The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Reviews

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on May 29th, 2011

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To mention the game's flaws seems a disservice, for they weigh lightly on the overall experience. Combat can be sloppy at times, and the controls aren't always responsive. The menus, though gorgeous, can be inconvenient and difficult to navigate. Weight limits and managing crafting materials don't go well together. There are also a few graphical glitches and other miscellaneous hiccups bound to arise in any large, complex game. Unfortunately, they turn up frequently enough to hamper immersion. Most of the time, however, the game draws the player back in easily enough with its many charms. A final complaint can be leveled against the occasional awkward cutscene or conversation unfortunate miscommunications present in nearly every RPG. TW2 has no more of these than any other game, however, and perhaps fewer impressive considering its non-English origins.

The Witcher 2 is everything that a good sequel should be. A continued story, yet one told differently and one that touches difference spheres of meaning. Restrained and realistic references to the original. Riskier, grittier, more confident presentation and design. And fidelity to the heart of the series: Geralt the wise, Geralt the great. Those with appreciation for a masterfully crafted world, magic, and passion will find something exceptional in The Witcher 2: a world worth seeing, a story worth hearing, and a character worth stepping into. That questions remain after the conclusion of Assassins of Kings only means Geralt has more work to do. After all, a witcher's work is never complete, and I would have it no other way.

The Witcher 2 is quirky and exciting, the kind of game that surprises almost every hour with something that just would not happen in, say, a similar title from BioWare. Sometimes this oddness can be a bit overwhelming and leaves the player a bit confused, but most of the time it impresses and enchants, creating one of the best role-playing experience of the last few years.

I personally didn't feel as engaged with an RPG and its universe since the days of my youth and my multiple playthroughs of Baldur's Gate 2 and it's delightful to get a game that can make me feel the same as that jewel of a game.

All role-playing fans owe it to themselves to buy and play the game at least once, if not twice, to get all it can offer and gamers that are interested in other genres can also take a look at The Witcher 2 as one of the games that can show why the RPG genre has such long-standing, hardcore fans.

If you play past the first three hours, TW2 will provide you with an engaging, rich experience that will certainly be in contention for RPG of the year. It is a world that will suck you in, and surprise you many times over.

Don't give up on this game if you think it's too difficult on normal. If you have to, switch to easy mode, and breeze through the combat just so you can live the life of Geralt the Witcher, and carve your own path through the kingdoms.

It might have some weird quirks, but The Witcher 2 is one of the best RPGs to come out in a long time. It's nice to see a studio make a game that is geared towards a hard-core audience while other RPG companies are moving for a more streamlined (RPG lite) experience. If you felt jaded by Dragon Age 2, or if Mass Effect 2 insulted your intelligence, then you should really be on board for this game. It has the level of polish increase that Mass Effect 2 had over it's predecessor, but it adds complexity instead of simplifying things. Also, while EA is charging up to $15 for DLC for their games, The Witcher 2 will offer free DLC for anyone that registers the game. That's not just one DLC, but all of it. They will not be charging. This adds a huge amount of value to the initial purchase of the game.

If you are the type of gamer who skips over the dialog, doesn't read the quest log, and you think that Mass Effect 2 is the greatest RPG of all time, then this game isn't for you. If you enjoy reading every bit of text in a game's codex, immersing yourself into a complex story, and you want more from modern RPGs, then you need to run, not walk, to buy The Witcher 2.

This sets a new standard in the future development of RPGs, and other developers like Bioware and Bethesda need to take notice. Their games might have more polish due to the sheer amount of man-power and money they have at their disposal, but The Witcher 2 is far more ambitious and complex than anything that they have done, and it succeeds.

There's no entertainment genre as simultaneously celebrated and maligned as hardcore fantasy. Sure, The Lord of the Rings won piles of Oscars and Game of Thrones is TV's latest must-watch drama, yet confessing a love for elves and dwarves still tends to pigeonhole fans as some flavour of nerd.

And if it's a fantasy video game that we're talking about - if those elves and dwarves and wizards and warriors are cavorting on your computer monitor instead of your TV screen - it's as though there's an extra level of illogical, sniggering stigma.

But you know what? Plow stigma. Ditch your preconceptions, open your mind and accept that The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings isn't just a good video game, it's as solid a piece of fantasy entertainment - or maybe just entertainment, period - as you're likely to experience this year.

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