Quick Look: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (360)

@zaglis said:

@MosaicM80 said:

I heard the game on the PC works better with a controller, so it makes sense to be on a console.

No. No it was not. Who ever says that is a bloody moron. The UI was dumbed down and made worse so it could work properly with a gamepad. That's it.

IT was made for PC first, you are getting all the update stuff for free - why hate on the console port at this point? If anything console people can be annoyed that they cut stuff out. I'd rather the game be on 3 discs than have animations and stuff cut.

Yeah they definitely got rid of the animation where Geralt sits down and drinks potions in the 360 version.

@Tennmuerti: Two little things is "a lot" for you?

@MosaicM80 said:

I heard the game on the PC works better with a controller, so it makes sense to be on a console.

I still dont know who these crazy people are. This game plays best with M&K, just because the game was designed with a controller in mind does not mean they were successful.

I'm really having a great time with this game. I like how grey the choices are, they aren't the typical cut and dried good guy or bad guy choices.

Oh, and boobies are good too.

@kpaadet said:

@MosaicM80 said:

I heard the game on the PC works better with a controller, so it makes sense to be on a console.

I still dont know who these crazy people are. This game plays best with M&K, just because the game was designed with a controller in mind does not mean they were successful.

Yep, was great on keyboard and mouse.

@Tennmuerti: I wasn't aware of your earlier posts, sorry. Anyway, pretty weird little cuts ... does cutting out a small 1-2 second animation really matter that much?

Also it's a bit of a scewed QL, Patrick is showing off mostly combat.
It would have been nice to show off to people who don't know about the game some beefy dialogue or two.
I recommend also looking at the earlier PC quicklook with Vinny and Ryan to see a better cross section of the game.

I barely notice any of the cuts, compared to other fantasy RPGs on the 360 this is head and shoulders above them in terms of satisfying combat, the choices you can make and world design. Just get the game, it's one of the best RPGs released on a console. Worrying about minor shit you will not notice the absense of from the pc version is irrelevant. The core awesome game is all there and that is what matters.

@Tennmuerti: I wasn't aware of your earlier posts, sorry. Anyway, pretty weird little cuts ... does cutting out a small 1-2 second animation really matter that much?

@Tennmuerti said:

Also it's a bit of a scewed QL, Patrick is showing off mostly combat. It would have been nice to show off to people who don't know about the game some beefy dialogue or two. I recommend also looking at the earlier PC quicklook with Vinny and Ryan to see a better cross section of the game.

Yeah you do A LOT of talking to people in this game which they didn't show off at all!

Just to illustrate the change in lighting, nothing more.

The controller support for the PC version is fine, it has all the proper button prompts and all that jazz, but navigating menus is hooooorribly slow compared to using mouse and keyboard.

It's a pity that a lot of the console improvements haven't been implemented in the PC version.

Edit: Oh man, this version definitely looks great on the Xbox, but there are a ton of little things missing like the insane amount of physics on just Geralt himself as he trots along. His hood, the knots on his sleeves and his trophy attached to his belt should be bouncing around! The shadows are arguably better on the Xbox though. On PC they are quite dithered and it can look pretty poor at times.

@AhmadMetallic said:

@seanfoster said:

Glad this QL is up but a whiny comment from @Vinchenzo? Fuck that

He can whine all he wants, it's a free (internet) country pal.

Why thank you, Ahmad.

Hah! I know that tattoo on his neck. Someone was out drinking last night. :)

@Fjordson said:

Really glad you guys decided to do a QL for this. Currently playing through the 360 version and it's just amazing. One of the best RPG's this gen.

What would you say separates it? I'm nearly there, not sure why given the raves from everyone. Maybe the linear nature? I really hope the combat isn't super clunky.

I hated harpies in the PC version.

I just started the game on PC but it really helps hearing you guys actually describe how some of the systems work and navigate the menus. Thanks for this!

@Edmundus said:

Hoping the 360 port holds up well.

It holds up great on the Xbox. The graphics aren't as good. But it runs smoothly and the combat system is pretty damn good. I love it. I've been playing it since it's release date.

• no pay-for DLC for PC (Patrick is referring to his own article from last year)
• cinéma verité (="truthful cinema") - started as a movement in French film - nothing really working for The Witcher 2? ... but a funny comment by Vinny
• THERE IS NO DRM on the PC version!! (Vinny's kerfuffle comment ca. 4 min in)

I like how Vinny sounds like he's going insane trying to remember stuff about this game. Most of which is right, but he is confusing other games (Kingdoms of Amalur), too. Must be all that "great" sleep he's getting right now.

Still looks god damn beautiful.

@zaglis: I always played using the xbox controller when I played the PC version. I just couldn't control the game with a keyboard and mouse.

@blacklab said:

@Fjordson said:

Really glad you guys decided to do a QL for this. Currently playing through the 360 version and it's just amazing. One of the best RPG's this gen.

What would you say separates it? I'm nearly there, not sure why given the raves from everyone. Maybe the linear nature? I really hope the combat isn't super clunky.

Combat is extremely fluid, and extremely fun. I played the PC version, and the lock-on was a little hinky, sometimes I would have trouble staying locked onto the enemy that I wanted to, but it was not much of a hindrance at all, and they may have fixed that in an update.

The story is great, and while it is more linear than some modern RPGs, there are plenty of side quests and monsters to kill when you're out and about to keep you busy and make the game feel more open. The only real reason that it's "linear" is that each chapter is confined to a particular city and it's surrounding areas. But even those areas give you a pretty decent sized environment to Witcher around in, so don't be turned off by worries of the game being too restrictive.

@buckybit: there was DRM in the boxed version if I recall

@Animasta said:

@buckybit: there was DRM in the boxed version if I recall

my bad. You're right- I remember the devs saying they will never use DRM and how The Witcher 2 being DRM-free was a industry talking point and even selling point for the game, though.

Can't wait to play this on PC.

@buckybit: there was DRM in the boxed version if I recall

I think Vinny was thinking about Fable 2/3; you could definitely hit up on the d-pad to disable citizen protection in those.

@Animasta said:

@buckybit: there was DRM in the boxed version if I recall

The DRM had a negative effect on performance so they scrapped it in all versions. Except Steam, of course. They got into a lot of trouble from their publisher because they didn't ask.

@Winsord said:

I think Vinny was thinking about Fable 2/3; you could definitely hit up on the d-pad to disable citizen protection in those.

Kingdoms of Amalur had this system, too.

@blacklab said:

@Fjordson said:

Really glad you guys decided to do a QL for this. Currently playing through the 360 version and it's just amazing. One of the best RPG's this gen.

What would you say separates it? I'm nearly there, not sure why given the raves from everyone. Maybe the linear nature? I really hope the combat isn't super clunky.

If you have been paying attention and reading raves then you'd know there's nothing about this game that's clunky. 90 metacritic, raves on boards, quick looks... what else do you need?

8 minutes it - Oh hey, the disappearing enemy bug from the original game still hasn't been fixed.

Also, why did they break the PC menu controls? You can clearly flick and rotate the sticks to quick select spells and items here but they broke that functionality on the first PC patch and never fixed it.

Still an incredible game but stuff like that just really frustrates me considering how much care CD ProjektRed clearly puts into this game and the updates.

Patrick is so damn slow to learn. 10 hours? It took me 30 minutes to get it down reasonably, and about three fights int he first real area to get good at managing crowds. Nothing else took time to figure out.

@CosmicQueso said:

@blacklab said:

@Fjordson said:

Really glad you guys decided to do a QL for this. Currently playing through the 360 version and it's just amazing. One of the best RPG's this gen.

What would you say separates it? I'm nearly there, not sure why given the raves from everyone. Maybe the linear nature? I really hope the combat isn't super clunky.

If you have been paying attention and reading raves then you'd know there's nothing about this game that's clunky. 90 metacritic, raves on boards, quick looks... what else do you need?

Not snarky bullshit, that's for sure.

For all the people talking about the lighting, there's a very good comparison article on Digital Foundry with lots of side-by-side vids. I think, for a 360 game, it looks amazing. Apparently it runs really smoothly as well.

http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/digitalfoundry-the-witcher-2-tech-analysis

I hate the couch argument.

@Fjordson said:

Really glad you guys decided to do a QL for this. Currently playing through the 360 version and it's just amazing. One of the best RPG's this gen.

What would you say separates it? I'm nearly there, not sure why given the raves from everyone. Maybe the linear nature? I really hope the combat isn't super clunky.

1. Graphics wise the game looks absolutely phenomenal. Especially so on the PC. quite a lot of people consider it to be pretty much the best looking thing out there today. And it's not just brute pretty graphics but great attention to detail and solid artstyle. There are really no competitors to it in this area.
2. A deep mature story and outlook on the world, it's an RPG that takes it's world seriously. What you would call hard fantasy, if one had to compare it to something it would be Game of Thrones in tone. And there is just nothing else out there that does this right now game wise. Dragon Age Origins was kind of it's pale imitation but also the closest alternative, and even that was years ago. There are no black and whites only chades of grey, making everyone seem more flawed yet more human.
   
3. Coming off the second point it's the dialogue, you actually want to listen to it, and need to pay attention. It's not your typical exposition drivel that people so often choose to skip. It's a very important part of the game.
4. Tying even further into the above it's the web of decisions, choices, outcomes and consequences, that follow you throughought the game, and not just stuff done in dialogue but by your active actions. I finished the game 3 times and half a year later somew dude on the forums still managed to  suprise me with a potential outcome I never knew even existed. You are affecting the situation around you, but not in a hamfisted sense like say fable. If you affect the greater word somehow, it is a byproduct not the goal.
   
5. You are not playing a blank slate but a fully fleshed out character with his own backround, friends, morals, way of life and ideals. It's not a save the world story, it's his story about what affects and conerns him. Which again so few more open RPGs do these days. It may seem contradictory to the previous point but the choices you make and paths you take are in his context, they aren't choices just for the sake of choices, which makes them more natural.
6. SCABBARDS!!!!! actual functioning fucking sword scabbards that are directly both part of your armor and actually physically hold your swords inside them, and move about as you do. No more silly floaty weapons 10cm from your back. A true revolution in lifelike RPG design! It fucking blew my miiiiiiiind when I first saw it.
   

@MordeaniisChaos said:

Patrick is so damn slow to learn. 10 hours? It took me 30 minutes to get it down reasonably, and about three fights int he first real area to get good at managing crowds. Nothing else took time to figure out.

You haven't seen many quick looks then i guess, all of them (except probably Vinny) are insanely slow at picking anything up.

I whish this also get's ported to PS3. I want to play this!!!

@patrickklepek You already have mutagen slots, the top two skills in your base skill tree have mutagen slots, you have one of them unlocked already. Hope this helps.

I bought this game day one for PC. I played and completed it way before they patched all the stuff they patched, as well as all of the cool added quests and DLC. It will always hold a special place in my heart because it was the first game I played with my very first super powerful gaming PC. I can't wait to go back in and play the enhanced edition. The Witcher 2 sits right next to RE4 as my favorite game of all time.

Weird that they never brought up the fact that there's basically two almost entirely different Chapter 2's that you can experience based on choices you make at the end of chapter 1, thought it was a pretty big thing when I played it when it first came out.

I've really been enjoying this, even more than I thought that I would.

@Dino_Sousa: Oh god yes please. Not sure if it was just a rumour but heard they would after the 360. I hope it is true I need me some intense rpg.

Also, it really bothers me that the guys keep saying that being called a port implies anything. It doesn't imply that it's a shit quality game just because it's a port. That might be a worry, but it's not at all implied by the term port, which just means to take it over to another system. Yes, ports have a bad history, but I don't like the language. At most you should be cautious about ports, but never assume it's going to be terrible. Especially coming TO consoles, because it's usually easier to invest some capital in making a good console title than it is to do so for PC.

The potion drinking animation was definitely in the PC version of Witcher 2.

Now that's how you port a game, it looks fantastic for a console version.

Patrick went Iorveth. Patrick made the correct choice.

Man so I played through this part of the game yesterday took me like 30 min to find that elven part of town that leads to the catacombs. I agree with Patrick this game needs a better map/ bread crumb trail like Fable games because right now too often I get completely lost. Otherwise fantastic game.