The Witcher 2 Review

Synopsis:
The second installment in the Witcher saga features a thoroughly engrossing, mature storyline defining new standards for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration. The game also features an original, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action and a new, modern game engine puts players in the most lively and believable world ever created in an RPG game.

Pros:	Cons:
Beautiful graphics Compelling story Challenging combat	Lack of tutorial A few bugs High system specs.

Review:
The Witcher 2 burst onto the gaming scene this year and will definitely be winning dozens of awards this time around. A quick glance and your immediate impression is “This game looks freaking amazing” and that response will remain the same all throughout this game. Everything about this game is stunning, even the tiniest details on buildings and in the environments are beautiful. That’s just the beginning however, because there is an well crafted story to back up the beauty. A story laced with very difficult and game changing decisions that will have you playing through this game at least twice. Witcher 2’s dialogue is very mature as is the overall plot and story, so if you are bashful I would suggest looking away from this game. To back up the well written dialogue they have some of the best voice acting in a game this year. Now with all that aside let’s talk about the combat. The only disappointing thing is the lack of any actual tutorial like there was in the first game. They probably just assumed people wouldn’t play a sequel without playing the first game. Combat in the Witcher is challenging and depending on the difficultly setting can kick your ass quite a bit. This isn’t your standard hack and slash rpg game, it requires dodging and parrying along with some well-timed attacks.  Demon Souls clearly had an influence on their combat changes because this game is tough, though it’s a bit more forgiving than Demon Souls. 

There is very little about this game that was disappointing which is making typing this paragraph very difficult. The system specs are relatively high end, so anybody with a computer 4 -5 years old will more than likely have to upgrade their gaming rig. Also there were a few bugs here and there, but they didn’t plague the game or diminish the value of the overall gameplay. Obviously those new to this series will have difficulty following the games plot; however a lot of this games content was based off the novels and not the previous game. With that being said even those that played the original Witcher will be lost every once and awhile. Another note would have been a bit more of a tutorial rather than them throwing you right into combat, because unless you have recently played Witcher you probably forgot how the combat works.

Overall Witcher 2 is without a doubt the best rpg of 2011, there is no rival. This game has come a long way since the original game and everything is finely tuned and almost perfect. The best part is it’s a MATURE game with an actual MATURE story and plot, not just senseless violence and nudity. If you love story and rpg games, then there is no other title to purchase, I would recommend reading up a bit though so you can appreciate the story more. Those that are shy and timid will probably want to go play a Mario game or something, because this is a real game.  Also if you don’t have an amazing gaming PC there are rumors of a 360 and PS3 release coming sometime this year, so just be patient.

5/5

ESRB: M    Developer: Cd Projekt RED Publisher: Atari

Genre: RPG  Released: May 17, 2011 

Article by: Larry Harris