We're all very much familiar with the rocky star Cyberpunk 2077 had when it launched nearly three years ago. Fortunately, CD Projekt Red has been able to turn things around, and the stu??dio wants the game to have a successful evolu?tion going forward.

According to a recent interview with PC Gamer, narrative director for CDPR Igor Sarzyński hopes Cyberpunk will enjoy a "similar evolution" to the Witcher series. By this, they're referring to?? the significant ways each subsequent entry changed for the better.

What that means going forward, we can't be certain. However, with the developer now working on the follow-up to Cyberpunk 2077, the team will no doubt be taking on-board lessons learned for both this and the new Witcher saga that's currently in development.

A mended reputation.

Despite the differences between the two IPs, CD Projekt Red were able to (eventually) pull off a successful RPG in something more futuristic than The Witcher. There were certain?ly new things for the developer to learn, and Sarzyński explains that while some aspects worked "out of the box," others required a bit mo??re work.

Now with all the game elements iterat?ed and working well, we’ll focus on connecting them even tighter and creating a coherent, total immers??ion experience.

With the recent 2.0 patch and Phantom Liberty DLC only improving things further, the game is now in the state that some would argue should have been the case at the start. Either way, CDPR is looking to evolve Cyberpunk 2077 as it moves forward with the franchise.

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Assassin of Brevity

Have you ever been at a party, maybe a little tipsy, and you get trapped in a conversation with a guy who just. will. not. quit. talking. Like, you're long past the point of feeling guilty about not contributing enough. You're over it. He's still yapping away, but you'r?e focused one hundred percent on an escape plan. There's no way to break this off without feeling like a jerk. "Dude, I really gotta piss," you mutter before wandering in the opposite direction.

That inescapable party conversation is the spirit animal of this Witcher 2 breakdown. This video essay goes on for five hours, as YouTuber Joseph Anderson dissects (probably) every single aspect of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. I?? say "probably" because I definitely didn't watch this.

But Anderson isn't producing marathon videos, releasing them into the void, and praying YouTube's algorithm loves it. He already has a very dedicated audience for these videos. His Patreon pulls $6,000/month from about 1,800 supporters. His YouTube ??channel is over a half-million subscribers. People are tuning in and peo??ple are paying.

The Witcher 2 isn't a one-off random topic. Anderson's working his way through all of the games in CD Projekt Red's most popular series. His video on the original Witcher broke two million views and clocked in close to four-and-a-half hours. You can only assume that his inevitable Witcher 3?? video will be the longest and most popular yet.

Sincerely, kudos on the hard work, effort, and dedicat??ion to produce these videos. I get tuckered ou??t after blogging for like 40 minutes. I can't imagine chipping away at a project of this scale.

The post D??o you love The Witcher 2 enough to wat??ch a five-hour video essay? appeared first on Destructoid.

7 days to save 15 dollars

Did you miss the memo that The Witcher is pretty popular right now?

Despite the fact that developer CD Projekt Red has only made three proper Witcher games in nine years, the series lives on through its?? legacy, as well as the recent success of the Netflix?? television series (which is already getting spinoffs).

If you've already devoured Witcher 3 and are looking for more, Witcher 2 is now an option on the Xbox store: where you'll find it for five bucks for the next seven days. As a note, this is the Xbox 360 edition (the game was never fully ported to current system??s), but you can play it on Xbox One: or enjoy the "Xbox One X enhancements." If you're an Xbox Live ??Gold subscriber, you can actually get it for three bucks. 

While a lot of folks fawn over Witcher 2 and 3, I'm still thinking about the original game, which is criminally not available on modern platforms outside of PC. While it's a bit dated it has one of the best storylines to date from CD Projekt Red, with nuanced narratives and a cast of three-dimensional characters. Give i??t a shot if you ever cross its?? path!

The Witcher 2 [Xbox]

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Grab it

Why is The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings free on Xbox 360 in the US? We don't know (CD Projekt Red hasn't updated its Twitter in nearly two weeks)! But you sure can mosey on to the download link and grab it! I just?? tested it, and can confirm it works at the time? of this writing.

I didn't like it nearly as much as The Witcher 3 (it's not even close), but it's probably worth playing if you enjoyed Wild Hunt.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings [Xbox.com]

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Steam has also knocked the price down by 80 percent

With The Witcher 3 not to far off and looking pretty darn impressive, now would be a good time to catch up on the earlier games in the series. Steam has you covered by making both The Witcher and its sequel, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, free this weekend. 

If I were you, I'd head straight to the superior sequel to get a quick Witcher fix this weekend. Whilst both games benefited from generous post-release patches, The Witcher 2 is still the better of the two. If the adventures of Geralt are impressing you, then you can buy both games for 80 percent off until late on Sunday. The Witcher i?s £1.39/$1.99 and the sequel is £2.9??9/$3.99. 

The post You can play The Witcher franchise for free? this weekend appeared first on Destructoid.

An expensive console port almost closed the studio

Eurogamer has an interesting story on the entire history of CD Projekt Red and the development of The Witcher games. One of the more noteworthy things to come out of it is how the studio almost closed before The Witcher 2 happened.

After the first Witcher game came out, Atari pushed the company to port the game to consoles, which CD Projekt Red was hesitant to do since it was using an engine created for PCs. Five months into the porting process, the team realized it didn't have the experience, time, or money to make it work. They pulled the plug, and the studio almost went out of business before serious work started on The Witcher 2 because of the time and mo??ney wasted on the attemp??ted console port.

CD Projekt began its rise to success when it decided to localize Baldur's Gate and release it in Poland, a move which proved to be successful despite the rampant piracy of computer games in the country. They guessed that since the game came on five CDs it would be too expensive to make a profit off fr??om pirating it and selling it, and they were ri??ght. They shipped 18,000 copies on launch day, and that helped propel the studio to where it is today.

After a failed plan to port Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance to the PC, the studio decided to make its own game, which of course was The Witcher. CD Projekt Red was born, and after trying to sell a failed demo of the game it got help from BioWare, which let it use the Neverwinter Nights Aurora engine. 

If you are a fan of The Witcher games, or y?ou just like to read stories about developers, you should check out the full article on Eurogamer.

Seeing Red: The story of CD Projekt [Eurogamer]

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Such a high-energy trailer

The Witcher 2: Assassin's of Kings developer CD Projekt RED has released its REDKit suite of mod tools in open beta as a free download -- you'll just need to own? the game to partake. This has been a long time coming and should result in som??e quality user-made stories.

I always tell myself I'll one day attempt to get into modding, but that desire never pans out in a meaningful way. It does seem that of all the games one could create mods for, The Witcher 2 would be a good choice given its?? toolset. Any experience tinkering with REDKit?

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It's reassuring to hear that the Xbox 360 version of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is skipping past the crowded March?? rel??ease schedule in favor of an April 17th launch in North America.

If you missed out on the original game for any number of reasons, this is increasingly sounding like a worthwhile option given the extras packed in. That said, one look at the attached screenshots and you'll s??ee that the gap in visual fidelity between PC and consoles is wide and only getting wider.

But graphics don't matter to you that much, right?

The post The Witcher 2 headed to Xbox 360 in April appeared first on Destructoid.

After word got out that CD Projekt RED was targeting individuals it believed to have pirated The Witcher 2, the company was met with resistance. Between the supposed 100% accuracy of identifying pirates and the h?igh amount of compensation being demanded, there was certainly reason f?or concern.

Thankfully, the studio values having a positive relationship with its customers and "will immediately cease identifying and conta?cting pirates." Read on for the full statement.

"We’ve heard your concerns, listened to your voices, and we’re?? responding to them. But you need to help us and do your part: don’t be indifferent to piracy. If you see a friend playing an illegal copy of a game -- any game -- tell your friend that they’re undermining the possible success of the developer who created the very game that they are enjoying."

Piracy is a tricky issue, one that tends to garner hyperbolic statements from both sides of the argume??nt. I won't pretend to know all of t??he answers, but I do subscribe to the notion that providing a superior, customer-centric service is the approach to take. DRM and scare tactics aren't sustainable solutions.

An Open Letter to the Gaming Community from CD Projekt RED

In early December, an article was published about a law firm acting on behalf of CD Projekt RED, contacting individuals who had downloaded The Witcher 2 illegally and seeking financial co?mpensation for c??opyright infringement. The news about our decision to combat piracy directly, instead of with DRM, spread quickly and with it came a number of concerns from the community. Repeatedly, gamers just like you have said that our methods might wrongly accuse people who have never violated our copyright and expressed serious concern about our actions.

Being part of a community is a give-and-take process. We only succeed because you have faith in us, and we have worked hard over the years to build up that trust. We were sorry to see that many gamers felt that our actions didn't respect the faith that they have put into CD Projekt RED. Our fans always have been and remain our ?;greatest concern, and we pride ourselves on the fact that you all know that we listen to you and take your opinions to heart. While we are confident that no one who legally owns one of our games has been required to compensate us for copyright infringement, we value our fans, our supporters, and our community too highly to take the chance that we might ever falsely accuse even one individual.

So we've decided th??a??t we will immediately cease identifying and contacting pirates.

Let's make this clear: ??we don't support piracy. It hurts us, the developers. It hurts the industry as a whole. Though we are ??staunch opponents of DRM because we don't believe it has any effect on reducing piracy, we still do not condone copying games illegally. We're doing our part to keep our relationship with you, our gaming audience, a positive one. We've heard your concerns, listened to your voices, and we're responding to them. But you need to help us and do your part: don't be indifferent to piracy. If you see a friend playing an illegal copy of a game--any game--tell your friend that they're undermining the possible success of the developer who created the very game that they are enjoying. Unless you support the developers who make the games you play, unless you pay for those games, we won't be able to produce new excellent titles for you.

Keep on playing,

Marcin Iwinski
co-founder
CD Projekt RED

The post CD Projekt R??ED will stop pursuing Witcher 2 pirates appeared first on Destructoid.

The Witcher 2 developer CD Projeckt RED has, as promised, started going after those individuals it believes have pirated the game??. According to TorrentFreak, thousands of BitTorrent users in Germany are being told by an external law firm to pay €911.80 ($1230).

Speaking to PC Gamer, VP of business development Michal Nowakowski says that "We're addressing only 100% confirmed piracy causes that are 100% possible to prove. We are not worried about tracking the wrong people. As this is the trade secret of the c?ompany working on this, I cannot share it."

Nowakowski wouldn't name the company being used to reach such impluasibly high accuracy, but he did comment ??that "In terms of the compensation, the amounts that were circling around the internet were higher than what is actually asked from people as a settlement."

I hope for the studio's sake they are correct; we wouldn't want them to fight against DRM to avoid causing unintended harm only to turn around and pursue pirates ba??sed on, say, IP addresses while unintentionally targeting the wrong people.

The?? Witcher 2 devs claim 100% accuracy in identifying pirat??es, demand money from thousands [PC Gamer -- Thanks, Henriquegds]

The post The Witcher 2 devs crack?? down on thousands? of pirates appeared first on Destructoid.

According to CD Projekt CEO Marcin Iwinski, optimistic estimations suggest that The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings has been illegal?ly downloaded at?? least 4.5 million times. ;

"I was checking regularly the number of concurrent downloads on torrent aggregating sites, and for the first 6-8 weeks there was around 20-30k people downloading it at the same time," he said. "Let's take 20k as the average and let's take 6 weeks. The game is 14GB, so let's assume that on an average not-too-fast connection it will be 6 hours of download. 6 weeks is 56?? days, which equals to 1344 hours; and with 6h of average download time to get the game it would give us 224 downloads, then let's multiply it by 20k simultaneous downloaders.

"The result is roughly 4.5 million illegal downloads. This is only an estimation, and I would say that's ra??ther on the optimistic side of things; as of today we have sold over 1M legal copies, so having only 4.5-5 illegal copies for each legal one wo??uld be not a bad ratio. The reality is probably way worse."

Despite this, Iwinski is still against DRM and believes in rewarding purchases rather than punishing anybody, which is pretty damn rad. It's just a shame when games that treat customers well are still ripped off like crazy. One day I hope that pirates can at leas??t act a little classier. 

The Witcher 2 pirated 4.5 million times [Videogamer]

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After a few months of legal shenanigans between Witcher 2 dev?eloper CD Projekt RED and distributor Namco Bandai, they've announced that Warner Brothers will be t?aking distribution duties for the Xbox 360 release of the RPG.

The re-release was pushed back into 2012 due to a discrepancy between the two companies, but CDP was glad to have the time to "polish the title to perfection," so it's all good, very good. CDP President Adam Kiciński said that "[They] have added significant enhancements to the Xbox 360 version of ‘The Witcher 2,’ going far beyond simply editing the code to run on a new platform." He goes on to say that their RED engine will make The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings one of the best-looking Xbox 36??0 games to date. 

The post War??ner Brothers handling ??distribution of Witcher 2 on 360 appeared first on Destructoid.

Get ready you silver-haired monster slayers of Temeria, The Witcher 2 version 2.0 is almost here! In preparation for its release on Thursday, ?CD Projekt RED has given up the details on all the features that 2.0 will contain. There will be a number of fixes for a wide assortment of issues ranging from hit detection to character lip-syncing.

On top of all of these fixes, this also features two new game??play modes along with a new set of tutorial missions to help get new players started off on the right foot. The tutorial missions will have Geralt assist a wo??unded knight by the name of Bolton, and will introduce players to combat and alchemy; completion will suggest a suitable difficulty level for the player.

The already announced ??"Dark Mode" and "Arena" will ??offer a different challenge for veteran Witchers.

"Dark Mode" will show players no mercy, in that even the most basic of enemy types will give Geralt a run for his money. In addition, players can also seek out new equipment sets which include the Blasphemer, the Oathbreaker and Kinslayer outfits. While not just keeping Geralt stylish in the latest of Temerian fashion, they can also boost Geralt's Vitali??ty and may just give him the edge he needs to beat back the Dark.

"Arena" will allow?? players to pit their Witcher against a wide variety of opponents in gladiator-style combat. Players can win gold and items, as well as recruit allies for some of the more harrowing challenges this mode has to offer. Leaderboards will also be available for those who wish to compare body cou??nts.

The combat improvements will include:

• Improved targeting system
• Unlimited parrying
• Improved control responsiveness when casting Signs, parrying or attacking
• Geralt's attack cannot be interpreted by enemies
• Enemies kicking Geralt while he is down has been removed
• Issues with weapon-to-target distance animations have been corrected

Other fixes will also include:

• Casting several bombs does not freeze player input
• Aspect ratio setting independent of resolution
• Disk space for patching is reduced
• Loading The Witcher saves no longer crashes your game
• More enemies during Loc Muinne quest
• Visual effect for Adrenaline no longer disappears quickly
• Archers draw swords quicker when Geralt appears
• Mages do not cast shield spells when daggers are thrown at them
• Gameplay is paused during Geralt's finishing move in combat
• Chapter 2 Troll can now be attacked
• Improved dagger casting
• Letho exploit removed
• Insane difficulty game loading issues
• Improved camera control
• Adjustments to Mutagen statistics
• Junk filter working properly
• Corrections to Mini-Map during Chapter 1
• Audio levels throughout the game
• Animation adjustments to characters
• Adjustments to character lip-syncing throughout the game

The post CD Projekt RED reveals what’s in store for Witcher 2 v2.0 appeared first on Destructoid.

Do you love Geralt of Rivia? Do you love stomping through the lands of Temeria, taking on creature and thug with blazing silver and steel? Or do you enjoy chatting up the ladies? Then don't put away your wolf-head just yet, Gerry, The Witcher 2 may yet recei??ve an expansion along with a sequel.

In a recent conversation with Eurogamer, game designer and writer Jan Bartkowicz spoke on the possibility of an expansion for The Witcher 2. "All I can say is we're planning on releasing something. [The Witcher 2.0 is] not the last update for The Witcher 2. That's what I can assure you."

As for the likelihood of a third game, Bartkowicz said: "We still have one big title ahead of us in The Witcher franchise. All I can say is -- outside of when the pre-production starts and finishes -- with the story team we were probably in pre-production for The Witcher 3 during making The Witcher 2."

Nothing official has been confirmed from CD Projekt Red on whether or not they will be releasing an expansion or a sequel, but a port of the PC version will be landing on the Xbox 360 sometime in the first quarter of 2012. The 360 version will include the content that will be releasing as The Witcher 2.0 for PC on September 29.

There will be additional content available to p??urchase for the 360 as well, but lucky PC owners ge?t to have this content for free. Ahh, it's a good time to be a PC gamer.

CDP hints at Witcher 2 expansion, Witcher 3 [Eurogamer]

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Coming soon is the "new and improved" PC version 2.0 of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. At least, that's what this dramatic music video tells?? us. What a positively amazing?? place for this odd bit of news to turn up.

There's going to be more (see: actual) talk of what this version will entail at gamescom this week. Thankfully, we have Maurice in attendance -- he loves the game more than anyone I know. Given how The Witcher went down, thi??s isn't a shocking revelation. Nice to have confirmed, though.

Witcher 2 version 2.0 coming soon [AE Portal via VG247]

The post The Witcher 2 is getting version 2.0 soon, app??arently appeared first on Destructoid.

Patch 1.3 for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a hefty one.

On top of much-needed additions (item storage, better support for aspect ratios, etc.) and fixes to the game, CD Projekt is throwing in the quest "A Sackful of Fluff" for Chapter 2. Also: "Option to fist fight woman praying at a statue in Vergen has been deactivated." Someone finally thought of the children.

I haven't been purposely avoiding The Witcher 2 this w??hole time, but I have managed t?o not play it yet. As these patches add up, this game is going to be increasingly difficult to put off.

Free DLC with Witcher 2 patch 1.3 [Eurogamer]

1. New free DLC - "A Sackful of Fluff" is a new quest in Chapter 2 of the game. To start the quest, visit the eccentric Elthon, who inhabits a solitary hut near the quarry outside Vergen. The quest will prove most rewarding to those who demonstrate patience.
2. Game now supports 4:3, 5:4, 16:10 aspect ratios.
3. Item storage has been added. Players can now store items from their Inventory at inns. To leave items in storage or collect previously stored items, talk to innkeepers.
4. A "Junk" panel has been added to Inventory to provide greater clarity in item classification.
5. New menu option added in "Extras" - enables players to view in-game animated sequences (flashbacks, memory flashes, dreams stolen by harpies) outside of the game.
6. A "Quickload" option has been added under the F9 key.
7. The game's HUD can now be hidden in order to produce HUD-free screenshots! On newly installed game copies, the option to hide/show the HUD is available by default under the 'H' key. Users who have modified the key assignments on their installations should go to the 'Input Settings' dialogue of the Witcher 2 Configuration Tool to assign a key to this option. Please note that the game cannot be played with the HUD hidden.
8. Issue involving the game not running at 2560x1440 resolution has been resolved.
9. Issues with nVidia 3D Vision technology have been resolved. Players no longer need to uninstall the related drivers.
10. Key bindings have been corrected to enable configuration of mouse buttons for use by left-handed players.
11. Assorted key binding options have been added to facilitate configuration of controls and quick access to various in-game panels.
12. Issue related to game settings being reset to defaults upon patch installation has been resolved. Patches no longer reset game settings.
13. The configuration file is no longer over-written when the launcher/configuration tool is patched and over-written.
14. The launcher now closes while the game is being patched, thus eliminating the resulting game patching error.
15. The launcher now closes completely and no longer continues to operate in the background.
16. "Installed game version is invalid or incomplete" error in updater when free space on system drive is insufficient - message has been corrected to reflect more accurately the nature of the error.
17. Mutagens are now alchemy ingredients. Minor mutagens drop more frequently than do major mutagens, though the overall mutagen drop rate has been reduced.
18. Corrections have been made in the mutagen drop rate and in Thorak"s store.
19. "Dragon" section of Prologue does not become available until after all assault-related sections have been completed, thereby softening the difficulty curve at the start of the game.
20. During the fight against the kayran, when the bridge collapses, a map pin appears at the end of the bridge to facilitate player navigation and quest completion.
21. Map pins have been corrected in many quests.
22. Quen Sign slightly de-buffed - Sign dissipates 20% faster after foes land a blow. Assorted minor balance issues related to this Sign have also been resolved.
23. Issue with Dragon"s Dream bombs has been resolved. Damage to bosses from cast daggers has been reduced by onehalf.
24. Several optimization improvements have been made in the tavern in Vergen.
25. Problem with music accompanying "stealth" sequences has been resolved.
26. Issue related to arm wrestling Bart Bargee has been resolved. Players can no longer win coin from this character endlessly.
27. Option to fist fight woman praying at a statue in Vergen has been deactivated.
28. Mini-game contestants at one of the in-game taverns now switch positions correctly without blocking one another.
29. Problem involving Fenn"s sword in combat has been resolved.
30. Problems with herbalist"s gloves have been resolved.
31. In the Prologue, Geralt retains his steel long sword throughout, i.e., he is no longer automatically equipped with his default sword for the "Assault" sequence.
32. Problem with some nekkers being immortal has been resolved.
33. Issue with triggered black screens blocking game progress has been resolved.
34. Interactions no longer appear on nekker nests after these have been destroyed.
35. The "Scent of Incense" quest no longer shows up as failed after being completed successfully.
36. Sudden switch to gameplay just prior to cut scene involving Cynthia and Philippa has been eliminated.
37. Triss, Roche and Iorveth are now de-spawned before the final credits roll.
38. Guard pacing cycles have been corrected.
39. The Redanian messenger in Henselt"s tent can no longer be killed, preventing him from re-spawning.
40. Elf woman in Vergen no longer strikes a T-pose.
41. Rotfiends feeding on corpses no longer re-spawn after corpse is burned.
42. Several fixes have been made in the functioning of in-game populaces.
43. Numerous problems with cameras in dialogue sequences have been resolved.
44. Assorted corrections have been made in dialogue sequences (including King Foltest"s gestures on the town walls in the Prologue).
45. A progression break in the "In the Claws of Madness" quest has been eliminated.

The post The Witcher 2 patch 1.3 includes a new quest appeared first on Destructoid.

Over the last few months, I have started to return to PC gaming -- but it isn't without its flaws, as those who follow me on Twitter are well aware from when I attempted to install The Witcher 2. However, all is not lost for those who do not play PC games or have no desire too: The Witcher 2?? has been announced for the Xbox 360 in time fo??r Christmas 2011. 

In this interview, we talk about the success of The Witcher 2, the continued support and patches, the Xbox 360 release, and what this all means for the future of CD Projekt. I would also like to note that while the majority of gamers got booth babes to stare at while at E3, I got CD Projekt's Marek Ziemak (the tall one), who I would happ?ily interview again and again and ag...wait, what?

The post Intervie?w: Discussing the future with CD Projekt Red appeared first on Destructoid.

The Witcher was an interesting little game, at once strangely compelling and pointlessly tiring. It had serious potential, but the slow pace and backtracking held it back. Still, it was something of a triumph, especially for Polish? game development. 

With The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, CD Projekt Red?? has another chance to prove itself, an opportunity to build upon the promise of the original and deliver somethin??g spectacular. 

Or it could just make most of the same mistakes again while adding some new ones to the mix. The??se things can always go either way.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings (PC)
Developer: CD Projekt RED STUDIO
Publisher: CD Projekt
Released: May 17, 2011
MSRP: $49.99

The Witcher 2, like its predecessor, is certainly a unique game. While it bears all the trappings of a roleplaying game, its twenty-five hours of gameplay are structured more like a linear action games with a smattering of optiona??????????????????????????l material. It's a strange setup, but it's far from the oddest example of design contained within this odd creature. In fact, little about this game makes? much sense, when one considers just how contradictory it is.

The first thing you'll notice with The Witcher 2 is that its combat is utterly ridiculous. Roleplaying games always risk sporting an imbalanced fighting system that sees a game get easier as the player leve??ls up, but nowhere has this problem been more prevalent than here. Geralt of Rivia, the titular Witcher, starts off pathetically weak and unable to properly defend himself, an issue that's not helped by the broken targeting system, unresponsive controls, and the aggressive enemies that surround our hero and attack from all angles -- you can't even parry multiple enemies without unlocking it on the character skill chart, and even then it doesn't always work. 

Yet, by the time the game ends, you'll be cleaving through enemies like butter. If you spam your shield spell and unlock finishing moves, regular fights go from almost impossible t?o an insulting joke. It seems CD Projekt couldn't strike the right balance between character development and challenge, so just didn't bother. This is evidenced in the boss fights, which often rely on guesswork in order to beat, as players figure out the one convoluted, obscure stra??tegy required in order to win. There's no challenge in that, it's just throwing shit at a wall and seeing what sticks. 

Witcher 2's combat system tries to pass itself off as a deep, tactical experience in which you separate enemies and deftly counter attacks. A noble endeavor, but it just doesn't work. From the outset, Geralt has access to a variety of spells of both the offensive and defensive?? variety, as well as various potions and bombs that can be crafted with the right ingredients, so he has quite a few tricks up his sleeve. However, enemies are so keen on bum-rushing the player, surrounding him, and striking from the back that all strategy flies out of the window once melee actually begins. The way enemies behave runs utterly counter to the way Geralt fights. 

Not to mention, our Witching hero relies on potions to bump up his endurance and attack, but they can only be drank out of combat, which requires players to be clairvoyant and assume when they're needed. You'll soon learn that player speculation is a big part of The Witcher 2, in both combat and quests. Much of the game is ??more a case of, "Try to guess what the developers were thinking," than anything involving skill or intelligence. 

CD Projekt seems to love telling players to do something, but not how to do it. Never has a game's manual been so important. From simple things like arm wrestling to more important thin??g like finding an unmarked objective on ??the map, the game is dreadful at providing player feedback.  

After so much bitching, you'll be expecting me to say that The Witcher 2 is a terrible game and ... it isn't. It simply requires a huge amount of effort to get into. If you can crack through the game's tortuous opening hours until Geralt bulks up and stick with the dry, uninspiring narrative, you'll find a game that manages to hit a fair few crescendos and provides the occasional thrilling battle. My biggest problem is that the rewards are disproportionately small compared to the immense struggle it takes to enjoy the game -- a struggle in which Assasins of Kings will fight you every step of the way. 

It's not a poorly made game in the least. As far as European roleplaying titles go, this is absolutely the best example one could hope to find. The combat feels fast and fluid once Geralt is strong enough and, depending on your choices, the second of the game's three chapters can be an incredible experience with a thrilling conclusion. Witcher 2 can be experienced multiple times with different stories, due to decisions that affect how the entire game plays out, and the adult nature of the narrative -- which doesn't skimp on the brutality, swearing, and sex -- might not exactly be mature, but can at least amuse in spite of the overall plot's dull nature. Oh, and s??trangely I even like the quick-time-event sections, ?especially the hand-to-hand brawls, which manage to be quite exciting in spite of their QTE nature. 

When al?l's said and done, however, one cannot help but feel unsatisfied, like the aggravatio?n of the game's opening chapter and the brevity of the third just doesn't do enough to make the game worth playing. I don't think I'd have completed this title, or even bothered playing for more than hour, if I wasn't writing a review. I value my time too much to waste it on a game that tries its hardest not to be enjoyed. 

The issue of reward vs. hassle is typified in the game's quest objectives, which are all subject to flagrant heaps of backtracking and repetition, usually being of the "kill these" or "collect this" variety. Each chapter takes place?? in one large environment, and players will need to traipse through the same old scenery in order to complete any type of quest. The lack of "fast travel" and tendency for the game to force players back up through a dungeon after they've fought their way down adds to the boredom. Most sidequests offer up little in the way of compensation either, and can often be safely skipped without missing anything worthwhile. The extra experience points are nice, but you can usually grind the same amount through combat in with less frustration, and monetary rewards are usually of inconsequential value. 

Even aside from this problem, I have a list of niggling issues that, while small on their own, add up to constant annoyance. The game struggles to make doors work properly, often forcing Geralt and NPCs to take turns opening and closing them rather than leaving it open and letting everyone through at once. The shopping menu and the ?crafting menu are on separate screens, and players need to back out of an entire conversation with a merchant in order to access ea??ch one. The auto-targeting system is dreadful, with Geralt constantly switching opponents halfway through attacks and diving into a group of enemies to attack a monster, while ignoring the three that were far closer. Context-sensitive commands such as looting and climbing often require the player to be stood in an exact place, and won't work if he's even an inch out of this arbitrary space. These petty grievances mount up over time, especially when they occur at such regular intervals. 

The game's fun moments only make me wish that the whole game was so consistently good, but it's not. It hits high peaks fai??rly quickly and then sinks to a lengthy trough with equal swiftness. One moment you're carving up enemies and feeling on top of the world, the next you're running around trying to find hidden monster nests and wondering why you've bothered. 

All this leads to a cliffhanger ending that makes Witcher 2 feel more like a stopgap than an actual sequel. When I look back on the&n??bsp;totteringly paced exposition, there's really not a lot that was said or done. Two thirds of the game feel like extended sidequests, and the conclusion consequently se?ems rushed. Nothing of interest every really happens, and more intriguing things are only ever hinted at, never revealed. 

At least it can be said that The Witcher 2 is pretty damn gorgeous. You'll likely need to make a few graphical tweaks to get a smooth framerate, but once you do, there's no denying that this is one of the best looking titles out there. The lighting and the larger, mor?e scenic environments really hammer home how accomplished the aesthetics are. That said, there is some notable texture pop-in and laughable character animation, and clothing constantly collides with human bodies, even on NPCs who have armor that should have been designed specifically for them. It's unsettling to try and talk to a character whose shoulder pads are jammed into their face.

The sound is fairly atmopsheric, with some horrific monster noises and great music. The voice ?acting ranges from hilarious to embarrassing, though. Welsh accents aren't exactly the most dramatic, especially when they're a??ttached to characters we're supposed to take seriously. As for Geralt, his voice actor still straddles the line between amusingly dry and unpleasantly emotionless. 

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is a solid enough experience that gets better the deeper into it you get. It starts off as a deeply unsatisfying game which wants to punish players who try to enjoy it, then becomes rather endearing, with the acquisition of power and loot at least providing a traditional sense of accomplishment. When all's said and done, however,? the game's high points arrive too late and provide too little. While hardcore fans w?ill likely dive into the game and have fun, those who don't feel that they should be made for pay for a game with their patience will be put off. 

At times, Assassins of Kings is good. Great, even. For the most part though, it's just okay. It does the job and wastes some time, while providing no lasting impression or unforgettable experience. There are just far more fun and intensely more rewarding ways of wasting time. 

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