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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings |OT| Plough 'Em All

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methane47 said:
Combat is tough... tutorial pop ups disappear before i finish reading them and when i go to the journal to find what i missed... i have to dig through soo many entries.. That said.. the game is awesome... I really need some kind of Tips on combat though... cuz currently I am unable to win a fight without like attacking once and IMMEDIATELY rolling either behind or away depending on how many people im fighting against. I can't help but feel im doing it wrong.
It is all about timing and awareness. If someone is going to attack you hit them with aard so you can slice up another dude. Moving around the opponents can help too, kinda like in Arkham Asylum. Quen up if needed as it protects you.
 
delirium said:
I've just gotten used to the superior 360 controls for this game. I mean the KB+M is fine, its just I'd rather play with the 360 and its broken right now.

What is superior about it? I've been hearing people say they're so much better but when I compared both at the start of the game to work out which I wanted to use, I didn't see anything notable about them at all.

In a game like Arkham Asylum it seemed like a no-brainer but TW2? I don't see the advantage.
 

Exuro

Member
delirium said:
I've just gotten used to the superior 360 controls for this game. I mean the KB+M is fine, its just I'd rather play with the 360 and its broken right now.
Haven't even touched my 360 controller. What makes it superior to kbm?
 

methane47

Member
reptilescorpio said:
It is all about timing and awareness. If someone is going to attack you hit them with aard so you can slice up another dude. Moving around the opponents can help too, kinda like in Arkham Asylum. Quen up if needed as it protects you.

Hmmm ok.. Question ... there is one symbol that is supposed to make the enemy fight for you? but when i cast it they just stay there and do nothing?

Does the charm effect only work after upgrading?
 

delirium

Member
I don't know how I can explain that the controls are better. It just fits more naturally since the game is a third person OTS camera. If you ever played a console game that uses that camera, the Witcher 2 supports basically the same controls.
 

Pancakes

hot, steaming, as melted butter slips into the cracks, drizzled with sticky sweet syrup OH GOD
Exuro said:
Haven't even touched my 360 controller. What makes it superior to kbm?

I wouldn't say superior, but the 360 pad just felt more natural.

Also, in my experience, the mouse lagged a bit in the menus. Whereas the 360 pad was more responsive.
 

Zeliard

Member
methane47 said:
Hmmm ok.. Question ... there is one symbol that is supposed to make the enemy fight for you? but when i cast it they just stay there and do nothing?

Does the charm effect only work after upgrading?

It's a channeling spell. You're supposed to hold on the cast button for that one.
 

Exuro

Member
Pankaks said:
I wouldn't say superior, but the 360 pad just felt more natural.

Also, in my experience, the mouse lagged a bit in the menus. Whereas the 360 pad was more responsive.
Hmm I much prefer being able to move the camera and attack at the same time so eh.
 
delirium said:
I don't know how I can explain that the controls are better. It just fits more naturally since the game is a third person OTS camera. If you ever played a console game that uses that camera, the Witcher 2 supports basically the same controls.

Of course I've played games like that, but it seems like a really random thing to prevent you playing the game. Just play it with K&M until the patch comes out. If you're a PC and Console gamer switching back and forth between the schemes should take only a minimal amount of adjustment time.

Also, in my experience, the mouse lagged a bit in the menus. Whereas the 360 pad was more responsive.

You can disable mouth smoothing in the .ini's I think, although I didn't bother.
 
Please tell me the game doesnt have a bunch of lame QTE's like that lame
dragon press Y bridge thing
near the end of the prologue

this game is one of the highest quality games ever made and that kind of QTE is just absurd, where you are pretty much guaranteed to die a time or two.

I didnt like the QTE combat
eg fighting guards
at flotsam but at least you are given more advanced warning
 

Van Buren

Member
cleveridea said:
Please tell me the game doesnt have a bunch of lame QTE's like that lame
dragon press Y bridge thing
near the end of the prologue

this game is one of the highest quality games ever made and that kind of QTE is just absurd, where you are pretty much guaranteed to die a time or two.

I didnt like the QTE combat
eg fighting guards
at flotsam but at least you are given more advanced warning

Options -> Difficult QTE -> Uncheck.
 
Van Buren said:
Options -> Difficult QTE -> Uncheck.

well its a nice option, but I dont mind "difficult" QTE its just "instant death surprise! no warning LOL" QTE's I have a problem with

eg fighting the guards a few times using QTE was fine as it was in context.
 
Van Buren said:
Options -> Difficult QTE -> Uncheck.

so what happens when you do this? do you just never know a QTE existed or does it flash e.g. "press Y" and then immediately act as if you did press the button?
 

Van Buren

Member
cleveridea said:
so what happens when you do this? do you just never know a QTE existed or does it flash e.g. "press Y" and then immediately act as if you did press the button?

It basically removes those sudden death QTEs like the one you mentioned. The only ones that remain outside of the fistfighting minigame are those where a bar appears on screen and you have to fill it up.
 
Van Buren said:
It basically removes those sudden death QTEs like the one you mentioned. The only ones that remain outside of the fistfighting minigame are those where a bar appears on screen and you have to fill it up.

OK... I mean I guess I cant complain because they let you turn it off, but its just really weird. Like the game designer only just recently played the original God Of War and said "Wow these QTE things are so cool we have to have these".

I'm not really into those God of War type action games but I thought that people were sick of QTE's in games.
 
also, I think this question got lost at the end of a prior page

but what in game benefits are there if I complete witcher 1 first? stat or experience/level boosts or anything like that?

I'm thinking of playing the first game just so I know WTF is happening and who all these people are!
 
Spend the day entirely to defeat the Varn (sp?) guardian on hard. Has been some time since a game had me raging. Drops the coolest weapon in the game at least.

Maybe it was hard because i wasn't aproching the battle the correct way, anyone has a good strategy for this guy?
cleveridea said:
OK... I mean I guess I cant complain because they let you turn it off, but its just really weird. Like the game designer only just recently played the original God Of War and said "Wow these QTE things are so cool we have to have these".

I'm not really into those God of War type action games but I thought that people were sick of QTE's in games.
I don't get the recent trend of hating QTEs. They are really great when correctly implemented like for example in RE4, give it more credit than GoW since it was first and it uses QTEs both to expand interaction in cinematics and gameplay.

Anyway, the implementation of QTEs in this game is poor save for fist fighting. A shame.
 

Van Buren

Member
cleveridea said:
OK... I mean I guess I cant complain because they let you turn it off, but its just really weird. Like the game designer only just recently played the original God Of War and said "Wow these QTE things are so cool we have to have these".

I'm not really into those God of War type action games but I thought that people were sick of QTE's in games.

The presence of those QTEs is a wtf design decision in a game that has sound RPG design conventions elsewhere. I guess they included them to make the cutscenes seem interactive, but I doubt anyone would have complained about missing QTEs, given the reactions of the fans when they were first revealed.

Refreshment.01 said:
Maybe it was hard because i wasn't aproching the battle the correct way, anyone has a good strategy for this guy?
Hump the pillars and keep Quen up at all times. Aard can keep a Gargoyle at bay, and Red Haze works on the boss and the minions. Dodge around like a madman.
 
Fellows: I know this question has probably been answered a million times, BUT...

Okay, so I'm not a major RPG gamer.. I've played a lot of the "major" RPGs, from some of the Final Fantasys, to then the action ones, and mainstream RPGs like Fallout 3, Oblivion, MassEffect, and so on. FO3 is one of my favorite games ever, and I generally like story more than anything else, and I've heard that this game has killer story... So, as somebody who is a little foreign to "real" RPGs, and generally sticks to mainstream ones, do you think I'll like The Witcher 2? I love narrative, I like pacing and story telling, and I don't need action -- although a lot of timing based RPGs aren't really for me.

Much help would be appreciated. OR, is there a demo on Steam?
 
Refreshment.01 said:
Anyway, the implementation of QTEs in this game is poor save for fist fighting. A shame.

Yeah I am not against QTE's if they are done well, just out of nowhere "HA HA YOU DIED"

I dont know if you would call them QTE's but I really liked the Shadow Hearts games (and Legend of Dragoon back in the day)
 
The Albatross said:
Fellows: I know this question has probably been answered a million times, BUT...

Okay, so I'm not a major RPG gamer.. I've played a lot of the "major" RPGs, from some of the Final Fantasys, to then the action ones, and mainstream RPGs like Fallout 3, Oblivion, MassEffect, and so on. FO3 is one of my favorite games ever, and I generally like story more than anything else, and I've heard that this game has killer story... So, as somebody who is a little foreign to "real" RPGs, and generally sticks to mainstream ones, do you think I'll like The Witcher 2? I love narrative, I like pacing and story telling, and I don't need action -- although a lot of timing based RPGs aren't really for me.

Much help would be appreciated. OR, is there a demo on Steam?

It's quite story-oriented, and not sandbox like Oblivion or Fallout. It is very action-oriented, but I think you will like it.
 
The Albatross said:
Fellows: I know this question has probably been answered a million times, BUT...

Okay, so I'm not a major RPG gamer.. I've played a lot of the "major" RPGs, from some of the Final Fantasys, to then the action ones, and mainstream RPGs like Fallout 3, Oblivion, MassEffect, and so on. FO3 is one of my favorite games ever, and I generally like story more than anything else, and I've heard that this game has killer story... So, as somebody who is a little foreign to "real" RPGs, and generally sticks to mainstream ones, do you think I'll like The Witcher 2? I love narrative, I like pacing and story telling, and I don't need action -- although a lot of timing based RPGs aren't really for me.

Much help would be appreciated. OR, is there a demo on Steam?

Well as someone who hasnt read the books or played witcher 1 (well just a little at the beginning) the story is very confusing, with lots of people talking to you about things that as a player I have no knowledge of

So I doubt this is an RPG to play for the story. If you have the PC to play it, its certainly an insanely beautiful and varied world to explore. -edit though its not open world in the oblivion or FO3 sense, its chapter based with tons of side quests and things to do within that confine
 

Exuro

Member
cleveridea said:
So I doubt this is an RPG to play for the story. If you have the PC to play it, its certainly an insanely beautiful and varied world to explore.
The story and choices are the best part of the game.
 

Van Buren

Member
The Albatross said:
do you think I'll like The Witcher 2? I love narrative, I like pacing and story telling, and I don't need action -- although a lot of timing based RPGs aren't really for me.

Witcher 2 is a cinematic narrative-driven Action-RPG where the RPG stats play as big a role as quick reflexes do. The story also truly provides one with ambiguous choices and meaningful consequences. In many ways, this is the kind of game the ME series has been striving to be, but has fallen short on both occasions.

That said, the biggest roadblock would be to get a handle on the combat and difficulty during the initial hours. That, and diving into the journal to get an idea about the important characters and the kind of world the Witcher is based on.

There is no demo to try, so you're stuck with the positive word of mouth here and elsewhere.
 
I feel like such an idiot... I didn't upgrade fortitude because I thought 10% to Vigor regeneration was a waste... just did it now in CHAPTER 3 because I don't have much else to spend my level up points on and i notice OMG I GET ANOTHER VIGOR POINT WHEN I UPGRADE IT AGAIN!

FML I've been playing the entire game with 2 Vigor points HAHA!

Oh well, second play through will be a lot easier haha :D
 
If you don't mind a bit of clunky combat, strange VA, and akwardly animated scenes, play Witcher 1 first. It's...very rough and slow to start, but yeah, the story and choices are the best part of the Witcher franchise. You'll also be really confused at the start of Witcher 2 if you skip it, lol. Play it on easy, if you have to.

Wiki-ing the story doesn't feel right, and it's too long to watch a youtube.
 
Omikaru said:
I pre-ordered this game on GOG ages ago (pretty much on a whim; I've never played the first one), bought it a week or so before release and after finally finishing L.A. Noire, got to downloading and installing.

And holy fuck, is this game awesome or what? I'm tempted to pick up The Witcher 1 (a game I've shamefully never played) before I continue, but I'm really digging this so far.

Just figured I'd come in here to say how glorious this game is. Damn hard so far, but really good fun. Haven't played a true PC game like this in a long time, and it's good they're still being made.

Skip The Witcher 1, it's not necessary at all and the combat is terrible.
 
Van Buren said:
Hump the pillars and keep Quen up at all times. Aard can keep a Gargoyle at bay, and Red Haze works on the boss and the minions. Dodge around like a madman.
Yea, that was part of the strategy i used to beat them but still really difficult task. Even tried to Axii the guardian withouth good results.
The Albatross said:
So, as somebody who is a little foreign to "real" RPGs, and generally sticks to mainstream ones, do you think I'll like The Witcher 2? I love narrative, I like pacing and story telling, and I don't need action -- although a lot of timing based RPGs aren't really for me.
Not need to say much, buy the thing with your eyes closed. Get the game from GoG btw, Valve is way too rich now and they need competion or they'll risk to become compleasant.
cleveridea said:
I dont know if you would call them QTE's but I really liked the Shadow Hearts games (and Legend of Dragoon back in the day)
How QTEs work in the games you mentioned?

You know what's a bad precedent of implementation for QTEs? What Call of Duty have done to them, there's nothing "Quick" or skill based about button prompts to advance a cinematic. Many devs are copying that bad habit from them, just see Crysis 2. Shenmue, RE4 and GoW are prime examples of how they should be done. Also a developer just flashing the yellow "Y" button on the screen is creativly bankrupt, the QTE should be aplied in a more subtle and clever way. For example, if i was designing one for a Xbox360 pad i would use a very subtle colored like "spidey sense" cue for the button input, not a fucking hugue blue X icon that doesn't belong in the game world in the first place.
I NEED SCISSORS said:
Skip The Witcher 1, it's not necessary at all and the combat is terrible.
A bit extreme with terrible, let's go with no challenging and repetitive. Go with Witcher 2 first then if you liked it alot buy Witcher 1 its really good game even by today standarts.
 
The Albatross said:
Good to know about the open world, etc., and being confusing if you never played Witcher 1, which I did not. Thanks brooos...

I didn't play all of Witcher 1 either (about 5 hours) and haven't found Witcher 2 at all imposing. You must remember that Geralt lost his memory so it's mostly all new to him as well.

I am currently reading The Last Wish and also plan to read Blood of Elves.
 
ColonialRaptor said:
I didn't play all of Witcher 1 either (about 5 hours) and haven't found Witcher 2 at all imposing. You must remember that Geralt lost his memory so it's mostly all new to him as well.

I am currently reading The Last Wish and also plan to read Blood of Elves.
I won't read any novels but it's the nature of the Wild Hunt explained in the books? Also the history arc of Gerald has been closed in the books or the author keeps coming up with new ones.

I get the feeling with the increasing popularity of the game, a movie pitch would become some time in the future.
 

sflufan

Banned
Refreshment.01 said:
I won't read any novels but it's the nature of the Wild Hunt explained in the books? Also the history arc of Gerald has been closed in the books or the author keeps coming up with new ones.

I get the feeling with the increasing popularity of the game, a movie pitch would become some time in the future.

You really should read the books.

And, no, the author doesn't keep coming up with new ones. The last one was published in Poland in 1999. As for a movie, there already was a Polish movie and it was pretty terrible!
 

sflufan

Banned
Refreshment.01 said:
Not need to say much, buy the thing with your eyes closed. Get the game from GoG btw, Valve is way too rich now and they need competion or they'll risk to become compleasant.

There is NO such thing as being "way too rich" and GOG isn't really competition for Steam as they both serve different market niches and complement each other VERY well!

That being said, get the game from GOG rather than Steam if only to avoid the hassle that is involved in patching the Steam version of the game!
 
I NEED SCISSORS said:
Skip The Witcher 1, it's not necessary at all and the combat is terrible.
I hate it when people say this which gives the impression that Witcher isn't worth playing. Play the witcher b/c it's got a damn good story. Don't play it b/c you think it's some prerequisite to experience Witcher 2.
 
sflufan said:
You really should read the books.
And, no, the author doesn't keep coming up with new ones. The last one was published in Poland in 1999. As for a movie, there already was a Polish movie and it was pretty terrible!
Well can't really blame the good fellows of the movie industry of Polland. A Witcher type of movie works better with a Hollywood type of climate and muscle behind the movie.

Don't know what to say about the books, not a big reader. If i start reading it would be in digital format and that's in the future when i get a screen or device that doesn't burn my eyes. I know that dedicated Ereaders like Kindle are easy on the vision but i want a feature reach device with a more general use in mind. And even at that, im considering such device some years from now.
sflufan said:
There is NO such thing as being "way too rich" and GOG isn't really competition for Steam as they both serve different market niches and complement each other VERY well!

That being said, get the game from GOG rather than Steam if only to avoid the hassle that is involved in patching the Steam version of the game!
You have yor mind in the present think of the future, if GoG becomes more succesful it will gradually enter into Steam territory. But to tell you the truth i wasn't thinking in GoG when talking about Valve's competition. Yet the fact remains that CdProjekt gets more benefits if you buy from GoG, in the present market conditions companies like this one need as much support as posible.
Gully State said:
I hate it when people say this which gives the impression that Witcher isn't worth playing. Play the witcher b/c it's got a damn good story. Don't play it b/c you think it's some prerequisite to experience Witcher 2.
And it was just 5 Ds at GoG, that was almost like giving the damn thing. Plus i still like the Towns of Witch 1 alot more than the ones in the sequel. Theres nothing like Chapter 3 sister's quest or town in Witch 2.
 

Varna

Member
ColonialRaptor said:
I didn't play all of Witcher 1 either (about 5 hours) and haven't found Witcher 2 at all imposing. You must remember that Geralt lost his memory so it's mostly all new to him as well.

You will miss out on the awesome feeling of getting all the references... though the game does reference the books as well so I guess I'm missing out. :(

What order do the books go in?

I know the games are "inspired by," is there good consistency between the books and games?

Hows the quality of the translations? Are they good reads in general?
 

Solo

Member
Didn't finish the game tonight. Ended up going out for some drinks. Tomorrow, I take that *WARNING: POTENTIAL (?) IOVERTH STORYLINE SPOILER FROM GAME GUIDE*
dragon (who the game guide tells me is actually Saskia?! WTF? I missed that in my game, or it wasn't told)
down!
 
Solo said:
Didn't finish the game tonight. Ended up going out for some drinks. Tomorrow, I take that
dragon (who the game guide tells me is actually Saskia?! WTF? I missed that in my game, or it wasn't told)
down!
Oh why in royal fock i read that spoiler. I finished the game with the Roach inclination so i thought it was save to check it out, damn i was wrong!

Why do you use a game guide for the Witcher?, doesn't make any sense to me. This game is not Alundra or anything.
Solo said:
I'm sorry man :_(
You did nothing wrong man :D I mean i got the will power to cut any media of the game from my diet after just watching the first trailer and behold stupid me today, highlighting a spoiler.
Sh!t i feel like i just lost 25 dollars from the game. Damn im pathetic.
 

sflufan

Banned
Varna said:
You will miss out on the awesome feeling of getting all the references... though the game does reference the books as well so I guess I'm missing out. :(

What order do the books go in?

I know the games are "inspired by," is there good consistency between the books and games?

Hows the quality of the translations? Are they good reads in general?

The translations are fine (which is why they're taking as long as they are!) and the books themselves are excellent fantasy reads.

As for the order of the books, start with "The Last Wish" and then continue with "Blood of Elves" (those are the only two that are available in English).
 

Exuro

Member
Solo said:
Didn't finish the game tonight. Ended up going out for some drinks. Tomorrow, I take that *WARNING: POTENTIAL (?) IOVERTH STORYLINE SPOILER FROM GAME GUIDE*
dragon (who the game guide tells me is actually Saskia?! WTF? I missed that in my game, or it wasn't told)
down!
If you took Roche's side then that doesn't become known.
 

Jintor

Member
I think the choices are what makes the game. The story itself isn't completely brilliant, in my opinion, but the ramnifications of your choices are pretty sweet.
 
Jintor said:
I think the choices are what makes the game. The story itself isn't completely brilliant, in my opinion, but the ramnifications of your choices are pretty sweet.
I would say the story was the best bit. Once I finished the game and everything was out on the table it really showed how well they formulated everything. The choices were nice in that you felt like you had control over Geralt but the story was the most impressive thing for me. It is rare that a story can draw me in as well as it did in TW2.
 

Bisnic

Really Really Exciting Member!
Am i the only with this problem? The game exit itself quite a few number of times so far, mostly while loading a saved game when one is already going, or sometimes, even when im running around on foot. It's frustrating... i shouldn't have to manually save the game every few mins in case the game decide to shut itself down. I don't have the latest patch, so i dunno if that might fix that.
 

Jintor

Member
reptilescorpio said:
I would say the story was the best bit. Once I finished the game and everything was out on the table it really showed how well they formulated everything. The choices were nice in that you felt like you had control over Geralt but the story was the most impressive thing for me. It is rare that a story can draw me in as well as it did in TW2.

Hmm. I don't know, I mean in substance all the politics and betrayal are interesting and stuff but I don't feel like it was all very compelling in my opinion. I never really felt like I cared too much about anything beyond Triss and getting my memory back, everything else was none of my business. Well, obviously it was my business, but it didn't feel that way, y'know?

Man, neutrality.
 

Solo

Member
Refreshment.01 said:
Why do you use a game guide for the Witcher?, doesn't make any sense to me. This game is not Alundra or anything.

Didn't use it at all throughout the game, but I did reference it for how they suggested tackling the final boss when I was having issues and getting frustrated, and thats when I stumbled upon that WTFness.
 

Decay24

Neo Member
Solo said:
Didn't use it at all throughout the game, but I did reference it for how they suggested tackling the final boss when I was having issues and getting frustrated, and thats when I stumbled upon that WTFness.


You actually find out that
the dragon is Saskia during the Battle for Vergen on the Ioverth path. She accompanied me down to the mines where we met Dethmold and a fight ensued. During that fight she transformed into the dragon.

At least that's what happened to me in my second playthrough.
 

scy

Member
Mm ... just beat the game (Roche path) and I have to say it was a solid experience. Some thoughts in spoilers (thar be end-game spoilers):

Chapter 3 felt a bit rushed ... sort of. I mean, yes, now that I'm done and sitting back I can go "wait, what the fuck?" at the length but, at the same time, I wouldn't have minded so much if not for the random "EPILOGUE" pop-up after the Dragon fight. Most the threads are resolved, or at least severed, so there wasn't a total sense of incompleteness; maybe more time spent in the city but faffing about doesn't really expand the story here. If anything, the scene at the amphitheatre could've been longer I suppose but then it might've overstayed it's welcome.

The impact of the events did feel a bit off, though. The whole Lodges reveal into triple-double-backstabbing is a giant clusterfuck series of events. But, it should be, shouldn't it? Unraveling of a plot that convoluted should come apart at the seams and leave a giant mess. Still, it did kind of happen too fast considering how Chapter 1 -> Chapter 2 handles your knowledge of "Scoia'tel did it!" to "Sile did it!"; it's a long, drawn out process as you piece things together. Chapter 3 just dumps into your lap "Sile did it! but only half of it and she had 7/8 accomplices as part of her group but only one of them mattered but they're a pawn in the scheme of this one guy you don't know who wants to invade but, really, Letho just wants to stab dudes, ps Yennefer Yennefer Yennefer."

Anyway, curious above all else how the events will pan out for The Witcher 3. I killed the dragon, spared Henselt, let Sile escape, and have a file for both Letho dead and on the run. I rescued Triss so it looks like Dethmold flees based off what Roche says and I ploughed Ves because why not, though I don't think that one will matter.

And one serious generic Chapter 3 question ...
how does Boussy die? Just all of a sudden it's Anais for the throne since the boy got offed. Would I have found this out if I had chosen to save Anais instead of Triss? Or does he just randomly die and nobody gives a shit?

Time to start my immediate 2nd file! Might import a save this time ... hm. Wonder if there's a harder Hard Mode mod yet too. Then again, I'm planning to just never use Quen so that'll probably make me rage enough as is.
 
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