Full CD-Action review translation
Here's the main text of the review. It has two major spoilers, I used tags for them. Still left to translate are additional notes by Monk, and short comments from other editors, but I need a break for now
Sorry for any typos or bad grammar.
[GAME OF THE MONTH]THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF KINGS[]Bringing fear into the hearts of women and monsters alike is: enki"Rivia - a city of 1234 inhabitants. Among them, 253 non-humans. September 25th 1268 a pogrom breaks out. During the turmoil, 76 non-humans die, including the witcher Geralt of Rivia, stabbed in the chestwith a pitchfork by a man of whom we know only thathis name was Rob and that he owed 3 Krona at the local inn.While trying to save the witcher, Yennefer of Vengerbergalso dies. The bodies of Geralt and the sorceress are takenaway by a mysterious girl with ashen hair. The place of burialremains unknown"(*)(*)A fragment from the "witcher files" available in the game.As we know, it looked a bit different in the written saga.It is not often one plays a single game nearly the entire day, only to step away from the computer at 1am and not feel any weariness but rather a hunger for more. And yet I experienced such a feeling during the few days long session which me and Master Monk - whose notes scattered around these pages I heartily recommend - spent at CD Projekt, getting a taste of witcher Geralt's new adventures. (To cut short all speculation, the day 0 patch giving the game it's final polish had not yet been applied to this version.)After 14 hours spent playing (and some short breaks of "input/output" nature), still far from having finished the game, I realized two facts. One, that CD Projekt had created an rpg the story and quality of which can only be matched by Mass Effect 2, and two, that no matter what the ending might be and when it occured, I would immediately start re-playing the game from the beginning.
The Witcher 2 is a direct continuation of CDP RED's last game, and unfortunately it's not eager to remind us what happened "last episode". Tomek Bagiński and his crew of CG magicians were allowed to rest this time, hoping that the player would still freshly remember having saved Foltest, king of Temeria from a mysterious assassin possessing witcher-like traits. We find out what happened later already while playing the game - in the second part's prologue, set in the "confession room" of castle La Valette's dungeons. We're being interrogated by the temerian intelligence chief Vernon Roche.
It is here that, while going through four stages of the king's assault on the castle, we learn the game's entirely new mechanics, and make our first decisions, impacting later events. It is no secret that among those events is the escape from the dungeon, which looks differently based on both which path we take, and the choices we made at the end of our struggle with the enemy forces on the castle's walls. It is here that we can first taste the first bites of nonlinearity, which the makers of The Witcher 2 made into a true art.The prologue only disappointed me in one aspect: how it "teaches" the player various new mechanics elements, which is vital for any game. The hints appear in small windows, easily missed while taking in the gorgeous scenery, sentencing the player to later difficulties in using gadgets or drinking elixirs (the latter can now only be drunk during meditation mode, outside of combat). Fortunately, those who get lost initially can later view the hints again in the journal.Runes on a sihillThe Witcher 2 is played in third person view. No more clicking yourself to exhaustion while pointing Geralt at different locations, this time we move whitey via WSAD and mouse, or, in the case of heathens unfaithful to PC control schemes - via gamepad. The system works just marvelous, allowing full control of the character, at the same time bringing variety into the fights with monsters, humans and non-humans. Thus, the game has become much more action-oriented than it's predecessor, following in the "spirit" of the changes the genre has seen in the last few years. Even I, previously a fan of the "timed click" combo approach, quickly converted to the new combat style, which mostly requires better spatial awareness and carefully choosing your targets.In Assassins of kings we fight using fast or strong (but susceptive to counters) sword strikes and dodging or blocking enemy blows. Geralt moves from foe to foe depending on where we point the camera, fluently combining stabs and slashes into combinations. Naturally, only if the sword cuts into tender flesh, and doesn't get reflected off an enemy blade or shield, which are commonly encountered. The witcher definitely doesn't have it easy in a fight against groups of sentient beings.Luckily, you can bring up a menu any moment, which slows the game down and allows you to choose one of the various witcher signs and craftable petards, traps and thrown weapons, which you can use to wreak some havoc among enemy numbers. A quick Aard at the guy with the shield to stop his attack, dodge left than lunge at the exposed crossbowman. Two quick slashes and an Igni for good measure, then a lightning-quick roll back, and, while retreating, a Samum petard straight into thme pursuing mob. Lunge forward, finish off the stunned soldier, block the slash from the right and a flashy riposte mincing another sods guts. Finally, having regenerated vigour needed for using signs and blocking, one more Aard at the guy with the shield. Two strong strikes at his exposed back end the fight. "Witcher style."Training both your characrer's and your own skills, you expand your stock of available moves expands, providing no small satisfaction from dicing enemies, looking spectacular from beginning to end. If I were to complain about something, it would be the boss fights, bit too easy for my taste, especially that there are not that many of them. Fortunately, the developers assure that they will be tweaking the balance of those encounters right up to the game's release, and probably even beyond it.A witcher's educationThough we start from level one again, we don't have to teach Geralt how to use signs or wave a silver sword again. Importing a save from the first game allows to give Geralt some of the equipment and gold we acquired earlier, but even withouth this the witcher is a skilled killer right from the start, and and the three available development paths allow him to specialize in different combat styles. I myself invested in swordfighting, while Master Monk chose the path of magic.Swordfighting mostly involves better dodging (yup! that's right!) increasing combat mobility and critical hit chances. Higher levels grant access to an ability allowing dishing out damage to groups of enemies, and at the end of the skill tree there are group (up to 3 enemies) finishers, which can be used after filling up an adrenaline bar through combat.What's interesting, the three signs (Aard, Igni and Quen) I used were still more than "mage" Monk did, as he based his style on a maxed-out Quen, a "shield" that hurts enemies, only sporadically using the mage-witcher exclusive Heliotrop, which slows down enemies (pretty much "arrow-time"). Yrden-based traps and mind-controlling Axii didn't convince us, pity. The basic weapon for both of us was still the sword - iron or silver depending on the need. As it should be for a witcher. By the way, the crafting system gains much weight this time. Provided with proper materials, craftsmen can produce both better weapons and more resistant and stylish outfits. The third development path, alchemy, which increases the effectiveness of elixirs and sword coatings, we left to test later, at our homes, playing after the release. Ultimately, there's a lot to choose from while training our hero, and mutagens and plot-received abilities additionally increase gameplay variety.Dilemmas and creeping doubtsThe Witcher 2's non-linearity is its greatest asset, and trounces nearly all other developers' bold or shy forays into this field, including the already dated Bioware morality system. The wealth of storyline branches - both for main and side quests - is will make players re-play The Witcher 2 even multiple times and still not be able to experience everything the developers prepared for them.The script of The Witcher 2 spans three acts, fastened by a rather long prologue and a short epilogue. An unhurried playthrough takes about 24 hours, which should satisfy players hungry for long and well-thought-out rpg scenarios. The bulk of the story unfolds in act two, the shape of which is nearly exclusively determined by choices made earlier.Having been warned about the weight of our decisions, Monk and I decided to take two different paths through the game, which resulted in lively discussions and stories of what happened "on the other side" (figuratively and literally... you'll understand once you play). By the way, the situation was similar with just about all sidequests, which frequently allowed several ways to finish them, often forcing us to reflect on the outcome of our actions. Masterful! One small gripe were the "sneaking" sequences, which felt a bit ass-pulled and could get frustrating for a less patient player. Fortunately, these sequences were short and few.Triss Merigold's titsI deliberately don't delve here into any deeper information about the events we're part of in Assassins of Kings, but we are certain that Sapkowski fans will be pleased with the quality of the story. Suffice to say the fight to clear your name ("tarnished" accidentally yet thoroughly during the prologue) quickly becomes a mere introduction to violent and deeply political events, possibly even leading to shifts between the borders of the Northern Kingdoms. The story revolves around Geralt's relationships with the main dramatis personae: the aforementioned cold, but honourable Vernon Roche and Iorveth - an elven leader of the Scoia'tael, bandit and terrorist, yet not without a heart. Just as much of an important role in all the turmoil is played by the Kingslayer - a mysterious man of a strongman's physique, whose story and motivation will raise many a curious eyebrow.The cast is rounded up by characters known from the books, such as Sheala de Tancarville and Filippa Eilhart, frequently gracing the screen with a grimace of his bearded face will be Henselt, king over Kaedwen. Devs included many shout-outs readers will appreciate, featuring episodic characters here and there which should bring a smile to fans' faces (remember a certain Tailles "you dropped something, sonny" of Dorndal?).And then there is Triss Merigold, still madly in love with the witcher and still the object of Geralt's affection. This doesn't mean of course that the developers force the witcher into monogamy, but still the romantic thread is treated with much more maturity this time, and the removal of the infamous "trophy" cards only turned out for the better. Of note are the scarce, yet definitely memorable love scenes. Besides belying the prevalent conviction that CDP RED's modellers don't have the ability to sculpt a beautiful female body, they also showe how grotesquely idiotic similar scenes looked, with clothing (or even armour), in the "progressive" BioWare's games. We give a resounding "oui" to tasteful, sensual nudity in games.Due south
Alas, I can't say the same about the game's ending, which left me hungry for more, in two ways. The good one - i'm eager to know what's next (the ending clearly implies Geralt still hads has helmeted heads to cleave). And the bad one - the finale disappoints, being short and lacking some real "oomph" (I think the greeks used to call it katharsis at the very end of this fantastically weaved tale. This, by the way, is why there's no "ten" at the end of this review, even if other aspects of the game might be worth it. Sorry, Geralt. I'll wait for the witcherly "Return of the King" before giving you my "Oscar"."You free?"Back to talking about what's beautiful and sexy in The Witcher 2 now - there's not a moment in the game where pure liquid fun wouldn't be pouring out of the screen. The art direction of the visited locations - the village of Flotsam, the thick and dark forest around it, the dwarven settlement of Vergen or a ghostly battlefield lit with magical auras - all this deserves utmost respect. The lively colours and filters used by the graphics artists, which turned the grim, bleak quasi-realism of the first game into a vibrant moving fable, will inevitably draw criticisms from hardened purists. But even they can't deny that in its current form, with the dynamic day cycle and weather system, The Witcher 2 looks simply phenomenal. Rare moments of frame drops are balanced out by a complete lack of loading screens while travelling the locations.Adding to this are the character animations, both in combat and dialogues. The latter are once again first class computer game writing. The language in The Witcher 2 is ribald and full of often risque humour. Wait 'til you hear two Flotsam commoners' arguing whether witchers eat cereal, another one "struggling with resources" while driving a lady away from his pot, or a prostitute practicing her witty comebacks. Character's voices are again picked so well that I simply can't complain about any of them (and I usually enjoy doing that.) Moreover, there's lip-sync adjusted to the polish language version. Last but not least, there's the music - completely devoid of the first game's characteristic main theme, yet even more catchy and emotional. I bow low before the composers.Answered prayersThe Witcher 2 is such a fantastic rpg that its quality and richness of story effectively made it impossible for me to enjoy not just the first part, but most other games in the genre. Heck, after finishing my adventure, I didn't feel like even touching any other game for a few days, reminiscing about the best parts of Assassins of Kings. And planning the path I'll choose when I next play it, savouring every dialogue and quest I didn't manage to get on my first playthrough. You should definitely take your time playing the new Witcher, don't rush it. The game shines as bright as the sun over the mighty empire of Nilfgaard.RATING: 9+playability: 9graphics: 9sound: 10pros:+well thought out, mature story+dozens of plot branches+great, humorous dialogue+dynamic combat+superb audio-visual quality+will last longcons:-stealth sequences-ending
Here's the main text of the review. It has two major spoilers, I used tags for them. Still left to translate are additional notes by Monk, and short comments from other editors, but I need a break for now
Sorry for any typos or bad grammar.[GAME OF THE MONTH]THE WITCHER 2: ASSASSINS OF KINGS[]Bringing fear into the hearts of women and monsters alike is: enki"Rivia - a city of 1234 inhabitants. Among them, 253 non-humans. September 25th 1268 a pogrom breaks out. During the turmoil, 76 non-humans die, including the witcher Geralt of Rivia, stabbed in the chestwith a pitchfork by a man of whom we know only thathis name was Rob and that he owed 3 Krona at the local inn.While trying to save the witcher, Yennefer of Vengerbergalso dies. The bodies of Geralt and the sorceress are takenaway by a mysterious girl with ashen hair. The place of burialremains unknown"(*)(*)A fragment from the "witcher files" available in the game.As we know, it looked a bit different in the written saga.It is not often one plays a single game nearly the entire day, only to step away from the computer at 1am and not feel any weariness but rather a hunger for more. And yet I experienced such a feeling during the few days long session which me and Master Monk - whose notes scattered around these pages I heartily recommend - spent at CD Projekt, getting a taste of witcher Geralt's new adventures. (To cut short all speculation, the day 0 patch giving the game it's final polish had not yet been applied to this version.)After 14 hours spent playing (and some short breaks of "input/output" nature), still far from having finished the game, I realized two facts. One, that CD Projekt had created an rpg the story and quality of which can only be matched by Mass Effect 2, and two, that no matter what the ending might be and when it occured, I would immediately start re-playing the game from the beginning.
Foltest's Throat
And accused of murdering the king.
And since we mentioned romance, an equally important, and for some the most important part of the story in Assassins of Kings is Geralt's returning (in the form of stylistically interesting animated illustrations) memory of the events after his "death" in Rivia and his stay alongside Yennefer as the Island of Apple Trees. I will absolutely not spoil anything here. Internet forums will soon burst onto heated discussion anyway, whether the explanation proposed by the developers of the events between the witcher's and the sorceress' "retirement" and the white-haired one's magical and amnesiac return to Kaer Morhen is acceptable. Personally, I found it satisfying.
