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Does it throw a lot of quests at you at one time?

Is there depth to the characters you encounter, and excellent writing?

Can you take a party with you? If so, do they engage in periodic interparty banter, and respond to others?

Do the quests avoid the usual FedX "Get this and fight tons of things doing it then bring it back to me for experience"?

Well, so far I absolutely love the game. It is easy the best newly released game I've played this year. I've "only" played about 1/3 of the game I think, even though I've spend the better part of my weekend on it, so what I'm saying right now, is based so far and might change on a second playthrough with more nuances found

As for your questions:

Well, you can have "many" quests at once, but it doesn't exactly throw many at you when you move into a new area.
Multiple NPCs have a number of quests. My second biggest beef with the game however is that it appears to be possible to skip quests/content by doing quests out of "order" - it might be intended to give a more dynamic gameplay, however it seems more - to me - like shabby quest-logic, so keeping an eye on what quests you have and what they'll do is a good thing.

As for debth, then I'm impressed actually. Sure some of the dialog and character portrait is cliché for RPGs (Garalt, the main character) is portrait a bit one dimensional most of the times, but it fits the character - however there are often a lot of depth to the characters and situations, and some situations makes you laugh out (well, me at least) and others makes you ponder. It is not Shakespeare (or insert author of what you see as excellence in writing), but for a game like this - I think it is quite good.

So far there've been a few escort quests and one NPC who joined me for a quest, but not a party as such.

Well, fedex and kill tasks are two of the most common and easy quests to implement, so there are a large number of these, but they are made in a way which makes them less annoying due to good story, setting and what not.

My largest beef with the game is poor camera control. I really struggle with it constantly and unfortunately that detracts. But the setting is good, the story is good and the gameplay is (otherwise) good - so IMO the game is very good, and definately worth it for adventure/CRPG players. (It has a more adventure game feel to it, then many newer CRPGs)

Here's what I wrote at the Codex regarding The Witcher:

Here's what I like most about it (in that order):

1. The setting:
It's coherent, unique and makes sense in itself. The world is depicted as full of injustice, prejudice and hypocrisy. Monsters roam the countryside to make living even worse and sometimes the worst monsters are human beings. Great graphics, art, level design, sound and consequently the atmosphere make it shine even more.

2. The character (his personality and strongly related to that, the dialogues):
Geralt is a Witcher, a ****ing mutant, a brute, a merciless sword for hire - but somehow, still on the good side. In a world like that he's a necessary evil and usually treated like that (except by a lot of women). Dialogue is fun because that's where his personality shines through, not more (except, perhaps, being well written and at times authentic). Because he's a Witcher asking for and getting quests makes sense. HE makes sense.

3. The gameplay:
Looking out for information (plot, quest, monster or alchemy related), the use of alchemy and knowledge to fight certain monsters, the absence of grinding and loot-hunting are all unique, different and interesting. The thought-out skill system, some mini-games and the fact that I'm always broke don't hurt either. EDIT: I forgot about the choices and consequences. It's not Fallout, but there are some, meaningful and have longterm effects.

4. Combat:
Manages to make both player and character skill meaningful and requires some tactical thinking (styles, magic and use of alchemy). Besides, it's challenging, chosen skills make a difference and it looks damn good.

5. The story:
Although it's mostly linear so far, it's a great reflection of the setting and thanks to Geralt's and the Witchers' interesting background, absorbing enough to draw me in.

Just for the record: I've yet to read the books, I'm playing the Polish version (relevant because of dialogues) and I'm about 20 hours into the game (possibly halfway through chapter two).

IMO the game couldn't live just of its story, but every other aspect could singlehandedly justify at least a 70+ rating. But here we got them all in one nice package. I'd also like to add that I've yet to encounter one single bug. Although the game crashed once, after I've played for about 12 hours straight (yeah, I feel so ****ing nerdy writing that...). The only issues I have are seldom problems with the camera, not perfect cut-scenes (sometimes they end abruptly, leaving you unprepared surrounded by enemies) and that I have to walk long distances frequently. Loading times are a bitch but I got used to it. If you want to know anything specific, just ask.

fable wrote:Does it throw a lot of quests at you at one time?

I'm not that far into the game but I was a little overwhelmed at times. So, yeah. Depends on what you regard as "a lot".

Is there depth to the characters you encounter, and excellent writing?

There have been some shallow characters, some cliche characters, many authentic ones and some with real depth. Usually they go hand in hand with the setting. Add the occasional damsel in distress and that's what you get.

At first I just thought the writing was ok at best. But it became better and better up to the point that I was pretty much blown away by the authenticity of it (the very good voice over adds to that). It's not PS:T, that's for sure. But apart from the occasional cliche bandid, tough guy or overly poetic line I'd say it's quite solid. And yeah, expect much sarcasm and cynism (pretty much part of Geralt's personality). I'm playing the Polish version though, so it might be absolutely different in English.

Can you take a party with you? If so, do they engage in periodic interparty banter, and respond to others?

No. Sometimes you get a companion for a short period of time but it's just part of quests where you have to guide him from point a to b or where he helps you to slay a monster for instance.

Do the quests avoid the usual FedX "Get this and fight tons of things doing it then bring it back to me for experience"?

You're a Witcher and a Witcher is a monster hunter so expect to hunt a lot of monsters. Quite often you have to kill them in order to get some ingredience out of their body. You can't do that without the proper knowledge so acquiring that knowledge first is often part of those quests (and IMO it adds a lot to them). You don't have to fight NWN 2-like tons of them. Usually it's just a handfull. Besides monster hunting there is a lot of information hunting and many quests deal with questioning NPCs, getting clues and confronting them with those. Pretty much like in the Gothics. All in all I guess I've spent more time talking to NPCs than fighting.

Another good thing is the living world. NPCs have schedules, go to work, sleep at home, seek shelter when it rains and engage others in casual conversations. Some events take place only at certain times of the day and it can happen that you totally miss out on a quest because you've never been in a certain place at the right time.

In addition to that you've got the occasional choices which quite often have unexpected longterm consequences. Usually they can make future situations easier, tougher or just give you a bad feeling. I've yet to encounter real branching - or I have to play it a second time and choose something different then, perhaps there already was some branching I don't know of.

If you want my advice, Fable, here it is: Give it a try. I didn't expect much, but I got just that and possibly even more. Still, can't say for sure that you'll like it. You aren't so fond of the Gothics, right? Because that's pretty much what you can expect. A less generic Gothic with a better predefined character who actually got a past, a reason to do what he does, no uber-loot hunting, a better skill system, much better combat (actually the best RT combat I've ever experienced - it's actually fun!) less exploration, less freeform gameplay and a less cliche plot and setting.

EDIT:
Xandax strikes again...

I'm a couple of hours in. First few minutes of gameplay were actually "uh-oh" moments... clunky camera controls, limited environment and just click-click combat. But as the opening level progresses it improves.

Unfortunately I feel this game suffers from a less than perfect English translation. I'm not sure if the developers intended such modern slang in places but its there. Voice acting too, in places, is a bit melodramatic and corny. That said, as translations go, its still good (but don't expect linguistic nuances and subtleties on the level of The Longest Journey).

As I said I've only been playing for two hours (and the game has A LOT of opening cinematics, so that translates into probably an hour of actual gameplay) and I have hope for improvement.

It does strike me as being very alike Gothic. I think the main thing is getting used to what the game is and what it sets out to be. This is not like Oblivion in terms of control set, but the combat is indeed fun once you get into it. Unfortunately I was dreaming of a game with the interactivity and style of Oblivion/Morrowind, with the lore, detail and storyline of Baldur's Gate. The game is not the former, but I see nothing to the contrary of the latter so far.

Xandax wrote:Well, so far I absolutely love the game. It is easy the best newly released game I've played this year. I've "only" played about 1/3 of the game I think, even though I've spend the better part of my weekend on it, so what I'm saying right now, is based so far and might change on a second playthrough with more nuances found

As for your questions:

Well, you can have "many" quests at once, but it doesn't exactly throw many at you when you move into a new area.
Multiple NPCs have a number of quests. My second biggest beef with the game however is that it appears to be possible to skip quests/content by doing quests out of "order" - it might be intended to give a more dynamic gameplay, however it seems more - to me - like shabby quest-logic, so keeping an eye on what quests you have and what they'll do is a good thing.

As for debth, then I'm impressed actually. Sure some of the dialog and character portrait is cliché for RPGs (Garalt, the main character) is portrait a bit one dimensional most of the times, but it fits the character - however there are often a lot of depth to the characters and situations, and some situations makes you laugh out (well, me at least) and others makes you ponder. It is not Shakespeare (or insert author of what you see as excellence in writing), but for a game like this - I think it is quite good.

So far there've been a few escort quests and one NPC who joined me for a quest, but not a party as such.

Well, fedex and kill tasks are two of the most common and easy quests to implement, so there are a large number of these, but they are made in a way which makes them less annoying due to good story, setting and what not.

My largest beef with the game is poor camera control. I really struggle with it constantly and unfortunately that detracts. But the setting is good, the story is good and the gameplay is (otherwise) good - so IMO the game is very good, and definately worth it for adventure/CRPG players. (It has a more adventure game feel to it, then many newer CRPGs)

I agree. It's one of the best RPG's I've ever played. It's very immersive and the NPC detail is quite deep, the combat is fun although it can be annoying to control with the over the shoulder cam, I also love the character development system. I like and CRPG game to give you the feel you're actually playing the character and living in the world. First Person View games tend to be best at this and off hand I can only think of Elder Scrolls that have made me feel so immersed. The off the shoulder (which is basically 3rd person) view in the Witcher is also very good although can be a bit of a control nightmare when you're being attacked from all sides so using the space bar strategically can help.

I'm most impressed with the game so far and currently trying to work out how to get to the Mill for a rendezvous with the barmaid with the big boobs

As for the negatives: There does seem to be a few lost in translation moments. Some of the script seems to have a few gaps and some characters say things that don't really fit the character or don't make a lot of sense. I mean no broken English or anything you just feel "um what a stupid thing to say or why did he/she say that?"

The combat system consists of clicking on an enemy then clicking again when your sword turns to a flaming icon but i've noticed, in the heat of battle, it's not always clear if you are clicked on an enemy and if you click at the wrong time you stop attacking so this can result in you standing round and getting hit a lot. There is a dodge key but it takes all my concentration to cover the combat part nevermind the defence!

Obstacles like bushes and fences block your progress. You can't run through them or climb over them and that's annoying. For isntance wanting to take a short cut through a nearby wood can't be negotiated so you have to travel round it!

Long loading times ... arrgghhh

These problems don't detract too much from the game though. The storyline and side quests keep you hooked, The cut scenes are great as are the graphics, environmental effects etc.

Ulfang wrote:<snip>but i've noticed, in the heat of battle, it's not always clear if you are clicked on an enemy and if you click at the wrong time you stop attacking so this can result in you standing round and getting hit a lot. <snip>

Or hacking down several innocent bystanders at the same time by accident :laugh:

Sounds intriguing. If there's a demo out, I'll download it. If not, I'll seriously consider it.

Monolith, I did like the realistic NPCs, their schedules and dialog in Gothic I and II, though I stunk at the combat. (The poor controls didn't help, but they weren't entirely at fault.)

Is there a fair amount of depth to the game? As I recall, your actions in the Gothic series actually had both short and longterm effects on things happening around you. Do you see those changes when you finish quests in The Witcher, or are you simply told "good job," handed a goodie, and sent on your way? Can you turn aside, in Morrowind fashion, and find odd events and challenges that can keep you occupied for a long time? Is the alchemy system I keep hearing about, extensive and interesting?

Xandax wrote:Or hacking down several innocent bystanders at the same time by accident :laugh:

Erm funny you should say that! Exactly what happened to me last night with the Militia that were fighting the Bargests and I went to help them and they got in my way. Next things I know I'm being chased by the Militia so had to kill them as there's no way to calm them down and next thing I hear is the sound of shouts of Murderer in the night air :laugh:

fable wrote:Sounds intriguing. If there's a demo out, I'll download it. If not, I'll seriously consider it.

Monolith, I did like the realistic NPCs, their schedules and dialog in Gothic I and II, though I stunk at the combat. (The poor controls didn't help, but they weren't entirely at fault.)

Is there a fair amount of depth to the game? As I recall, your actions in the Gothic series actually had both short and longterm effects on things happening around you. Do you see those changes when you finish quests in The Witcher, or are you simply told "good job," handed a goodie, and sent on your way? Can you turn aside, in Morrowind fashion, and find odd events and challenges that can keep you occupied for a long time? Is the alchemy system I keep hearing about, extensive and interesting?

There's no demo I'm afraid but I can heartily recommend the game! It's not perfect of course but it is very good and the pro's definately outweigh the Cons.

I think there's a lot of depth. I think the storyline is immersive and the NPC's are well developed (although all the females seem totally smitten with your character and lift their skirts quite easily ... then again the place is certainly a fun place to live

I have noticed a couple of options that can give different storyline conclusions so far but how many they are I don't know?

You can turn away from the main quest and find other quests by talking to people. Some insignificant characters have just some random speech above their heads when you talk, others open a cut scene to let you question them and sometimes they have a quest for you.

Your character sheet also has a log that records not only quests and quest updates but formulas for potions, a creature bestiary etc. You can find books that give your potion formulas and info on creatures that then appears in your log so you can make potions or find weaknesses for creatures. So there's a lot of depth...

I have to say, this is definitely one of the better games I've played, and easily the best game of 2005 and up that I've played.

Some quick pro's and con's-

Pro's-
Hands on involvement with Geralt. It's not simply the point and click interface for attacking, but it's also not ungodly complicated like Gothic 3. Unlike most Combat Majority games, you actually need to pay attention to what you're doing. If you keep pointing and clicking, you might end up using short, weak, fast attacks against someone in extremely thick armor, making you look foolish.

Movement is more realistic. In many third and first person games, movement speed is completely constant, meaning you remain at one speed all the time, even when you start to move. But with this game, you can actually see Geralt START to run and then run, and when he backs up it's nearly a third of his normal run speed, as well, he's backing up.

Combat Options against different types of foes- As I mentioned, you have the ability to use fast attacks and strong attacks or the like. Well, this is nearly a requirement, if you're holding you're blade up above in the air for a slash coming straight down at a slow pace, well a thief might easily be able to dodge, and possibly parry that. And if you simply use short and fast attacks against an armored foe, you're blade might just go *tink *tink *tink against his armor while he pounds you're face in with a blade. This adds to the realism.

Alchemy impossible when in combat or other strenuous activites- Unlike oblivion where you can do alchemy while fighting three minotaurs who are just pummeling you into submission, alchemy in this game requires that you actually sit down and rest or meditate. You can do alchemy during that time and that time only. Constraining? No, more realism. How is it realistic to do alchemy with no lab out in the middle of the wilderness where wolves, boars, and bears roam freely ready to maul at you?

Dialog Options- Much like KoTOR 2, you have options in what you say, but they aren't really defined as good or evil options. For example, one of the first options is to stay up above in the courtyard of the ruins to help defeat the frightener monster or to accompany Triss the mage down below to help make sure the attackers don't steal some of the witcher's guarded secrets or something to that effect. Well, this isn't good or evil, and considering Triss is the feminist type and a bit of a loner at times, it makes it even hard to decide.

Cons-
Sometimes it's a bit hard to turn around with the camera and all. For the first bit of gaming, it can be frustrating, but after a while, you can get used to the interface well enough.
--------

No, really, that's the only con that I've noticed thus far.


Overall, the people who designed this game are pretty friggin brilliant actually. Kudos to them, and I recommend to all that you buy this game and play it.

I'll be brief.

- Excessive/unnecessary cutscenes (if you like to watch more of the game than what you actually play (ala Final Fantasy games) then The Witcher is for you)
- Poorly translated dialogue (see my other post)
- Missing dialogue (seriously - huge gaps missing from the dialogue)
- Long Loading Times (and I mean loooooooong)
- Clunky Controls (Poor control in any camera mode)
- Horrible Interface/Inventory (Inventory icons so small as to be useless)

Final score: 4/10 (because the graphics and audio are very nice)

That said, this is my last post on a game that I'll never play again.

dcb wrote:I'll be brief.

- Excessive/unnecessary cutscenes (if you like to watch more of the game than what you actually play (ala Final Fantasy games) then The Witcher is for you)
- Poorly translated dialogue (see my other post)
- Missing dialogue (seriously - huge gaps missing from the dialogue)
- Long Loading Times (and I mean loooooooong)
- Clunky Controls (Poor control in any camera mode)
- Horrible Interface/Inventory (Inventory icons so small as to be useless)

Final score: 4/10 (because the graphics and audio are very nice)

That said, this is my last post on a game that I'll never play again.

- ad1 - cutscenes - there are a lot of them in the first hour of the The Witcher, later on they are like 1/20 of the game (they are there in important parts of the game but TW is nothing like FF [which I love ], the cutscenes are nice add on to the whole game, you want to play cRPG without story? go play Oblivion).
- ad2 - dialogues - cant say much about translation as I'm from Poland but what I've read about it in reviews from western countries it is one of the best translations of the games made in eastern europe (it is sometimes shortcoming but all together its ok) .
- ad3 - missing dialogue parts - have you played both polish and english versions of the game and compared them or is your ''seriousness'' based on one topic with no official confirmation?
- ad4 - long loading time - yeah it's true, the loading takes definitely too long (but only if the autosave is done at the same time - without the autosave the loading times would be short [on my 2 year old comp they go around 10-20 sec long without autosave] it's probably the biggest problem with The Witcher and this problem will be solwed probably in the 1.2 patch).
- ad5 - clunky controls - what? had no problems with them at all. there was no game with perfect isometric cam and The Witcher isn't exception but it's much better then in most of other games.
- ad 6 - bad inventory/interface - interface is simply great so I dont know what are you talking about and about the inventory - it's not perfect but seriously - if you have problems with seeing what you have in it then it's time to check on your eye's

final score? I thing that gamebanshee did a good job reviewing The Witcher.

That said, I am very happy that you wont comment on this game again as it's clear you don't feel this genre at all.

That said, I am very happy that you wont comment on this game again as it's clear you don't feel this genre at all.

I don't see how that's clear at all, nor do I think dcb rated a snub. He/she only pointed out what they didn't like about The Witcher. There were no comments dissing the computerized RPG genre, but well expressed dislike for problems regarding the dialog, cutscenes, long loading times, interface, etc.

I'm not saying you should agree with these, or that you shouldn't post a reply. But let's not engage in strawman attacks, please.

As for the game, I've decided to give it a pass, for now. From what I can tell, it's unforgiving of attempts to trace a nonlinear route, the writing isn't especially good, and modern anachronisms abound. Maybe I'll change my mind in 6 months, but with Eschalon I coming along in a month or two, I can easily wait that long.

I have purchased MotB, however. I don't like the overkill approach to levels, but everything I've read leads me to believe it's truly an RPG experience worth going through.

RainSong wrote:- ad 6 - bad inventory/interface - interface is simply great so I dont know what are you talking about and about the inventory - it's not perfect but seriously - if you have problems with seeing what you have in it then it's time to check on your eye's

Interface is not as great as you state. I think the inventory/storage is horrendous. Not only you cannot pick up any extra weapons to sell them later, you cannot identify the tiny item icons without pointing and squinting at them. Plus, the storage option is extremely limited. Spoiler (highlight to read):

Spoiler

if you keep your stuff with Olaf, take everything from him before you talk to Reverend for the last time.

The journal is very good, but there is not much notes on the main plot progression. Sometimes I wonder what the main storyline is, actually. And I cringe when I read entries like, "you must talk to Reverend, now". Gosh, sounds like a quote from "The Short Guide".

RainSong wrote:final score? I thing that gamebanshee did a good job reviewing The Witcher.

That said, I am very happy that you wont comment on this game again as it's clear you don't feel this genre at all.

No review can substitute a pesonal experience with a game. Your comments sound more like personal attacks than a valid argument, at least to me.

@Fable

As for the game, I've decided to give it a pass, for now.

And you are right.

I've already written quite a bit about why I really like The Witcher, but I thought I'd add some commentary about a few of the complaints people seem to have. Keep in mind that these are only my opinions .

As far as excessive cutscenes go, I would agree that making it through Kaer Morhen and your initial arrival to the Vizima Outskirts (as well as Old Vizima and the Ice Plains, eventually) can get a bit long. However, considering that the game took me nearly 70 hours to finish, we're talking about (at most) 1% of the game here. A vast majority of the cutscenes are no longer than what you'd see in any other RPG, so I really don't think this complaint should be so casually used unless you consider 30-second or 1-minute cutscenes to be lengthy. Personally, I don't. What I do have an issue with are extended cutscenes that are confusing, boring, or both, and I didn't encounter that in The Witcher.

I can't say the dialogue was amazing by any means, but it also didn't seem "butchered" aside from some abrupt NPC responses following certain dialogue choices. My experience may have been with the European version, though. The press build I received wasn't marked in any distinguishable way.

There are a lot of RPGs out there with a bad interface and/or difficult controls, but I never had any issues with The Witcher. I used the OTS viewpoint exclusively and I can honestly say it was one of the better movement schemes I've used in a long time. Are most of the control complaints directed at the isometric viewpoints? If not, what is it about the OTS viewpoint that some of you dislike?

I would agree that Geralt's satchel doesn't pack a whole lot of room, but this didn't seem to be as much of a problem for me once I came up with a system that I liked. What I did is leave all of my valuables and alchemy components at the inn and went out questing with just a handful of potions and weapon upgrades in my inventory. That way, I had more than enough room to pick up a couple dozen new ingredients, potion bases, etc. and sell off the ones I didn't need before returning to the inn. I wound up only keeping one or two ingredients for each type of substance, just to keep more Orens in my pocket and to alleviate any confusion in my stash. There's no real reason to double up or triple up on the same substances (ribedo, vermilion, etc.).

As far as not being able to pick up more than three weapons at a time, I found this acceptable. Being able to loot all of the weapons strewn about and sell them would have been nice at times, but I always had quite a bit of money to work with anyway. I would imagine the team was going for realism here, and I can respect that. Must every RPG allow you to carry ten suits of armor and fifteen weapons at any given time?

That's my take, anyway. Regardless of its (mostly fixable) issues, The Witcher is a stand-out game from a crowd of sub-par RPGs that have been churned out over the past few years. In fact, Neverwinter Nights 2 (post-patches), Mask of the Betrayer, and The Witcher are the only RPGs that I'd give my unequivocal recommendation to since Knights of the Old Republic.

I can only chime in here in agreement with Buck - I made it into chapter 4 now (still only 1 crash throughout the entire game) and the only negative points which have been presented is the long loading times and camera.

The storage system I think is absolutely wonderful.
Weapons are displayed graphical on your character when you pick them up - and basically, you'll only ever use 2 of them. So not being able to carry around 15 great axes, and a limited number of other stuff, is a relief compared to the insane form of storage normally found in RPGs. "Oh I'll just pull this big weapon out of the back pack" ... not in the Witcher, you'll pull that big weapon off your back where you can see it, or from aside your leg where you can see it.

The fact that you can store things at Innkeepers is clever although how the heck do the next innkeeper get your items? - magic I guess of course.
And @LD: There is no need to take it all from Olaf. I still have all my stuff in storage from Olaf accessible in Chapter IV.

Long cut scenes? Well, then skip them, read the dialog and click on. Something missing from many other games with "long cut scenes". I've not found a scene I couldn't skip at all, and dialogue I couldn't speed-click through. No issue IMO, lest one is impatient.
Outsides this - I do not find the cut scenes long and/or tedious at all. Many are actually fun, others are plot critical.

The writing might not be "top of the line" however it is by far some of the better I've encountered in the incredible mediocre crop of RPGs we've seen for many years. Yes, a lot of swearing is there, and a lot of sexual content but *shrug*, it actually fits the gameworld quite well, and for the latter it is actually explained why it is as it is in the game - if you bother to look for it. Thumbs up for that.
I've had no significant problems with "chopped" dialogue. There have been a few times where I wonder why a NPC said that, but by far nothing which detracts from the game at all. Perhaps there is a different between the version I play and the one available in the US, but well - I've had little problems keeping up, except when the NPCs starts talking politics about the gameworld.

And there you find out you do not get every bit of information served at your feet, one has to "read lore", have to talk to people etc. I guess this rubs some people the wrong way as we saw with KOTOR2, where many only seem to want the information thrown at them, so no deduction should be made on their own.

The fact that you also need to "know" a monster before you can "salvage" ingredients from it is nice. Either you need to be told about the monster or you need to read about it. It provides a bit more "realistic" (if you can use such a word in this context ) feel - read a book about a wolf to find out how to skin a wolf.

Long loading time is an issue yes, but well - I'm not that impatient that I need constant action. I can wait a short time for most things. The only real and irritating problem for me is the camera - however, now I'm used to it, but it did take me the better part of chapter one before I was somewhat comfortable with it.

As buck says:

That's my take, anyway. Regardless of its (mostly fixable) issues, The Witcher is a stand-out game from a crowd of sub-par RPGs that have been churned out over the past few years.

For any person who likes RPGs, I would feel they are cheating themselves by not trying out The Witcher, but alas, everybody have different opinions and likes/dislikes. I mean somebody out there liked Oblivion.
I'd still rate this game high, and play it through more times then I did many other RPGs (example, I only actually made it through NwN2 twice and I haven't even gotten the stamina to finish MotB yet - because I like The Witcher more) due to the hard choices you have to make in this game.

Well you're never going to get a game that ever single gamer out there likes! I have no problem with the cut scenes at all and my only problem with the game is the loading times but it's still something I can live with as I love the game. There probably is a bit of poor translation but unless you're Polish playing the English version after having played the Polish version then I can't see this being a problem.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion though and if someone doesn't like the game then fair enough stop playing it isn't a problem or shouldn't be. Those that love it continue to play and be content

Ulfang wrote:Well you're never going to get a game that ever single gamer out there likes!

Absolultely correct! Which is why I prefer to get a group of opinions from people I respect. Then I search for things they liked that I normally do, and things they didn't like, that I normally don't. As it happens, excellent writing, relatively short loading times, and very short cutscenes (if any) are all examples of things that are important to me in RPGs. I'm not saying they should be to you, though.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion though and if someone doesn't like the game then fair enough stop playing it isn't a problem or shouldn't be. Those that love it continue to play and be content

And those that don't, shouldn't be afraid to speak up, here, either. I've seen a few comments on the board (not yours, at least, not those above) that imply people who don't like The Witcher should just shut up and take their marbles elsewhere. As much could be said about any title, or anything: I like X but you don't, so go away. But this sits oddly in a thread I created asking for diverse opinions, and I really hope nobody will feel the need to shut up. Except those that want to shut others up.

fable wrote: And those that don't, shouldn't be afraid to speak up, here, either. I've seen a few comments on the board (not yours, at least, not those above) that imply people who don't like The Witcher should just shut up and take their marbles elsewhere. As much could be said about any title, or anything: I like X but you don't, so go away. But this sits oddly in a thread I created asking for diverse opinions, and I really hope nobody will feel the need to shut up. Except those that want to shut others up.

Quite right. I can't speak for everyone but my comments hopefully haven't be interpreted as if you don't like it keep it shut as this is a forum and the point of a forum is discussion. I am merely pointing out that despite negative comments about the game there are also going to be positive comments and just because on persone likes or dislikes something doesn't mean another person feels the same.

And @LD: There is no need to take it all from Olaf. I still have all my stuff in storage from Olaf accessible in Chapter IV.

Yes, there is a need, if you keep all your stuff with him. You might need that stuff soon. Way too soon. Of course, more plants can be gathered and more monsters' organs harvested and more potions brewed... If you know what is coming... And there is always an option to replay. :mischief: Or restart...

Long cut scenes? Well, then skip them, read the dialog and click on.

How about a looong cutscene immediately followed by an insanely difficult battle, totally unexpected, without any possibility to prepare? Or to save the game? How many times did you personally click through that particular cutscene before you won? (Argh, The Short Guide! Priceless.) Were you, perchance, tempted to utter a few mature idioms, while clicking away?

I am not giving up playing this game, maybe it will really get better story-wise etc. So far, nothing beats Gothic. Not even close.

Just took my first few steps into the third act and so far I've been enjoying it. The main story's generally good but it's mainly the setting that keeps pulling me back to the game.

The combat took a while to get used to but after fiddling around with the different camera modes for some time I ended up with the Over-The-Shoulder view and now I've found the combat system to be rather enjoyable. There has been a few hiccups where the character stopped responding to attack commands but switching combat styles back and forth has always fixed that problem so far. Running around in the game was a bit of a hassle pre-patched and the character would come to a complete halt if he got even near certain obstacles but now these movement stops are almost completely gone.

I really don't have much to say about the intereface, 'cept that it gets its job done. The inventory screen could use some kind of auto-categorizing/arrangement function though, separating ingredients, beverages&food, books&scrolls and miscellaneous items from each other.
It wouldn't hurt if the icons were a bit bigger either.
Also, not being able to merrily run around with a plethora of weapons in your backpack is a plus in my book.

Moving on to the dialogue. I've found it to be... :cue drumroll: ...
Decent. There's times when it's really good and there's times when it gets pretty bad. And I'm one of those who's gotten the feeling that there are some odd conversations that look like they've got either missing dialogue or have had bits of them really badly translated.

As for stability and performance, I really don't have any complaints. So far, I've only had one crash and that one was most likely my own fault for alt-tabbing out of the game for a while. The game's running smoothly on this two year old single-core with almost everything at max, only the shadows are disabled and AA is at 2x. Oh, and the loading times are indeed looong. Just keep a book nearby.

Anyway, I'm heading back to the game. From the looks of it, I'll be starting a second run the moment I finish it the first time, just to see how things will play out when I start doing things differently from the very beginning.