The game The Witcher became a real gift for many RPG fans. No one expected anything interesting from the small Polish studio CD Projekt Red, but the Poles released a very worthy project. They didn't disappoint with the second part either — playing The Witcher 2, you realize that every penny earned from the first game was invested into developing and polishing the sequel.
Story
Like any classic RPG, The Witcher 2 features a well-thought-out plot that is on par with other hits of the genre. Accused of murder, Geralt begins his own investigation, and as the story unfolds, he gets involved in political intrigues, secret relationships, and encounters his former companions and forgotten enemies.
The developers have prepared more than one difficult decision for the player to make throughout the game. Moreover, all your choices will affect the further course of the game, including who Geralt will interact with along his journey, which locations he will be able to visit, and so on.
In side quests, the player is also given complete freedom of choice, and there are several different ways to complete them. It is also noteworthy that the consequences of your actions may manifest themselves in the most unexpected ways some time after finishing the quest, so you have to think several steps ahead. Even here, you will encounter moral dilemmas and intriguing moments.
CD Projekt had to reduce Geralt’s abilities from the first game (which is especially noticeable at the beginning), and also radically rework the main character’s skill menu. Geralt can now improve himself in four areas: alchemy, swordsmanship, general training, and magical signs. By developing each area, he gains new abilities that will be useful both in combat and when brewing witcher potions or crafting items. The game balance is strictly maintained—none of the skill branches give any overwhelming bonuses compared to the others.
If you carefully dive into every quest, explore every location, and follow the storyline, you’ll spend much more than the stated forty hours on the game, but not a single hour of playtime will be wasted. And if you enjoy the game, you’ll find yourself pressing the “New Game” button more than once.
Gameplay
The controls have changed dramatically; they now resemble third-person shooters: the camera is positioned behind the character, Geralt’s movement and skill management have moved to the keyboard, while mouse buttons are used for delivering blows of varying strength. This is a big plus, since there are now many more battles in the game (even compared to the first part), and there’s no longer any need to click your mouse to death.
However, players unfamiliar with the first game will have a tough time—the tutorial has been removed, so at the beginning you'll have to learn on the fly how to swing your sword and use magic, all while quickly pressing "quick save" and "quick load." Playing on normal difficulty, just like in Dragon Age: Origins, is quite challenging, and you'll have to put in some effort to take down the next boss or group of enemies. Despite this, the battles are exciting and require a certain amount of tactical ingenuity.
The dialogue system in The Witcher 2 will delight you more than any other gameplay element. As before, we control the course of the conversation by choosing the responses we like, but our choice only determines the general meaning of the conversation, while Geralt himself adds the specifics and intonation. Unlike most other video game protagonists, Geralt also takes the current situation into account—if there’s aggression, his tone will be aggressive; if he’s interested, the phrase will be spoken with interest, and so on. It’s an excellent innovation that makes the dialogues truly breathtaking!
Graphics
The game’s new graphics engine fully lives up to its more than impressive features and delivers a stunning visual experience. The graphics in The Witcher 2 are the best ever created for RPG games—they produce the same WOW effect as Dragon Age: Origins once did. Although the locations in The Witcher 2 are not open-world, since they are finite, they are still spacious enough for thorough exploration.
The level design is also well-crafted—throughout your playthrough, you’ll encounter dense forests, dazzling cities, and dusty caves. Each location is unique and filled with various small details.
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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is one of the best modern RPGs, combining an excellent story (mostly based on the works of Andrzej Sapkowski, the original creator), stunning graphics, convenient gameplay, and a well-balanced RPG system. We highly recommend getting acquainted with the world of The Witcher 2, experiencing the atmosphere of this dark alternative universe, and taking part in the game’s events!
