Playing TW2 after TW3?

[TrissMasterRace]

Playing TW2 after TW3?

I reckon I messed up hard by not playing TW2 before TW3. I got so hyped by the reviews and me getting a new graphics card that I just jumped in to TW3. Finished it in about a week (yes, I played for many hours a day, and I didn't finish every side quest).

Now,

Spoiler

after the ridiculous ending (with all the NPCs I got emotionally attached to gone)

I have a hollow feeling of emptiness.

Spoiler

Especially after the poor handling of the Triss relationship.

Figured I might want to play TW2 since it has some Triss content (in case you haven't worked out already I've fallen in love with Triss), but problem is I've read the combat and general gameplay of TW2 is poor, so I feel like I'd be let down massively after playing TW3.

Also, I watched a ~30min video summarising TW1 and TW2 in some detail so I already know a lot of the plot points like choosing between Roche and the other guy, and the dragon princess thing. That would probably make it somewhat boring.

So, what are your thoughts (from people who have played TW2)? Do you reckon it'd be any fun for me to satisfy my thirst for Triss content, or would it just be a let-down and frankly boring after TW3?

EDIT: Sorry if this is in the wrong place.

 

[YazX]

i'm in the same boat and would like to know too, i've already bought it but still dont know if i'm going to be let down by mechanics and overall experience compared to witcher 3.

 

[Mezziaz]

Definitely play it. The Witcher 2 is actually better in some ways compared the The Witcher 3.

I replayed it right before TW3 released and the game has barely aged a day.

 

[broski93]

TW3 was the first game I played in the series as well. Liked it so much that I've already downloaded TW1 and bought TW2 for 360 XD

 

[dmcaldw]

Don't let reviews of poor mechanics steer you away from playing it . It is a true master piece to play . If you can put TW3 in the back of your mind . The whole story is Geralt trying to clear his name but so much is going on his involvement in politics and picking sides is more intense .

 

[TrissMasterRace]

Definitely play it. The Witcher 2 is actually better in some ways compared the The Witcher 3.

I replayed it right before TW3 released and the game has barely aged a day.

Great, only real thing I read was the combat was lacking but I'll suffer that to adventure with Triss some more

TW3 was the first game I played in the series as well. Liked it so much that I've already downloaded TW1 and bought TW2 for 360 XD

TW1? I swear I read the graphics (and parts of the gameplay) for TW1 were pretty terrible...don't quote me though, I just heard it from a video not recommending TW1.

But yeah, I'm glad people are in the same boat as me...I'm just hungry for content

Sadly I'm not the kind of person to play the game again a week or two after the first playthrough... I just would find it so repetitive when I know what's going to happen exactly and when I know every detail. Nothing new to discover or enjoy. Maybe by the time expansions have come out I'll have forgotten some of it.

---------- Updated at 11:57 PM ----------

Don't let reviews of poor mechanics steer you away from playing it . It is a true master piece to play . If you can put TW3 in the back of your mind . The whole story is Geralt trying to clear his name but so much is going on his involvement in politics and picking sides is more intense .

Thanks, I reckon I'll buy it tomorrow then. I don't know if I can put TW3 in the back of my mind though, I was left...hollow by the end of it all. Maybe I'll play TW2 after a week or so.

 

[foxyrick]

Sounds like you've had enough answers, but I'll say it anyway:

Definitely play TW1 and TW2. or at least TW2, but there's nothing wrong with TW1 and it is part of the story.

I was fortunate enough to discover The Witcher (1) first some years ago. PC-based RPG type games never impressed me all that much, but I liked the idea of The Witcher so I tried it. I'm glad I did.

I fell in love with Triss too, long before TW3.

I'm still unsure whether I think TW3 or TW2 is the best of the three, probably they are equal to me, each it it's own way. TW1 is good too though, jut remember it's an 'older' game now in terms of performance, and really I think it would be better to play it to get the full impact of TW2.

I'm thinking of replaying the whole series again from TW1, once I finish this playthrough of TW3. That will also give time for a few more patches and maybe additional content to arrive.

Whatever... enjoy!

 

[Mezziaz]

TW1? I swear I read the graphics (and parts of the gameplay) for TW1 were pretty terrible...don't quote me though, I just heard it from a video not recommending TW1.

The combat in TW1 is extremely simplistic (timing based), the game is great though if you can get passed that.

The graphics have aged for sure but considering when it was released they are not bad at all and the game becomes a lot nicer looking if you installed the Rise of the White Wolf mod in combination with a SweetFX preset such as this one.

TW1 actually has the best atmosphere, music and alchemy system in the entire series.

 

[broski93]

TW1? I swear I read the graphics (and parts of the gameplay) for TW1 were pretty terrible...don't quote me though, I just heard it from a video not recommending TW1.

I just downloaded the game today and haven't started playing it so I can't give an opinion. From what I saw it got mostly positive reviews but also some negativity. With it only being 10 bucks I figured its worth trying.

 

[foxyrick]

The combat in TW1 is extremely simplistic (timing based), the game is great though if you can get passed that.

Basically, yes. At the time of TW1 I was used to playing FPS (the usual, UT, Quake etc) so the 'combat' in TW1 certainly was different.

I always got into the mindset though that the game was more about telling the story (which of course depended on my actions) and using Geralt's abilities where appropriate in a more automatic fashion, rather than making me as the player responsible for having witcher-like reflexes in combat. I just had to tell the game that I wanted to fight and prvide some basic input into that, and Geralt did his thing. It was still easy enough to die if I wasn't on the ball though.

It's not a bad thing, could be a positive depending on how I felt like playing. Heck, in real life RPG that I've done, I'm not ecpected to pull out a sword and start swinging it around the table when I say I want to attack someone. Well, excepting my time doing LARP and whacking people with rubber swords.

I used to really enjoy the way, as Geralt levelled up, that I could press a button and he would launch into a choreographed sequence of attacks that no way could I have done myself from the keyboard even if we had that level of control.

 

[Thothistox]

If you like TW3, you will very probably like TW1 and TW2. Knowing the plot points won't be much of a problem because these games aren't about plot points they're about story telling.

 

[moonknightgog]

TW1? I swear I read the graphics (and parts of the gameplay) for TW1 were pretty terrible...don't quote me though, I just heard it from a video not recommending TW1.

Yeah, it is, but...it is based on Aurora engine, a fucked up 2002 engine of which CDPR rewrote 75% of its code.
From this point of view, it is a miracle.


Yeah, you should play TW2. Obviously, in the combat system is poor compared to TW3, but still is worth to be played.

---------- Updated at 12:31 AM ----------

The combat in TW1 is extremely simplistic (timing based), the game is great though if you can get passed that.

Yeah, but the combat there is not about fighting, but about the preparation to the battle.
TW1 has the best alchemy system of the series.

 

[Ðarkstar]

I finished TW2 all sixteen times, I sucked as much as I could from it and to this day it is one of my favourite games (TW3 being my most favourite). You definitely should've played TW2 before you started TW3 but provided you have the patience then you'll be able to get past the differences the two have between each other. Triss takes up a giant portion of the game, so go for it if you truly love her.

 

[roelani]

I think in all honesty TW2 has aged pretty damn well. There's a few noteworthy mods on the nexus, and with a few tweaks to graphic settings it still looks surprisingly lush and gorgeous. Combat is not perfect, but I still find it pretty enjoyable. The timing is certainly different from W3, so it might take you guys trying to play 2 after 3 some time to adjust. On a positive note, though, I feel like Geralt is maybe a bit more responsive in 2? Control scheme certainly feels different anyway.

But yeah, if you like Triss? There is plenty of Triss in 2. Like, all the Triss. She's a lot more involved in the action and the storyline. Haven't got around to playing 1 yet. I just... I tried. ;_; Could not get used to the controls, and I tend to favor gamepad over K+M for third-person games, and W1 doesn't have that option.

 

[Trireme]

But yeah, if you like Triss? There is plenty of Triss in 2. Like, all the Triss. She's a lot more involved in the action and the storyline. Haven't got around to playing 1 yet. I just... I tried. ;_; Could not get used to the controls, and I tend to favor gamepad over K+M for third-person games, and W1 doesn't have that option.

I ploughed through W1 on easy mode to minimize the problem of combat mechanics. There were plenty of gameplay things that annoyed me, but the characters are pure gold. Even minor characters are cleverly scripted- there is a random guy on the streets in Vizima, for example, who gives you all the latest gossip about the major characters you've encountered.

 

[TrissMasterRace]

I ploughed through W1 on easy mode to minimize the problem of combat mechanics. There were plenty of gameplay things that annoyed me, but the characters are pure gold. Even minor characters are cleverly scripted- there is a random guy on the streets in Vizima, for example, who gives you all the latest gossip about the major characters you've encountered.

I'm gonna be honest, I played the witcher 3 on the easiest difficulty until I started to get a hang of the combat and was finding fights with similar-levelled monsters easy. Now that I'm done, I probably should have played it on a harder difficulty for sure.

I'll probably play TW1 and TW2 (and probably TW3 again in the future) on a higher difficulty, if only so that it lasts longer.

I really enjoy well-scripted characters - probably the most enjoyable thing for me in games. I turned off subtitles for TW3 so that I would hear the characters rather than read them, and I never skipped any dialogue.

I finished TW2 all sixteen times, I sucked as much as I could from it and to this day it is one of my favourite games (TW3 being my most favourite). You definitely should've played TW2 before you started TW3 but provided you have the patience then you'll be able to get past the differences the two have between each other. Triss takes up a giant portion of the game, so go for it if you truly love her.

I just bought TW2 but I think I might play TW1 as well first. I'll play it regardless, but does TW1 have any Triss in?

 

[Mezziaz]

but does TW1 have any Triss in?

Yes.

Though she looks quite different and is voiced by a different actress.

 

[TrissMasterRace]

Yes.

Though she looks quite different and is voiced by a different actress.

Great

Well as long as she has the same personality and has red hair (and doesn't scar my memory of Triss) I'm fine with that

EDIT: Just saw a video of her in TW1 - feels kinda odd and different but I'll play it anyway.

 

[lif_andi]

TW1 is one of my all time favorite games. Really was the first time I was exposed to such good storytelling. TW2 imo was not as good, although good enough, and then TW3 just blew me away But definitely if you like TW3 mostly for its storytelling and characters you will like both of the previous games as well. The focus on the combat in all of the Witcher games from the players is off in my opinion. TW1 needed some getting used to, but after a while I quite liked it. Finished that game 3 times with all possible endings so... TW2 was alright although not as much fun imo.

TL; DR
All of the Witcher games are great in their own right. Although TW3 is the crown jewel the others are very good games on their own and the stories and characters are equally good in all the games. Whoever designs and writes the stories for CDPR should be awarded a medal

 

[OutgoingHermit]

The combat and controls in TW2 are pretty clunky compared to TW3, and the voice acting isn't nearly as good, and lots of other little things are pretty primitive in comparison. But it's definitely worth playing.

TW1 doesn't hold up quite as well but I'd still recommend giving it a shot. Just remember that you can purchase a drowner ribbon to make traveling the swamp a lot less of a chore.