The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Reviews
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Category: News ArchiveHits: 2008
The Adrenaline Vault, 4/5 with a "Buy it!" recommendation.
When all is said and done, The Witcher 2 is an incredible game and I'm worried that my review does not do it justice. All of the technical problems, frustrating as they may be, are insignificant next to the overall quality of the game. It is not a diamond in the rough, it is instead an elegantly cut diamond that is in the final stages of being polished. Just a little more time is all it needs to become worthy of being inserted into the crown of gaming. If you love a good story, if you enjoy difficult choices and believable characters, if you want to see a gorgeous and challenging game that was really meant to be played on a PC, please do yourself a favor and buy this game. You will not be disappointed, I am certain of it.
USA TODAY, 3.5/5.
Shortcomings aside, "The Witcher: Assassins of Kings" is a beautiful, challenging and gratifying role-playing adventure for PC gamers. Its intense combat, story-altering decisions and variety of environments, creatures and weapons all make for a memorable summer blockbuster.
RPGSite, 90%.
Let me perfectly clear, though - pound for pound, The Witcher 2 is definitely a memorable and undeniably compelling work of pure craftsmanship, and comes highly recommended for both PC RPG loyalists and those looking for something to really sink free time into. Howeer, I would also strongly advocate newcomers to play the first game, if not to witness a textbook example of how to radically improve upon a game in a real tangible way. Let us just hope that the team at CD Projekt RED take note of the flaws I noted above while working on the inevitable Witcher 3.
Go! Gaming Giant, 9.5/10.
It's more ambitious than Mass Effect 2 in terms of actions and consequences. What the Mass Effect franchise accomplished with its two sequels, The Witcher 2 manages to execute in it's single sequel to a greater magnitude. Whereas your decisions in Mass Effect decided which characters would die, or live on in the sequel, The Witcher 2 poses you with problems that can change the entire plot, environment, and alliances by assuming different perspectives of critical events. It's also presented in a way where I wasn't left out because I didn't finish the first Witcher, yet it alludes to events that previously happened (such as Thaler). There's even an import save function, which I've yet to use.
My only problem with the storytelling is that most of the quests lacked ambiguity in their endings. Upon finishing a quest, I'd sometimes be scolded for bad decision making. My perfectionist mentality wouldn't tolerate the negative reinforcement, so I'd load a previous save and finish it differently. It could also be argued that I hurt the experience for myself, because I abused the loading function, thus I shall state that it's something to be discussed, not judged.
RobotGeek, 4.5/5.
Though Polish developer CDProjekt is still cutting its teeth in video game development, they've made a strong statement that the way forward for classic role-playing may not run through Japan, Canada, or the US. Not since Dragon Age: Origins have role-playing fans been rewarded with such high-caliber play. Though The Witcher 2 is not without its faults, it's far and away the best RPG since 2009 and may even give the upcoming Skyrim a run for its money. If you like RPGs, you owe it to yourself to play the Witcher 2.
Aeropause, 4.5/5.
While The Witcher 2 is not perfect, it does pack in a beautiful, living and breathing world, complete with compelling characters, witty dialog and quests aplenty. Combat and tutorial mechanics bring the game down a slight notch, but at the end of the day, The Witcher 2 stands out leaps and bounds beyond the traditional RPG affair for the PC.
