Game length?

[chaosapiant]

Game length?

I know it's probably way to early to speculate, but has there been any statements by the devs of the estimated game length for Witcher 2? The first game was not only extremely long, but extremely meaty. I haven't played a game with that much meat on it's bones and no filler since Baldur's Gate 2.

 

[Corylea.723]

The game isn't done yet, so they don't know for sure. Their best guess at the current time is that the main story line will take 25 - 30 hours to play, but if you play side quests and all, it will take considerably longer. They're expecting to make TW2 considerably shorter than TW1 was, but they're also expecting to make the game very different, depending on the choices players make. So it should have way more replay value than the first game (and many people consider the first game to have a lot of replay value!)Your best source for information of this type is szypek26's posts, in the Live relation from CDP conference thread and the A Dash of Information about The Witcher 2 thread, both in this section of the forum.

 

[chaosapiant]

Well, if they cut the length in half, it'd still be longer than Dragon Age was, so bring it on! Thank you for the quick reply to!

 

[Garrison72]

25 to 30 hrs is relatively short. But if it has good replay value, that is what counts the most. It also looks like the game will be even more in depth and with greater customization, which is good.

 

[Jack_in_the-Green]

They definetly stated that they will add 2 or three more different endings than TW 1 had. So we are looking at 4-5 distintive endings here. Thats cool. 8)

 

[chaosapiant]

Either way, we all know that Witcher 2 will be a big slap in the face to the "big industry leaders" of RPGs. I can't wait ! I love Bethesda and Bioware personally, but CDPR was able to magically read my mind and put everything I love about RPGs into one game with TW1. I can't wait!

 

[clst]

the first time i finish it the first one i play 20hours a day one week ( 140 hours ) when you know the game i think 50 hours the 2nd i think 35 hours

 

[username_2084980]

What I hope is that this time support for the moders will be much stronger and that mods are not separate scenarios, so to say, but integrated into the main game (like in Elder Scrolls: Morrowind and Oblivion)

 

[SercaNesrin]

20 - 30 hour main quest is good enough. But just like in Oblivion hopefully there will be a lot of side quests you can do.

 

[spitz6860]

the only thing i heard is that the sequel will be shorter than the first game.

 

[stern1971]

I really hated this new. I love so much TW, I just expected more hours in my pc playing the story. Another thing: Why a gap of 2007-2011 to release a shorter game ? I better stop here, otherwise I´ll complain to much. I hated, hated and hated this shorter TW2 story.

 

[tommy5761]

I really hated this new. I love so much TW, I just expected more hours in my pc playing the story. Another thing: Why a gap of 2007-2011 to release a shorter game ? I better stop here, otherwise I´ll complain to much. I hated, hated and hated this shorter TW2 story.

The main part of the game is to be somewhat shorter but much more involving as well as different armors and weapons but supposedly there will not be anymore "fetch me" quests but you will still be able to get some monster parts and alchemy will be back as well and different ways of developing your witcher. Check here

 

[spitz6860]

speaking of alchemy, isn't it a major area your character can expand in? in the first game there are only 2, swords and magic, now it's swords, magic and alchemy. i'm not i like the sound of that, i don't think limiting potion brewing is such a good idea, as Geralt said in the first game a witcher without his potions is only half a witcher.

 

[tommy5761]

speaking of alchemy, isn't it a major area your character can expand in? in the first game there are only 2, swords and magic, now it's swords, magic and alchemy. i'm not i like the sound of that, i don't think limiting potion brewing is such a good idea, as Geralt said in the first game a witcher without his potions is only half a witcher.

Well it`s still to early tell exactly what the devs have in mind but it`s my understanding that you can have 3 main areas in which to build your witcher to your tastes. If you delve more into mage type then magic will be your forte or maybe you prefer a more balanced witcher then swords and potions might be the way to go . The first game was great and i expect CDPR would do no less than make the sequel even better

 

[Guest 2005166]

I really hated this new. I love so much TW, I just expected more hours in my pc playing the story. Another thing: Why a gap of 2007-2011 to release a shorter game ? I better stop here, otherwise I´ll complain to much. I hated, hated and hated this shorter TW2 story.

Isn't it a bit early to start "hating", although the game is not even released? Well, and when actually not much is known about the story itself? (It may be shorter, but perhaps also better? I just keep my fingers crossed.)This "production" gap can be explained through the development of the new engine, new implementation, new story, new concepts etc. It can take some time to build all the new terrain, model the new stuff, texture it, record mocaps, write scripts, localise it for different markets and finally test it all (and etc.). ;-)Aye, and perhaps there was some delay through the work, which started for the TW console version. It's not so, other games do not have this gap... at least we got hope! And then there still is "Duke Nukem forever" (1997 - ?)I'll keep me the "hating option" open for after the release, till then I'll try to see it all optimistic (in my way.)

 

[rhalle]

But if it has good replay value, that is what counts the most.

This is what Bioware wants us to think. Replayability has little to do with story-- we genuinely want to replay games because the guts of the game allow for different modes of play, and therefore we want to experience it all over again. 'The notion of 'replayabilty' as a feature, as a kind of game-extending sightseeing of other paths, is ultimately a bogus excuse to make a shorter product and reap greater profits. I'd take a 60-hour, more linear game over a 30-hour game with some superficial choices and consequences any day of the week.I'm afraid CDPR is simply jumping on the big whore-developer bandwagon because everyone else is doing it, purposely making their games shorter with every release, and making a shorter title because it is easier and cheaper-- not because the experience has become so significantly enhanced that the game out of financial necessity has become shorter. Anyway, do a handful of choices, in which the consequences will be fudged anyway because it is too costly to include real and truly distinct branching paths, make up for 30 hours of gameplay?I don't think that they do.

 

[tommy5761]

But if it has good replay value, that is what counts the most.

This is what Bioware wants us to think. Replayability has little to do with story-- we genuinely want to replay games because the guts of the game allow for different modes of play, and therefore we want to experience it all over again. 'The notion of 'replayabilty' as a feature, as a kind of game-extending sightseeing of other paths, is ultimately a bogus excuse to make a shorter product and reap greater profits. I'd take a 60-hour, more linear game over a 30-hour game with some superficial choices and consequences any day of the week.I'm afraid CDPR is simply jumping on the big ******-developer bandwagon because everyone else is doing it, purposely making their games shorter with every release, and making a shorter title because it is easier and cheaper-- not because the experience has become so significantly enhanced that the game out of financial necessity has become shorter. Anyway, do a handful of choices, in which the consequences will be fudged anyway because it is too costly to include real and truly distinct branching paths, make up for 30 hours of gameplay?I don't think that they do.

No offence but replayability if it indeed does change things at the end makes a huge difference and speaking of Bioware yes some of their games are the same thing over and over just with different characters but i don`t think CDPR would do that to the witcher 2. I mean look at TW 1 the story was so deep and involving and 3 years later it`s still selling. But not only that how many companies would sell you a vanilla copy and let you upgrade to the enhanced edition and the directors cut patch for no extra charge. I also think that there will be very different and distinct endings for TW 2 or that`s what i`m counting on anyway.

 

[fchopin]

Well if the plot with side missions is not at least 50 or 60 hours long i will be very disappointed.Being able to play the game taking 3 different directions does sound good thou and would take the sting out if the plot only takes 30 hours.I hope they implement the when you die you start a new game for one of the difficulties. I always wanted to play a game where if you die you loose so you have to start again and be more careful.

 

[tommy5761]

Well if the plot with side missions is not at least 50 or 60 hours long i will be very disappointed.Being able to play the game taking 3 different directions does sound good thou and would take the sting out if the plot only takes 30 hours.I hope they implement the when you die you start a new game for one of the difficulties. I always wanted to play a game where if you die you loose so you have to start again and be more careful.

I read somewhere i do wish i could find it again (weekend project) that CDPR was (and hopefully still is) going to do a hard mode that if geralt dies all saved games within that particular game would be locked and the player would have to start over. This would be something indeed. I`m currently on my 3rd playthrough where i keep my saved games in a separate folder as backups one i sided with order, another i sided with elves , and this one neutral to see how they playout when W2 finally releases

 

[petra_silie]

Yes I read this as well. But if you die before you end the game you haven’t finished it.As far as I know / understand it the game’s plot is shorter but not the game’s length because it’s so complex to solve it. You will spend 60-90 hours to finish one path.