After months of promises, previews, speculation and a dash of excitement, The Witcher 2 has been released for PC and Xbox 360. That's right, the console release of CDProjekts flagship RPG has finally been delivered..
The patch is here, the content is out, and my body is ready.
1) Game play and functionality:
One of the most obvious improvements over the first Witcher is the combat. Keeping in the same spirit as games such as Arkham Asylum, the combat is fast paced, good looking and most impotently, challenging (especially now that CDprojekt nerfed my beloved Quen).
One of the problems players may encounter with the combat system, the talent trees specifically, are small imbalances when talents from your original character carries over to other characters you sometimes play as during story progression. For instance, the Alchemy may seem subpar in terms of combat, however does offer some nice out of combat benefits. The choice is yours.
Despite some minor flaws, once you get the hang of the combat, you'll feel like a true Witcher as you dance through your enemies in a whirlwind a death and destruction, slicing through monsters with ease.
Gameplay and functionality in The Witcher 2 gets an
8/10
2) Story and plot:
The story in The Witcher 2 is one about choices. Not small choices like choosing nice response, neutral response, or mean response, but significant choices that effect the entire outcome of the game, even completely changing the middle of the game completely.
So whats the big picture? Without spoiling anything, Geralt has been framed. You need to find the assassin and clear your name. See a massive fantasy world as broad as it is deep while you guide Geralt through a story of betrayal, politics and intrigue. The plot is solid with very few plot holes or moments that make you think "Wait, what?". Granted it can be rather difficult to follow the story completely without playing the first or reading the journal entries; the reward for doing so, however, is well worth it.
Finally, I was rather disappointed to hear that some decisions in the original Witcher did not carry over to the second. That said, there are many decisions that certainly do matter from the first, and very good cameos from characters in the first (IE Siegfried, the broest of all bros).
The story delivers on it's promise of a mature, grim plot that immerses the player in a grizzly fantasy world.
The Witcher 2s story and ploy gets a
9/10
3) Dialog and script:
Story aside, one of the most praised aspects of The Witcher 2 was the dialog, and with good reason. As a script writer myself, I'm a sucker for dialog that can describe events and people in a way that is unconventional, in a way the can send a shiver down your spine.
The way dialog is crafted in The Witcher 2 is nothing short of masterful. Hands down some of the best dialog I have seen in video games since Planescape: Torment, and I would never say that lightly. Telling a story is one thing, but to have characters who's words make you feel a connection with a setting and world is truly a rare experience these days.
The Witcher 2s dialog and script gets a
10/10
4) Technical Graphics
Crysis was once considered the benchmark for pushing machines to the limit, however it's much more important to be able to craft a game that looks visualy stunning and yet remains lightweight and manageable for systems.
I believe CDprojekt has hit a very stable middle ground with The Red Engine. The engine is very flexible, ranging from intricate graphics options, allowing you to scale textures down by a significant amount, while at the same time, implementing modern graphics options that only very high end systems can handle, including uber-sampling.
So, here's the challenge, how does that scale with 7 year old hardware (AKA Xbox 360)? Well, quite well actually, which took me by surprise.
I honestly thought the Xbox didn't have it in it, but the engine is so well optimized that even ancient hardware can run it and still look very good. Granted, it does not look anywhere near as good as it does on PC and their are some graphical issues on the Xbox such as tearing, however, I must applaud CDprojekt for not only developing their own engine, but developing a very solid one that I hope will see more use in the future.
The Witcher 2s technical graphics (for the Xbox) gets an
8/10
5) Art style and direction:
I'm honestly starting to feel a little bad about this article, because I hate gushing; however, I must further agree that the art style and direction of The Witcher 2 is incredibly solid.
One of the most important aspects of art style is that it fits the story and setting, and The Witcher boasts one of the most convincing worlds in video games. Everything feels authentic. The armor is minimalist, almost simplistic, but designed just the right amount to feel different but not ridiculous.
Few games can pull off the main protagonist wearing light blue striped pants with a puffy shoulder pads and still look good. In any other game it would look ridiculous, but the setting somehow pulls it off.
Art style and direction in The Witcher 2 gets a
10/10
6) Sound design
FINALLY, we get to the part where I can start picking some aspects of this game apart. Granted the sound is good, but The Witcher suffers a lot of the same problems that Bioware games suffer, and that is mostly that when actors engage in dialog, they more or less sounds like two puppets, each taking turns while they talk.
No one really interrupts or speaks over each other. This would go a very long way in deepening the immersion of The Witcher.
I of course can't go without saying the that music in The Witcher 2 is just as great as it was in the first. Adam Skorupa returns with another great composition and this time is partnered with Krzysztof Wierzynkiewicz for some truly great music.
Sound design The Witcher 2 gets an
8/10
7) Level design
Among the few problems with The Witcher 2, level design leaves a somewhat bittersweet taste.
The landscapes are beautifully crafted and the level flow feels good, not great, but good. One of the problems I had with the level design is there tends to be a lot of back tracking. You also seem to feel walled in at a lot of areas.
Granted, I wasn't expecting exploration on the level of Elder Scrolls, however exploration in The Witcher 2 is very minimal, feeling more like quest hub hopping rather than exploration.
I also had a problem with the level design during certain events. You just kind of stood in the same place, killing endless waves of enemies. That was certainly the lowest point of the game.
The levels are designed beautifully, but just make sure you get comfortable with them, cause you're going to be in those same areas for a while.
Level design in The Witcher 2 gets a
7/10
8) User interface:
As far as flaws go with The Witcher 2, the user interface is by far the most glaring. The only really "good" part of the interface is the art work. It looks great, like most things in The Witcher 2, but it just doesn't seem to function well. It's such a pain to constantly flip between inventory and crafting screen to see if the item you're about to spend 5000 gold worth of materials is really worth it.
If you play The Witcher 2, get used to opening and closing inventory windows... A lot.
User interface in The Witcher 2 gets a
6/10
9) Production value
CDprojekt isn't exactly the most well known developer in the world, and that's what I attribute the great production to. Not being well known, at least in the United States, may be what makes them try that much harder and put in that much effort.
You look at how many sales The Witcher series has sold, and truth be told, it isn't an incredible amount. Which is why when you look at the game all you can think is "how did they afford this". You can truly feel the effort and love the developers put into their games.
They weren't content with making The Witcher 1 plus good graphics, they wanted to shake the foundation of The Witcher series, and put it into the spot light.
Admitidly, they have their work cut out for them before the US starts acknowledging their great work, but Rome wasn't built in a day. If CDprojekt continues on this path and builds up their loyal, hardcore fanbase, they will be a true force to be reckoned with in the RPG genre
Production value in The Witcher 2 gets a
10/10
10) Overall elements.
The Witcher 2 is one of those few games where everything just sort of "clicks". Nothing really seems out of place, nothing disrupts the flow and setting of the game. For many of us, The Witcher 2 isn't the most popular of games game. Kinda like hokey. But like hokey, it's the best sport in the history of people.
Overall elements in The Witcher 2 gets a
9/10
Before I give the final score, I would like the say a word about not just the game but the developers. Few game companies would give 3 hours of content for 10 dollars, never mind for free. I don't know how CDprojekt can afford to do it. I'm not a financial advisor, but without a doubt the video game industry would be a much better place with more developers like CDprojekt.
Few game companies today can come close to the passion that CDprojekt displays in their games and fewer can come close to the enthusiasm they show toward their fan base. CDprojekt have earned themselves many hardcore fans with their game design and business decisions with The Witcher 2, and I am now one of those fans.
The Witcher 2 (for the Xbox 360) gets cumulative scores:
Personal score
10/10
Technical score
85/100
The game is a must have for hard core RPG fans, and RPG fans in general.
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