| Author | Review |
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SgtDigglesworth
92,826
TA Score for this game: 1,300
Posted on 22 June 12 at 00:00, Edited on 22 June 12 at 00:29 |
This review has 27 positive votes and 1 negative vote. Please log in to vote. |
Why two swords? Does he lose them often
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings will take gamers on a murky, blood-riddled journey of political intrigue, rich character plot, and sensual endeavours; this only scratches the surface. Originally constructed by CD Projekt Red for the PC, The Witcher 2: Assassins of KIngs Enhanced Edition, being ported to a nearly six year old system, left many people with doubts that it would not be able to hold fort with it's older brother. Will it be able to ascertain the rights of passage for RPG fans on the Xbox 360? Let's find out.
Story
You play as Geralt of Rivia, a genetically enhanced monster slayer trained at The School of the Viper, since a young age to become a Witcher. If you have not played The WItcher, do not fret, as the story progresses, you will become aware of how and why you have come to be. I will not convey too much of the story in order to preserve crucial details regarding the plot.
Following an assassination of King Foltest, you are framed for the murder, at which point the prologue begins, as does your journey, and you start the stages of redeeming your tainted name by searching for the true Kingslayer. Along the way, you will meet plenty of interesting characters, like the trusty bard Dandelion, or your long-time dwarven friend Zoltan, and your trusty love interest and sorceress Triss Merigold.
The story is very immersive and truly allows for players to make definitive choices through out the game that will change the paths you take concerning the rest of your playthrough. Other games allow you to make choices, however in some cases they do not really alter the course of the game. The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, not only has a very thick story, it also has quite a few side-quests that will allow you to become familiar with influential characters, destroy monster nests, or just indulge yourself in quirky random conversations that lead you to having to complete a quick quest like shutting down a corrupt store owner or stealing an alchemy recipe for a shady alchemist; The Witchers goal at most points is Orens (the currency of the land), nothing in the political corrupt land of Temeria is free. If you want to take a break from the story, you can make some quick cash in a dice poker game, arm wrestling, or pit fight against some of the citizens at the local inn. A new feature added to the Xbox 360 version is the Arena Mode, that has you fight wave after wave of increasingly difficult enemies.
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The advantage of having such crucial choices is that it adds to the replay value exponentially. By choosing one path, ultimately shuts-off other parts of the world for the rest of the game. One playthrough, if you try to accomplish everything you can while in certain cities and camps, can take the player on a journey that can last 30+ hours. Combining the two playthroughs, as well as, the two new quests (roughly four hours) you can treat yourself to about 60+ hours; if you add the arena mode then you can tack on a couple more for quite the engaging experience..
Gameplay
This game does not hold your hand by any means. You will face some very difficult situations even at the normal setting which allows you to more fully understand the true nature of Geralts gifts as a Witcher. The controls are incredibly smooth and very easy to adjust to. The real-time menu, slows time for a brief moment allowing you to choose the sword to equip, the sign to choose or accessory, such as trap, dagger, or bomb to thwart your enemies with. Upgrading Geralt, will allow a player to focus primarily on a certain fighting style or you can try and spread your ability points across the four paths; keep in mind that there is a level cap of 35 which will only allow you to aquire 35 upgradable points. You can choose, alchemy, signs, sword-fighting and training; some of these abilities allow for mutagen upgrades which will permantley increase Geralts, health, signs, alchemy, defense, or attack. Each path treats the gamer to upgrades for persay, signs, by increasing total sign damage +3 permanantly, or each individual sign.
Signs:
Geralt uses signs to either trap, burn, add a defensive barrier, or push an enemy. Later he will learn the Heliotrop sign which will allow him to slow-time down for enemies encompassed in the dome he creates. The signs are as follows: Aard, Igni, Yrden, Quen, Axii and Heliotrop.
Alchemy is also a very useful part of Geralts upgradable character path. Utilizing herbs from around the neighboring forests, dungeons or back-alley, Geralt combines them with alchemical crafting diagrams to create poisons or enhnacements for his sword, health/defensive potions that regenerate HP overtime, and many others with varying effects. However, in order for Geralt to brew or digest potions he must meditate, which not only adds a strategic element, but can also prove difficult at times if you are not aware of your surroundings. For example, The Swallow potion, which slowly regenerates health over time, cannot be taken during battle or when in the vicinity of battle, but only before where meditation can be completed. Potions also have toxicity levels, which means at any given time the most you can equip regarding potions, is three, or until you have reached the toxic level.
Geralts main trusty defense are his two sword, which can be crafted and upgraded througout the game. In order to become savvy with the two blades, you must ensure to follow the training and swordsmanship path. By upgrading those paths you will open up the ability to deflect arrows back at your enemy, riposte or engage a group finisher for example.
The only issue I truly encountered within The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings, was the mini-map. It is understandable that at points you must discover the locations yourself, however, the mini-map can, at points, have you turning in circles and lost for direction; creating a general frustration. The camera has been updated since the PC version, and is incredibly appealing in battle or just walking around, yet, the mini-map and world map could have been a little bit more refined or tweaked.
If you enjoy a thoroughly action oriented, smooth, sword fighting, magical experience, The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings will definitely fullfill in the gameplay category.
Graphics/Sound
Many questions surrounded this game's gorgeous animations, landscapes, and graphical integrity in regards to it being ported from the PC. Honestly, I do not beilieve comparing this game to it's predecessor is a fair assesment. Nonetheless, The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings is a well crafted visually stunning experience. The animations in the game are rather fluid with little to no screen tearing. There are no framerate issues, the attention to detail is phenomenol and it truly adds to the players overall experience. Character detail, from scarring to general animation and movement is almost flawless. At points you may face a few pop-ins and thats even with it installed (a total of 15+ gigs to install over two discs), however this does not cause any major issues with the game in general.
The cut scenes are incredibly smooth, load times are painless, and the dialogue scenes are very pleasing to the eye, as it is not robotic while you watch the characters banter back and forth.
The sound in the game is intense and very well orchastrated. Included in the enhanced edition is the soundtrack to the game on a seperate disc which will allow you to further enjoy the solid score. Dialogue is plentiful and relatively not repetitive, as you have many options to choose from, and in certain circusmtances a limited window for a timed response. The voice acting is not marred by the over use of certain voiceovers and never truly feels redundant. The language, like a few of the more sensual scenes in the game, is not for the faint of heart. Filled with an array of explicit and profane language that is incredibly fun at times and reflects the time and era the game is set in with definite purpose. Nobles speak with a general "holier than thou" distain for the lower classes and the layman use every single insult possible to address your character and quite frankly, anyone they encounter.
Considering the quality of some of the RPG's in today's gaming market, The Witcher 2 Assassins of KIngs, will defintely fullfill your visual and listening senses. The game orchastrates sound perfectly and envelopes the player in the story; whether it be fighting nekkers, immersing yourself in conversation, or walking about finding a shop and listening to some disgruntled locals. It is easily one of the best looking and sounding action-RPG's on a console to date.
Achievements
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, is primarily oriented towards story driven achievements, that either require two playthroughs or a few well devised saves. The majority of them are easy enough to get. Some achievements require you to aquire certain items, craft certain items, kill/preserve trolls or destroy monster nests, but they are easy enough with a walkthrough or just by looking up the solution. However, there are trutfully only two achievements that may bother people. One luck based achievement which requires you to roll five of the same dice in a dice poker game, and to beat the game on Dark difficulty, which is another new addition to the Xbox 360 version. These are not deal breakers, as they are attainable, however they can e frustrating, nonetheless.
Overall Impressions
The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition is one solid RPG experience, With a very deep and rich storyline, well crafted upgrade system, intense combat, polished graphics and sound, make for an incredibly immersive gaming journey. Not to mention, when you purchase the Enhanced Edtion (which is standard) you receive the soundtrack, the map of Temeria and a simple guide book. A worthy purchase and a definite rental.
9.5/10 or 4.5 stars
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Golgo28
120,983
TA Score for this game: 1,151
Posted on 22 April 12 at 02:25 |
This review has 27 positive votes and 12 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
The Witcher 2:Assassins of Kings is one of those rare games that truely must be played.As most know this is a port of the PC game.And if you couldn't run it on your computer,now is your chance to play ths wonderful game.This game is based on the work of Andrzej Sapkowski.And any fans of his Witcher short stories or novels,will be pleased to see the game delievers the kind of story they expect.
The story is a masterfuly written dark fantasy.Centering on Geralt of Rivia,who was wrongfuly accused of the king's murder.And his hunt for the real culprit.The game's story will present moments where you must make a choice.This in turn affects the story including the ending.As you play through the story you will be amazed at the depth of the characters.
Some characters you think are evil will show glimpses of their humanity.And some you will see darker sides to their personalities.Leaving you with the knowledge that not everything can be judged by face value.The story deals with political strife,conflict,betrayal and racism.And the way it handles these mature themes,is thoughtful and sincere.Instead of presenting the player with a clear black and white view of things,it gives it to you in shades of grey.
The graphics are beautiful it easily competes with games like Skyrim and Mass Effect 3.The lighting and shadows were superb.And with water effects that are worth stoping just admire.Fire and particle effects were lovely.The attention to detail the developers had really shows just how much effort they put into this game.
The sound quality caould put many hollywood movies to shame.From the sound of swords clashing,roaring fires to water flowing down a stream.Even the musical score make this game easy be drawn into.You will find yourself going to play for an hour,only to find when you do put it down several hours have passed.
The combat is visceral and tactical,requiring the player to learn to effectively use sword,magic,traps and alchemy.Potions have a toxicity value so you must chose wisely before going into battle which ones to use.If you go in thinking this just a normal hack and slash and underestimate your opponents,you will find yourself dieing often.
Of course since I have to mention the achievements.For the most part they are unlocked as you play through the game.Though some will require multiple playthroughs It rarely feels like a chore.There a few that are tied to playing the arena mode.But if you have gained a good grasp of the combat they can be earned easily.
In the end if you're looking for a mature story,exciting combat and beautiful graphics.This game is the right choice for you.Never does this game leave you feeling cheated.It's worth the 60 dollar price,which is more then can be said about many other games.
The witcher 2:Assassins of Kings gets 5 out of 5 stars.
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Slackerchan
178,929
TA Score for this game: 937
Posted on 08 May 12 at 20:01 |
This review has 14 positive votes and 3 negative votes. Please log in to vote. |
Plenty of innovation in the gaming industry comes from Japan and North America. While these developers continue to push boundaries and reshape the landscape of our beloved medium, more often than not it seems that our European colleagues are forced to take a back seat thanks to incredibly large marketing campaigns and press demonstrations that simply can’t be afforded by anyone not being published by the likes of EA, Ubisoft or any of other large houses. One brand that thankfully has pierced this veil has been The Witcher, a series based on Polish fantasy novel series. CD Projekt RED, the developer behind the video game adaptations, released the first two games on PC this generation. Prior to their announcement of The Witcher 3 though the team has chosen to release an updated version of the second game, Assassins of Kings, and port it to the Xbox 360, the team’s first home console project.
Assassins of Kings received rave reviews when it was released last year but, a year later and on a brand new platform, does The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition find itself well adapted to gamers with inadequate PCs?
The Second Coming of the White Wolf
Based on the novel series started by Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski in the 90s, the universe of The Witcher takes place on what is simply known as The Continent. Dominated by humans who relegate all other species to the status of being second class citizens, the land is primarily divided into two major regions: the ever-growing Nilfgaardian Empire in the south and the divided Northern Kingdoms. In a world of Elves, Dwarves, Trolls and all manner of magic folk, the citizens of this world live in constant threat of the monsters and evil creatures that lurk in the shadows. Where a brigade of soldiers or a powerful mage fail there are those amongst us who border on being monsters themselves, ones whose abilities and powers bridge the gap between mage and warrior. These rare beings are known as witchers.
Once human, witchers are mutated at a young age and given supernatural abilities allowing them to see in the dark and exercise limited amounts of magic. These mercenaries are both hated and yet a necessity to quell the threat of the monsters of the world and few are more famous than Geralt of Rivia, the series’ protagonist. Several months prior, Geralt had served and saved King Foltest of the Northern Kingdom of Tameria from an assassin. Grateful, Foltest employs Geralt as a bodyguard.
At the start of Assassins of Kings, Geralt is imprisoned in the dungeon of La Valette castle, a fortress King Foltest had laid siege to in an attempt to quell a rebellion. Geralt recounts his story to fellow brother in arms Vernon Roche who reveals that, on the cusp of victory, Foltest was murdered by a witcher assassin who escaped just in time to frame Geralt for the crime. Believing him, Roche aids Geralt in escaping the castle and, with the aid of sorceress Triss Marigold, the trio set out to find the assassin and bring light to this sinister conspiracy.
Like most large RPG releases on the market today, The Witcher 2 makes a point of giving the player choices, both minor and major, that shape the plot. Some might be as small and simple as creating a trap that later aids in a boss fight. Others, such as one major one you have to make in the first chapter, can change the course of the rest of the game and have severe end-game consequences. Unlike other titles however these choices feel a bit more personal and direct in terms of action and result, making these moments feel far more important than in a game like Mass Effect.
Probably the most intriguing part of the choices present to the player is the nature of them. Most RPGs tend to employ a morality system and weave these choices in to present a plot that diverges based on good/evil decisions. The Witcher 2 doesn’t utilize this gameplay structure however, instead opting for a design which has mostly morally gray ones. More often than not there is no right or wrong decision to be made in the game and, despite some of them resulting in dire, world altering moments, CD Projekt RED’s focus on Geralt’s story rather than trying to deliberately change the world as a whole makes for a far more interesting and wondrous experience.
One issue I could not help finding myself at odds with though was just how much The Witcher 2 makes mention of the previous game’s story. As a newcomer to the Witcher universe as well as a console player I became quite confused at most of the instances that discussed the events of the first game. Had The Witcher been released on consoles as well I’d be more inclined to dismiss this as Xbox 360 owners would have the option to play it but, given the previous game’s platform exclusivity and the lack of inclusion of a preamble explaining who Geralt is and what his previous exploits encompassed, it results in quite a bit of player confusion. Assassins of Kings instead does little more than continue the plot set up in the first game and forces the player to learn about people and things like the Grand Master and the Golden Dragon on their own in the game’s quest codex. The information provided is ample but, for a game that puts such a strong emphasis on story, it doesn’t provide much context for newcomers.
Despite this, The Witcher 2 delivers a strong narrative that will keep you wanting to play far later into the evening than you should. With a strong story and side quests you can find yourself putting in well over forty hours in a single playthrough. Couple this with branching story paths and multiple endings and the result is a game that almost demands being played through twice if not more. You’ll come away satisfied with the story and quite excited for the prospects of The Witcher 3.
The Butcher of Blaviken
Despite having been born and raised on the PC, The Witcher 2’s Xbox 360 port makes the game almost feels like it is better suited for a controller than a mouse and keyboard. Some PC quirks such as the lack of procedural movement for analog sticks and more mouse friendly menus unfortunately do make the transition to the console but, for the most part, it is a fine translation. The arrangement of the buttons fits most of the appropriate actions taken normally in the game and they flow quite well so you should find yourself getting the hang of most of the in-game actions within at least the first hour or so.
Combat in The Witcher 2 is an exercise in patience and is certainly difficult to master. Despite the controls being fairly adaptable, the gameplay forces the player to focus almost entirely on playing defense. Geralt does regenerate health over time but it takes a decidedly long time to regain it, lasting well past your most recent battle. Players will not find anything resembling a standard health item for instant regeneration either so dodging and blocking the attacks of your enemies is an absolute necessity. Unlike other hack-n-slash games you’ll find yourself staring at the ‘game over’ screen more often than you’d like even on normal. It isn’t nearly as difficult and repetitive a games as the likes of Dark Souls but it can still be quite difficult at times. Several enemies in particular can be especially heinous in just how punishing they can be so take some advice from me: save, and save often.
As a witcher, Geralt is forced to face enemies both sentient and not but, unfortunately, his variety of weapons doesn’t allow for much variety in combat. Players can equip two primary weapons at any given time, one dedicated for human and elven combat while keeping a default silver sword for fighting monsters. Players can trade out their normal sword for an axe, club and other items but, more often than not, the game will hand you a new sword to use. Shields cannot be equipped, nor can items like spears and halberds despite many of your opponents using them. Geralt may be a professional monster hunter but, despite definitely having the skill to take on the task, CD Projekt seems intent on keeping his weapons focused on blades and not much else.
To augment Geralt’s paltry weapon selection though our main character has access to magic spells known as Signs. Players have immediate access to all five signs in the game upon startup with a sixth being unlockable provided the player does some strong character leveling. Each of these abilities have distinct advantages and disadvantages but you will find yourself falling back on one in particular for the majority of the game: Quen, a spell that protects you from a certain amount of damage, is easily the game’s biggest combat-related crutch. Signs are definitely helpful in being forced to take on multiple opponents and since you magic quota regenerates considerably faster than your vitality, you can easily find yourself using several different spells multiple times during a conflict.
Pursuers of the Wild Hunt
CD Projekt RED’s initial launch of The Witcher 2 last year yielded a phenomenal graphics powerhouse of a game, stunning gamers in a way not really done on the PC since Crysis. I’m happy to report that the transition to the Xbox 360 has yielded minimal issues and compromises. Throughout many parts of the game you might find yourself a bit stunned as to the presentation brought forth, the first chapter of the game in particular showing off a fantastic looking forest. The nature of these graphically beautiful worlds does a great job of disguising just how compact each hub area in the game actually is, though it is a bit disappointing once you can see through the facade. Character models look great, dialog syncing is spot on and, aside from the occasional facial mocap bug, every character emotes in a believable manner.
The audio portion of the game’s presentation is probably one of this year’s best 5.1 surround sound mixes. Standing in the middle of the forest outside Flotsam you’ll hear birds singing, the creaking of trees, the distant howls of enemies; all of it presenting itself in a wonderful, almost symphonic presentation that gives you the feeling that you really are in this ancient, untamed environment. Character voices and very well done and the actor’s presentations really give the player a sense of just how conflicted society is in The Witcher series. The only downside to the acting you’ll find is in the form of Geralt himself as, for a majority of the game, he seems quite monotone and unexcited. Hopefully this will change with The Witcher 3 but, as this game stands, Geralt doesn’t seem nearly as emotionally invested in the story he finds himself in, especially so given how much of a journey his character undergoes in the series.
As the Enhanced Edition stands, Assassins of Kings yields a fantastic demonstration of what this generation’s consoles are still capable of despite being nearly seven years old.
The Dragonslayer
I’ve made it clear in the past that I’m just not a fan of traditional fantasy titles. Elves, Orcs, Dwarves: if your game has them and a traditional fantasy narrative chances are that I’m not going to be interested. The Witcher 2, on the other hand, tickles my fancy by incorporating one of the more mature, well thought approaches to a story seen this generation. Series like Lord of the Rings allow for an epic journey yes, but The Witcher 2’s approach allows you to shape a fantasy story in ways that I can’t recall having been done in the genre before. The game’s relationships feel real, the power of Geralt of Rivia is satisfying and your influence on the world is fantastically strong. While the lack of information for console-only players about Geralt’s previous adventure is regrettable, the series’ future is very bright.
Assassins of Kings’ Enhanced Edition is not only a great game, it’s also a great port to consoles. For gamers who love a good story and a fantastical, interesting narrative, you can’t afford to ignore The Witcher.
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