The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
CD Projekt RED has brought their acclaimed PC RPG series, The Witcher, based off of the Polish fantasy books from the 1990’s, to the XBox 360 with their latest installment: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. This marks the first time that many gamers will get the chance to meet the titular character Geralt of Rivia, and the game spares little time in getting the player introduced to his world. My gut reaction to the game is to say “It’s like a Bioware game, but...” this would however be a simple comparison. It is important to note the Bioware influence on the game as its predecessor, The Witcher (PC/Mac) was built on a modified version of the Aurora engine that Bioware built for their game Neverwinter Nights. I bring this up only to mark how much The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has changed from its predecessor. It is now on CD Projekt RED’s own RED Engine, and it is a fantastic piece of technology. The game looks absolutely stunning, and it matches its visuals by creating a world that feels vibrant and alive. The rich fiction of the world allows for an immersive story, even if it can leave some players in the dust if they are unfamiliar with the previous games or novels.
The game starts with a quick recap of events between the last Witcher game and this one. Geralt has been accused of murdering King Foltest, and as an effect is rotting in a jail. After escaping, he sets out to identify the killer and clear his name. Along the way he also tries to recover his memory, which was lost at the beginning of the last game. The story that follows is a mixture of detective, supernatural and fantasy epic. The characters and story are well written, and reflect positively on the world that they inhabit. The player has to make choices that affect the story in meaningful ways, giving plenty of reason to replay the game to see how things could have turned out if they made different choices.
The only problem with the story comes from one of its greatest strengths, however. If a player is unfamiliar with the fiction leading up to playing the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, which is a possibility considering that this is the first game on this platform, then they may well be lost. Little of the previous game and fiction are explained, though they are referenced heavily. This won’t ruin the story, however, and before going and playing the first Witcher game, I would still recommend starting with The Witcher 2. It showcases the world and characters the best, and is a great way to learn about the character. It just would have been better if they could have found a way to convey a lot of that information to the player, it is advisable to have a look at any extra information that is provided outside of the main story line.
The story is generally revealed to the player through it's quests. Like any RPG worth its salt this includes side-quests, which, in this case, have rich stories and a lives of their own. Even simple side-quests, killing a certain amount of enemies for instance, are more complex than the average side-quest found in many RPGs. Others will be even more in depth than that, requiring the player to solve mysteries and hold conversations. These side-quests will interweave with the main story, making everything the player does in the game feel important. This also has its drawbacks, for when you are in an area and progress through the main story events may occur that will stop you from continuing through the story, which happened to me a couple of times. The full game comes with a guide included, which details how certain scenes might play out and, presumably, gives hints on how to play through the game. The copy that I reviewed did not have this, so I cannot speak to how well this device would have worked.
The combat itself could be overwhelming for many players, however I enjoyed it. I found its use of preparation and strategy to be fun and challenging, and on the 360 controller I thought it played well. It can be a little finicky and complicated at times, but the tutorial that the developers added for the 360 version of the game helped in making it easier to understand. It has better action than its predecessor, and spells and items are easier to use. The effect is an Action RPG where the RPG elements feel seriously tied to its action analog. Instead of choosing stances to swing your sword with, you use different buttons, making the decisions you have to make quicker and easier to understand.
Which leads me to how I would best sum up my impressions of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. It’s easier to digest, easier to get into than the first Witcher game. Inevitably by the end you’ll gain a broad understanding of the character, world and story of this great franchise. Before going back and playing the previous game or reading the books that have been translated into English, start with this game. The story and characters are a guaranteed to at least entertain you, if not draw you in get you genuinely invested. If you care about getting a perfect game, completing every quest and making sure the story goes the way you want, then you have a guide included with the game that will help you do that. However, I actually enjoyed the game without it. I was fine with making choices, and seeing their consequences even if they don’t play out the way that I expect. As I said, the way that the story branches will only make you want to go back to it in order to see how things might have played out if you had made different choices.
With re-playability, an enticing story, and only a few minor flaws, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings for XBox 360 is hardly a game that should be missed, especially if you missed it on it’s first go around on PC.
