The Witcher 2 Reviews, Devs Defend Difficulty

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Written by WorstUsernameEver on May 25th, 2011

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Unlike many games that claim your choices have consequences, The Witcher 2 actually makes good on the promise. You can't keep everyone happy all the time, and at some point Geralt has to make some big decisions that drastically affect the course of the game. It's fair to say that you'll only see about two-thirds of the game's content in a single playthrough due to the branching narrative structure. Luckily the game is only about 40 hours long, so multiple playthroughs are not the huge time commitment they were in the first game.

The (written for adults) approach to the material is refreshing, and it's an all-too-rare treat to interact with characters who are neither cackling monsters nor squeaky clean saints. Even the (good guys) have glaring flaws and dark sides, and even your most bitter adversaries have reasons for their behavior beyond (the plot needed an antagonist here.) Many of the decisions you'll make over the course of the game are exceedingly tough, as there is often no obvious (right) answer. They're judgment calls and ink blot tests, not a question of whether you'd rather strangle a puppy or rescue an orphan.

Therein lies the rub. I found myself standing at the end of The Witcher 2 saying, (Is that it?) Chapter 3 of the narrative felt like it was completed on a deadline, with the directive to roll up all the plot lines before the bell rang. Before I knew it, I was in the Epilogue, and the game was over. They say that getting there is half the fun, but in this case it's much more than that. The disappointment I felt at how the game ends is made all the more palpable by the joy I had experienced in reaching that point.

All in all, The Witcher 2 is a huge step forward for CD Projekt. They've taken the series from the first chapter, which was the nearest thing to an indie game, to the second, which is a AAA title that still stays true to its indie roots. It's the best RPG I've played in a long time. Its 25-30 hours may not make it the longest game around, but I haven't seen anything that comes close to it in terms of giving the player control of what's happening in the world around him. It's loaded with great moments, and the passion CD Projekt has for the subject matter is plain to see. In short, it's a game that no self-respecting RPG fan can afford to miss. I will be very surprised if there's a better RPG in 2011.

With rampant racial and gender prosecution, poverty, greed, and murder putting the very fate of Flotsam in question, players will take control of renowned Witcher and monster slayer, Geralt of Rivia, as he not only tries to unravel the conspiracy surrounding the royal murders and a plot threatening to change the world itself, but also the fate of Flotsam. Slaying the monster will be no easy feat and throughout this quest he will need to deal directly with all factions within and around Flotsam, choosing to aid or alienate the corrupt official, deal with the Scoia'tael, and choose to investigate or ignore a dark part of the town's history involving torture, rape, and spectral curses.

Based on this description alone, you would assume that Flotsam would be a grim place to visit, let alone somewhere you would want to spend a considerable amount of time in. In fact, thanks in part to its mature themes and diverse cast of characters, the overall world of The Witcher sounds well, like a pretty shit place to live. But the very first impression one has with this game, is a general sense of awe at the visual fidelity on display not only in terms of pure graphical and technical excellence but in the astounding art direction and detail put into each environment that literally brings the world to life.

As attractive as the graphics are the animation is still terrible and the game world full of minor glitches. Some of the worst concern the quest information, with map markers and descriptions regularly not showing up.

The dialogue, translated from the original Polish, is a little better but it's nowhere near the standard needed to support the game's ambitions. Certainly not given the low quality voice-acting - which again is slightly improved, but still distractingly poor.

The tutorials are as obtuse and secretive as ever too and combined with the ass-backwards difficulty curve ensure the game remains horribly inaccessible to all but existing genre fans.

The Witcher 2 picks up almost immediately after the events of the first game. King Foltest of Temeria and his forces are besieging rogue nobles, and they've brought Geralt of Rivia along for the ride. Foltest views Geralt as a sort of "lucky charm" from saving him from an assassination attempt. Even if this is the prologue, the game already shows off two of its best features: combat and branching paths based off decisions. Geralt ends up tracking a conspiracy to kill kings, a peasant rebellion, great battles and a cabal bent on ruling the north.

This all leads to an engrossing tale (the best I feel since 2007's Neverwinter Nights 2: Mask of the Betrayer). It's a non-linear story, one that throws a number of quests at you as you unravel the mystery behind the "assassins of kings." It's not an open world. Once you finish a chapter, you can't return to complete any quests in progress, but the range of choices Geralt faces in the game provides plenty of reason to give the game a second (or third or fourth) playthrough.

One of the hallmarks of The Witcher 2 is its maturity. This doesn't just apply to the gore or sexual content. Yes, the limbs of your foes fly as you chop through the enemy, and Geralt does engage in "adult situations" with some of the game's female characters (although the sex cards are gone). But like the first game, the maturity applies to the reactions of NPCs and the entire story. Witchers aren't exactly embraced by the people, and many react with fear or disgust when Geralt appears. Some children even get scared.

The setting is generic, but there's a whole load of complexity to the storytelling. Perhaps too much at times, as it can get confusing, but the narrative scope on offer is impressive. The writing is decent, characters are well-rounded, and despite working on a skill-tree system rather than more traditional experience points, there's a real sense of progression as you fight through the many hours of your journey. There's even a well-managed sex scene, which certainly makes the original game's ridiculous porn cards look like the sexist drivel that they were. It feels natural, and human, and never gratuitous despite being fairly explicit.

The second chapter ramps up the excitement, and those who persevere past the game's lacklustre opening third will find their patience rewarded quite handsomely. It follows a frustrating choice that asks you to side with either an obnoxious, prejudiced oaf of a man or a band of terrorists who keep trying to kill you, which feels like a misguided attempt to force a Difficult Moral Decision on the player. But to The Witcher 2's credit, it has the courage to follow through with its promises more than perhaps any other large-scale game around, sending the story off in contrasting directions and making you deal with the consequences of whichever path you took.

The Witcher 2 is an attractive, maddening, immersive, frustrating, compelling, confusing experience. It sets bold new standards in dark, adult fantasy while at the same time staying well away from mainstream accessibility. It's the kind of game into which diehard fans of western RPGs of which I am one will sink their teeth, relishing the complex flavours of each glorious bite while at the same time cursing and picking out gristle from between their molars.

Or, more simply, it's a hot mess. And one that I'm happy to keep diving into.

"Obviously we have been inspired by hardcore games, by difficult games, and maybe that might be the reason why it was not that obvious to us," answered senior producer Tomasz Gop.

"But we didn't want the game to be a piece of cake at the beginning like, you know, an interactive movie. That wasn't what we were aiming for. We definitely wanted to introduce at least some level of difficulty.

"I think the most common misunderstanding is that most people compare our 'normal difficulty' to other games' 'normal difficulty'," he continued.

"Since we are a hardcore game, we do require a hardcore approach on the 'normal' skill. The 'easy' skill is basically for the guys who want to take it light.

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