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. marc5477
    Jul 30, 2016
    6
    Good story elements ruined by weak gameplay. The combat in this game is atrocious almost as bad as Demon Souls. Its not hard at all (I started, like always, at the highest difficulty; in this case Dark Mode), but it is cheaply made and very poorly implemented thus you die a lot not due to lack of skill but due to the poor design and just bad luck. This is not how RPG's are supposed toGood story elements ruined by weak gameplay. The combat in this game is atrocious almost as bad as Demon Souls. Its not hard at all (I started, like always, at the highest difficulty; in this case Dark Mode), but it is cheaply made and very poorly implemented thus you die a lot not due to lack of skill but due to the poor design and just bad luck. This is not how RPG's are supposed to play. If I wanted luck I would go to a casino.

    The biggest problem is the auto-target functionality which likes to switch enemies on a whim. So there you are trying to engage one enemy but at the very last moment a different enemy gets closer to you and auto-targeting switches to the new enemy before you know it happened. Since Geralt is a dancing fool, he will do a double twirl towards the new target, exposing his back to the 1st enemy, who takes a lucky swings and kills you in 1 hit. This happened to me at least a dozen times in act 1 until I finally stopped engaging groups and fought them from far away using weak lunges and range weapons (daggers, bombs, traps etc). The problem is that this way of fighting is plain cheap and boring because once you realize how easy it is to kill everything with bombs, it becomes like a "I win" button.

    Next the close angle over the shoulder camera is retarded. There you are fighting an enemy and you decide to roll to avoid a hit and whooops.... you encounter the dreaded tree branch! Oh great now there is something blocking 75% of the screen. No problem I will just roll back where I came from... nope cant do that because the enemy follows you and he has an HUGE invisible collision box which blocks your path. Okay so Ill take a chance and roll left... oh oh... its the dreaded 2 inch high tree root with a collision box the size of Detroit... you apparently cannot dive above that little root and instead you hit an invisible wall and the enemy nonchalantly walks up to you (laughing the entire way), looks at you funny for 2 seconds, then lazily stabs you in the neck. Cheap death.

    Next you have the ultimate stupidity... all the rolling and twirling. It works ok if you lunge from range then roll back but say you just want to quickly stab someone standing 2 inches in front of you. The enemy has their back turned to you so you figure just a quick back stab is perfect but NO! Geralt decides to do a double somersault 1st because... you know... you dont want to make things too easy... and of course, by the time you do all the ballerina twirls the enemy had had time to turn and you can no longer back-stab so you dive back away before a different enemy back-stabs you...

    Horrible gameplay. Once you adjust the combat becomes trivially easy but boring because it is so limited.

    Now the good news. The story elements are very good. The story makes sense, the conversations are good, the voice acting is good, and your decisions really do make a difference. I really wanted to progress to see what happens and I really hated some characters (in the good way) and liked some others.

    The RPG character build elements are also ok but very limited. There are only 3 trees to pick from but really there are only 2 since the entire Alchemy tree can be reduced to the 1st selection on the left, the one that double the damage from bombs and traps (its the only one you need from that tree and only costs 2 points). There is a mage tree that improves the few spells you have and a combat tree which offers better defense (helpful since combat is so bad) and improve offense. I would prefer more options for gameplay myself with more customization options but thats just me.    … Expand
  2. Skyrar
    Sep 21, 2014
    10
    One of the best games- and the best rpg I have ever played. Graphics and the atmosphere are superb, but what really makes this game outstanding is it's character- and storywriting. It's story is very complex, but if you spent some time trying to understand it you will be rewarded with a intelligent written story full of memorable moments, twists and political issues. The combat is decentOne of the best games- and the best rpg I have ever played. Graphics and the atmosphere are superb, but what really makes this game outstanding is it's character- and storywriting. It's story is very complex, but if you spent some time trying to understand it you will be rewarded with a intelligent written story full of memorable moments, twists and political issues. The combat is decent but compared to other aspects not outstanding. But still- this game deserves a 10/10. I play rpg's since 15 years and Witcher 2 managed to became my new #1… Expand
  3. karatvoxa
    Jan 12, 2016
    3
    Say what you will about a game's graphics, its story, its music, or its characters. If the gameplay is bad, the game is bad. This is a bad game. The combat is clunky and awful. The menu's are a chore to use, looting requires you to fiddle around with your character until you stand one the one precise pixel that'll allow the game to pick up your loot. Ultimately the game is far moreSay what you will about a game's graphics, its story, its music, or its characters. If the gameplay is bad, the game is bad. This is a bad game. The combat is clunky and awful. The menu's are a chore to use, looting requires you to fiddle around with your character until you stand one the one precise pixel that'll allow the game to pick up your loot. Ultimately the game is far more annoying than it is enjoyable… Expand
  4. topmags
    Jan 5, 2017
    4
    Let me start off by saying that I really REALLY wanted to like this game. I played it from start to finish, I did 99% of the side quests, I really tried getting into it's story and characters and lore but it's mediocrity threw it all away.

    Cons: -Weak characters: None have sparked any value or interest whatsoever. Throughout the whole game I couldn't give two sh*ts about Letho and    Let me start off by saying that I really REALLY wanted to like this game. I played it from start to finish, I did 99% of the side quests, I really tried getting into it's story and characters and lore but it's mediocrity threw it all away.

    Cons:

    -Weak characters: None have sparked any value or interest whatsoever. Throughout the whole game I couldn't give two sh*ts about Letho and his crappy backstory. The only characters I actually ended up caring for were Geralt, Triss & Roche because the rest seemed so generic and expendable (yes, even Letho).

    -Weak story: Little to no interesting events: kill a giant monster in Flotsam, chase Letho & Triss, lift that bloody boring curse from Henselt's and then have your final clash with Letho.

    -Boring zones: I actually enjoyed Chapter 1 because it was the only time in this game when I actually felt immersed into the world UNTIL I hit chapter 2 & 3. Running around that war camp and afterwards in Loc Muinne felt like torture. I dreaded every second of it because the surrounding areas were so dull and lifeless. It felt like time had stopped and there was nothing going around, no ambience music or sounds, nothing. Both Loc Muinne and the war camp felt dead with barely any NPC movement around.

    -No open world: Sure you may be allowed to free roam the available zones but everything felt so enclosed and small. It literally felt like those levels you had in the first Doom games where you had to finish a certain objective to unlock the next level and NOT the next quest.

    -Lack of gameplay depth: You have access to a crafting system which allows you to create potions, weapons, armors and enchantments for those. I have to say that I only used these maybe 3-4 times (only to craft the best items) throughout the whole game while playing on Hard and I was OP enough to eat hits like a punching bag without dying too quickly. Take a look at Skyrim's crafting system and tell me that it's not better than what we got in Witcher 2.

    -Oversimplified combat: Left click, right click, occasionally press Q to cast a spell and roll like we're playing Dark Souls all over again. There is your combat in Witcher 2.

    -Horrible animations: if there is one thing I truly despised in this game it's got to be the animations. Every second I spent playing this game felt like I was back playing something close to Morrowind and not something that came out in 2011.

    Pros:

    Great protagonist: It was hard to find a pro point for this game, but I can't deny the fact that Geralt is one bad-ass son of a bi*ch. I enjoyed slaying monsters as him and I am definitely looking forward to try out The Witcher 3.    … Expand
  5. Mariusz_FCK_PTN
    Mar 6, 2022
    9
    Блестящая игра. Я прекрасно провела время. Замечательно, что вам не нужны деньги от бандитов в России.
  6. Deturis
    May 23, 2011
    7
    So this is my second review here, TW2 is one of the best RPG games I've played - it has great graphics, good humor, nice story, animations and so on but on the second hand simply I can't give this game more than 7,5. CD Project Red I hope your next game will be better and thanks for TW2!
  7. ascen
    Jul 22, 2012
    3
    Witcher 1 was great. RPG game with good character development, story line and atmosphere that differed from all games of the genre at that time.

    Witcher 2 is a steaming pile of crap that has been polished with nice graphics. Storyline went to hell (Starting with the **** intro sequence that had no meaning, continuing with the interrogation phase which was all shot to hell when you    Witcher 1 was great. RPG game with good character development, story line and atmosphere that differed from all games of the genre at that time.

    Witcher 2 is a steaming pile of crap that has been polished with nice graphics.
    Storyline went to hell (Starting with the **** intro sequence that had no meaning, continuing with
    the interrogation phase which was all shot to hell when you decided to play a wiseass - so mixing up the story sequence - and on and on...).
    The collectible card game aspect of witcher 1 (the bedded women were represented as cards) was
    criticised by many. W2 doesn't have it - instead it uses up every excuse to show off nude skin, and
    even throws in lame jokes about "lesbomancy", which made me cringe in embarrassment for the original developers.
    The "dark" world is supposedly conveyed by every single male character swearing all the time, and
    singing about **** Somehow this is "dark" and "adult" content, instead of conveying it in story line.
    Compare with the scoia'tel story line of Witcher 1 and you'll see the difference.

    All in all, if you liked Witcher 1, you probably won't like W2. Then again, if you are a console gamer
    expecting a no-brainer runthrough game with nice graphics and plenty of **** this is the game for you!    … Expand
  8. SlubbertKing
    May 22, 2012
    4
    Its got kinda bugged controles. Didnt like the way they decided to make the 3rd person view work. Its a ok+ story but I wouldnt rly recomend buying this. Get something different like Skyrim if you want a RPG
  9. Subterra
    Oct 23, 2012
    1
    Dont go anywhere near this title, awful performance even on high end systems stutter, low flucuating fps, a total and utter shambles and no amount of fixes will help it.
    Keep away from this lazy console port absolute rubbish so sick of developers thinking they can release games in this condition rubbish !!!!!
  10. sethman75
    Jul 31, 2011
    5
    The original Witcher is possibly the best game i have ever played. It had everything you could want or ask. Witcher 2 to me is a bit of letdown. First the positives. The game graphics are beautiful , the story is great and the music is incredible. Now the negatives. The controls are wonky as hell, i just started to get used to them and the game finished. Game length is i think 1/4 of theThe original Witcher is possibly the best game i have ever played. It had everything you could want or ask. Witcher 2 to me is a bit of letdown. First the positives. The game graphics are beautiful , the story is great and the music is incredible. Now the negatives. The controls are wonky as hell, i just started to get used to them and the game finished. Game length is i think 1/4 of the size of the original. There are many choices to make which promotes replays but i was so shocked it was over i couldn't muster the will to start again. I got it on release and there where many bugs and crashes which were very frustrating because i could not completely immerse myself in the world because i was thinking it would crash any minute. In saying that CD Project are well known for there post release fixes so i hope that is sorted. Bottom line is that i was looking forward to this game for several years and for me it was over in 10 hours. For an FPS that is small but for an RPG it is almost criminal. That ontop of the constant crashes and lack of real control of the character i can only give it a disappointing 5/10… Expand
  11. ItsJustRob
    Dec 13, 2012
    0
    Loved the first witcher, it was a true RPG. This iteration is not an RPG, its a platformer. I hate platformers and hitting all the platformer stages is just annoying.
  12. drachehexe
    Aug 2, 2011
    5
    This game is NOT equal to its predecessor nor does it supersede the first Witcher title. Indeed it is a step backwards for the franchise.

    The storyline is weak, sporadic, uninspired and incomplete. The game engine is full of bugs or just plain bad designs. Scripts break, characters get stuck a lot, and controls are very cumbersome and response time is slow. The only decent "mini-game"    This game is NOT equal to its predecessor nor does it supersede the first Witcher title. Indeed it is a step backwards for the franchise.

    The storyline is weak, sporadic, uninspired and incomplete.

    The game engine is full of bugs or just plain bad designs. Scripts break, characters get stuck a lot, and controls are very cumbersome and response time is slow. The only decent "mini-game" is dice, whereas the fist fights are "press correct key at the correct time" and the arm wrestling is just plain goofy and uncontrollable.

    The potions system is decent save for you have to be in meditate mode to use a potion and you can't meditate once combat starts so you'll often fine when you need the potions most you won't be able to use them without reloading a save, meditating to drink the potions, then continue to the fight.

    The game is beautiful. Textures and environments are top notch, models and characters are nicely rendered, and animations are excellent.

    But the aforementioned flaws will have you constantly reloading because of a broken quest, or your character is stuck, or you need to potion up before an unexpected fight. (You could always make sure potions are up but then you'd be spending most of your time foraging for ingredients to support that much use as potions run 10 minutes max).

    All in all this game is an extreme disappointment from the first. It's sad to see the developers go from one of the greatest (if not the greatest) RPG to a sequel that falls short of the first in every way except for the visual and sound.    … Expand
  13. gas
    Nov 30, 2011
    7
    Im going to update my rating from 6/10 to 7/10 for the 2.0 patch relase.

    This is my past review talking about the first release: Dont get me wrong, i think this game is quite good at the end, i personally trust in CDP as developer, they did a great job patching and improving the witcher 1, proving they aim to be a solid company for their customers. Im not talking about bugs here because    Im going to update my rating from 6/10 to 7/10 for the 2.0 patch relase.

    This is my past review talking about the first release:
    Dont get me wrong, i think this game is quite good at the end, i personally trust in CDP as developer, they did a great job patching and improving the witcher 1, proving they aim to be a solid company for their customers. Im not talking about bugs here because actually even with 1.1 patch the game is full of them, but we know everything possible will be fixed later on. CDP did a huge step forward with this release with the introduction of a new and great engine, but there are many opinable if not poor decisions about developing different aspects of the game. There is a very poor design of all the menus (inventory, crafting system, trading etc) and a gameplay too much script based, really limiting the freedom, in many occasions the game plays like an interactive movie as don bluth dragon's lair, not sure how some ppl can see an rpg masterpiece in this mess. The new engine is one of the best if not the best around, the game even at mid video setting looks impressive. The music and the audio effects are excellent, anyway most of the npcs are repeating to death the same statement every 5 seconds when you stand near them, which is really really annoying. The combat system is different from wt1, now its full real time and its developed to be played with a joypad more then keyboard+mouse, anyway it works fine and its fun and interesting as idea. There are ranged weapons like throwing knives (actually op) and bombs, many different traps to place on floor, the possibility to parry (and counterattack if you have the proper talent), the signs to add more depth. Overall the combat system is fun and nice, it relays a lot on the user skill and i think the result is quite good. Anyway after some time you will see some issues in this system cause the best tactic at the end is always rolling on the floor like a madman and strike when you can, in many occasions it seems just an hack'n'slash, but i return to tell, the combat system has his ups and downs, but overall its good. On a side note the use of the potions is different from wt1, you need to drink the potions out of combat, so you should prepare yourself before a fight, too bad this system obviously works only if you know in advance if you are going to be involved in a fight, wich is possible only with a die-and-reload-gameplay. Bad choice tbh, as potions should be part of the withcer combat arsenal and in this game you will end to use potions only after you died in a fight to repeat it with a little help, also the pots lasts too little and you will end to use them marginally. The story may be appealing itself but if you played tw1 and you know what happened before it make no sense at all in many circumstances, the problem is how the story is implemented in the game, and especially the fact Gerald seems always without the knowledge of any important event, person, situation, that should be part of his background. I will not go specific here to avoid spoilers but just the fact that Gerald starts as level 1 character having issues to beat even the most crap solider, without the knowledge of any monster is totally in contrast with any possible prelude to this plot. The gameplay is action based, heavily cinematic and deeply scripted, with a very limited freedom in interaction and exploration, and short dialogues with very limited choices. The looting system is not really user friendly, its hard to position Gerald to pick up items, also the window is very tiny and you cant scale it. The inventory system and the menu in general are the weak part of this game, you cant sort junk from all the rest, so you need to pass the whole inventory list looking every line one by one to check what is junk and what not, what to buy or sell. there is not the possibility to sort the schematics resulting in a huge list of potions, upgrades, crafting sheets etc with no possibility even to sort them alphabetically. There is not any customization and even if the game was a console port i think its possible to do something better then this. Trading and alchemy suffers the same issue. What you can carry is based on weights, the game is full of different ingredients, patterns, items in general and you will see soon that what you can carry is quite limited, so at a point you will end to continue go back and forth to sell items or just you will leave most of the loot on the floor. Mini games should be cut out. I think this game is a great title under some aspects, but its really lacking in others. Tbh even if this was announced as an rpg made for pc, the feeling is to play a console oriented game. This game plays more similar to console action games then any rpg, its oki CDP wanted to implement something more modern into a genre maybe a bit redundant, but the result seems looking more to the console market then the expectations of the rpg players.    … Expand
  14. Wraithman
    Jul 7, 2011
    10
    Just finished ....Omg im so pissed by mine ending ....That ehhh....Nvm Great Game 10/10 for all..just combat sucks a lil.But music and game play is so epic.
  15. guinevere2
    May 21, 2011
    5
    Pro: best graphic I have ever seen in a game, great mature story that has nothing to do with fighting mindless horde of orcs/undeads or spawns and saving the world again, best immersion and atmosphere I have experienced in a video game for many, many years, well optimized and no technical problems at all for me (Q6600@3.4Ghz, Ati 4870 512 RAM, 8 Gb RAM) CON: Combat - is veryPro: best graphic I have ever seen in a game, great mature story that has nothing to do with fighting mindless horde of orcs/undeads or spawns and saving the world again, best immersion and atmosphere I have experienced in a video game for many, many years, well optimized and no technical problems at all for me (Q6600@3.4Ghz, Ati 4870 512 RAM, 8 Gb RAM) CON: Combat - is very action-oriented and poorly balanced (regular fights are to easy, boss fights are way to difficult, upgrades of armors and weapons barely noticeable in actual game play). If I would like to play something like this I would buy Assassin Creed. From a game that claims to be an RPG I expect more of a brain use to win fights, and not just a fast reflex in my index finger...messy inventory interface, low replayability value, some minor bugs, especially with crafting.… Expand
  16. Enigma
    Sep 25, 2011
    0
    Witcher 2 was a highly anticipated game for me and I was sorely disappointed. The good points are as follows: Amazing graphics, great sounds, immersive game world, wonderful story. However, the bad points make the game unplayable. They are: VERY POOR game play, horrible character controls (movement / interaction) feels very much like the game was designed for consoles first, Combat isWitcher 2 was a highly anticipated game for me and I was sorely disappointed. The good points are as follows: Amazing graphics, great sounds, immersive game world, wonderful story. However, the bad points make the game unplayable. They are: VERY POOR game play, horrible character controls (movement / interaction) feels very much like the game was designed for consoles first, Combat is just simply awful !!!!!! This game is simply hack and slash. Very much an arcade console type game. Combat feels very much like super Mario brothers. I purchased the game at release and attempted to play for about 2 hours after which I turned it off disgusted. Months later I give it another shot and played through the prolog and into chapter 1 a bit before once again stopping. This time I uninstalled the game. I am so disgusted that I sat down and took the time out of my Sunday to write this so others would not waste their money as well. You will notice a large amount of 10 ratings. All I can say is that this must be the younger generation who were raised on arcade, action style games such as God of War. If you are of the younger generation and prefer quick arcade style, button pushing, jumping around, style combat then go for it. However, if you are the older generation and long for true strategy based RPG combat then donâ… Expand
  17. Irishbrewed
    Aug 4, 2012
    3
    The game suffers from poor controls, feels like a bad port whereas this wasnt the case but it sill feels like real **** controls. Combat is clunky much like combat in AC games. The world and game is so linear its maddening. You literally run back and forth the entire game. Inventory is a pain in the arse to manage with all the flower picking this game wants you to do. Its really a pissThe game suffers from poor controls, feels like a bad port whereas this wasnt the case but it sill feels like real **** controls. Combat is clunky much like combat in AC games. The world and game is so linear its maddening. You literally run back and forth the entire game. Inventory is a pain in the arse to manage with all the flower picking this game wants you to do. Its really a piss poor game with **** story is nothing great either, and why does the witcher MUMBLE the whole game. Pass on this one, not worth your time!… Expand
  18. Chupwn
    Aug 1, 2011
    5
    The graphics and story are terrific. The choice system is a breath of fresh air because it doesn't dumb everything down to evil or good. However, it crashes frequently. Even worse, throwing a grenade at the wrong time, or even just randomly after a cutscene, Geralt will be unable to move or attack and you have to load your previous save which could be over an hour back. I think this gameThe graphics and story are terrific. The choice system is a breath of fresh air because it doesn't dumb everything down to evil or good. However, it crashes frequently. Even worse, throwing a grenade at the wrong time, or even just randomly after a cutscene, Geralt will be unable to move or attack and you have to load your previous save which could be over an hour back. I think this game needed another couple of months of beta testing - I feel I purchased an incomplete product.… Expand
  19. Maximo
    Sep 11, 2011
    6
    This game went the same direction as Mass Effect 2 and Dragon Age 2. RPG elements cut down to minimal, lots of sexual attractivity to lure the horny masses in front of the screen and a washed-up rest of what was a great game in Witcher 1. What a pity ..
  20. BleedingKnee
    Jul 17, 2011
    5
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Great story, great characters. Like another reviewer posted, as an interactive movie, the game is fantastic. The graphics and voice acting are fabulous too.

    Gameplay, however, is terrible. Why? Here are a few examples:
    Control over the moves of your character is very limited. The game chooses when you move forward with a sword strike, which often ends up with the character in a space you did not want him in.
    The over the shoulder camera movement has been executed very poorly. Often times, the camera will move as you get into a corner, which will move the 'target' to another opponent, or end up with a tree branch completely blocking your view. I found it very disorienting to have my camera jump like that.
    Quite a few combat scenes start out immediately, giving you 0 time to react, meaning reloading at least once for all the important fights.
    First fight with the kingslayer can be won by repeatedly pounding the fast hit key. Wii Sports swordfight has better combat.
    This is not a PC game. Same key does a sword attack, opens doors, reads posters, etc. Also, the stealth part of the game is the worst in gaming history.
    The signs are unbalanced: get Quen level 2 and every combat is a cake walk even on difficult.
    Inventory management, although pretty and a great improvement over Witcher 1, has not been polished. If you want to make more than one potion with certain ingredients, you have set the ingredients for each potion you want to make.

    All that criticism aside, I am addicted to the storyline and will play the game to the end.    … Expand
  21. Profile
    Aug 27, 2013
    0
    I gave up on this game. When I approach the edge of a high structure, I expect the character to jump or fall down. Every mission I played was like running in a corridor. I was fighting with the controls, not the enemies. Last but not least, the over-saturated colors completely ruined the immersion for me.
  22. Hudson
    Dec 30, 2012
    6
    Wow it looks like the Witcher 2 company paid someone to come in and post a bunch of positive reviews on this site. At best This is the same thing that Bioware tried to pull off with DA II, just better executed, but it is still light years away from great classics like Baldur Gates/Wizardy/Might and Magic/Elder Scroll series. Poor console port, lame combat and really long and annoying cut scenes
  23. spydercanopus
    May 29, 2011
    7
    Nowhere near as good as the original. Completely linear. Might as well just watch the game unfold without controlling it. Graphics are amazing, but LA Noire leaves me feeling duped by outdated technology.
  24. kotekzot
    Apr 29, 2012
    5
    The game is mediocre at best, due to developers never stopping to think what would actually be fun in a game. Would it be fun to wander around without knowing which way is north? No, but that's what you are forced to do. Would it be fun to not be able to drink potions in battle? No, but you have to spend a minute navigating menus and watching Geralt take a sip and a breath every time youThe game is mediocre at best, due to developers never stopping to think what would actually be fun in a game. Would it be fun to wander around without knowing which way is north? No, but that's what you are forced to do. Would it be fun to not be able to drink potions in battle? No, but you have to spend a minute navigating menus and watching Geralt take a sip and a breath every time you do. You also have to repeat the process every 10 minutes. Would it be fun to have size 3 font at HD resolutions? No, but that's how it is. Would it be fun to be unable to attack at full strength after using signs? No, but, inexplicably, that's how it is.… Expand
  25. JudgmentJay
    Jun 14, 2011
    7
    Decent game. The graphics aren't as great as people claim, and the game is fairly restrictive as far as exploration is concerned. Combat can be difficult at first, but becomes comfortable with more experience. It's somewhat buggy, though most have been stomped out via patches. Despite the flaws it's a solid RPG with good replay value.
  26. Vangriffeth
    Jul 5, 2012
    5
    While the graphics are astounding, and the cut scenes are breathtaking, the actual game play is piss poor. When I actually have to plug in a controller on a computer to play a game correctly, something is dire wrong.
  27. White_Bear
    Jan 29, 2017
    1
    I fell in love with Witcher 3 so I decided to try Witcher 2 and bought on the christmas sale. Good thing about the Witcher 2 that it cost me only 4 eur. This game sucks in so many points but the most disappointing is the combat.
    1) You cannot block - you still receive damage
    2) You cannot dodge - you still got damage 3) The only way to avoid the damage is click your opponent to death    I fell in love with Witcher 3 so I decided to try Witcher 2 and bought on the christmas sale. Good thing about the Witcher 2 that it cost me only 4 eur. This game sucks in so many points but the most disappointing is the combat.
    1) You cannot block - you still receive damage
    2) You cannot dodge - you still got damage
    3) The only way to avoid the damage is click your opponent to death who first hit - wins! But it did not work if you face more than 1 enemy and it is most of the time
    4) Another way to avoid the damage is to run! So the best tactic is hit and run.
    5) You still can manage several opponents but not due to your skills but due to the stupidity of the enemy AI while others are stucked somewhere you can kill 1 enemy using button mashing.
    So if you missed the Witcher 2 and wanted to try after you played Witcher 3 do not do it, you will be dissapointed.    … Expand
  28. Pmstz
    Jan 31, 2023
    9
    Excellent/masterpiece game.
    That is just so unbelievably smooth it just feels great
    ++
  29. marcvp1988
    Feb 7, 2013
    3
    Witcher 1 was great. RPG game with good character development, story line and atmosphere that differed from all games of the genre at that time. Witcher 2 is a steaming pile of crap that has been polished with nice graphics.
  30. micielk
    May 26, 2011
    6
    Hello There
    Witcher is a cool game i must say, I'm from Poland but I wont blindly go with other whos said that Witcher is best game ever blah blah. First of all - Bugs. It should get a title Witcher Bug Catcher. In game is so many bugs: bug in instalation, patcher, DLC, registration. Every one option which is defaut in other games in Witcher is bugged. Its really not cool. OK game has good    Hello There
    Witcher is a cool game i must say, I'm from Poland but I wont blindly go with other whos said that Witcher is best game ever blah blah. First of all - Bugs. It should get a title Witcher Bug Catcher. In game is so many bugs: bug in instalation, patcher, DLC, registration. Every one option which is defaut in other games in Witcher is bugged. Its really not cool. OK game has good graphics, very clever dialogues, and overall good scenario. Its fun and challenging, in my opinion block system needs to be polished couse in first act game is way to difficult and even two weakest monsters in game are extremly dangerous because Geralt will block after animation attack will end, thats stupid, Should they do something like in Batman Arkham Asylum but hey we get what we get. I should give 9 or 8 score but I cant, I just cant. I know its a polish and I should give nice score but no. Every game deservs a fair score and Witcher didnt devervbe for more than 6. f they repair some of issues You should give 2 more points. Best regards from Poland, sorry for my eng its not perfect    … Expand
  31. Teaser38
    Aug 31, 2011
    6
    Not as big as a console hatchet job as DA2 was, but the RPG elements have been cut down. Combat balancing was uneven and repetitive. I hated the potion system. The camera was atrocious. It's not very long, but you should get 2 very different run thoughs. A mixed bag, overall.
  32. mpr
    May 29, 2011
    6
    Absolutely not impressed! Frustrated and annoyed: that's how I felt during the first two hours of play. To me, this is NOT a good role playing game, but nevertheless, still a decent action/adventure game. I really don't see what could justify all these 9 and 10 ratings out there. This is probably the most overrated game of the year...
  33. giappone
    May 24, 2012
    3
    I gave this game a 3. That's because I left it around one third of the whole game. I wanted an RPG game like Witcher1, for the PC you know. And I ended up with a stupid consol platform/arcade. Why no official review mentions this? I tried to kill the 1st boss at least 40 times. It didn't work, the controls wasn't made for the PC. I played many action games - Crysis1-2, MOHs, CODs, MWs,I gave this game a 3. That's because I left it around one third of the whole game. I wanted an RPG game like Witcher1, for the PC you know. And I ended up with a stupid consol platform/arcade. Why no official review mentions this? I tried to kill the 1st boss at least 40 times. It didn't work, the controls wasn't made for the PC. I played many action games - Crysis1-2, MOHs, CODs, MWs, etc. Also online shooters. I load back 50 times if needed if something keeps me going on, but in W2 I just grew angrier... After many tries I gave in, used a cheat, played some more than deleted the game and sold it. This was the last time I actually bought a game without playing it through before... If game companies lie to me, I feel myself authorized to cheat too, but I won't. I play fair. But I pay only after playing it through...… Expand
  34. defive
    May 28, 2011
    6
    All I can say is some people are easily impressed and clearly taken in by the hype. While the world, the graphics and the writing are all first class, it's all let down by a disastrous combat system, obviously consolised UI a general lack of depth compared to the first Witcher game. The combat system is particularly bad, being laggy, unresponsive and repetitive (combat ultimately boilsAll I can say is some people are easily impressed and clearly taken in by the hype. While the world, the graphics and the writing are all first class, it's all let down by a disastrous combat system, obviously consolised UI a general lack of depth compared to the first Witcher game. The combat system is particularly bad, being laggy, unresponsive and repetitive (combat ultimately boils down to dodge-attack-dodge-attack ad nauseum). Plus there are some very strange design decisions (like not being able to drink potions in combat)

    It's not a bad game by any means, but it could have been so much better.    … Expand
  35. JonAM
    Jul 7, 2011
    5
    This second part of The Witcher is not what it looks like. If you loved the first part, then run away from this 3rd Person Action Game with some light touches of RPG. It is exactly the same unfortunate story that previously happened with Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2. Although they used the same name followed by a 2, the gameplay is completely different. It is not a pure RPG, so ifThis second part of The Witcher is not what it looks like. If you loved the first part, then run away from this 3rd Person Action Game with some light touches of RPG. It is exactly the same unfortunate story that previously happened with Dragon Age Origins and Dragon Age 2. Although they used the same name followed by a 2, the gameplay is completely different. It is not a pure RPG, so if like me this was what you were looking for, then you'll be disappointed (and with less money in your purse!).… Expand
  36. a5cent
    Jul 9, 2011
    6
    I enjoy the more "involved" RPG's like Baldurs Gate 2, Wizardry 8, Neverwinter Nights, DA:O (Dragon Age Origins) and the Witcher. I enjoy an RPG if it provides three things: (a) great plot and good story telling, (b) deep and meaningful character development, and (c) easy to learn combat system with tactical depth: The Witcher 2 has an original, complex and well written story. However, II enjoy the more "involved" RPG's like Baldurs Gate 2, Wizardry 8, Neverwinter Nights, DA:O (Dragon Age Origins) and the Witcher. I enjoy an RPG if it provides three things: (a) great plot and good story telling, (b) deep and meaningful character development, and (c) easy to learn combat system with tactical depth: The Witcher 2 has an original, complex and well written story. However, I didn't realize the extent of it until I was reaching it's end. The quests along the way are varied and entertaining, but I often found myself asking why I'm completing them. In chapter 1 I was fighting the Kayran instead of searching for the king slayer, in chapter 2 I was defending the peasantry in Vergan instead of searching for the king slayer, and in chapter 3 I was searching for Triss/Philippa instead of searching for the king slayer. Yes, everything ties in with the king slayer, but only at the end do you truly understand why. I would have preferred it if the designers had tied the quests closer to the main plot, thrown in a plot twist or two (which is what I loved about Morrigan in DA:O) and revealed a bit more about what's going on along the way. Understanding more of the situation earlier would certainly have heightened the suspense.

    The technicalities of story telling (writing, voice acting) are handled excellently and among the best. In contrast to the story, character development is the games week spot. Nevertheless, this should be the central element of any RPG; this is what defines the genre. An RPG should allow for various character builds. New abilities should combine with others in meaningful and surprising ways so their sum is greater then their parts. New abilities should affect game play, determine how the character is most efficiently played, and make the character unique.

    Given this definition of an RPG, the game barely deserves to be called one. At level 35 your character might have three or four abilities more then he did when he started out, otherwise character progression simply adds more "umpf" to existing abilities.

    Furthermore, I never found myself having to make tradeoffs. At level 35 I had skilled-up all the abilities I found important. I enjoyed two play-throughs (Hard & Insane), made the exact same build both times and have no desire to try a different character build.



    I actually enjoy pausing a battle and having to think my way out of a sticky situation, by creatively using my abilities, timing and the terrain to my advantage. Unfortunately, I'm afraid this puts me in the minority.

    In chapter 3 my pet dog is literally smart enough to win most battles (at this stage button mashing will rid you of most mobs). Prior to that tactics can be summed up as follows:
    >if possible, avoid engaging multiple enemies at once (pull one at a time).
    > never get caught with your back to a wall (you need room to dodge attacks).
    > at all times you should be either dodging, blocking or attacking.
    > attack from behind or wait for an opening (after the enemy attacked).
    > if the enemy wears armor and/or is big: attack with right mouse button.
    > if enemy is small and/or fast: attack with left mouse button.
    > if all else fails set lots of traps before engaging.
    From this list it is obvious that combat is more about action then tactics. Some people will enjoy this, but I do not.

    Summary:

    The game is rated mature for two reasons: language and nudity/sex. The sex scenes are short and void of any emotion whatsoever. Making them more relevant for the characters or the story would be a big improvement. I have no issues with course language, but I would have appreciated less modern lingo. People discussing f**king and/or genetics in a medieval setting just doesn't seem appropriate.

    The Witcher 2 is by far the best looking game, ever. Excluding the last chapter (which seems rushed) all locations are incredibly detailed and realistic. Twice I just stopped to watch the sun rise. However, even with really modern hardware you won't be able to max out everything.

    The UI still needs a lot of polish, specifically inventory management (sorting, filtering, determining what books you've already read etc) and alchemy (making & drinking potions takes too long). I'm guessing future patches will fix a lot of this, but right now it can really be a pain.

    The game is well programed and tested. Bugs tend to be quest related, but it is certainly playable now. I didn't experience a single crash in my two play-throughs.

    In this review I concentrated on what I didn't like. However, it turns out this just isn't the right game for me. If you enjoy light, action oriented RPG's then this is a MUST HAVE and likely one of the best titles of the year. If you are looking for a true RPG then this will disappoint you just as DA2 (Dragon Age II) did.    … Expand
  37. Pneuvo
    Aug 29, 2011
    6
    I loved the original Witcher game so much I looked forward to this sequel for years. I have tried many times to complete the game just to see where the story goes, but I just can't get into it. What a beautiful game! No complaints about the story. They changed so much and provided so little help I feel frustrated and lost almost all the time. I have seen a lot of games become harderI loved the original Witcher game so much I looked forward to this sequel for years. I have tried many times to complete the game just to see where the story goes, but I just can't get into it. What a beautiful game! No complaints about the story. They changed so much and provided so little help I feel frustrated and lost almost all the time. I have seen a lot of games become harder to beat lately. I think this is to make them appeal to FPS players. My feeling is they went too far on this one. Why didn't their beta testers warn them?… Expand
  38. CoolDadTx
    Dec 4, 2011
    6
    Witcher was awesome. Most of what made it good was sucked out of W2 though. Most of the battles were easy but the combat system has to be one of the worst I've ever used - especially towards the end. The whole "can't heal during combat" might be more realistic but it means you will be reloading more often if you walk into an ambush. But I'm not sure why realism matters because it is aWitcher was awesome. Most of what made it good was sucked out of W2 though. Most of the battles were easy but the combat system has to be one of the worst I've ever used - especially towards the end. The whole "can't heal during combat" might be more realistic but it means you will be reloading more often if you walk into an ambush. But I'm not sure why realism matters because it is a fantasy world anyway. The weapons and upgrades throughout the game were mostly hoo-hum. The new skill system was pretty good but none of the skills were really that useful during combat. What really kills this game is the bugs. Even after all the patches there are showstoppers - but no crashes. The dice game is buggy frequently, the scenery gets in the way during combat and some of the quests don't complete properly. Even worse is the new minigames. The dice game is buggy such that you can't always even move the dice. Additionally some of the players seem to get 4 or 5 of a kinds or full houses with statistically magical accuracy. The arm wrestling game is just stupid. It doesn't feel in any way like I'm really arm wrestling. It's just frustrating. The fist fighting minigame is pretty good though.

    The game is mature but other than 2 scenes and a lot of bad language I don't see why. The first game made Geralt out to be a womanizer and prostitution as just part of any town. W2 relegates it to romance with brothels thrown in for no reason. The language seems overly mature just to justify the rating I think. Take out the language and it isn't worthy of M.

    Overall I'm disappointed in W2. The first one was better. I hope they go back to the original formula for the next version. One thing I do like about them, and one reason why I support them, is there DRM stance and their post-release support. As a company they are top notch. I just hope they fix Witcher for the next go around.    … Expand
  39. kamishky
    May 26, 2011
    6
    It could have been a contender, instead the Witcher2 is just another console victim. Gone is the quality PC RPG with a deep story, an engaging charters. In it's place is a confusing mess that for some is not even playable. To be fair, this is a beautiful game if you have a PC that can handle it. The environments are beautiful and the amount of invisible walls is far less than otherIt could have been a contender, instead the Witcher2 is just another console victim. Gone is the quality PC RPG with a deep story, an engaging charters. In it's place is a confusing mess that for some is not even playable. To be fair, this is a beautiful game if you have a PC that can handle it. The environments are beautiful and the amount of invisible walls is far less than other similar game. The cities seem to have some life to them unlike the empty world in Dragon Age where the people don't speak and the doors don't open.

    The story is passable, but at times it confuses even it's self. NPC's deliver bits of the story, and then stay in the same location forever. The Prologue really bothered me. Here is our Witcher being interrogated by Roche like they are complete strangers including the initial greeting, but as the Witcher tell his story, you can clearly see that they know each other. A bad start that left me questions where it was going to go from here.

    The interface is pure console. While nothing is wrong with that, I enjoy many console game and find that a well done menu system works well with a controller. However, this is so poorly implemented for use with a mouse and keyboard. Icons have no clear meaning, the inventory has no sorting or filtering and for some reason, Geralt has become so dumb that he cannot memorize anything, he has to carry everything with him.

    Gameplay is a true mix of good and bad. At times combat seems to work, when you are battling a few enemies it can be enjoyable. But as soon as you add a few more enemies to the mix, it becomes a button clicking mess. Dare to turn your perspective during these battles and you immediately change enemies. Gone is the combat strategy from W1 where timing and clicking at the right time lead to a flurry of moves. In place we have a whirling slashing mess that we have no control over. An please, developers, stop with the QTE's, we do not enjoy them. I don't want limited control, I want full control.

    Alchemy has become a frustrating disaster. Apparently Geralt has to know the future. Because the only way to consume potions is to meditate BEFORE you start a battle and no,,there is no healing at all. So save lots. Lastly, is the state of the game. For me it was a constant crash fest. I look forward to going again now the patches have started, but after 3 years of development it should have been better. And forget support, CDProjekt should be ashamed of themselves. Days before the launch, the official forums were taken down, and over a week into the launch, gamers are expressing their frustrations on GOG and Steam, but not in any place that the support behind the game can help. Fans helping fans is what we are are left with.

    What I was hoping for, was the Witcher world taken to a new level. What I got was the Witcher world shaken up, half baked, converted from a stat based RPG, to an Action based RPG for the console crowd. Looks like my hopes will need to be directed to Skyrim.    … Expand
  40. meediocre
    Dec 20, 2011
    6
    The last RPG I played was Mass Effect 2. Am not really into these kinds of games as a rule but thought I'd check this out after seeing such good metascores. Suffice to say that I found the Witcher 2.0 to have some elements that I really liked - such as lush visuals, challenging combat and a complex story. However, even with a high-end PC and card I was having framerate issues and regularThe last RPG I played was Mass Effect 2. Am not really into these kinds of games as a rule but thought I'd check this out after seeing such good metascores. Suffice to say that I found the Witcher 2.0 to have some elements that I really liked - such as lush visuals, challenging combat and a complex story. However, even with a high-end PC and card I was having framerate issues and regular freezing. Also, the overarching story and back-story is so convoluted, that I found myself pining for less characters and a tighter plot. Biggest gripe though is with the inventory system and the combat. Some of the boss fights are literally rock hard, making Deus Ex's boss battles seem like a walk in the park. Maybe I didn't have the right equipment on me, but I've played and completed so many games I've lost count. Alas, I completed 90% of the Witcher then gave up, impressed to an extent but ultimately wanting a different kind of experience. Open world this is not.… Expand
  41. gingerbill
    May 30, 2011
    4
    I wanted to like this game but i couldn't , there were just to many flaws . Although the story is the strongest part of the game it wasnt good enough to keep me going through the combat . I hate the combat , it's too simple and just isnt deep enough for an RPG . And there's very little character development , very few skills to choose from , again it seems like an action game rather thanI wanted to like this game but i couldn't , there were just to many flaws . Although the story is the strongest part of the game it wasnt good enough to keep me going through the combat . I hate the combat , it's too simple and just isnt deep enough for an RPG . And there's very little character development , very few skills to choose from , again it seems like an action game rather than an RPG . If you can enjoy the combat and dont mind not having much control over character skills then you probably would enjoy it. Thats is you have a very good PC.… Expand
  42. stefanakisgr
    Jun 14, 2011
    1
    Excellent graphics , terrible combat . I was looking forward to this , hoping combat will be better , as I remember the awful witcher 1 controls . There is an illusion of open space , but the game is always played in narrow spaces . I hated the minigames also , they lack purpose , and kill immersion . Atmosphere is ruined by its many flaws , and all that is left is great visuals . NotExcellent graphics , terrible combat . I was looking forward to this , hoping combat will be better , as I remember the awful witcher 1 controls . There is an illusion of open space , but the game is always played in narrow spaces . I hated the minigames also , they lack purpose , and kill immersion . Atmosphere is ruined by its many flaws , and all that is left is great visuals . Not recommended .… Expand
  43. Accountant
    Jul 20, 2011
    3
    The only reason I considered giving this game any points were its incredible graphics but that's about it. The lack-luster combat of this game killed this game for me. Luckily I was able to check this game out at a friends place so didn't had to spend any money. I have so many other games to try that I usually move on if the game doesn't hook me from the onset. Witcher 1 hooked me rightThe only reason I considered giving this game any points were its incredible graphics but that's about it. The lack-luster combat of this game killed this game for me. Luckily I was able to check this game out at a friends place so didn't had to spend any money. I have so many other games to try that I usually move on if the game doesn't hook me from the onset. Witcher 1 hooked me right from the prologue and I really liked its more simplistic and fun combat. Witcher 2 combat just didn't grip me atall. Geralt has went from a master swordsman to a novice it seems, rolling, avoiding attacks, parry, have to be using signs, no auto-target; basically getting his behind kicked most of the times. Combat is as essential element for me (perhaps even more) as story and graphics. So the boring, somewhat hard and poor combat system was the end of Witcher 2 for me. I guess people prefer this complexity in fights I surely don't so I moved on. Hopefully Witcher 3 will have a better combat system that appeals to a broader audience.… Expand
  44. kujo28
    Aug 3, 2011
    0
    i have to say im very disappointed with this game. it prides itself on lots of choices and plot strands, but thats all there is. the acting is hammy, the fighting is repetitive, and all the bad language and nudity in the world wont make up for that. i really tried to like this game, but it got to the point were i didnt care at all what happend and felt no reason to keep playing...
  45. paladinjedi
    Dec 30, 2011
    1
    Huge disappointment......

    I was quite fond of the first The Witcher (2007), and had some expectations from its sequel... But the only good improvement I could find it's the faster saving!!!... Graphics - cartoonish, eye-strayingly tiresome; The main character looked better in Witcher 1, he had more distinct personality Gameplay - completely broken; interface itself makes you wanna throw    Huge disappointment......

    I was quite fond of the first The Witcher (2007), and had some expectations from its sequel... But the only good improvement I could find it's the faster saving!!!...

    Graphics - cartoonish, eye-strayingly tiresome; The main character looked better in Witcher 1, he had more distinct personality Gameplay - completely broken; interface itself makes you wanna throw the game away, unintuitive inventory and skill system... Combat is unsatisfactory and, though real-time, made me prefer a good D&D instead... And considering I hate D&D...

    Story/atmosphere - insipid, been there done that; no real moral choices, only the struggle for political power between different-skins-same-heart cartels... Your main character is no longer the independent, lone wolf hero with a distinct neutral alignment from part 1 in 2007. Now he is no more than the king's lackey. When his boss says : "Witcher, jump in that junk pit!", the "hero", with a placid, resigned, inexpressive countenance, responds: "Yes, Sire. How deep?" ....

    Probably the main aspect that ruins this over-hyped game is its complicated, uninspired, clunky interface: the small fonts, the chaotic convoluted item/skill categories, the bleary tutorial...

    This game is exactly what a true good modern game SHOULD NOT BE...    … Expand
  46. Schuback
    Sep 9, 2015
    2
    Upon reading and hearing so much positives about The Witcher 2, finally got my hands on the game for less than $10 on Steam sale. Booted it up, played the game on max setting. Omg, the graphics looks stunning. And... that's pretty much the good thing about it... I played for about 3 hours or slightly more and I just couldn't continue. In that 3 hours there were so many things that I didn'tUpon reading and hearing so much positives about The Witcher 2, finally got my hands on the game for less than $10 on Steam sale. Booted it up, played the game on max setting. Omg, the graphics looks stunning. And... that's pretty much the good thing about it... I played for about 3 hours or slightly more and I just couldn't continue. In that 3 hours there were so many things that I didn't like and I'm going to list them here.

    Granted, the biggest mistake I made (and I know people are going to tell me it's my own fault) is that I played it using mouse+keyboard, I know, I'm sorry but I don't have a controller. Therefore controls seems very clunky and playing a 3rd person game without a controller is just... it's unnatural. So if I can't enjoy the gameplay , what's the point in playing.
    Secondly, the menu.... ehm.... it's so old school and difficult to navigate that you just can't be bothered to go through it.
    Third, why are we given a fixed character in open-world rpg? In the Wither 2 you are forced to play as this old man, stereotypical and just feels weird playing as him. I just can't get attached to the main character. Not gonna spend hours looking at this old man.
    Finally, ok it's open-world, but nothing to do!! What the heck?? It's actually a rather linear game. The game wants you to p[lay it a certain way. it's wants you to fight a certain way... I know it's story-driven, but please refer to point 3. I'm not interested.

    Doesn't matter how good the graphics are, or how big the game is. The fact is, I just don't like it. It's linear, it's not challenging, it doesn't require you to think or be creative.. just fight, boring cutscene starring old man, move to next point and fight again. Rinse and repeat. I know it's just $10, but I regreted it dearly =( FAIL!!    … Expand
  47. sbross
    May 26, 2011
    4
    The combat system is terrible. Absolutely terrible. More super mario than an RPG. Solution: they need to add a cheat code so players can bypass the terrible combat sequences. At least then, players can at least access the storyline w/o a hassle. The first Witcher was an amazing. A labor of love. A joy to play from start to end.

    This one was damaged by the whims of marketing    The combat system is terrible. Absolutely terrible. More super mario than an RPG. Solution: they need to add a cheat code so players can bypass the terrible combat sequences. At least then, players can at least access the storyline w/o a hassle. The first Witcher was an amazing. A labor of love. A joy to play from start to end.

    This one was damaged by the whims of marketing weenies. It is a terrible shame. This was built to the specifications of 12 year olds, instead of being built for the adults that are the real fan base of this series. All they needed to do was upgrade the graphics, smooth out a couple of bugs, and give us more story!!!! I wouldn't buy this series again. I'm also sorry I tarnished the memory (the sheer joy) of the first game with my experience on this one.    … Expand
  48. kotay
    Aug 8, 2011
    2
    great story, great visuals, everything else is lackluster. Every enemy is so easy to kill even on harder settings, it is completely unrewarding but the story is great, if they released it as a movie or anime w/e it would've been amazing, or if they made the fighting half decent.
  49. noobr
    May 21, 2011
    6
    The game would have been pretty good (certainly not 10/10 that people are excitedly scoring) but it's just so incredibly rough around the edges. The game I will no doubt have these ironed out with mods and patches but I would suggest waiting for that time rather than a purchase now. And as for why only pretty good, the game has lost the atmosphere of the first game - crypts caves swampsThe game would have been pretty good (certainly not 10/10 that people are excitedly scoring) but it's just so incredibly rough around the edges. The game I will no doubt have these ironed out with mods and patches but I would suggest waiting for that time rather than a purchase now. And as for why only pretty good, the game has lost the atmosphere of the first game - crypts caves swamps forests - they don't feel intimidating places to be anymore.… Expand
  50. Nathanielvk
    May 22, 2011
    6
    Has to be the best game made this year so far, Amazing story, Characters and graphics. plus none of the romance **** like other games seem to think are important.

    you can tell the developers put alot of hard work in to this and it payed off :)
  51. Gus21
    Jun 2, 2011
    4
    We are living in a world in which when you are a rookie game developer company and you want to make a project that will be a hit, you must come up with a really good and original idea. CD project Red did exactly this with The witcher; A hardcore pc RPG tittle that was clearly unique in terms of story and gameplay options. The success of TW1 led cd project red into making a second game ofWe are living in a world in which when you are a rookie game developer company and you want to make a project that will be a hit, you must come up with a really good and original idea. CD project Red did exactly this with The witcher; A hardcore pc RPG tittle that was clearly unique in terms of story and gameplay options. The success of TW1 led cd project red into making a second game of the witcher concept in which they experimented even more using their own brand new game engine-an utter fail. The graphics may be brilliant, but the really -REALLY bad combat system blows away one fo the most important rpg element - the battle strategy planning. If you want to play a good action-adventure game TW2 wil satisfy you. But if you want to play a deserving sequel to The Witcher you will taste disappointment. It just lacks the magic of the original.… Expand
  52. BZBuzz
    May 31, 2011
    1
    I have no choice giving a so poor note considering the very poor note i think it deserve technologically talking.
    I was waiting theis game for a long time, having been a witcher 1 fan, but im very disapointed. The game is good looking, and story is well wrten but that about all. Graphicly I think it deserve a 7/10 compared to the actual standarts, but where it really sucks its about the    I have no choice giving a so poor note considering the very poor note i think it deserve technologically talking.
    I was waiting theis game for a long time, having been a witcher 1 fan, but im very disapointed. The game is good looking, and story is well wrten but that about all. Graphicly I think it deserve a 7/10 compared to the actual standarts, but where it really sucks its about the way that the heroe moves and how it have to deal very fast with monsters that he dont have what it takes to defeat them.

    It the very first time so many good critics for an unfinished game, and honestly I would have prefered to say so much better things about this sequel. For 2007-2009 it would have been in standarts, not in 2011-2012    … Expand
  53. Boogus
    May 29, 2011
    5
    I don't see what all the hype is about. I pre-ordered in an instant thinking it would be great. I so wish I could have my money back. First of all the difficulty spikes are totally unbalanced and frustrating. Second the game is not a free exploration RPG - it's a linear rat maze. Third, the combat feels clunky - dodge, mouse click - dodge mouse click. I won't even go into the frustratingI don't see what all the hype is about. I pre-ordered in an instant thinking it would be great. I so wish I could have my money back. First of all the difficulty spikes are totally unbalanced and frustrating. Second the game is not a free exploration RPG - it's a linear rat maze. Third, the combat feels clunky - dodge, mouse click - dodge mouse click. I won't even go into the frustrating boss battles - seriously are we still doing frustrating boss battles in what is supposed to be an epic RPG? Don't get me wrong - I like a well constucted boss battle but not this type of annoying fail and repeat until you get just the right dodge and swing. Are we playing mario brothers or something???? The interface is functional but so many times it seemed to get in the way of gameplay. Also what is up with not letting PC users re-map to the keys we like to use???? It let me re-map a few keys but the important keys I use it would not let me re-map too. I will regretfully be uninstalling. I so thought I had learned my lesson not to pre-order too early.… Expand
  54. Wraeththix
    May 18, 2011
    6
    The Witcher 2 (TW2) the best and worst game of 2011 so far, simultaneously. The story is interesting and not cookie cutter. It is semi faithful to the books, though not completely consistent with some breakthroughs from TW1 imports. It's beautiful looking and the sound score is interesting. The characters seem to have depth and you can feel attached to some of them.

    On the bad side the    The Witcher 2 (TW2) the best and worst game of 2011 so far, simultaneously. The story is interesting and not cookie cutter. It is semi faithful to the books, though not completely consistent with some breakthroughs from TW1 imports. It's beautiful looking and the sound score is interesting. The characters seem to have depth and you can feel attached to some of them.

    On the bad side the controls are inconsistent and grating. As an action game it's horrible, and as an RPG it relies far too much on action elements. If you were to hold up games like Assassins Creed or Arkham Asylum as simple action games that have compelling and inclusive combat systems, TW2 is a jarring and horrible system where neither of your two attack buttons provide any positive or visceral feel; and you spend most of your time trying to not die. The assumption is that you will begin every fight hopped up on potions, setting traps, etc. but it ends up just being tedious. To produce potions you need to gather/buy/borrow/steal ingredients. To produce traps and such you need to find a craftsman to produce these items. Every combat in TW2 is like an MMO raid where you're farming ingredients just to produce the items you need to beat up a few petty thugs. And even then, it's likely you're going to beat the tar out of you, and only your massive health regeneration from potions is saving you.

    The menu system is extremely non-intuitive and terrible if you try to use the gamepad controls in the game. Which is unfortunately, because you need to spend a lot of time in the menus micro-managing your inventory weight, your item productions, your recipes, and every other aspect of an extremely tedious consumables system.

    The camera is terrible. It perches on your shoulder, with no way to zoom out, and is generally staring you in your face while people beat on you. There's a target lock system, but since parrying is directional and you can't dodge or parry many actions, it's difficult to stay locked on. The free-form locking switches intermittently for no foreseeable reason, causing you to suddenly lunge past the person you were fighting to try to stab someone out of range behind him.

    It's a confusing thing to hear the AI actors talk about how scary "The Witcher" is, when in fact he happens to be one of the more pathetic combatants in the game. In certain parts you're left cowering behind your female companion waiting for her to save you from the incoming hordes. Gone is the Geralt of TW1 with his acrobatic attacks and theatrical swordplay. It's replaced by mostly blocking, rolling away, or running away. The combat in TW1 was odd, with other creatures and terrain getting in the way of clicking them to continue your combos, but it generally worked. If you had the time to actually watch Geralt (instead of waiting for the next "click to continue the combo" icon) he was an impressive killing machine. Not so in TW2. So, if you can overlook the worst fighting system I can actually remember playing in the past 10 years, and an overly tedious inventory and consumable system; the rest of the game is brilliant. I find playing it in short bursts helps split up the tediousness of it and let's the strengths shine through.    … Expand
  55. Lord_Mephisto
    May 25, 2011
    1
    This game could have been great. Bad controls, terrible combat and a rushed 3/4 game which is much too short. But it's great crime is to pretend to be deep. In reality, it is a shallow action game.
  56. upupandaway
    May 23, 2011
    6
    First off, I need to say that I only bought Witcher 2 out of curiosity and that I haven´t played the first part. I´ve played Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, New Vegas, Gothic 3, Risen and STO over the last years (on harder difficulties) - so that´s more or less the foundation for any evaluation and comparison...

    THE GOOD: The game has absolutely    First off, I need to say that I only bought Witcher 2 out of curiosity and that I haven´t played the first part. I´ve played Morrowind, Oblivion, Fallout 3, New Vegas, Gothic 3, Risen and STO over the last years (on harder difficulties) - so that´s more or less the foundation for any evaluation and comparison...

    THE GOOD:

    The game has absolutely beautiful and stunning visuals that create an atmosphere in some places which is matched by few other games to date. At least it blew my mind a couple of times. Along with this, most of the level design ist absolutely first rate, too. Animations are generally very smooth, the voice acting (EN) is very good and "authentic" and the characters are mostly appealing. While I haven´t completed the story yet, I (not knowing The Witcher 1) must say that the characters show a certain unpredictability and duality. I´m not familiar with any kind of fantasy literature (except LOTR - which I read before the movies came out), so this whole plot thing may be significantly less predictable to me than to others... Up to now the game has proven to be very motivating - I really like exploring the small but gorgeous areas in forests, plains, towns etc. The hunt for new items is fun, too - as it should be in any good RPG. While you do not have a breathtaking amount of freedom in this game, it doesn´t create any strong sense of things recurring too often. All in all, this portion of the game(play) works absolutely fine with me.

    The rest will have to be cut down in length due to the limited number of characters... It´s no less significant though!

    THE BAD:

    - The difficulty is already ridiculous on "normal" (thanks in no small part to the AI and controls)
    - Combat is mostly either frustrating or nothing but button mashing and rolling around on the ground (resembles Gothic 3); magic mostly sucks
    - Unrefined controls; you can´t jump and you can (and will) get stuck on every tiny little object (especially fun during combat)
    - More MMO-like AI behaviour (trigger zones for whole mobs etc.)
    - No real tutorial (read the manual!)
    - Poor inventory screen (remember Obllivion?)
    - Little character development & customization (it´s more like Dead Space than Oblivion for example)

    THE UGLY:

    - Lots of invisible level barriers (Geralt can´t jump because he´s too old for that)- this one sucks big time
    - Graphics glitches (NPCs popping up out of thin air, moonwalk-NPCs etc.)
    - Loading screens when entering/leaving buildings (not really a big one in this list)
    - Registration required to get all the quests and items in the game (really wtf?!)

    CONCLUSION:

    This game does have a lot of atmosphere and potential - both of which are ruined to a certain degree by really unnecessary flaws in game design and gameplay. It more or less works a s a whole, but at times the gameplay is simply infuriating or it has you sitting in front of the screen thinking "What were they thinking!?" Additionally, the character development in this game is quite limited. It works more like those shooter games that have implemented RPG-elements. Be aware of this before you buy the game. After this experience I´ll gladly be waiting for Skyrim...
    I may be nitpicking at times, but why should we just quietly accept all the bad ideas that game designers come up with?! After all, I payed 50â    … Expand
  57. Lacroix765
    May 30, 2011
    6
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Witcher is a good game. Beautiful, and something i waited for a long time. since kotor or NwN i havent played rpg that good. but that's all it is. good. there are no games in which we could see something new, something that could surprise us in a good way. witcher is rpg the way it should be, and there's a lot of things i like in it. conversation, graphics, nudity...hehe. i give it six, because this is reality of games today, everything leads to one goal, and that is better graphics, better graphics, better graphics,etc. actually the prime time of rpg-s was long time ago, time of black isle, and time of troika games. this is just another times, modern times, times of making money, and not making games.cheer… Expand
  58. bigbath
    Jun 15, 2011
    6
    Didn't play the 1st. I admit it was the graphics who convinced me to play it. I have an xbox controller for Windows so I was ready for some action.
    But there is a big problem with the combat system. On normal difficulty its a challenge. The boss fights were are so frustrating. You inevitably have to restart them a few times. I normally love a challenging game because the reward is so much    Didn't play the 1st. I admit it was the graphics who convinced me to play it. I have an xbox controller for Windows so I was ready for some action.
    But there is a big problem with the combat system. On normal difficulty its a challenge. The boss fights were are so frustrating. You inevitably have to restart them a few times. I normally love a challenging game because the reward is so much sweeter. But there is a difference between between challenging and cruel.
    I stopped playing after 7-8 hours. I rage quit and un-installed. Perhaps another time I'll have the calmness to play it.    … Expand
  59. infantry4949
    Dec 20, 2011
    5
    Seems like a good game, if I could play it for more than 10 minutes. Even that time frame is only if the moon and stars align in just the right way. I have a top of the line system and the game run, *when it runs* very smoothly and looks great. However the problem is constant crashing where the game will just exit to windows. I have not found a patch that fixes this issue though I haveSeems like a good game, if I could play it for more than 10 minutes. Even that time frame is only if the moon and stars align in just the right way. I have a top of the line system and the game run, *when it runs* very smoothly and looks great. However the problem is constant crashing where the game will just exit to windows. I have not found a patch that fixes this issue though I have seen that others are having this same problem. You simply cannot tell when the game will crash. Is it when I select the map? How about when I try to save? This one is especially brutal when you've just played 15 minutes, hit the save button and the game crashes forcing you to replay everything. I would love to rate this game higher but this bug (there are a few more, but all minor in my opinion) prevent me from enjoying it. I would STRONGLY recommend that you do not purchase until this bug is fixed or until the game goes for a bargain price. Or unless your attention span lasts 5 to 10 minutes at a time, you know whatever.… Expand
  60. davidherrington
    Jun 28, 2015
    2
    I have signed up for metacritic just so I can review this game. Don't waste your time!

    It's crap! Horrendous combat mechanics, completely unbalanced and infuriatingly (and unnecessarily) difficult. Story seems great if you didn't have to go through the awful combat and fight scenes. You have to google how to complete half the questions and all of the bosses, can't be done on their own.
  61. wikkytabby
    May 28, 2011
    2
    The games combat system is hard to get a good grip on and besides the elegant graphics its hard to say any form of fighting is enjoyable. While the game looks nice, very nice, the story alas does not live up to that of witcher 1, it is bogged down by bad plot and rushed feelings. It just feels like they tried to upgrade the first one and make it more interactive but the game starts out tooThe games combat system is hard to get a good grip on and besides the elegant graphics its hard to say any form of fighting is enjoyable. While the game looks nice, very nice, the story alas does not live up to that of witcher 1, it is bogged down by bad plot and rushed feelings. It just feels like they tried to upgrade the first one and make it more interactive but the game starts out too rough and ends too soft giving the wrong effect and overall losing my enjoyment.… Expand
  62. veelckoo
    May 24, 2011
    6
    Witcher series is going down with this one. From the start you can tell it is "console" oriented - fist fights dumbed down with some button mashing, the same with first boss fight(forgot its name). But the worst part is that this game is unfinished - lots of bugs, clunky interface, clunky movement, clunky combat, most annoying doors in any computer game i have played and quest trackingWitcher series is going down with this one. From the start you can tell it is "console" oriented - fist fights dumbed down with some button mashing, the same with first boss fight(forgot its name). But the worst part is that this game is unfinished - lots of bugs, clunky interface, clunky movement, clunky combat, most annoying doors in any computer game i have played and quest tracking from hell. Not to mention loot picking. I loved first part but this game is far far away. Big step backwards. I've fooled myself that it would get better later on but i gave up at the end of act 2.
    Watching all the positive reviews I am really sorry that my favorite genre is going that way. Biggest disappointment of the year.
    I am really sorry that i wasted ANY money on this game.    … Expand
  63. Vixremento
    May 27, 2011
    5
    This got such excellent reviews and I'm struggling to understand why. The lack of freedom while playing is the one thing that put me off - not freedom as in decided to go wherever I want to go but more in terms of it just being so forceful as to how I get there. You can't climb up most things or jump over them - when you can you have to "left click". You can't just enter a door unlessThis got such excellent reviews and I'm struggling to understand why. The lack of freedom while playing is the one thing that put me off - not freedom as in decided to go wherever I want to go but more in terms of it just being so forceful as to how I get there. You can't climb up most things or jump over them - when you can you have to "left click". You can't just enter a door unless you're right in front of it and when you can you "left click". To attack enemies you "left click" ok and you can "right click", "Q" and "E" but most of the time it's "space" "space" "left click" "Q" "left click" "space" "left click" etc. It's just not satisfying.

    You're "pulled" or "pushed" through doorways rather than having free movement and the invisible walls (more like blocks) make it feel like I'm playing in a maze with very tight corners. The graphics are rather pretty but not pretty enough to have it killing my PC as it currently does. Oh and the camera view feels off as does the movement. Find herbs and making potions is another boring part of the game.

    Conclusion: I just don't find this fun to play...isn't that way games are meant to do - be fun?    … Expand
  64. MattPowers
    May 31, 2011
    4
    Unless you hate clever story-telling, smart dialogues, or the English language, avoid this game like the plague! First of all, this game's story is atrocious: it evolves around pseudo-political plot points: why make the main plot about politics in a non-established universe that the game insists on not explaining? I mean we are two games in this series, and we still wonder: WHAT THE HELLUnless you hate clever story-telling, smart dialogues, or the English language, avoid this game like the plague! First of all, this game's story is atrocious: it evolves around pseudo-political plot points: why make the main plot about politics in a non-established universe that the game insists on not explaining? I mean we are two games in this series, and we still wonder: WHAT THE HELL IS A WITCHER? Obvious failure. Story: 0/10. The graphics are very pretty, even on a lesser machine like mine. Landscapes are beautiful, and the lighting effects are probably some of the best looking ever. 10/10. Music is boring, and uninspired, the sound-scape is terrible and amateurish 1/10. Now the game-play, let's focus on the broken...ohhh so broken combat system. It sucks...did I tell you It sucks? because it does...even those who "love" this game hate the combat system. The problem with the system is it doesnt know it's if "actionny" "strategical" or even older style "r-p-g-esque", It's a mix, a cross-bread, and in the end, it fails at being any or all of the above mentioned 3 systems. You will end up abusing the shield spell ( the only one needed ) or will end up running around your opponents in a very comedic and cartoony fashion waiting for your meter to recharge. gameplay 2/10. I give it a bonus point for the Morally grey decisions, those are fun and were a trademark of the first game. All and all, the game feels like an Industrial/EBM German robot-vampire love song and doesnt deserve anything more than the 4/10 I give it.… Expand
  65. spmxvc
    Dec 16, 2011
    4
    What I always try to do when playing a new game is to purposely look for the bad features in the game, this lets me see if they can be overcome by the good features and whether the game will be enjoyable or not. One of the key things that you need to have in any RPG game is a smooth and consistent method of combat. Sadly the combat in The Witcher 2 is extremely clunky, inconsistent, andWhat I always try to do when playing a new game is to purposely look for the bad features in the game, this lets me see if they can be overcome by the good features and whether the game will be enjoyable or not. One of the key things that you need to have in any RPG game is a smooth and consistent method of combat. Sadly the combat in The Witcher 2 is extremely clunky, inconsistent, and quite often just downright frustrating. At times you will find that enemies just block attacks over and over again, leading you to resort to 'cheesy' tactics (running around in circles like a headless chicken, planting traps and throwing grenades. Pre-trapping areas against boss monsters with about 50 snare traps on top of each other.) in order to overcome them. Sometimes enemies will just outright kill you without you having any opportunity to retaliate. Then on other occasions you will effortlessly slaughter a group of enemies within the span of 5 seconds. The camera needs serious tweaking, and a Field of View option should be mandatory for any first or third person PC game these days. I like to actually be able to see things considering I'm using a 29" wide screen monitor. I wouldn't mind being able to consume potions without having 1 minute downtime every time I need to apply them. I find it ridiculous that some keys are hard-bound into the games code, so you can't even bind the keys the way YOU want it. Combat aside for a second and the game may have some redeeming features, other RPG's usually win points for ingenuity, story, character development. I just don't see any of that with The Witcher 2. The characters are pretty bland, and don't really make much of a forward movement from the first game in the series. The gameplay hasn't really taken much of a step up, I'd say in ways it's more frustrating than the first one. When I play games it's usually for a challenge at the same time as entertainment. The Witcher 2 tests my patience to the extreme. On an extremely robust computer the load times are agonizing, considering you'll be reloading some points over and over again. The graphics are pretty, but that's only after I watch the textures loading when I turn around quickly. The voice acting is good enough for an RPG, the sound in combat is acceptable, the music works well with the game and the situation (exploration/combat). There is no 'sprint' feature so travel-time can be excruciating during some points of the game. With sub-par combat, long and painful 'buff' periods, and an overall below average immersion level, I give the Witcher 4/10 for just not having the same kind of effect that the prequel did.… Expand
  66. ErictheRe0
    Jun 21, 2011
    1
    Most unsatisfying game play EVER. I want to like a cool fantasy rpg, but graphics and a story don't make a game, they make a show. Sluggish and unnatural movement and no combat system turn this cool-vibe-game into a purely frustrating experience. Yuck!
  67. MadclownJack
    Jun 27, 2011
    3
    This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Wow. I haven't seen such "glazed" crap in a long while...

    I won't be brief. I joined only to put this review here so people can learn what to expect of the game.

    1. The game is ridiculously short. What is there to play, will fast become tedious backtracking and dull repetition of actions to the point that you'll wish to delete the game right then and there and forget it even exists. I also need to point out that there's not much to do. Simple side quests that put WOW to shame, so insanely complicated by the lack of navigation and explanation it borders stupidity. Bravo.

    2. It's complicated. Pointlessly complicated. The task of creating and/or drinking a potion requires you to enter meditation mode. Why? The potions are so nonsensically useless, I beg to question the point of their existence in the game. I only used one potion. ONE POTION. And only because the game told me i had to. I got more use of the oils. Which brings me to the item creation feature. You have to FIND and PAY craftsman to create an item. I realize Geralt's no McGuyver but that's just stupid. A craftsman skill would've made more sense in my opinion. But that's just me. I also found the mutagens to be useless.

    3. The combat system is confusing. Half the time i don't know what i'm doing and the guide offers little help. Considering i haven't played the first Witcher game, i can't exactly say if it had a better one, but this one sucks and that's all i care. 4. I think the game has more bugs that Stalker Clear Sky. I'm even prepared to say that it has more bugs than BIOSHOCK. At least Bioshock didn't have much bugs that were crippling for the further development of the story. Patch 1.2 installed and nothing's changed.

    5. Anticlimactic story ending. The story begins interestingly enough, builds up a massive fuss, only to end with a fart in the wind. I'll not say why, i don't wish to spoil anything, but i know people will understand what i mean. The the boss fights are Ok. It's much like an "interactive movie", like most people warn, but i wish to point out that there's an accentuation on the "movie" bit, while the "interactive" part falls very short. I was left disappointed and without a yearning for a replay.

    The ONLY positive side of the game is that i'ts eye candy. I applaud and commend the fine gentlemen that were in charge of the game's visual designs and artwork because that's the only thing that drove me to keep on playing even though i hated myself for being so weak.

    In summation, I don't like the game. I'm sure others will like it. As for me, I guess i had high hopes. For something more than a messy plot and fantastic visuals. The problems the game clearly has, are just too much for me. And i'm being lenient, believe me.    … Expand
  68. Dezzan
    May 25, 2011
    3
    Well made story line, although does fall short at the ending. Good looking graphics. But thats about it for the positives. I had to spend a few hours just trying to get this game to work right. It would not play sound through my headset, and there was a random bug which cause my fps to drop into the single digit range (Radeon 6870). Also for the negatives, theres terrible mouseWell made story line, although does fall short at the ending. Good looking graphics. But thats about it for the positives. I had to spend a few hours just trying to get this game to work right. It would not play sound through my headset, and there was a random bug which cause my fps to drop into the single digit range (Radeon 6870). Also for the negatives, theres terrible mouse acceleration or something going on which causes the mouse to 'slide' around and making controlling anything, especially in menus, a pain. Also, the combat is horrid.… Expand
  69. Wintermute
    May 23, 2011
    6
    A game with unique artistic direction and a mature story. And by mature I don't mean sex and violence, although the game obviously has plenty of these too. The only thing that seriously took a turn for the worse is the combat system. Because you'll be constantly kiting and rollin' rollin' rollin' even when fighting the easiest opponents. Which is NOT fun. Almost like they didn't playtestA game with unique artistic direction and a mature story. And by mature I don't mean sex and violence, although the game obviously has plenty of these too. The only thing that seriously took a turn for the worse is the combat system. Because you'll be constantly kiting and rollin' rollin' rollin' even when fighting the easiest opponents. Which is NOT fun. Almost like they didn't playtest to check for combat balance. The whole game was apparently a little bit rushed and the combat is only one of the aspects that are unpolished. Still s**ts all over Dragon Age II.… Expand
  70. Strategist
    May 21, 2011
    5
    I beat the game and i have to say that this game WAS amazing, up until part 3. RED did well on making the game, but 16 endings is a little too much i think. If any one of you think that after u finish exploring the city you go to after chapter 1 (Futsome or something like that, i forgot) that is the only unique city you going to go to in your playthrough. Right after that, you don't goI beat the game and i have to say that this game WAS amazing, up until part 3. RED did well on making the game, but 16 endings is a little too much i think. If any one of you think that after u finish exploring the city you go to after chapter 1 (Futsome or something like that, i forgot) that is the only unique city you going to go to in your playthrough. Right after that, you don't go to any other city, instead, u go to the Gathering and end the story. There is no sense of epicness at all, where something big happens, you pretty much go straight to chapter 3, the shortest chapter, around 2 hours long. It seem like they focus their energy on Chapter 1, then they make 16 otehr places you can go to in chapter 2. At first i think u will play all the places and finally go to chapter 3, nope, you only get to do one land per playthrough. it is pretty, pretty sad. Right now this game will be among the greats, but after a week or two, when people start beating the game, you will start seeing it fall down and down, probably to among the 7-8s.… Expand
  71. giskard
    May 25, 2011
    3
    This game has good voice acting and an interesting story but in the gameplay department where it really feels like a bad console game ported to the PC. IF you like to run and jump off things, if you like to run, sneak, walk or any combination of those things, if you like to choose the direction your facing and choose the target your hitting, if like to hit enemies stood on the step aboveThis game has good voice acting and an interesting story but in the gameplay department where it really feels like a bad console game ported to the PC. IF you like to run and jump off things, if you like to run, sneak, walk or any combination of those things, if you like to choose the direction your facing and choose the target your hitting, if like to hit enemies stood on the step above you or below you or do any of the things you expect to be standard affairs in any RPG, then your in for a massive disappointment here because the Witcher 2 is a carefully controlled game that chooses those things for you. One like cut scenes with gameplay breaks using its dodgy AI. This game will not even run unless you turn your desktop resolution down to below 1920x1080 and set the game to the same resolution as your desktop. The register game window that offers a free troll quest, does not even accept keyboard input, so you cannot actually register the game and from what the official website says, they seem to be having serious issues with the servers that handle that. Overall, not a good game, its almost entirely eye candy and cut scenes getting all the positive scores, the game play it self is badly letting the side down.… Expand
  72. thelamontagne
    May 28, 2011
    7
    The Witcher 2 is an ambitious game that regretfully doesn't deliver a compelling experience on all fronts. It's a fantastic looking game and the story is excellent, the character development, dialogue and player choices are also great. I'd love to give this an eight or nine but it's simply not justified. Standing between you and what should be an immersive and brilliant game-world is aThe Witcher 2 is an ambitious game that regretfully doesn't deliver a compelling experience on all fronts. It's a fantastic looking game and the story is excellent, the character development, dialogue and player choices are also great. I'd love to give this an eight or nine but it's simply not justified. Standing between you and what should be an immersive and brilliant game-world is a sub-optimal UI/menu system, poor interation model and frustrating combat mechanism. I'm having trouble forgiving the design flaws and it's a real shame, the Witcher 1 was a great game despite it's flaws - the Witcher 2 is only a passable one because of them. I was close to giving it an eight, after all it's an amazing achievement for a small studio such as CDPR, but it's not the scope that is lacking a or vision that hasn't quite been realised - it's the fundemental elements of a computer game that aren't particularly workable and these should have been nailed.… Expand
  73. sl24601
    May 25, 2011
    0
    I was really hyped up for this game. I played through Witcher 1 three times when it first came out, because the game was so engaging and the combat so fluid. However, I have to say I am extremely disappointed in Witcher 2. For one, it feels like a console port. Moving with WASD seems more like moving with a D-Pad on a controller, than the smooth FPS style movement of the first game.I was really hyped up for this game. I played through Witcher 1 three times when it first came out, because the game was so engaging and the combat so fluid. However, I have to say I am extremely disappointed in Witcher 2. For one, it feels like a console port. Moving with WASD seems more like moving with a D-Pad on a controller, than the smooth FPS style movement of the first game. The key binds are even setup outside the game in a console port style. The combat has been nerfed to the point of being trivial. In the first game you had three stances with stacking combos. In Witcher 2, you have two attacks. LMB is fast, RMB is slow. Also forget parrying or dodging in a sword fight, if you do not hit the button several seconds before being attacked, expect to be hit. What happened to spontaneous parrying and dodging that was so fun in the first game, and is expected in an action RPG? Only CD Projekt can answer that one. Game play aside, there are many game breaking technical issues. I have an i5 760, 4GB RAM, and an nvidia 460. I should be able to run the game flawlessly on High, or at least Medium settings. However, I barely get 15 FPS in Low settings. This seems to be an issue for many nvidida users, with no current fix from either nvidida or CD Projekt. Another troubling bug is if you have a 7.1 headset. The game is not compatible with these headsets and will result in no game audio. The only suggested fix I found from CD Projekt on the official forums was to disable 7.1 with the headset software, or use on-board audio. Unfortunately the G35 does not have any way to revert to or force stereo or 5.1 audio. Using on-board would be great, if I had it. I would not be concerned with this incompatibility if this was some obscure brand headset. However, this is a Logitech Gaming series headset. It is beyond me how this was not caught in internal testing.

    Buyer Beware. The game is pretty, and from what little I saw, probably has a good story. Hard to tell with no sound though. While the Critical Reviews might be good, I'd strongly advise caution with game stopping bugs like these. In addition if you think it will play anything like the first game, you are in for a disappointment.    … Expand
  74. Spartan111
    Sep 14, 2011
    6
    The game was not special in my opinion and had countless flaws, oblivion and mass effect are much better. Pros: The games graphics are very good... yeah and that is where it all ends. Cons: The games difficulty variability is plainly retarded, being the most difficult in the prologue of the game as well as two of the bosses. The game's combat is shallow, all you do is time your strikes,The game was not special in my opinion and had countless flaws, oblivion and mass effect are much better. Pros: The games graphics are very good... yeah and that is where it all ends. Cons: The games difficulty variability is plainly retarded, being the most difficult in the prologue of the game as well as two of the bosses. The game's combat is shallow, all you do is time your strikes, alternate between heavy and light attacks, and use the Quen spell all the time as you pretty much have to do this in order to stay alive on hard difficulty or higher, there is no strategy with any of the enemies besides being patient and rolling all the time while giving a strike here and there only later when one is stronger can one be more straight forward. The game goes way too textbook fantasy, elves blah blah, dwarves blah blah, generic enemies we have all seen done better in other games. Also the cursing and the sexual connotations become tedious very quickly. One of the biggest problems was that there are so many useless things put into this game, the 5 other spells i didn't use because they were simply USEless, the potions and bombs etc. that could be created were never used except 1 type of bomb in the beginning called the grapeshot. The game is not very big at all, there are only two main locations where one spends 95% of the game time the other 5% is in the beginning and end.Lets also mention the very dumb AI and annoying glitches where the game restricts movement, i was also unable to finish 1 of the secondary quests due to a glitch and i felt this game was an unfinished product. Finally i simply found the characters bland, boring,generic, uninteresting, yeah do i need to use any more synonyms. Lastly the story was just nothing special and had in my opinion a bad ending. a mediocre 6.5/10.… Expand
  75. DaGleese
    Aug 15, 2012
    6
    An RPG that *almost* nails it.

    The game has an amazingly immersive story, possibly one of the best rpg stories I've played through, the characters you meet are believable, and well voice acted. The graphical art style is often mind blowingly beatiful, the lighting, and effects in certain areas is very stylish. The sound art direction is also great, hearing trees creak and rocks crumble    An RPG that *almost* nails it.

    The game has an amazingly immersive story, possibly one of the best rpg stories I've played through, the characters you meet are believable, and well voice acted. The graphical art style is often mind blowingly beatiful, the lighting, and effects in certain areas is very stylish. The sound art direction is also great, hearing trees creak and rocks crumble as you embark alone on your quest really brings about a thrilling feel of being a 'lone wolf'.

    However, the game's combat system is just severely broken, it's clumsy at best. You get stuck to character models, other models get in your way, and even if the combat WAS fluent and flawless, its not really very fun at heart, simply leading to slash, dodge, harder slash, block and a magic move. thats it. It lacks innovation, which is frustrating because this game does have innovative ideas, they are just poorly implemented, such as adding oils to your blades, and drinking potions that have different effects.

    The problem with these innovations is that you may only drink potions when you are in a safe location, so it leads to alot of getting killed trial and error to know which potions to use for the upcoming battles.

    Getting killed is a big deal. You will die a lot in this game. A lot. The difficulty curve is indestinguishable; on easy the game is insultingly easy, and on normal the game is just enfuriatingly difficult. Unfortunatly due to the buggy combat, the high difficulty isnt due to clever gameplay and AI, but rather issues like getting stuck on a tree root as you were trying to dodge an attack, and being killed in 2 hits because you didnt drink that potion that gives you resistance to poison X before the battle.

    Unfortunatly I find the only way to excel at the game in normal mode is to exploit the terrible combat bugs in my own favour, which sort of kills the immersiveness of the story.

    Another minor issue is the gameover screen. It's sort of buggy, sometimes the button to 'continue' just doesnt work, and you have to spam clicking it for like a minute then it finally responds... Im being picky, I know, but honestly... it's a screen you will see alot of if you don't play on easy.

    All in all without slating the game too much, it's worth picking up, and perhaps the 6 is slightly fuelled by frustration, but the points I have made are valid, and you will run into these problems in the game. If you are looking for a game with no particular challenge, and would intend to play through on easy for the story and immersive qualities, this game is a must-buy, but if you are looking for a perfect game with intense and challengeing *but fair* combat, then look elswhere.    … Expand
  76. Demonbox
    Nov 11, 2011
    5
    Game is nice, for sure not a masterpiece as a whole.
    graphics are great , even thou on my i7 with a gtx560 i can't run them fully.
    Story is interesting and you can play the game twice (or even 3 times), but no more. what i didn't like: -instanced maps, you see that road?, fine now that you've seen it go back to what you were "paid" to go -console "press X" mechanics, wanna hit that big    Game is nice, for sure not a masterpiece as a whole.
    graphics are great , even thou on my i7 with a gtx560 i can't run them fully.
    Story is interesting and you can play the game twice (or even 3 times), but no more.
    what i didn't like:
    -instanced maps, you see that road?, fine now that you've seen it go back to what you were "paid" to go
    -console "press X" mechanics, wanna hit that big baddie? click B..swirl swirl now click B again
    -console inventory, how the hell you'r goin to find something in your backpack is a miracle
    -stupid potions, drink now you never know what you might face tomorrow..you drank the wrong one? haha silly witchy
    -fighting animations, i don't like playin the role of a pale monkey swirling and jumpin around while weavin a stick at big guys    … Expand
  77. colin_jack
    Dec 15, 2011
    6
    I bought this just after finishing Skyrim and the experience was jarring. Skyrim is huge, free flowing and fun. In comparison witcher 2 feels small, cramped and constraining. It does have its good points like some good combat but thats offset by how short it is (its truly tiny), the lack of freedom, and the awful awful boss battles.

    Still its an OK game, just made to look very weak by Skyrim.
  78. steveyk
    Mar 5, 2012
    6
    The story is decent and interesting albeit rushed towards the end. The actual character building through adding stats to your desired gameplay preference is pretty flawed too as I didn't even fill one tree (there are 3). And it was pretty light on the rpg element of manipulating your character really. As for any real combat tactics, there really is none. This game doesn't shine in theThe story is decent and interesting albeit rushed towards the end. The actual character building through adding stats to your desired gameplay preference is pretty flawed too as I didn't even fill one tree (there are 3). And it was pretty light on the rpg element of manipulating your character really. As for any real combat tactics, there really is none. This game doesn't shine in the combat department like for instance batman arkham city did. It pretty much is a button bashing nightmare sometimes. Then we have games engine. It felt un-optimized, with an above average computer I couldn't get it to run with it high settings at all and had to live with mid level settings so the game is hugely demanding. Which means they spent no time on whether PC could handle the game. I give this game a 6 as I only pushed to complete it as I just wanted to know the ending to the story not for the accomplishment of completing the game.… Expand
  79. akelz7
    May 26, 2011
    5
    Alright let me begin by saying that this game is NOT GoTY material, and it's May you jarheads, don't make such assumptions. The combat is more broken than a glass house after a tornado hit it; a tornado filled with golf-balls. then we have the STORY. Is it me, or is this game just a cheap cash in on trying to portray "mature" sex in video games. This game had potential, but it's just nothing.
  80. dkerpal
    May 21, 2011
    5
    I am very disappointed with this game and I can't believe when people say that it could be the GOTY and one of the best RPGs out there. The game has insane performance issues. The game is very demanding on the graphics requirements, so I must run it on low settings and even with that the game sometimes bogs down horribly. Moreover, the camera and characters have horrible issues, especiallyI am very disappointed with this game and I can't believe when people say that it could be the GOTY and one of the best RPGs out there. The game has insane performance issues. The game is very demanding on the graphics requirements, so I must run it on low settings and even with that the game sometimes bogs down horribly. Moreover, the camera and characters have horrible issues, especially in cutscenes, where a character, for example, will finish speaking a line and then glitch into another position. Sometimes archers will shoot at you while facing a wall. Interacting with objects can be horribly annoying, especially since Geralt likes to keep moving for an excessive amount of time after you've released movement keys. The tutorial could be useful if it had been done properly, half the time I didn't even notice the tips; sometimes because they appeared after the event, sometimes because I was too busy fighting enemies to notice -no, the game doesn't pause for you to read. All of these can be considered as minor issues once you get to the core of the problem: The game is not an RPG, unless you consider FFXIII an RPG. Character growth is a joke, and combat is an even bigger joke. The game feels like a port even though it isn't. Fighting enemies requires absolutely no strategy, just smashing the left and right mouse buttons. There is also a very broken stealth system and before you end the initial sequence of the story, you find more holes in it than a cheese grater.
    I wanted to like this game, really. But when the characters are shallow and the gameplay is absolutely dreadful, well, wanting to like it just doesn't cut it. If you want a real RPG, go back to Bethesda or Bioware.    … Expand
  81. Zell
    Aug 25, 2011
    2
    The witcher 2 based on the quality of the witcher one this was an imidiate buy. Imagion my suprise then when the "RPG" they produced was one long hallway with nice decorations. instead of wandering a world making decisions on where to go you are railroaded down a couple branching paths. in some if you enjoyed the choice that the witcher 1 offered then this is going to drive you nuts. IThe witcher 2 based on the quality of the witcher one this was an imidiate buy. Imagion my suprise then when the "RPG" they produced was one long hallway with nice decorations. instead of wandering a world making decisions on where to go you are railroaded down a couple branching paths. in some if you enjoyed the choice that the witcher 1 offered then this is going to drive you nuts. I guess its not suprising that they have gone into god of war mode like bioware who also used to make good games.… Expand
  82. cylian3
    Nov 29, 2014
    0
    Any role-playing game that's heavily relying on action and fighting mythical creatures should be ashamed of itself when the design decisions were made that you could only take potions BEFORE entering fights, thereby effectively integrating the save function as a core of people's gameplay.

    SHAME ON YOU, Witcher 2.
  83. xsgenefuzz
    May 22, 2011
    1
    As a fan of the first Witcher game, I was very much looking forward to the Witcher 2. Unfortunately, the sequel is a huge letdown. It plays like a console port even though it is was (supposedly) designed for PC. Controls are clunky, inventory system is terrible, combat mechanics are just awful. The graphics are okay, but definitely not worth the hype they've been given. There is noAs a fan of the first Witcher game, I was very much looking forward to the Witcher 2. Unfortunately, the sequel is a huge letdown. It plays like a console port even though it is was (supposedly) designed for PC. Controls are clunky, inventory system is terrible, combat mechanics are just awful. The graphics are okay, but definitely not worth the hype they've been given. There is no tutorial system to speak of, so you're stumbling around for the first half an hour going "I have potions, but how do I drink them?" Oh, and you can't drink potions in combat any more. You have to meditate to drink potions. Considering how often Geralt gets ambushed and how often you head into combat against a new foe you aren't sure how to take out, that's a huge drawback and big mistake, I think. Witcher 2 also suffers from the same over-automation problem the Assassin's Creed series has -- e.g. I'm trying to fight some dude and suddenly Geralt's playing with the stupid torches or looting a sack instead of fighting. And the alchemy system -- [sigh] This was one of the things I loved about the first game. The intricacy of it. I had a whole set of hand written notes next to my computer containing alchemical recipes and the secondary properties of ingredients. The alchemy system in Witcher 2 has been significantly dumbed down, and while I may be in the minority, I find that very disappointing. Finally, while the whole collecting sexual conquest trading cards thing in the first game might be construed as misogynistic, the Witcher 2 takes it to a whole new level, giving us full-frontal female nudity that just plain unnecessary and distasteful. A word to the wise, game developers: gratuitous nudity does not make a game "mature" or "adult." In fact, it has the opposite effect.… Expand
  84. jdsmith98235
    May 30, 2011
    1
    With the exception of visuals and voice acting, the game as it plays is utterly awful. And that's too bad because I enjoyed the first Witcher. This is not an RPG, it is a digitized movie with abominable "QTEs" (quick time events) made for the console generation of ADD brain-dead button mashers. "Combat" is a roll-fest and consists of trapping opponents on game geometry so you can singleWith the exception of visuals and voice acting, the game as it plays is utterly awful. And that's too bad because I enjoyed the first Witcher. This is not an RPG, it is a digitized movie with abominable "QTEs" (quick time events) made for the console generation of ADD brain-dead button mashers. "Combat" is a roll-fest and consists of trapping opponents on game geometry so you can single them out (sounds more like an AI exploit than the "deep battle tactics" most reviewers would have you believe.) The configuration application doesn't recognize the number pad, and keypresses randomly don't register (i.e., block). The inventory system is the most god-awful worst I've ever seen in a game, period. An awful, awful game that had potential. How did this garbage get through QA?!?… Expand
  85. RuyKann
    Nov 5, 2011
    1
    Good graphics but very buggy game overall with poor support. Game was basically unplayable and my specs/system are well above min requirements. Have been able to play other games without difficulty but this one was junk. Wait for something with less bugs.
  86. Ericius
    Nov 13, 2011
    6
    Being spoiled by open worlds from the Bethesda studio's this is disappointing. All though the story is great it really pissed me off that the story telling cuts in all the time and even lets you lose a fight which I was totally winning just to be able to tell the story. Also lets you fight fights with other characters of your party on occasion. The game player just has to follow. I knowBeing spoiled by open worlds from the Bethesda studio's this is disappointing. All though the story is great it really pissed me off that the story telling cuts in all the time and even lets you lose a fight which I was totally winning just to be able to tell the story. Also lets you fight fights with other characters of your party on occasion. The game player just has to follow. I know this is part of role playing but as I said I'm spoiled by the free open worlds in other games. But great graphics, fighting system and story!… Expand
  87. Hellspeller
    May 24, 2011
    3
    This was a huge disapointment.. I knew nothing of the Witcher before I friend told me it was great while speaking about Oblivion (Elders scroll). So I watched some preview I tried it out.. But really there's nothing special about it.. Even worse, the average everybody wont be able to run it on PC, I got a 8k $ comp brought 3 years ago, so still pretty good, I i'm still getting lag on lowThis was a huge disapointment.. I knew nothing of the Witcher before I friend told me it was great while speaking about Oblivion (Elders scroll). So I watched some preview I tried it out.. But really there's nothing special about it.. Even worse, the average everybody wont be able to run it on PC, I got a 8k $ comp brought 3 years ago, so still pretty good, I i'm still getting lag on low graphics.. Plus there are some ridiculous part in the game that'll just make you rage, like inbeatable bosses or run away in straight line from a dragon that'll kill you 50 times.. wtf ? Just wait for Skyrim people.… Expand
  88. Iyunzusto
    Apr 4, 2012
    5
    "IAM" --- Interactive Movie --- This needs to be a new genre, because Witcher 2 is not an RPG. One of the player reviews here says the game went the same way as Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect.. and they're right. It's not really that fun to play, but looks gorgeous. The characters are impressive but the story has glaring holes and wouldn't get a passing grade in creative writing 101. I had"IAM" --- Interactive Movie --- This needs to be a new genre, because Witcher 2 is not an RPG. One of the player reviews here says the game went the same way as Dragon Age 2 and Mass Effect.. and they're right. It's not really that fun to play, but looks gorgeous. The characters are impressive but the story has glaring holes and wouldn't get a passing grade in creative writing 101. I had high hopes for CDProjekt because they're oldschool gamers and run the great GOG.com website, but they've sold out. I can't blame them.. maybe I would do the same.. who doesn't like getting paid for what they do? It's just a damn shame that the victim of that crime is creative, challenging, deep RPGs. The consoles won - PC RPGs are dead.… Expand
  89. peanuts
    Oct 18, 2011
    6
    Were there were pretty graphics? Yes. Nice magical effects? Sure. But some things were lost in the sequel which I enjoyed and took for granted in The Witcher 1. First off, The Witcher 1 was a 100% adult game that involved drinking. In the Witcher 2, alcohol is removed almost entirely and is now a rare option in specific dialogue paths. Instead of buying beer from the bar wench youWere there were pretty graphics? Yes. Nice magical effects? Sure. But some things were lost in the sequel which I enjoyed and took for granted in The Witcher 1. First off, The Witcher 1 was a 100% adult game that involved drinking. In the Witcher 2, alcohol is removed almost entirely and is now a rare option in specific dialogue paths. Instead of buying beer from the bar wench you get the option to buy junk items like rotten apples. That's a bit unrealistic in my opinion. And now that I mention food- the food and drink option I had so much fun playing with in the Witcher 1 was completely scrapped in #2. You cannot consume food- only sell it as junk. This leaves natural regen healing as your primary option for healing (which happens much quicker in this game, yet you have a much smaller health pool in comparison to The Witcher 1). Your health pool is so very low in this game that you are practically encouraged to drink health potions constantly in order to survive. Now I have to comment on the alchemy system- it has some similarities but there are major differences. Health regen potions have different regen rates for in and out of combat and if you don't drink a healing potion prior to a battle, by default you do not heal at all while in battle. That I find quite strange, because part of the challenge in The Witcher 1 was finding a balance between combat and your remaining health. Often I would eat food, or use a Swallow potion while fighting monsters in #1, since you had a huge pool of hitpoints that regenerated so slowly. Your practically required supplements in order to progress in a timely manner. Now, In the Witcher 2, I just stand still for a couple minutes and I am fully healed. Geralt's health pool is quite low and you are forced to wait unless you just like dying on subsequent battles. Potion drinking requires a safe area to initiate meditation yet every battle including the difficult boss battles, you aren't even given a chance to meditate. This results in difficult battles with no health regen or potions- which becomes painfully apparent as you progress throughout the game and is unfortunately still present in major boss battles at the end. Playing dice, a fun-filled challenge which I enjoyed in The Witcher 1 is a painful affair now. The Witcher one had a simple design with easy to read numbers on the dice- No excessive shaking of the camera when you rolled, and your best hand was figured out for you by the A.I. In comparison, The Witcher 2 has this weird slanted view in which you roll the dice, and then switches to a top down view to inspect the dice. The slanted view is absolutely no help- you can't see a single detail of the dice including the numbers on them. In the top-down view you see the dice numbers but they are hard-to-read Roman Numerals and the lighting of the board is so horrible you can't help but squint in order to read the dice. Unfortunately the game does not outright tell you if you have a good hand like it does in The Witcher 1, so you really have to sit there for about 15-30 seconds just to read the dice and ascertain what hand you have. So in conclusion, while combat and whatnot have new fancy graphical interfaces, I was disappointed in some of the implementation. I miss having 20 bottles of beer on my character and getting slam drunk (in fact, I do believe this was a combat mechanic in the Witcher 1, specifically pain resistance via the Strength Line). And the drinking challenges were always fun... not to mention you received good rewards. One other thing that sort of turned me off about the game was the last level. I found it a little claustrophobic, and it tried to cram a lot of content into several separate, yet very confined game areas. Ultimately, I felt the design was a bit rushed towards the end. A lot of changes, a lot of design alterations, yet many of these changes do not increase game playability and in some ways make the game less fun. As is is- I think The Witcher 2 deserves a 6. If it would have implemented relatively easy to program mechanics (such as drinking games, fun uncomplicated dice games, easy to use potions, large health pool, a food and drink system, slowly regenerating constant health over time with no in and out of combat differences) then I would have given it a 9 or 10. I mean, how does one fight in this game with a low health pool that has no regen by default and no chance to drink potions in the midst of battle? If they feel so strongly about drinking potions in battle without meditating prior, then implement a 25% penalty for potions drank while in combat. It is not impossible to implement, all of tehse things I mention are implemented in The Witcher 1! Why did they remove so many fun-filled mechanics? It's a step back.… Expand
  90. DrGulag
    Jul 20, 2012
    9
    The games improved a lot since my initial review (when Witcher 2's was completely broken). Now it stands as one of the best RPG's in recent years. A mature story with good game play mechanics.
  91. TraceofHatred
    Sep 17, 2014
    0
    Bland, repetitive game-play with poor controls, boring characters, and even worse compatibility.
    The World is very 2 Dimensional with puppet NPCs and lacks anything outside of an RPG stereotype.
    I can run damn near any game with all graphics settings on max with skype running, but if I try to run witcher on even mediocre settings - It's completely laggy. There are better things you    Bland, repetitive game-play with poor controls, boring characters, and even worse compatibility.
    The World is very 2 Dimensional with puppet NPCs and lacks anything outside of an RPG stereotype.

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

    There are better things you can spend your money on - Like any other RPG.    … Expand
  92. Dethstar
    Oct 12, 2011
    4
    Unfortunately. I am comparing this to PC games and TW1 which in my opinion was vastly better. Requiring 2 9 gb patches within a 9 days of launch and still being flawed this is one awful example of what happens when a company designs for a console and this tries to fit a product coded for ancient hardware to state of the art PC. It was a nightmare which I couldnt bear. Another consoleUnfortunately. I am comparing this to PC games and TW1 which in my opinion was vastly better. Requiring 2 9 gb patches within a 9 days of launch and still being flawed this is one awful example of what happens when a company designs for a console and this tries to fit a product coded for ancient hardware to state of the art PC. It was a nightmare which I couldnt bear. Another console RPG/Action clone. Linear in the extreme and reliant on the (admittedly good) cut scenes for atmosphere and immersion. Personally, if I want to spend most of the time watching cut scenes, I will watch a movie. The linear gameplay made this feel like it would have been much happier droppng the human element and playing itself. I can understand this being a real blockbuster for the PC, lets be honest its so similar to Two worlds 2 and all the other lightweight RPG action clones for the console its pretty much interchangable.… Expand
  93. BradnamBrad
    May 21, 2011
    0
    One of the worst games I have ever played. It only works on the low spec, despite having a really good computer, half of the tips are completely useless since they show up after you have performed the action and the overall game experience is really ****

    Wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
  94. babylon
    Jun 18, 2011
    6
    Nice game, but boss fights are ridiculously OP vs the regular fights. And use some stupid mechanics so that it's really a fight vs the game engine more than a fight vs the boss. Frustrating in many places, lots of things require that you use a cheatsheet on the internet (ie obtain spoilers) just to get through the plot and progress the damn game. They managed to create some very good AI inNice game, but boss fights are ridiculously OP vs the regular fights. And use some stupid mechanics so that it's really a fight vs the game engine more than a fight vs the boss. Frustrating in many places, lots of things require that you use a cheatsheet on the internet (ie obtain spoilers) just to get through the plot and progress the damn game. They managed to create some very good AI in open world situations (people milling about etc - they actually seemed to have lives of their own) - the boss AI = not so good. Gave it a 6 as game itself is really cool, and did make me want to finish it (more out of determination not to let some piece of fool coding beat me more than anything else) but the frustrating elements means I would not recommend this game to anyone I know, least of all people who aren't familar with frustrating rpg mechanics. Even I hated it most of the time, so wouldn't want to pass the curse onto people I like. Tl;dr: Excellent exercise in world-building; do not let these people near boss fight AI coding again.… Expand
  95. TonyAnso
    May 20, 2011
    1
    Terrible and booring game.. i want my money back :( Optimize in this game is not good, typical port from console. Animations and controls is really bad.
  96. jonny-goddard
    Jul 14, 2013
    0
    The combat system in this game is absolutely terrible. Far to cumbersome with too many features. Absolute deal breaker with this game, I'm sorry I spent the £3.49 for it on steam. The Witcher 3 will have to be better than this poor design.
  97. Apergy
    Aug 24, 2016
    0
    This game is a complete masterpiece, one of the greatest games of all time. Stunning graphics, absolutely heart warming campaign with endless potential for DLC. Great game, cannot recommend more.
  98. Tank25
    May 18, 2011
    0
    Looooooots o f bugs, game crashes to windows, DLC doesnt work. Wait till patch (a big one) before you buy this crappy game. Graphic's are good until game crashes, story is good, fight mechanic is totally arcade just clik fast and jump on left and right.
  99. Ripley
    May 17, 2011
    4
    My, is this thing overrated! A good ole' RPG but nothing really new gameplay wise. Visuals hold their own but the story takes itself so damn seriously that it's impossible to enjoy the experience. Oh and it's one of those emo fantasy BS worlds where everything is so medieval England slash Russia it's no longer funny.
  100. Allattar
    Aug 14, 2011
    0
    Im sure I would really enjoy this game, I am sure it must be fantastic. All I know however is that after downloading and trying to run, it does absolutely NOTHING. No error message, just doesnt load from the steam launcher. So this game gets a 0. As in its a waste, I cant play it. Ive looked for help on the forums, nothing, nothing works. Sorry guys, but cannot recommend. In fact IIm sure I would really enjoy this game, I am sure it must be fantastic. All I know however is that after downloading and trying to run, it does absolutely NOTHING. No error message, just doesnt load from the steam launcher. So this game gets a 0. As in its a waste, I cant play it. Ive looked for help on the forums, nothing, nothing works. Sorry guys, but cannot recommend. In fact I must suggest avoid, in case you waste your money like I did.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

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

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
88

Generally favorable reviews - based on 76 Critic Reviews

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