• Review: The Witcher 2: Assassin Of Kings

    by
    Judecca
    Published on 09-04-2011 01:01 PM
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    The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings

    Developer: CD Projekt RED
    Publisher: Atari
    Platform: PC
    Genre: Western Role Playing Game
    Rating: Mature
    Release Date: May 17, 2011

    Since the first game I took a liking to Geralt the wise cracking poon hound. Back then the game play was a nostalgic throwback to the good ole click to attack days that were all the rage amongst MMO and dungeon crawl players. It's nice to see that the newest installment strayed away from that.

    Presentation
    You begin with a synopsis of what happened after the end of the first game followed by our wounded hero feverishly running through the forest like some low budget black metal music video. Geralt finds himself thrust into the King's inner circle serving as a royal wild card for when crap hits the fan. Geralt being just a sword for hire, who just wants to kill monsters, takes his new place with great relish… or apathy if you want to be so hung up on the details.

    Your first taste of the game puts you in a prison cell, with some of the guards administering their own brand of hospitality with their fists. Geralt is then interrogated by the crowns head of special forces as a suspect in the assassination of the late King Foltest. After convincing him that you didn't do it you are given a chance to escape and clear your name by finding the real killer. Who you decide to help or betray determines whose side you wind up on. Feel free to be as much of a duplicitous bastard as you can be. For most of the NPC's are too caught up in their own politicking and intrigue to pay you any mind, much like real life.

    Graphics
    The Witcher 2 looks absolutely stunning. First time I played it was on my laptop with low settings and even then it still looked great. Even if your graphics card is incapable of running it on high settings just the sheer amount of stuff they crammed into the environments is incredible. From the various colorful floras to the badges and emblems on King Foltest’s armor nothing was left out. On my second play through I ran it on a beefy graphics card at max settings on my humble 1680x1050 television and the experience was vastly improved. The amount of vibrant colors and lighting effects made the game feel alive. My favorite is the lighting effects, particularly how the sunlight reflects off your swords and some of your shiny accoutrements. The way the faces were rendered with that unique wrinkling you see in different peoples faces (particularly King Foltest) is a nice touch too. When I do my quest runs I often find myself stopping just to check the scenery as if I was hiking through the forest. I am not exaggerating, it's that damn good.

    Sound/Music
    Sound effects are smooth and sharp. Unsheathing your sword has that familiar ring we all know and love. Monsters emit their own respective grunts, growls, and death howls. It's a shame that I don’t have a nice sound card installed on my motherboard. No doubt the experience would have been magnified. Even so just hearing an enemy’s last gasp as you lay your blade into them is something that only a closet serial killer can fully appreciate. It's hard to judge the music seeing that the musical score might have been taken from those movies with that guy who directed Gladiator, what with all the primitive female chants and such. I won't pretend to know who that is just because I managed to IMDb it. The same track is played whenever you are in combat. As good as the music sets the tone for battle, after so many encounters it just wears thin. Luckily some of the boss fights have a little ditty here and there.

    Gameplay
    As if moral ambiguity wasn't enough, the in-game tutorials and instruction booklet are just as shadowy and cryptic. For the longest time I was unable to figure out how to put skill points into my abilities. I had to peruse the forums until I found a completely off hand comment that mentioned how to do it. Turns out you have to meditate, ok. But the instruction booklet doesn't tell you how to meditate it just expects you to find out. In the very beginning of the game it mentioned something about finding game tutorials using your journal but I overlooked that pop-up cause I was too busy trying to get a feel for Geralt's controls. Even the wording in the quest log is off. In one quest you’re instructed to use “Beehive” bombs which don’t even exist because they are actually called Grapeshot bombs. Frustrating experiences like these are probably enough to discourage people who are on the fence about playing The Witcher 2.

    You'd have to be a masochist in order to enjoy combat in this game for you will die and die so many times. Then again, I did start the game off in hard mode. Unlike most action RPG's where you are able to play the role of a great swashbuckling hero capable of wading into a throng of foes this game opts to take the Metal Gear approach. If you allow yourself to be surrounded by enemies you will be cut down faster than a purse wearing nancy boy who just walked into a Rodney Dangerfield impersonator convention. Because of this, combat tends to play out like an overly used Benny Hill sequence. Enemies chase you and you pick off stragglers one by one till there is just one or two baddies left to finish off comfortably without having to worry about three enemies swinging at you every time you attack someone.

    Without potions a witcher is only half a witcher. In the first game you were able to ingest potions even while in combat. The second game expects you to have the foresight to ingest potions ahead of time before entering a forest filled with randomly spawning enemies or a spontaneous encounter with a boss. This shift was done as an effort to be truer to the novels where Geralt used potions strategically and in preparation for missions. This is a videogame not a TV series or movie adaptation. There's no need to cling to artistic integrity like a pretentious beret sporting self-absorbed snob who has the nerve to call you stupid for not understanding why the red dot he put on his canvas is art. All this does is just slow down game play and annoy players. Then again that's what saving and loading is for.

    The real fun in combat is watching how your choice of skills plays out. Despite there being only three main skill trees to choose from your choices completely alter your playing style. A refreshing change from most games where skills only serve as just an alternate way of dealing damage. Placing points in the alchemy skill tree improves potions, bombs, traps, and oils. You can actually coat your blade in specific types of oils to increase it's effectiveness against certain types of enemies. Luring enemies into your carefully set traps and flinging a wide array of colorful bombs is enough to sate that repressed inner Unabomber of yours. The sword skill tree is for players looking for a more direct approach to combat while the Sign skill tree help complement your bombs and traps with simple yet handy spells. It's a shame that whipping out your skills in the heat of battle can be awkward most of the time. Fortunately you can slow the game down so you can select your weapons and skills comfortably is mid combat, which is great for those of us who are all thumbs when it comes to using hotkeys.

    The less visceral aspect of the game’s “click to advance the story” options was always one of the selling points to The Witcher and this new title still retains close to the same level of choices. I remember the first game having more to offer in this department. One of the central themes is that there is no “good or evil” just decisions and consequences. More often than not you are presented with different paths that have no better discernible outcome than the other. All you can do is trust your gut, take the plunge, and hope you made the right choice, just like real life. If the game only had one thing going for it, it would certainly be this. Watching the story unfold is an experience much like viewing that harrowing Sunday night thriller TV series that you look forward to all week.There are also plenty of colorful curses to be heard from the local townsfolk as you see them go about their NPC ridden lives. After hearing the word plough so many times it will grow to become your new favorite curse. Speaking of plowing there are also many “encounters” to be had. In both the first Witcher and the second one, sexual encounters were somewhat of the game’s signature mark but not something the game revolves around. I do miss the “trading cards” that the first game gave you whenever you made a new conquest though. If such a thing existed in our world it would add another element to the boasts men make about the women they “slayed.”

    Lasting Appeal
    After getting hazed by the punishing combat the game started to show its' good side. My second play through I found to be more enjoyable than my first. Trying a different character build with a whole new approach to combat is half the reason to click on the new game option. The other is obviously to see who else you can double cross and the consequences thereof. These days multiplayer is expected to be at least awkwardly crowbared into every game released. You would think that not having multiplayer would ruin its replay value. WRPG enthusiasts will not be disappointed since this is the sort of game that caters to their taste. Fallout, Mass Effect, and Dragon Age present players with new venues to explore on subsequent play throughs. The Witcher 2 offers the same brand of replay value but instead of just trying to unlock a different set of quests or dialogue options you unlock a whole new perspective.

    Conclusion
    The amount of care and dedication that was placed in this game is palpable. You know you are playing a good game if it is able to suck you in and make you forget it's not real. In the original novels from Andrzej Sapkowski and both pc games you get the impression that The Witcher was made to be believable. While crawling through dungeons the realization that it's just you all alone in the dark with no one else to rely on is unnerving. Instead of wooden characters with contrived dialogue from a clichéd D&D or World of Warcraft campaigns you get genuine characters that drink with you, make foul jokes, and play dice. Funny thing is I'm a sci-fi buff. Swords and sorcery are fine and all but they were never enough to hold my interest. Yet this little world is able to defy my bias against traditional fantasy. Most importantly our hero is just as likable. Maybe it's his cynical sense of humor or that blue collar demeanor of his that he brings into his quests and character interactions. Geralt is the sort of hero who if you met he would knock out a beer with you, as well as share a colorful joke or curse he heard from a dwarf and tell you how much his job sucks. Despite the combat taking a while to rev up, this is the real reason to play this game.

    Score:
    9.0/10

  • Review Scale

    Score 10- Flawless Victory: A score not handed out to every game. Games earning this rare score sit at the very pinnacle of excellence. These games act as the examples for which all others should be measured with. They are instant classics from the beginning. These games not only deliver what was expected of it, but also exceed the player’s expectations. The game’s features are innovative and original. No game is without its absolute flaws, but the finished product you bring home surpasses the anticipation the game has formed. A day one buy is a must. The game you hold in your hands with this score is a video game jackpot.

    Score 9 - 9.5- Outstanding: Games earning scores such as these absolutely must be played. Games that achieve this high ranking do so because they define the genres that they are in. Flaws are few and barely noticeable. Features seen in the game have been renovated to provide something new and fresh. The story, gameplay, graphics, and lasting appeal are all fantastic and is reason enough to bring the game home and to enjoy with family and friends. Every penny you spend on the game is so worth it.

    Score 8 - 8.5- Great: Any flaw the game may possess is overshadowed by its fun factor. These games would be great for gamers to play. These great games appeal to gamers more and more outside its normal player base because of what it brings to the table.

    Score 7 - 7.5- Good: Flaws do exist in these games, but the positive features of the game can counterbalance the flaws. Additionally, players who are predisposed to liking a game of a particular series or genre with this score should enjoy the game. These are in no way bad games, and much fun can be had with them. An overall good game is worth taking a look at, whether you are willing to buy the game or rent it first. That or you can also wait for the game to reach a good price.

    Score 6 - 6.5- Decent: Games falling into this category may suffer from numerous flaws (for example, graphics or gameplay), but are still worth playing. Granted, the player should be aware that a game with these scores may not guarantee them full satisfaction.

    Score 5 - 5.5- Average: An average game is one in which a game’s features are neither good nor completely terrible. Instead, the finished product is manageable. Little has been done to hold the player’s interest. If anything, rent this game before you consider buying it so that you can at least get a feel for the game’s overall experience.

    Score 4 - 4.5- Poor: Games falling into this category may only keep gamers entertained for a short while. While the game may seem enjoyable for moments at a time, it can quickly grow old and may never be revisited again. The game’s overall function is lacking in quality and may not hold the player’s attention for long. The game leaves little or nothing else to return back to.

    Score 3 - 3.5- Bad: If any positive qualities about a game in this category exist, it is not enough to redeem the game for its shortcomings. Sure you may find yourself playing it, but for how long? You will wind up not giving the game a second glance.

    Score 2 - 2.5- Horrible: Games such as these may not be totally unplayable, they nearly are. Additionally, they may lack, or greatly suffer in, the fundamental functionality of the software as a whole. The game simply does not come close to meeting industry standards at the time of its release.

    Score 1 - 1.5- Appalling: Gamers should avoid this game at all costs. The game was clearly not ready to make its way to store shelves in its status. Save your money and find something else. See it in the bargain bin? No! Stay away! Keep moving and look for something else.