Witcher 2 - now available for preorder

[Kardiophylax]

The Witcher 2 is now available for preorder. I am not sure of the release date, I've seen Q1 2011 and May 2011 thrown around. Anyway, most sites are listing it at a discounted price of $45 right now including GamersGate, GoG (DRM Free), Steam, and Impulse.

The best deal is probably at D2D right now though. I hear you can get it for $45 and use a 15% off coupon on it (coupon code LOAD15) good until 11/22.

I'd love to preorder, but I am investing a lot in other titles right now. I'll just have to wait.

[yerkyerk]

Hm, haven't finished the first one yet. There was a lot to like, and a lot not to like. If I'll get it, it'll be on a 75% steam sale...

[Renevent]

It's $44.99 on gog.com which is pretty good too. In additional, if you get it they throw in a free game of your choosing :D

http://www.gog.com/en/page/tw2_preorder/

free games list:

Gothic 2 Gold
Realms of Arkania 1 + 2
Realms of Arkania 3
Divine Divinity
Beyond Divinity.

[Aesir Rising]

...I've seen Q1 2011 and May 2011 thrown around...
GOG posted a link to a facebook video (live) feed with cd projekt today for their unveiling/announcement, during which they confirmed May 17, 2011 as the release date globally. You'll see this date appear in any gaming news showing up today.

[An7hraX]

I consider the first game to be overall bad, the few gimmicks they threw in don't suffice.

I will most probably skip this game, but i'll try it out anyway.

[Elderek]

i enjoyed the Witcher and am looking forward to the second... then again i am a fan of the books also... i enjoy a good adventure, i got drunk with dwarfs gambled away some cash and lets just say i got EVERY female card available, it was simple on easy mode, but try goin to the hardest.. and keeping track of your alchemy and poison rate.. you actually had to concentrateon more than just attacking, or just healing... you need to do it all... and even tho it wasnt an online game. i still go through it and the other story quests that the game has to offer

[Kardiophylax]

I've watched a lot of videos regarding this game, and I think it is going to be really good. It seems like they have really fixed a lot of the issues I had with the first game. I will likely preorder on GoG within the next couple days so I can throw my full support behind the developer, PC Gaming, and hopefully show the big publishers that people will still buy DRM free games.

Dev Diary 5: (New, thought this was pretty informative)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xib87g_the-witcher-2-assassins-of-kings-developers-diary-5-character-development-and-items_videogames

EDIT: If I order from GoG, which throwaway game is the best of that bunch?

[SHODANFreeman]

I've watched a lot of videos regarding this game, and I think it is going to be really good. It seems like they have really fixed a lot of the issues I had with the first game. I will likely preorder on GoG within the next couple days so I can throw my full support behind the developer, PC Gaming, and hopefully show the big publishers that people will still buy DRM free games.

Dev Diary 5: (New, thought this was pretty informative)
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xib87g_the-witcher-2-assassins-of-kings-developers-diary-5-character-development-and-items_videogames

EDIT: If I order from GoG, which throwaway game is the best of that bunch?

I've heard good things about Divinity.

[yerkyerk]

Gothic 2 was really good, imho. Haven't played the others. I can't say I was too impressed with Divinity II though.

[Skellt]

i never even played witcher 1... a game that always caught my attention but never seemed to worth my money -_-

[hooby]

I couldn't get into the Witcher 1 - it's combat system turned me away. Never got further into the game than two hours of play - finally gifted the box to a friend (who still loves it).

But from what I can observe from Witcher 2 gameplay videos, that problem seems to be resolved entirely. So I'm really looking forward to it.

[Renevent]

I had the exact same game experience hooby...the game seemed good but I couldn't stand the combat at all.

From what I understand the second game has a totally different combat system, which is great.

Anyways here is a new preview...sounds promising.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/04/21/the-witcher-2-preview/

[Skellt]

haha as long as its not "dungeon seige 3" different :P

[Kardiophylax]

Combat has been revamped and the annoying running back and forth quests of old should be eliminated. All in all I think it is one of the few chances we have left for a quality PC based RPG. We all saw how DA II turned out, and I don't particularly care for the direction Bioware is heading. Skyrim could also be great, assuming they don't skimp out on the PC version in favor of the consoles. At least with the Witcher 2, I know the game is being build to be played on the PC first and foremost.

[Skellt]

actually kardio, they are making the pc version of skyrim 1st, all their engine are on pc, pc will have higher resolution and then they make port for consoles :P

[SHODANFreeman]

I hated the timing of attacks in the first game. I was fine with swapping combat styles etc, I just hated having to wait for the cursor to change constantly.

[Kardiophylax]

actually kardio, they are making the pc version of skyrim 1st, all their engine are on pc, pc will have higher resolution and then they make port for consoles :P

Perhaps. I don't want to get off topic here, but see my other post (http://www.grimdawn.com/forums/showpost.php?p=31445&postcount=50) regarding Skyrim for information on why I'm concerned there.

[hooby]

I had the exact same game experience hooby...the game seemed good but I couldn't stand the combat at all.

From what I understand the second game has a totally different combat system, which is great.

Anyways here is a new preview...sounds promising.

http://www.pcgamer.com/2011/04/21/the-witcher-2-preview/

Judging from that two videos:

http://www.gametrailers.com/video/live-gameplay-the-witcher/712872
http://www.gametrailers.com/video/live-gameplay-the-witcher/712873

I got the impression that combat will be similar to how the Gothic-series did it. I liked Gothic's way of combat, except for that unstoppable imba-boars in part 3.

[Psychogasm]

I loved the Witcher until i ran into one little problem...26hours in my comp died and i lost my save....i want to beat it before witcher 2 comes out but i just cant sum up the ambition to replay that 26hours, i was so getting into the story at that point too

[yerkyerk]

Well, apart from their horrible combat system, the possiblity to corpulate nearly every female that walked around kinda turned me off as well - it made everything feel cheap.

[SHODANFreeman]

Well, apart from their horrible combat system, the possiblity to corpulate nearly every female that walked around kinda turned me off as well - it made everything feel cheap.

But it just makes it more realistic! I mean, aren't we all capable of doing the same in real life? ;)

[Kardiophylax]

Well, apart from their horrible combat system, the possiblity to corpulate nearly every female that walked around kinda turned me off as well - it made everything feel cheap.

As I understand it, this is how Geralt is portrayed in the actual books. Is it so far fetched to think that women, who in this medieval world don't exactly have a whole lot going on, would fantasize and want to be with a dangerous and mysterious man given the opportunity? Even in this age, many women love to read romance novels filled with stories of wanting men that are wrong for them in some way.

It's not like you had to take advantage of these opportunities either.

Anyway, you aren't alone and it seems like a lot of people had issues with the way the Witcher portrayed the male-female relationships. Personally, I think the Witcher had much more serious issues like the constant back and forth running around and annoying 1 ft fences you could neither jump nor walk over.

The Witcher 2 is said to have more meaningful relationships, if desired, but at the same time from what I've heard the game will be much more graphic about the actual "interactions" when they occur.

[yerkyerk]

As I understand it, this is how Geralt is portrayed in the actual books. Is it so far fetched to think that women, who in this medieval world don't exactly have a whole lot going on, would fantasize and want to be with a dangerous and mysterious man given the opportunity?
Well, that's just the thing. Imho, Geralt couldn't pull it off. It was indeed far fetched to believe everyone immediately jumped into bed with him, it was just not credible, ever.
Besides, everyone in that entire universe should be infected with syphilis.

[SHODANFreeman]

Well, that's just the thing. Imho, Geralt couldn't pull it off. It was indeed far fetched to believe everyone immediately jumped into bed with him, it was just not credible, ever.
Besides, everyone in that entire universe should be infected with syphilis.

Maybe he's like Dracula, and has the power to make women do whatever he wants them to. :)

[Douglas Siano]

The reason I have not bought it yet is because i want to know if the NA version is censored once again. If it is, I'll have to order from the UK :)

[Kardiophylax]

The reason I have not bought it yet is because i want to know if the NA version is censored once again. If it is, I'll have to order from the UK :)

I think the GOG version will be uncensored, since the publisher and developer are one in the same in that realm, but I don't know that it has been confirmed.

According to this article (http://www.neoseeker.com/news/16219-cd-projekt-spring-conference-brings-witcher-2-gogcom-goodies/), it supposedly was. I'm going to get it from GoG either way.
North Americans may remember TW1 was censored, with the cut content later put back in with the Director's Cut version and patch. No need to worry this time; now that they know they can get away with it, there will be no censorship this time around. With the Mature rating comes blood, guts, nudity, violence, and more, but of course it's not gratuitous.

[SHODANFreeman]

The reason I have not bought it yet is because i want to know if the NA version is censored once again. If it is, I'll have to order from the UK :)

I think that even if it is censored, they'll release a patch later on to remove that, like they did for the first one.

[hooby]

Stuff like that always makes me wonder, how american rating systems actually work...

Shooting people: Age 6+
Shooting in the face with sawed off shotgun on short distance: 10+
Stabbing an beheading: 12+
Dismemberment, open fleshwounds and kicking someones brain out: 14+
Splattering someones bowel content all over the place in gruesome detail and slow motion: 16+
Saying the word "fuck" aloud: 17+
Kissing and hugging: 18+
Actually showing a nipple: 21+
Faked sex (no genitalia shown): only with special permission of your psychologist
Real sex: Forbidden by death sentence.

Something similar to that, isn't it? ^^

Why is it, that showing some sort of affection for each other, or any sign of tenderness is deemed more disturbing and damaging to young people than watching someone getting ripped into tiny pieces?

[Douglas Siano]

Stuff like that always makes me wonder, how american rating systems actually work...

Shooting people: Age 6+
Shooting in the face with sawed off shotgun on short distance: 10+
Stabbing an beheading: 12+
Dismemberment, open fleshwounds and kicking someones brain out: 14+
Splattering someones bowel content all over the place in gruesome detail and slow motion: 16+
Saying the word "fuck" aloud: 17+
Kissing and hugging: 18+
Actually showing a nipple: 21+
Faked sex (no genitalia shown): only with special permission of your psychologist
Real sex: Forbidden by death sentence.

Something similar to that, isn't it? ^^

Why is it, that showing some sort of affection for each other, or any sign of tenderness is deemed more disturbing and damaging to young people than watching someone getting ripped into tiny pieces?

Because in the major religious texts, "God" condones killing and has even commandedd the slaying of an entire people (The Caananites), but has always forbidden aberrant sexual behavior.

[hooby]

But shouldn't those rules rather be based upon child psychology?

[Douglas Siano]

But shouldn't those rules rather be based upon child psychology?

You can't talk logic to the religious.

[hooby]

Basically the religious are fanboys of whatever religion they were raised in. Like patriots are just fanboys of whatever country they happened to be born in. Just like console fanboys are just fanboys of whatever console their parents happened to buy them...

I wish we could get rid of all that fanboyism...

[pts]

I wish we could get rid of all that fanboyism...

Maybe they just think that:
If enough fanboys say "X series/brand is great!" and deny the negatives, people read it, buy the product and thereby support the developers, who they think might actually make the next product a GOOD one.

But the developers also read it as:
Our product was awesome? Then let's make the next one just like it!


And so, the neverending circle of fanboyism and non-improving products continues!
(Or they're just regular stubborn fanboys... :D)

[shawnmck]

I seriously doubt that religion has anything to do with the way ratings from sexuality & nudity are modified.
It is more likely a cultural thing. Violence has permeated almost every form of art medium & culture more proficiently than has sex & nudity.
You also probably have a lot more womens groups crying "foul" over the portrayal of women as being sex object and consider it a form of harassment or negative stereotype.

If it were strictly based on religious grounds, then violence would be rated more strictly as well.
Some of you act like all religious people are fanatics, or something.

BTW
The Witcher 2 looks very good. I hope my PC can run it, although I doubt it.

[hooby]

Just started playing the Witcher 2 like two or three hours ago.

I'm finally through the tutorial missions, escaped from the prison and got to the first town.
I haven't seen much of the game yet - but I'm very impressed so far.

Can't say how the character development and the items are - haven't seen much of that yet - but I can tell you that the way the story is told is very good. And the story and characters seem quite deep, believable and interesting so far.

The only let-down so far are fist-fights, which are done through dumb quick-time events.

No bugs or technical problems either. Runs as smooth as silk.
Typical WASD movement and mouse-aim, very intuitive to control. And - although the camera can get a bit shaky during the heat of combat - no signs of VSS (Virtual Simulator Sickness) yet. (I couldn't play Half-Life2 nor Dead Space because it made me feel sick. Witcher 2 doesn't trigger that at all - at least not for me.)

Definitely worth buying, if you like story-heavy RPGs.

[Mind Dragon]

After Crysis 2, I think I'll be in for an RPG.

DS3 is June 21 supposedly but I see how it looks when the reviews come out.

All other ARPGs have no release dates yet.

Prospects:



Two Worlds 2 released
Witcher 2 released

DS3 Jun 21
Fear 3 Jun 21
Dead Island Aug
Deus Ex 3 Aug
Rage Sept
Elder Scrolls Nov

[OneEyeRed]

Far surpasses the original. Takes some getting used to its a different game all together, however, one of the most beautiful and engaging games. Hands down, one of the best rpg's but then I was gaga about the original too. Look out biocrap and bethspew, a new king is in the house. The best rpg to date!

For those that have issues I have not had a single issue. I am running at high settings on a newer I5 quad core, win 7/64, 8GB ram, gtx 460M with latest beta driver laptop and it has run smooth as silk.

[shawnmck]

I'm wanting to pick this up, but I doubt that my PC will be able to run it, or at the very least run it well enough to enjoy.
:cry:

[hooby]

As on the official website:

minimal configuration: Dual-Core 2GHz CPU; 2GB RAM; Graphics card GeForce 8800 / 512MB or equivalent.

You can tweak a lot inside the advanced graphics settings, and the engine seems to work efficiently - not wasting any resources.

[Renevent]

I don't think I am going to end up getting it...I hear the customization isn't that great and the combat, while better, isn't that great either. These games seem like they are all about the story. I guess that's great for a lot of people...me...not so much.

I am more of a fan of games like Arx Fatalis...where the story isn't so much the star but rather the world and it's inhabitants.

[Kardiophylax]

I want to pick it up... but unfortunately other life expenses are limiting my game budget for the moment. Once I have the spare cash I'll end up picking this up. I enjoyed the first one and the second is getting great reviews.

[Renevent]

Just picked this one up even though I didn't like the first one (hated the combat)...hopefully this time around will have a better experience with the game :p

[Keyrock]

Just picked this one up even though I didn't like the first one (hated the combat)...hopefully this time around will have a better experience with the game :p
Methinks you're in for a treat. The combat, while definitely improved from the first game, is still the weak link of the game, however that's in part due to the rest of the game being so amazing. The graphics, assuming you have the hardware to push them, are incredible, the animations buttery smooth, the voice acting is great, the storytelling is masterful, and you still get the terrific, difficult, shades of grey, choices really matter, decision making that the first game made famous. Also there is a much greater variety in weapons and armor and items in general.

This is my RPG of the Year 2011.

[Renevent]

I'm still doing the interrogation part in the begging, but so far I am enjoying it a lot. I actually like the combat...it's fast pace but also pretty tactical. I'm fumbling a little with all the keys/movement/dodging/blocking/using spells/items/ect but I think I will get the hang of it soon.

Not a big fan of these heavy story based games, but I guess a quality one once in a while never hurt anyone. :D

[Kardiophylax]

Just finished watching the intro trailer for the enhanced edition. I'm not an advocate for these kinds of videos due to the huge expense with no payoff to the actual game's quality, but even I have to admit that this is pretty well done.

I've been impressed with most of the trailers surrounding the Witcher though, even as far back as the original Witcher's pre-release trailer.

http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2012/01/30/watch-the-witcher-ii-enhanced-edition-intro/

The fact that they are going to be providing even more free content in April is very cool with me. Since a friend gifted me the game this past Christmas, I think its finally time I give the game a spin. If I like it enough I'll play through again when that content patch releases.

[yerkyerk]

I'm not an advocate for these kinds of videos due to the huge expense with no payoff to the actual game's quality
Actually, it can help a great deal with immersion, it just doesn't add to gameplay directly. It can add hugely indirectly though, as it gets more attention, which means more units sold, a bigger budget and in turn the chance to make a better game because of the increased budget.

Anyway, it looks simply amazing. It's also cute that they hired TF2's heavy for the role of assassin.

[Keyrock]

Actually, it can help a great deal with immersion, it just doesn't add to gameplay directly. It can add hugely indirectly though, as it gets more attention, which means more units sold, a bigger budget and in turn the chance to make a better game because of the increased budget.

Anyway, it looks simply amazing. It's also cute that they hired TF2's heavy for the role of assassin.
Letho does kind of look like TF2's Heavy. :D

[Kardiophylax]

Hmm... I am not really sure what to think of this game right now. I am about to exit Act 1 and head into Act 2 as far as I can tell.

Pros thus far:
Storytelling has been fairly interesting and the more linear gameplay (compared to Bethesda RPGs) has led to a more structured experience. In some ways this is nice as it reduces the amount of "filler" and allows you to engage more in the actual story.

The voice acting is well done (except for these VERY strange children voices... "Can girls be Witcher's too?" still haunting me right now...). I am inclined to say the voice acting is better than Skyrim right now. I do not recognize the same voices being used for multiple characters nearly as much as I do in Skyrim.

The more "mature" content is a mixed bag. In some cases I appreciate the strong language and adult content if it is done tastefully and within the context of what is going on. There are a few cases where profanity in situations that don't call for it and it comes across as an attempt to make the game seem "cool" but instead makes me feel sort of embarrassed. Overall I appreciate them making the effort to make soldiers as crass and rude as you'd expect out of them given how ignorant and drunk they often are.

Choice and consequence are fair and I appreciate that I can actually see and feel the impact. I do feel like they let me make meaningful decisions that are not clearly defined as good or evil. They hit the mark in this regard really well.

Cons:
The combat system is a bit repetitive. Despite their efforts to improve it, I'm not sure I agree that it is much better than the original game. The magic signs are fun for a bit but get overly repetitive. I am going down the magic skill tree and each upgrade seems to only make them slightly more powerful or allow me to cast a couple extra signs. I don't see anything down the tree that is going to make combat much more interesting down the line.

Invisible walls are everywhere. You can't jump and you can't go a lot of places for no apparent visible reason. You have to occasionally go long distances around to drop down onto a path that is around 3 feet below you. This was a gripe I had with the first game. Add to this that you spend a lot of time searching around for things while doing the much overplayed "notice board" missions and it gets quite annoying. I keep wishing the Witcher had a mount or a werewolf form to travel with like Skyrim has.

Loot is everywhere and stealing is not a crime. It's odd that I can go into anyone's house and steal anything they have, correction, anything they have in their designated lootable locations, and they don't care one bit. I also don't know why the game feels like I need to have access to 100 pieces of twine... the encumbrance limit is painfully low once you have two swords and a set of armor on.

Quick-time and mini-game events peppered throughout. I'm okay with some of them, but disliked them in the boss fight I did so far. Didn't feel very RPGish to me as my skills and gear really didn't impact the boss fight at all. It was all about dodging and being able to react to quicktime prompts. Pretty lame.

BUGS!! BUGS!!! BUGS!!
Seriously, I don't get it. The bugs alone should hinder this game from being perfectly scored. Here's just a small sample:

When I talk to people who were sleeping in their beds, they start talking to me and the "snoring" sound continues to play.

I entered an arena (as I found out later) while exploring and heard cheering and hollering even though NO ONE was there. I later arrived there on a quest and there were a bunch of people in there. This explained the sound but it shouldn't have been there when I first went.

Glitching during cutscenes. My Geralt much be a magician as I watched him glitch in next to people out of thin air at times.

The worst bugs I encountered caused my escape and ctrl keys to no longer function at all. I could not enter the menus at all. I had to press F5 (quicksave) and hope it saved before ctrl-alt-del end tasking the process. This game is not new, and shouldn't be having this issue.


I'm confident this will not be my RPG of the year right now. I appreciate the choice and consequence and storytelling, but my main issue is the game is just not that fun to play right now. I want to finish it, but at the same time it is starting to feel a little repetitive. Maybe Act II will be better. Then again, I could just play Skyrim or New Vegas if I want to play an RPG instead... and possibly Risen 2 when it comes out.

[Keyrock]

Act 2 is my favorite act in the game and it's completely different depending on the choices you make at the end of act 1, and I mean completely different.

[Renevent]

I never came back and updated my progress...to be honest I don't think I got much further past where Kardiophlax is. I keep trying to enjoy this series of games and everytime it's just a waste of money for me. Seems like every damn step I take in any direction I am accosted by a cut scene, or some lengthy dialog, or solving some problem for some villager I don't care about.

Sure, other games have stories and pointless quests, but TW series makes them so in your face and constantly breakup the pace to put so much emphasis on them. I feel like the game is simply moving from one set piece to the other or orchestrated conversations and cut-scenes. After a few hours of this it just really wears on me and it becomes a drag to play.

The video posted a few days ago discussing player authorship in games and game stories I think hit the nail on the head. Sure Skyrim has a story and tons of side quests, but playing Skyrim I feel my character is genuinely part of the world. I take my time and explore. I spend hours sometimes just with uninterrupted dungeon delving, then switch gears to crafting and setting up my home, and then maybe do some questing.

It feels natural and makes the choices (real choices, as in how I approach the game) more meaningful. Whereas in TW2 it's all so forced that the things like leveling/potion making/exploring/ect just don't give the same level of enjoyment for me. I don't find the "choices" in TW2 that meaningful at all to be honest...it's more like a choose your own adventure game. There's a handful of outcomes and that's it.

Anyways I can appreciate why people enjoy these games, and glad those who put so much emphasis on story telling have a good game like this to play. For me though, it's the fucking pits.

[Keyrock]

I guess it makes sense for some, especially for people that come from a lootfest dungeon crawler background, to be put off by so much story. I come from a point n click adventure background, so story has always been a top priority for me. Anyway, to each their own, I'm looking forward to playing through this again (for the fifth time), and with the new areas they're going to add, in a month or two from now.

[Renevent]

I dunno about categorizing it like that, my background in games is pretty diverse. Played everything from NES JRPG's like Final Fantasy and Dragon Warrior to games like Baldur's Gate and everything in between.

The Witcher games are really much more story focused than most games I've played. Baldur's Gate had a lot of story...but it was also very open ended and didn't stop you in your tracks every 10 minutes to watch a 5 minute cutscene or sit through some forced dialog. It was more organic and left a little more up to the player.

TW2 for me felt like 33% movie, 33% choose your own adventure book, and 33% game. It's just too much forced story, so much that it detracts from the "game".

*edit*

Just a side note...since I mentioned FF in the first paragraph made me think of how I can't play those games now either. The first 2 I played were so fun. Linear story...yes...but nice big worlds with lots of stuff to find and explore. Since that time that series has turned into totally linear worlds, silly characters, and forcing the player sit through tons of cutscenes and forcing them to sit through tons of painfully over emotional dialog.

[Kardiophylax]

Final Fantasy II and III were my favorites. They had the perfect amount of exploration and secrets in my opinion. VII was not bad, but was my least favorite of what I consider the classic FF games. I have had 0 desire to play any of the newer ones that came out since then.

I enjoy the story in the Witcher 2, but ironically the gameplay is the part that irks me. That and the bugs. The bugs just keep popping up left, right, and center.

Perfect example of one of my issues with the game. Whenever that quest/minigame came up where I needed to use AXII to keep the prisoner alive (using my oh so awesome left clicking skills!), I accidently pulled out my sword right before it began. The game decided to lock me into the mini-game while my sword was still drawn. The guards, seeing me refusing to sheath my sword, decided to start attacking me right in the middle of it. Eventually, the cutscene broke and I had to kill them. Really? Couldn't the game have just put my sword away for me when the mini-game started?

Also, why is it that the first time I played dice poker and arm-wrestling that I wasn't provided any instructions? I'll tell you why. The game was designed for the player to play against particular people first. If you find the right person to play, usually the one who starts a quest chain, you get the instructions. This just reeks of poor coding to me. They should have just flagged if the player had ever played the mini-game before and thrown the instructions up the first time regardless of who you play against.

I am glad to see I'm not the only one having trouble with the fact that this game earned so many perfect 10s across the board. I will give the author of the Witcher series credit, it is somewhat unique and has a good amount of intrigue. I also credit CD Projeckt Red for offering DRM free software and multiple free DLC updates. I do have to fault them for poor, sloppy coding/design and for a game that still has so many glitches this long after release.

[Keyrock]

Damn, I never encountered a quarter of the bugs you have been describing (and I played through the game 4 times all the way through), did you update to the latest version? Maybe I just got lucky. Anyway, the lack of instruction is a criticism that has been thrust at the game (and the series) repeatedly and is the basis for many reviewers taking off points. As far as the mini games go, do you really need instructions for the arm wrestling mini game? that one seems pretty self explanatory. I will give you the dice poker game. I knew exactly what to do instinctively since dice poker is a game I played in Poland as a kid (this is a game from a Polish developer so undoubtedly I'm biased toward it whether I know it or not :p). I don't know if it's played in the states at all.

The game has its share of faults, that's for sure, but for me the positives far far far outweighed the negatives. Some people will feel constricted by the lack of an open world, while I enjoy the strong, well developed narrative and branching paths (16 different endings). To each their own. Some people absolutely love the game (like me), some people are put off by it. To each their own. :)

I think we can all agree we hate invisible walls, unfortunately many games, not just The Witcher games, use them. Sadly invisible walls seem to be the norm rather than the exception. :mad:

[Kardiophylax]

Thanks Keyrock for the comments. :)

The arm-wrestling didn't make much sense to me at first. I tried clicking the button like most of the other games at first, so it took me a few tries to figure out that it was solely based on mouse movements. I did eventually learn how to do it and then easily won every arm-wrestling match I got into.

Dice poker I remembered from the first game, so it wasn't hard to pickup again. My issue isn't so much that the instructions weren't there at all, but more-so in that they were narrow in their design and coded them to only appear when specific people were first played. They should have instead had it appear whenever you first played, regardless of your opponent.

My main issue with the invisible walls and boundaries is the same basic complaint I have in all RPGs that do not include a jump mechanic. I hate having to take the long way around to get somewhere I could have gotten nearly instantly if my character were capable of jumping down 2 feet. There is also a right and a wrong way to use invisible walls. I'm not sure how Risen handles it throughout the whole game, but in the demo I experienced being thrown back to shore by a sea monster when trying to go out too far into the sea. I also died when I jumped down (quite far) to an area trying to explore. For whatever reason I can rationalize these types of boundaries easier.

Just to be clear, I also want to state again that I do think the storytelling is enjoyable. I love the way the guards are portrayed as being quite low class and ignorant. I find the voice acting and word choices fitting for them in a way that I haven't seen in other RPG series. I would argue that their are more distinct and interesting voices in Witcher 2 than in Skyrim. The Witcher 2 also isn't afraid to use foul language, granted sometimes a tad too much. In many cases it does help portray the low-class nature of some of the citizens and I really like that about the game.

To be fair, I also just finished the first boss battle and found it rather frustrating as it came down to quicktime events and reflexes and did not really incorporate my skill choices or items. It reminded me more of an action game and less of an RPG which kind of turned me off. I am going to get back into the game and play through to chapter 2 and see how things progress. I am taking Iorveth's path.

[Kardiophylax]

For anyone curious, here is the experience I had with the game this evening. I said I was going to try and push on, but I am finding myself playing less and less each time before exiting the game.

After 3 more trips back and forth across the same much traveled terrain outside Flotsam to the Elven ruins, I finally boarded the escape barge. While escaping, I was afforded the opportunity to save some people from a burning building. Of course, I chose to oblige.

Little did I know I was entering a timed event which involved getting my cursor to first find the designated place to click on each person to locate their bindings, and then required me to rapidly click the left mouse button (a mechanic used FAR too often in the Witcher 2 that adds NOTHING to the game) to release it.

I would have been okay had my Geralt not decided to climb down the ladder due to the oh so wonderful "click to climb/descend/ascend" controls they use in place of actual jumping and climbing. One of the bound ladies was close to the ladder and I clicked in the wrong spot. By the time I got back up I was releasing the women when my health went from nearly full to empty instantly and I died. The last autosave was kindly placed before I finished off around 10 guards in an earlier battle. Kind in the sense that it made my decision clear to exit the game.

Oh well. I feel like I have really tried to enjoy myself, but I've failed. :undecided: