Carve Out Your Own Path In The Witcher 2

Best part is the censoring in the subtitles.

Stuff I would add to the Enhanced PC edition or the future console version:

1. Strafing and backing away during combat (i.e., 3d Zelda style or Demon's/Dark Souls style).

2. Analog movement controls (in the PC version, thumbstick acts like WASD keys).

@Brewmaster_Andy: Witcher 1 starts out REALLY bad, but it's incredible by the end of the game. I'd say it's a huge disservice to not play the first one.

@skunkdragon: Indeed. Very happy that the developer is taking steps to make sure it's optimized for the console.

The Witcher 2 is the RPG that all current RPG developers should take inspiration from.

@Impossibilium:

I sort of agree with you a bit in that a morality system would have added interesting restrictions to Skyrim however comparing The Witcher 2 to Skyrim is a bit of an odd choice as they are such disperate styles of narrative.

The point of Bethesda's Games especially Skyrim are to create a world and sense of place for you to tell your own stories in. The Witcher games are based around making choices within a narrative that affect the story that is being told.

Personally I love both games but they are not the same thing by any means and attempting to play Skyrim to see all the content with a single character is [while perfectly feasible] sort of missing the point. Personally I like to create multiple playthroughs in Skyrim and role play my way through my own narrative within the world. Telling a story through my actions. I can imagine that attempting to "complete" a Bethesda game or treat it like a dictated narrative would reduce the quality of my experience significantly.

The Witcher however is a branching linear narrative, which is great in a completely different way. I love the complexity of story and the depth of character that can come about in this style of game and the diversity in story telling that can be created in a story that branches based on choices is... brilliant. This is hampered by "Morality" systems in Mass Effect and its nice to see that replaced by a "Consequence" system instead in The Witcher games.

So yeah I can see where you are coming from but I do think that not having a "morality" system allows The Witcher to have that more mature approach to narrative that it does so well. I also find it reassuring that at least one developer has realised that creating a narrative where actions lead to consequences rather than being judged by some kind of arbitrary Karmic sense of right and wrong can create a far more compelling story. Hopefully we will see developers like Bioware catching on and moving away from "morality" systems and finding better ways to tell stories.

Ps. I'm not having a go at Bioware in any way I really like their work and they are pushing the boundaries of the medium in other ways with games like Mass Effect 2 which was spectacular... but thats another topic entirely.

@Cramjomlin: I hav'nt played it either dude my pc not up to spec. Check out this dudeshttp://www.twitch.tv/luzarius channel I watched it one night and was hooked. Very excited for Witcher 2 on 360

I bought this game for pc based on the strength of the opening cinematic they produced for the 360 version. Its really amazing to play. True consequences for choices you make.

Anybody notice that the paragon/renegade bullshit in mass effect doesnt actually do anything. Nothing at all. Everything in the witcher 2 seems to be shades of grey and its truly something i can get behind and enjoy.

Anybody know if it's really necessary to play through the original Witcher in order to get the full story?

I love listening to dudes speak eastern european languages :]

amused at them choosing to bleep out "pissed".

I like the lack of any karma system in this game. I've always felt that those were silly.

I love listening to dudes speak eastern european languages :]

amused at them choosing to bleep out "pissed".

I like the lack of any karma system in this game. I've always felt that those were silly.

@Brewmaster_Andy said:

I have been really wanting to check out this game, but I haven't played through the first game. I have it on PC but don't really like the control scheme on that platform. If I were to bypass the first game and just skip right to this one when it hits for X360, would I be insanely confused or will most everything make sense to me?

I did the same thing you did as far as Witcher 1, buying it via a Steam sale and never playing more than a couple of hours. Admittedly I'm still confused about what really transpired in the first game, though you're given enough hints to get an idea without having to go back. But man, playing Witcher 2 with a 360 controller on PC was worth the few minutes of confusion.

can't wait to play :D

I have been really wanting to check out this game, but I haven't played through the first game. I have it on PC but don't really like the control scheme on that platform. If I were to bypass the first game and just skip right to this one when it hits for X360, would I be insanely confused or will most everything make sense to me?

Witcher 2, amazing game.

That censor beep made me shit my pants.

@Lazyaza said:

As someone who only just started playing Witcher 2 on PC omg is this game fantastic, can't believe I waited so long to check it out. It's like the game I wanted DA2 to be and then some. Even the way the story is set up so effing cool.

@VirgilLeadsYou said:

Hasn't this game already been available for awhile?

The PC version yes, this is a trailer for the console version.

i concur, only just started playing on PC and its amazing, just what DA2 should have been

@mewarmo990 said:

Glad to see this coming to consoles. Since market share on the 360 is much bigger than the PC, if The Witcher 2 does well, it could have a positive influence on many other developers' game design in the future. Looking at you, Bioware.

I think what's happening right now at BioWare is that someone from the higher ups is looking at Skyrim sales figures and asking the team, "Can we make an epic RPG with a wide open world and multiple quests like this that will sell near CoD levels? Maybe something with an established fan base."

And the team is just sitting their smiling, sitting on their hand, all the while thinking, "You bastards! The follow-up to Dragon Age: Origins could have been that! But you made us pump out DA2 in a year while adding an Awesome Button!"

@mewarmo990 said:

I wonder if the EE patch will bring anything new to the PC version, or if it will just be the enhancements already made version 2.0?

I don't know the specifics but the Enhanced Edition is again a new set of tweaks and features for the console version including about 4 hours of new content that will be patched in for free on PC if you bought the game before the EE launches.

Glad to see this coming to consoles. Since market share on the 360 is much bigger than the PC, if The Witcher 2 does well, it could have a positive influence on many other developers' game design in the future. Looking at you, Bioware.

I wonder if the EE patch will bring anything new to the PC version, or if it will just be the enhancements already made version 2.0?

I find it amusing that they censored the word "pissed," yet The Witcher 2 is rated M for mature. Hm. The overly loud and obnoxious bleep was more offensive than the actual word.

Can't wait to play it! I'm working my way through the first game and have the second one installed and ready to go. Great Polish voice acting in that game!

@Anathem: Was eating dinner while watching this, looked down for a second to fork a piece of food and....BLEEEEEP!! Needless to say, it made me jump too.

@VirgilLeadsYou said:

Hasn't this game already been available for awhile?

Only on the PC. Now it has a cover system and Gears of War DLC skins.

Ok, not really (well, not that I know of). But yes, this is the same game that's been out on the PC for like a year

As someone who only just started playing Witcher 2 on PC omg is this game fantastic, can't believe I waited so long to check it out. It's like the game I wanted DA2 to be and then some. Even the way the story is set up so effing cool.

@VirgilLeadsYou said:

Hasn't this game already been available for awhile?

The PC version yes, this is a trailer for the console version.

*Shakes laptop* 
 
Y U NO BE BETTER?!

Hasn't this game already been available for awhile?

I hope this does well too because I really want to see more games from them.

I hope this game does well on the 360. I own it on the PC, but I'm buying the 360 version too.

 @Anathem said:

Holy shit, that censorship bleep made me jump.

Yeeks, that censor beep was incredibly loud.

I couldn't get the disk to install on my PC version. I was initially pissed at CD Projekt, but I was able to get all my money back in the form of store credit, so I have no problem going with the console version now.

Holy shit, that censorship bleep made me jump.

I wish this game would run better on my MacBook (w/ boot camp) :(

wow that choice is impressive, how they skip a whole town!

I keep meaning to get back to this but then they keep announcing future additions so I keep waiting.  That said it doesn't help that I'm not very prompt when it comes to finishing games, only just this week did I start back playing Final Fantasy 12, it's a pretty hard game to get into again when all you can remember is "I'm Captain Basch from Dalmasca!"   

Can't wait for Enhanced Edition on PC.

Mmm... Witchering

Shut up, Perry!

Well fine, I won't then.