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[mysocksarepink]

The story is great. It's basically a "hunt down the criminal" story, but it's pretty deep. The villain isn't some evil mastermind, but rather a pretty interesting character.

Witcher 2 : GOTY '11

You know, I'm kind of sad that they nerfed the difficulty. I was looking forward to many OMG I CAN'T FUCKING BEAT LETHO FROM MY BIG COMFY COUCH! tirades.

It took me about 40 tries to beat him the first time. Its sad to think that people don't have to go through that trial by fire any more.

The original nerf. But apparently there has been even further nerfing for consoles.

Launch era Letho fight was something else.

SERIOUSLY!

This fight whooped my ass a few dozen times.

I think it hardened me as a player... and a person o_o

lol IGN and all, but how can it get an 8 in Graphics? Like, it just blows my mind

guys, we're talking about IGN.

cmon


MW2 GFX > minecraft > witcher 2

helloo



edit: fuck yeah whose a member now?
<<<

^_^

 

[Snapshot King]

That's a pretty big brush and a broad stroke.

Well I'd need a large brush to paint this giant duck (that is a duck and I'm calling a duck)

 

[i-Lo]

Lol. TW2 would have gotten a 10 if CDPR had given Chobot a character in the game. Even Vanilla TW2 shits all over ME3. IGN is such a joke.

I don't know if you know this but I remember Greg and Colin (who reviewed the game) talked about how they were not comfortable with the idea of Chobot being featured as an in-game character especially because they knew her personally, in a podcast beyond episode.

The reviewers are not the people who design the webpages. There is a corporate hierarchy which plays a part in creating assets to best attract people to their website. As aforementioned, ME3's review was incorporated into what they said would be their new design. Knowing what a huge game it was, they wanted to début the template with for maximum exposure. Now there is a chance that the new design's resource management could be as of yet inefficient because as aforementioned, we were supposed to see that design incorporated into all the reviews post ME3 launch. Of course, there could other, less than ideal reasons and this lack of action gives rise to suspicion.

I will be the first to acknowledge that gaming journalism as it stands today requires much needed reform (scoring system, metacritic, things done to get exclusive coverage,vetting of information etc). I remember Forbes doing a better job of covering gaming news in recent times than other major gaming journalistic outlets that are barely more than echo chambers for the official press releases. However, that said, generalizing followed by berating is being equally ignorant.

PS: Remember that different reviewers have different perspectives. That's why I have always held the belief that scoring system should be removed. But oh no! Dem corporate fatcatz rely on dese numberz to structure bonuses as rewardz. That and it's a great way for lazy gamers to just skip over to find out if the game is worth the money or not.

 

[Snapshot King]

I don't know if you know this but I remember Greg and Colin (who reviewed the game) talked about how they were not comfortable with the idea of Chobot being featured as an in-game character especially because they knew her personally, in a podcast beyond episode.

The reviewers are not the people who design the webpages. There is a corporate hierarchy which plays a part in creating assets to best attract people to their website. As aforementioned, ME3's review was incorporated into what they said would be their new design. Knowing what a huge game it was, they wanted to début the template. Now there is a chance that the new design's resource management could be as of yet inefficient because as aforementioned, we were suppose to see that design incorporated into all the reviews post ME3 launch. Of course, there could other, less than ideal reasons and this lack of action gives rise to suspicion.

I will be the first to acknowledge that gaming journalism as it stands today requires much needed reform (scoring system, metacritic, things done to get exclusive coverage, etc). I remember Forbes doing a better job of covering gaming news in recent times than other major gaming journalistic outlets including vetting of information. However, that said, generalizing followed by berating is being equally ignorant.

What's your point? When people mock IGN, they're mocking the entirety of the outfit. The reviewers who constantly get details wrong and seem to have no standards even by themselves from game to game, to seemingly never ending series of suspicious ads on glowing reviews, apparent moneyhatting, and Jessica Chobot being in ME3 instead of an established character is just filthy. The whole place is a rampant mess and has been a joke for...man, has it really been a decade?

Seems so, at least.

 

[Felix Lighter]

I think we go through this in almost every official thread.

 

[Snapshot King]

I think we go through this in almost every official thread.

I know right? Like clockwork. Makes me laugh every time. NEVER FORGET GODHAND AND FOOTBALL MANAGER 2k9!

 

[i-Lo]

I think we go through this in almost every official thread.

Well that's the problem with comparing scores.

Plus I just noticed while watching the vid review... "expanded edition"... the reviewer really needed to review the review before getting the name wrong.

 

[Truant]

IGN reviewer sounds like a kid reading a paper about his favorite videogame out loud.

 

[OdysseusVA]

http://i.imgur.com/BbDJv.jpg

Monday it is then Was a signature required?

 

[Cels]

Monday it is then Was a signature required?

nope, it's just regular mail

 

[Inferno313]

I don't remember if this was in the original PC release. But is the option to change difficulty after starting the game in here? I'm thinking about starting on Hard my first time through since I did Normal on my first time, but I haven't played in so long that I'm also thinking about doing Normal again.

Can I start on Hard and switch it down to Normal if I want?

 

[Exuro]

Can I start on Hard and switch it down to Normal if I want?

Yes, was in the PC version at launch.

 

[Cels]

there was also this insert included in the bubble mailer. the flip side has a picture of the retail contents.

the potentially cool thing about it is the FTP server, which I couldn't get to work. it's ftp://thewitcher.com, review/witcherreview, but I keep getting 530 errors.

 

[Quick]

So, I enjoyed the Mass Effect series very much, and that was considered a mix of RPG and action. Is The Witcher 2 in the same vein? I've only seen snippets of gameplay, and read a review or two, so I don't have a full grasp of what to expect.

And this might sound stupid as hell, but I've never played a 360 game with multiple discs, and I just read that this has two discs. Would I be required to switch discs based on story progression, or where I travel to in-between missions, or both?

Really interested in this game, and I might just pull the trigger and pre-order on Amazon right now.

 

[iavi]

there was also this insert included in the bubble mailer. the flip side has a picture of the retail contents.

the potentially cool thing about it is the FTP server, which I couldn't get to work. it's ftp://thewitcher.com, review/witcherreview, but I keep getting 530 errors.

So the the peeps who get the review copies will still need to buy it if they want the extras. Slick. I thought they were just shipping out early retail copies.

 

[Zeliard]

So, I enjoyed the Mass Effect series very much, and that was considered a mix of RPG and action. Is The Witcher 2 in the same vein? I've only seen snippets of gameplay, and read a review or two, so I don't have a full grasp of what to expect.

The Witcher 2 is 20x better than any Mass Effect game. If you like RPGs you owe it to yourself to buy it.

The combat is very different. Mass Effect is a shooter through-and-through, while The Witcher 2's combat is tactical, melee weapon-based fighting in the vein of something like Demon's Souls, albeit with some notable differences (which were covered earlier in the thread).

 

[Moaradin]

I wonder if they will fix the terrible Input Lag in EE.

 

[gdt]

So, I enjoyed the Mass Effect series very much, and that was considered a mix of RPG and action. Is The Witcher 2 in the same vein? I've only seen snippets of gameplay, and read a review or two, so I don't have a full grasp of what to expect.

And this might sound stupid as hell, but I've never played a 360 game with multiple discs, and I just read that this has two discs. Would I be required to switch discs based on story progression, or where I travel to in-between missions, or both?

Really interested in this game, and I might just pull the trigger and pre-order on Amazon right now.

So I guess you played ME on PC? Why not just get TW2 on PC then? (ME2/3 have disc switching, but not on PC and PS3).

Since you can't revisit areas, I imagine you just switch the discs once.

And yes, TW2 is very much like Mass Effect, except you can't revisit major areas, and the structure of the story/dialogue/choices is very different. No good/bad white/black choices.

 

[Cels]

So the the peeps who get the review copies will still need to buy it if they want the extras. Slick. I thought they were just shipping out early retail copies.

yup, it's just the case with window art and the 2 game discs. no manual, map, soundtrack cd, quest handbook, or rulebook.

the place where the barcode would normally be is also blank.

 

[Lingitiz]

So, I enjoyed the Mass Effect series very much, and that was considered a mix of RPG and action. Is The Witcher 2 in the same vein? I've only seen snippets of gameplay, and read a review or two, so I don't have a full grasp of what to expect.

And this might sound stupid as hell, but I've never played a 360 game with multiple discs, and I just read that this has two discs. Would I be required to switch discs based on story progression, or where I travel to in-between missions, or both?

Really interested in this game, and I might just pull the trigger and pre-order on Amazon right now.

This is a much deeper and better executed action RPG than ME. The combat system is challenging and satisfying, and alchemy, equipment, and character development are very important systems.

The structure of the game is more akin to ME1, having large hub cities surrounded by forests/camps packed with interesting quests. The areas in this game are more fully realized than any location in Mass Effect.

 

[Quick]

The Witcher 2 is 20x better than any Mass Effect game. If you like RPGs you owe it to yourself to buy it.

The combat is very different. Mass Effect is a shooter through-and-through, while The Witcher 2's combat is tactical, melee weapon-based fighting in the vein of something like Demon's Souls, albeit with some notable differences (which were covered earlier in the thread).

Yeah, I figured melee with the swords and all. I can dig it. How's the RPG element? I actually liked ME's simple structure of leveling up and whatnot. Not that I'm deterred by complexity.

So I guess you played ME on PC? Why not just get TW2 on PC then? (ME2/3 have disc switching, but not on PC and PS3).

Since you can't revisit areas, I imagine you just switch the discs once.

And yes, TW2 is very much like Mass Effect, except you can't revisit major areas, and the structure of the story/dialogue/choices is very different. No good/bad white/black choices.

Yeah, I played ME on PC. And I owned ME2 and 3 on PS3, so no disc switching there.

Sadly, my PC isn't capable of handling newer games. Works out fine as a web browser/HTPC, but its gaming days are behind it. Plus, my 360 could use some work considering it's been off for months. :lol

 

[Anton Sugar]

So, I enjoyed the Mass Effect series very much, and that was considered a mix of RPG and action. Is The Witcher 2 in the same vein? I've only seen snippets of gameplay, and read a review or two, so I don't have a full grasp of what to expect.

And this might sound stupid as hell, but I've never played a 360 game with multiple discs, and I just read that this has two discs. Would I be required to switch discs based on story progression, or where I travel to in-between missions, or both?

Really interested in this game, and I might just pull the trigger and pre-order on Amazon right now.

Already been stated, but The Witcher 2 outclasses ME in every way. CD Projekt completely blew away Bioware in term's of "branched storylines". Funny that Bioware has had 2x as many games/tries at a good morality system and can't come close to what CD Projekt did in two (even TW1 had a pretty good system).

 

[Zeliard]

Yeah, I figured melee with the swords and all. I can dig it. How's the RPG element? I actually liked ME's simple structure of leveling up and whatnot. Not that I'm deterred by complexity.

There's a lot more to Witcher in everything from RPG mechanics to story elements like choice & consequence. I liked ME2/ME3 but they really don't compare.

The manual should cover stuff pretty well. I'd also look at the Witcher 2 wiki to get a primer on things. There may be various useful guides out there.

I've never tried the in-game tutorial stuff that they introduced later on. Perhaps that covers it well enough for the newer player.

 

[Inferno313]

Yeah, I figured melee with the swords and all. I can dig it. How's the RPG element? I actually liked ME's simple structure of leveling up and whatnot. Not that I'm deterred by complexity.



Yeah, I played ME on PC. And I owned ME2 and 3 on PS3, so no disc switching there.

Sadly, my PC isn't capable of handling newer games. Works out fine as a web browser/HTPC, but its gaming days are behind it. Plus, my 360 could use some work considering it's been off for months. :lol

It's more complex than Mass Effect, there's more loot and there's a pretty deep potion-making and crafting system. But it's not overly complex, you'll be fine.

I assume the disc-swap will be done at a specific point in the story considering the game is made up of three self-contained (in terms of environments) chapters and it doesn't allow you to backtrack to regions you've been to for earlier chapters.

 

[bengraven]

They should replace Triss with Diana Allers.

I know you're joking, but you make me want to rip my own eyeballs out.

You can't replace the best example of animated female with the best example of animated cookie dough.

 

[Moaradin]

I know you're joking, but you make me want to rip my own eyeballs out.

You can't replace the best example of animated female with the best example of animated cookie dough.

It would be hard to determine the worse voice acting though.

 

[Solo]

So, I enjoyed the Mass Effect series very much, and that was considered a mix of RPG and action. Is The Witcher 2 in the same vein? I've only seen snippets of gameplay, and read a review or two, so I don't have a full grasp of what to expect.

And this might sound stupid as hell, but I've never played a 360 game with multiple discs, and I just read that this has two discs. Would I be required to switch discs based on story progression, or where I travel to in-between missions, or both?

Really interested in this game, and I might just pull the trigger and pre-order on Amazon right now.

The Witcher 2 takes a big stinky dump on the Mass Effect series. It does everything ME does, just 50 times better.

 

[~Kinggi~]

The Witcher 2 takes a big stinky dump on the Mass Effect series. It does everything ME does, just 50 times better.

I would generally agree but i think when it comes to the cinematic work, and the conversations, and the music, ME wins.

 

[Lingitiz]

I would generally agree but i think when it comes to the cinematic work, and the conversations, and the music, ME wins.

I don't know, TW2 has alot of great cinematic moments. The conversations are very similar but TW2 is less predictable because the choices are gray rather than black and white. ME's is basically top for good, bottom for bad. Mass Effect's facial animation seems way dated and robotic. Music can't really be compared because the genres are so different, but I liked both soundtracks.

 

[Stahsky]

I would generally agree but i think when it comes to the cinematic work, and the conversations, and the music, ME wins.

Disagree, ME series was mostly a disappointment for myself.

Witcher 1 and 2 were my game of the years

 

[~Kinggi~]

I don't know, TW2 has alot of great cinematic moments. The conversations are very similar but TW2 is less predictable because the choices are gray rather than black and white. Mass Effect's facial animation seems way dated and robotic. Music can't really be compared because the genres are so different, but I liked both soundtracks.

Well i really cant stand the rigid and stiff nature of the characters during convos in Witcher. Its always been one of the low points in the series for me. I think ME pretty far ahead of it when it comes to how the characters look and express their faces. Also just in general i enjoy the voicework in ME more.

 

[Skel1ingt0n]

I'd probably give Mass Effect 3 a 9.0 - save for the last five minutes, it's one of the absolute best games I've played in many years. And with that said, I'd argue The Witcher 2 is better. And, what's even crazier, is that I much prefer sci-fi to fantasy, so that's quite the accomplishment on the part of CDPR.

 

[injurai]

omg rofl, reminds me of the days where shitty flash games could entertain for hours on end.

 

[Confidence Man]

Ugh, no way to pause the EE download. What a pain.

 

[Brandon F]

This is a much deeper and better executed action RPG than ME. The combat system is challenging and satisfying, and alchemy, equipment, and character development are very important systems.

I hope so, Witcher 1 stated the same when playing on Hard difficulty, but in the end, that experience was one of the most criminally imbalanced games I've ever touched. By the beginning of Chapter 2 it was very clear alchemy NEVER mattered, and skill points were tossed at me so frequently that I stopped caring where to spend them. Ultimately the only meaningful combat strategy was choosing steel or silver sword and landing those QTE combos appropriately.

Though I adored Witcher 1 all the same for the world, characters, and atmosphere. I never played much of W2 and am looking forward to finally doing so!

 

[Hawk SE]

Received my "1 of 1000" Review Copies in the mail today.

The letter basically says "Thanks for the interest in the 360 version, we worked really hard on it. And oh, this is a Promotional Disc, so it can't be resold and this doesn't include the extras the actual retail Enhanced Edition will have" (i.e. World Map, Quest Guide, Manual, and Soundtrack.)

 

[~Kinggi~]

Also says "for best experience install to the hard drive"

So i wonder if there will be a legit difference other than loading.

 

[Hawk SE]

I always install the games I'm currently playing. Removes the potential for issues or long loading. Game runs great, some texture pop-in while installed though.

 

[therealminime]

Received my "1 of 1000" Review Copies in the mail today.

The letter basically says "Thanks for the interest in the 360 version, we worked really hard on it. And oh, this is a Promotional Disc, so it can't be resold and this doesn't include the extras the actual retail Enhanced Edition will have" (i.e. World Map, Quest Guide, Manual, and Soundtrack.)

Very smart of them to make it a promo disc. I don't mind not getting the extras because I already own a retail copy of the PC version. Still super excited to be receiving the game for free, for review purposes.

 

[Minsc]

Well i really cant stand the rigid and stiff nature of the characters during convos in Witcher. Its always been one of the low points in the series for me. I think ME pretty far ahead of it when it comes to how the characters look and express their faces. Also just in general i enjoy the voicework in ME more.

I haven't played ME3 yet, but I felt ME1 & 2 are awful when it comes to the face/body animation during dialog, somewhere between TW1 and TW2.

 

[Hawk SE]

Yeah. I own the game on Steam and don't have all of the extras. But I sure will input my CDKey to GOG.com so I retrieve my "Backup Copy" and get the goodies then.

I actually tried to get a review copy through my PR contacts, but I don't think there was enough for regular press. So I filled out the form as a back-up, and lo-and-behold I got selected. I'm proud to play this version of the game in addition to the PC version.

CDProjekt RED is making all the right decision. I just hope the sales numbers work for them.

 

[Digoman]

Well i really cant stand the rigid and stiff nature of the characters during convos in Witcher. Its always been one of the low points in the series for me. I think ME pretty far ahead of it when it comes to how the characters look and express their faces. Also just in general i enjoy the voicework in ME more.

While it didn't bother me much, I think it's fair to say that the facial animation and voice work is better in the ME series. Both are probably consequences of the smaller budget, and the choice of CDPR to focus on other areas which really pays off and produces the better game (at least for me).

Still, there's plenty of cinematic moments on the The Witcher 2, and it is already a vast improvement over the first one.

All this talk about the game is really making me want to play it again.... just a couple of days more...

 

[toddhunter]

Ugh, no way to pause the EE download. What a pain.

If you stop it after a piece completes, you can resume. Not ideal but I have done it a few times without a problem.

 

[ironcreed]

yup, it's just the case with window art and the 2 game discs. no manual, map, soundtrack cd, quest handbook, or rulebook.

the place where the barcode would normally be is also blank.

As it should be. I am just honored to be receiving a copy of the game free in order to write a review period. The peeps buying the retail version deserve the extra goodies.

 

[~Kinggi~]

While it didn't bother me much, I think it's fair to say that the facial animation and voice work is better in the ME series. Both are probably consequences of the smaller budget, and the choice of CDPR to focus on other areas which really pays off and produces the better game (at least for me).

Still, there's plenty of cinematic moments on the The Witcher 2, and it is already a vast improvement over the first one.

All this talk about the game is really making me want to play it again.... just a couple of days more...

The new intro cinematic is pretty awesome for the Witcher 2.

 

[RedSwirl]

Damn, I'm thinking about renting the 360 EE. I own it on PC, but have been having severe heat problems with this game. Anybody know if turning down some of the settings helps?

So, I enjoyed the Mass Effect series very much, and that was considered a mix of RPG and action. Is The Witcher 2 in the same vein? I've only seen snippets of gameplay, and read a review or two, so I don't have a full grasp of what to expect.

And this might sound stupid as hell, but I've never played a 360 game with multiple discs, and I just read that this has two discs. Would I be required to switch discs based on story progression, or where I travel to in-between missions, or both?

Really interested in this game, and I might just pull the trigger and pre-order on Amazon right now.

I wouldn't say TW2 is 20x better than the Mass Effect games but it certainly is better. It makes me wish CDProjekt were somehow able to work on the ME license. The one area in which TW completely trounces ME is the conversation and morality system. The choices presented to you in TW are a bit harder and change the game in more interesting ways. There's also no morality meter to guide you, so things feel much greyer and more ambiguous.

People keep saying the combat is similar to Demon's Souls but I really don't think so. The only similarity is the importance of timing in your attack and defense. It is an action-RPG - actually pretty similar to Arkham Asylum in terms of character movement, but it's a pretty tactical one. It's also one of the only ones I've played where preparation through crafting buff potions and weapon enhancements makes a huge difference. Up until now though, TW2's combat has been terribly unbalanced with a nearly inverted difficulty curve. It's probably gonna feel very different now though with one of the major spells having been double-nerfed for the EE.

Structurally, the most similar place in ME to what you'll find in TW2 might be Feros from ME1. Each chapter takes place in a relatively small-but-detailed location made up of a town and the surrounding wilderness. The game has three locations like this.

The biggest strength of TW2 is how well it pulls you into its world. It really feels like there's depth and complexity behind the locations and characters you meet and see. BioWare's writing in ME is still very good, but CDProjekt is a couple shades superior in my opinion.

 

[Moaradin]

I can't compare TW2 to ME games. They are both great and completely different from one another.

 

[SerArthurDayne]

I haven't played ME3 yet, but I felt ME1 & 2 are awful when it comes to the face/body animation during dialog, somewhere between TW1 and TW2.

ME3 is better in that regard. Better at hiding its faults too. For example, a fight between two characters was lol worthy in a trailer, but they cut it to hide the faults better in the actual game.

Regardless, The Witcher 2 is much better in that regard.

yup, it's just the case with window art and the 2 game discs. no manual, map, soundtrack cd, quest handbook, or rulebook.

the place where the barcode would normally be is also blank.

Rare collectors item! Although not playing/reviewing it would be a dick move, in my opinion.

 

[Derrick01]

Disagree, ME series was mostly a disappointment for myself.

Witcher 1 and 2 were my game of the years

While I enjoy the ME universe more and sci fi in general more than fantasy I can't deny Witcher 2 was much better than ME2 and 3. Much less disappointing and soul crushing than those too.

 

[pramath]

Just completed the game and posted my review for it.
Would you guys be interested in a link?