attack and kill with sword. You have 3 paths you can take for development - Magic, Swordplay, and Alchemy. I first went for magic, but when realizing how pathetic a fully upgraded fire spell was compared to the sword I lost interest. Now for the alchemy - the game has made this quite a chore in my opinion. You can no longer use potions at anytime. You must use them BEFORE battle. And every time it requires an animation scene that definitely could have been shortened. Because of this I never used potions. Let me reiterate - even on Hard combat requires nothing more than what I mentioned before. Also, for some reason they decided to take away storage. You will be spending a lot of time with too much weight on your hands and will try to decide what you need to keep and throw away/or sell. Some might like this but I didn't not find it enjoyable. Now... the environments. I found them to be beautiful but they felt very limited. The witcher cannot swim. He cannot jump. This isn't open-world. Therefore everything seemed rather linear to me. The environments are nice but not nice enough to prevent you from getting tired of them after doing more than a few quests through them - my main gripe of the first witcher. There isn't much interaction with the environment other than lighting and unlighting fires. The NPCs say the same things constantly regardless of time of day often, and as the chapters progress they seem to say less and less. The diffictultiy... starts off pretty difficult on hard but by the 2nd chapter is pretty easy. I found the ending to be quite unsatisfactory as well, but I won't spoil anything.… Expand
  91. genetix
    Sep 10, 2013
    0
    This is most likely to be the worst rpg ever made.

    The original concept of witcher is gone game looks like a freak'd up doom 1 and whole combat system destroyed. I wonder how is it that both Bioware and Red managed to screw up their best looking rpg games in the history of gaming. I mean for example Baldur's Gate was a perfect game which then was continued same style to Baldur's Gate 2    This is most likely to be the worst rpg ever made.

    The original concept of witcher is gone game looks like a freak'd up doom 1 and whole combat system destroyed. I wonder how is it that both Bioware and Red managed to screw up their best looking rpg games in the history of gaming. I mean for example Baldur's Gate was a perfect game which then was continued same style to Baldur's Gate 2 and that was MAKING gaming history while same company managed then to screw up both Baldur's Gate franchise and after again making a perfect rpg like Dragon Age they yet again manager to screw it up by the dlc and next Dragon Age 2 which I would rate even less than 0 if I could.

    Exact above happens here Witcher was nearly a perfect role-playing game where as Witcher 2 is complete waste of time with idiotic development decisions made by simply keeping old name story and trying to develop completely new while there was never anything wrong with the old with exception of "We want to sell our product to consoles" which literally means that game sucks 9 ways to sun down every time I hear that. Those words alone means no top down NOT AN RPG.. It's an Gothic with new wrap and we all know how that was.

    I would like to grant this title even 1 point but even the engine optimization is so damn bad I simply don't want to.    … Expand
  92. 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
  93. Jaxbrain
    Nov 4, 2012
    6
    I do not understand this game. The "action" is slow and boring and the story didn't interest me whatsoever. Just moving around the world is clunky and feels like an interactive (bad) movie.
  94. HighwayUK
    Sep 5, 2011
    7
    It's a good RPG but I found the combat system was a bit of a backwards step and spoilt what remained, the graphical performance was ropey at release despite having a high end PC... and TBH the effects didn't impress me to much, could have done this on the original's engine and would have been just as good.
  95. pferguso
    Jul 14, 2014
    10
    I had a great time playing The Witcher 2. The quality of this title exceeded my expectations. And while I can not recommend this game for younger players due to the mature content, I would definitely recommend it for older players, particularly if you are a fan of The original Conan comics, as I feel there are a lot of similarities in the way these works are played out. The gameI had a great time playing The Witcher 2. The quality of this title exceeded my expectations. And while I can not recommend this game for younger players due to the mature content, I would definitely recommend it for older players, particularly if you are a fan of The original Conan comics, as I feel there are a lot of similarities in the way these works are played out. The game features Elves, Dwarves, and humans, along with plenty of monsters, and magic. The story is very complex, and the characters are all richly developed. Most importantly, there is a combat system that is both challenging, and entertaining. The voice work is top notch, and the graphics and music are triple A quality. I have to say that this game takes the crown as my favorite role playing game since the Mass Effect games.… Expand
  96. 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
  97. anonlike
    Jul 27, 2012
    10
    CD Projekt RED might just be one of the few devs that can save PC gaming. This game has everything a good game needs. Very fluid and satisfying combat, huge character development tree, extremely nice level design with amazing detail. And the story is is just amazing all the way through. This game can just amaze every gamer, RPG fan or not.
  98. whatever523
    Feb 24, 2014
    10
    The Witcher 2 has a great story with decisions that really matter and that gives it a very high replay value, which is rare these days. The characters, music and surroundings are fantastic. There's a lot to do and discover. They also worked on the fighting mechanics and menus compared to the first game, which are still not perfect, but better (movements are too console-ish, no strafingThe Witcher 2 has a great story with decisions that really matter and that gives it a very high replay value, which is rare these days. The characters, music and surroundings are fantastic. There's a lot to do and discover. They also worked on the fighting mechanics and menus compared to the first game, which are still not perfect, but better (movements are too console-ish, no strafing etc.). The leveling/skill system has bonuses that can be aquired in many different ways and there's always something to do.

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

    Overall, The Witcher 2 is one of the best RPGs I've played and I'm very much looking forward to The Witcher 3.    … Expand
  99. Consequences
    Mar 20, 2014
    10
    Best gaming experience of my life.
    Poor default controls especially for signs and unable to change them without exit.
    Game like this deserves some farming for items... Gauntlets,boots and trousers...you can play the entire game without changing them(there is no point exept for insane difficulty). You can buy amazing armor and swords from vendors(the diagram crafting concept is wasted)    Best gaming experience of my life.
    Poor default controls especially for signs and unable to change them without exit.
    Game like this deserves some farming for items...
    Gauntlets,boots and trousers...you can play the entire game without changing them(there is no point exept for insane difficulty).
    You can buy amazing armor and swords from vendors(the diagram crafting concept is wasted)
    Signs can use tooltips describing their effect, duration, damage etc.    … Expand
  100. Witcharob
    May 20, 2014
    10
    Cons:
    -Plays way better in a controller vs playing it with mouse + keyboard.
    -Needs more naked women! XD -Resource demanding (con if you play it on low end computer). Pros: -Excellent story. -Excellently written characters, they all feel obscenely real. -Awesome decision system and the way those decisions determine the events of the game. -Great replayability, since a decision    Cons:
    -Plays way better in a controller vs playing it with mouse + keyboard.
    -Needs more naked women! XD
    -Resource demanding (con if you play it on low end computer).

    Pros:
    -Excellent story.
    -Excellently written characters, they all feel obscenely real.
    -Awesome decision system and the way those decisions determine the events of the game.
    -Great replayability, since a decision you make at the end of Chapter 1, will give you different Chapters 2 & 3.
    -The morale of the game rejects black and white perspectives, giving it a more realistic feel.
    -DRM free.
    -In game porn.
    -Minigames like dice poker are fun.
    -Amazing music.
    -Amazing visuals.
    -Talent trees allow you to customize your game play in 3 different ways.    … Expand
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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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