So thanks to fellow KVGT member Frank, I have been playing some Witcher 2, despite my computer throwing a tantrum (main fan blew out, currently using a room fan to keep the computer cool). It took a bit to get used to the controls, but whoa this game looks beautiful! Some are actually saying it is the most beautiful game made, although I don’t know if I agree with that.
I will give a warning to anyone out there, this game is very explicit. The Mature rating isn’t a joke! Nudity (done right!…inside joke), swearing, and blood throughout. Joking aside, this stuff doesn’t feel just thrown in there. What I mean is they don’t put nudity in just for nudity sake, it actually fits the scene. Well, okay, the brothel wasn’t an important story arc, but it fit within the setting.
After playing about 2 hours or so (Just reached and explored the first town, early on in Chapter 1), I’m really looking forward to see where it goes from here. The story has been entertaining and makes me want to keep going. As a reference, which I usually read after the fact, I’ve been using Game Pressure’s guide. I recently found this webpage and really like it! It’s not often you see in depth guides to games, besides IGN and they don’t have a whole lot.
Now, a little about the bad of the game. As I mentioned, the control with keyboard and mouse takes a bit to get used to. It lends itself to a controller. It actually seems it was made with the 360 controller in mind, which isn’t surprising since the game was just announced for it at E3 last week! I do like the fact that there are complimenting shortcut keys (that can also be programmed to a controller, which I plan on doing. Something about the appeal of a couch and my 47 inch TV is better than a uncomfortable chair and a 19 inch monitor), such as sheath/un-sheath either of your weapons, cycle through signs (magic) or items. Even better than that, each type of spell (there are 5) has it’s own hotkey.
Fighting can be a chore. This, to me, is the most frustrating part of this game and I haven’t even gotten into any major fights! You have a block and a dodge. The block starts out single direction, meaning if something attacks from the back or side, you still get it, but can be upgraded to block in all directions. You still take damage, although the upgraded tooltip says you shouldn’t. The dodging is basically a roll in whatever direction you’re holding, but EVERYTHING blocks it, including NPC’s (both friendly and foes) making it useless in many situations. I hear once you get further into the 3 1/2 ability trees (one for magic, armor, melee, I believe) and start to specialize, the fighting gets easier, except during the frequent difficulty spikes that plague much of the game.
Even with these problems, it’s a game worth playing for anyone who likes RPG’s. If you don’t have a good enough computer, just wait for the 360 version. Oh, and I never played the first Witcher, which isn’t necessary to play this one, although I wish I had because there is a lot of reference to it. I’m sure I’ll bring more soon, as I’m really starting to get into the meat of the story!