PC Gamings Finest Hour.
It's really sad to see the PC game market slowly sliding into the gameless void that it is in because I really believe it is where true innovation can thrive. (Don't get me wrong I love my 360 like a child). When I bought this game last year I was really intrigued by its claims of a dark tone and morally gray choices so I picked it up.
Well I started playing it before the Enhanced Edition was released or even talked about. The bugs and crazy long load times at first did not deter me but eventually it stopped me from completing the main quest not to far into the game and I put it to the side for awhile. After I built a new computer I heard about the Enhanced Edition, at first I was sure that CD Projekt would charge for this, but no it was a Huge bundle of awesomeness for free with tons of line rewriting and bug fixes. Needless to say it made the game much more playable and enjoyable and because it was free I judge the game entirely by its Post EE condition.
The game revolves around Geralt of Rivia the White Wolf, a famous monster hunter who are referred to as Witchers. Geralt is found in a field at the start of the game after being missing for several years, he has no memory of his past but he doesn't have much time to dwell on this before the castle he was escorted to with his fellow Witchers is attacked. For rest of the game you control Geralt in his quest to discover the mystery behind the Salamandra, a band of bandits whose influence runs deeper then anyone could imagine, and a quest to rediscover who he is. Now this rediscovering of Geralt's past could have been handled with very little imagination just throwing lines of dialogue TELLING you how Geralt is and was. But instead you get to recraft Geralt, every choice you make on major and even some small points will direct the character in different ways not to mention how the world around you reacts towards these desicions.
Now most would classify this game as an action RPG which it is but at times it really does feel like an adventure game, the investigation elements and fantastic characterization drive the game forward and make you Really want to know what the hell is going on.
The graphics in this game are really top notch, the locations are interesting an varied, from the citys, swamps, rural country and more and all just Scream atmosphere. Now I gave this game 5 Stars but that does not mean its perfect I mention this now because even though the game is really pretty when it comes to the other characters there are Alot of repeat characters, now to CD Projekts credit they helped with this a bit with a random character generator but this really only effects characters in citys, its still a little Odd to talk to Angus the drug dealer then kill seven of his clones in the outskirts of town. But its still all so good that its only a small blemish on this fantastic game.
The sound design is again Screaming with atmosphere, if you get this game do this, get some 5.1 turn it all the way up and go out to the swamp at night and just walk around, like I said Atmosphere assualt in your ears!
To sum up this game is great and if you like action games with swords and magic get this game, if you like games that acutally make you think a little bit about what to do get this game, if you like RPGs with good characters and fantastic story telling Get This Game. 5 Stars no PC gamer should be without it!
