Happy 10th anniversary, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings!

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Alicja.

CD PROJEKT RED


To celebrate this grand occasion, we commissioned talented artists from around the globe to create something unique for us. That's how this artwork came to be!

To make it possible, nine artists from eight different countries joined efforts and created digital paintings inspired by the most beloved characters from The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Here they are:

1. Katerina Ladon, Italy

2. ManaArts, Germany

3. Orpheelin, France

4. Joanna Mlecz, Poland

5. Chillalee, China

6. Natalia Korchagina, Russia

7. Ryan Smallman, Brazil

8. Gandi, Korea

9. Bonus: Kasia Redesiuk, Poland
 
Still remember being frustrated with the prologue and bugs when it came out. I quit after not being able to go through the dungeon. My friend ridiculed me for dropping it. He was really impressed. But I thought he just liked it because he also played the first one. I didn't, so it was even harder to get into, because the story just throws you into the heat of things without explaining much. Everyone is talking with each other like they're old buddies. I remember asking him if Roche is in the first game or something...

Second chance after a bunch of patches, but before 2.0/enhanced edtion. I was blown away. It felt and looked nothing like any other fantasy at that time. I was especially impressed by writing, voice acting and presentation. And amount of choice and consequence during dialogues. I loved the setting too. Everything about it just felt new. For me it was Game of Thrones of fantasy games. Which, coincidentally, also started in 2011 and had similar elements like mature and gritty setting where selfish interests dominate plot and there's little room for idealism and heroes. It feels like it's more pronounced in the second game than in the third, because the third one feels more like heroic fantasy with saving the world and yada-yada.

Graphics was stunning, with super detailed forests and NPCs/characters looking distinct, memorable and expressive. Character models artsists - bravo. And concept designers, of course. Costuming felt different from other fantasy. Yet it had sense of history and character. You can just figure out good portion of an NPC just by looking at him/her.

The biggest shock was when 2.0 version arrived. I accidentally ended up on Roche's path by choosing different options in dialogue. Before that I joined Iorveth, but I though Iorveth was the only option! I was gobsmacked how it altered the second half of the game. I spend the next 60 or 70 hours just plaything through every damn narrative option possible and looking at all alternative story developments. 3rd act got a major update. So I replayed Iorveth path too. It was one of those games that you want 101%. In my case it's pretty rare. The game needs to be truly something special to commit like that. And Witcher 2 was like that. I still can't truly prefer Witcher 3 or Witcher 2. Because Witcher 2 has certain things that I missed in Witcher 3. And Witcher 3 had so much good of it's own, that it's hard to pick 2 as my favorite Witcher experience.

Thanks for great memories, CDPR.
 
Great game except for the combat system. That always felt a bit clunky. The W2 was the reason I started reading the books, which I absolutely love.
 
I love these! The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is my top favorite game ever. I love fighting with Iorveth, but also the friendship of Vernon Roche and the Blue Stripes. This game really made me fall in love with CDPR's The Witcher characters, which is why I was so sad when Iorveth and Saskia didn't appear in TW3 (though I understand why).
 
2. ManaArts, Germany

3. Orpheelin, France

4. Joanna Mlecz, Poland

5. Chillalee, China
These 3 are awesome.

This is the game that made me a Witcher fan. I love Sile, Iorveth, Ves, Saskia, Philippa, Cynthia... it also had the best gameplay IMO (I, being a lazy Alchemist really appreciated having a single blade oil for all enemies (Falka's Blood), sadly absent from TW3). This game stands on its own without TW1 and 3. All characters were memorable as phuck, all Acts too. Flotsam/Vergen/Loc Muinne were far more interesting towns/cities than Novigrad. Radovid was cold but smart and reasonable, not a deranged psycho like in TW3. Triss romance here >>>>>>>>>>>>> Yen in TW3. I love this game to death. Also, in a time were phucking EVERYTHING had DRM, this game didn't (just install and play, no origin/steam account bulsh*t). 10/10
 
Ves was my best girl in the W2. Of course, Triss had two gorgeous and romantic scenes. Opening one is almost like a classic painting. With Ves it was much more down to earth (plus she's a straight arrow, not a scheming b... ahem), but at the same time somewhat more adventurous. I very much liked camaraderie of Temerian spec-ops. To think about it, I almost missed the epicness of Roche and company. Unbelievable.

 
Ves was my best girl in the W2. Of course, Triss had two gorgeous and romantic scenes. Opening one is almost like a classic painting. With Ves it was much more down to earth (plus she's a straight arrow, not a scheming b... ahem), but at the same time somewhat more adventurous. I very much liked camaraderie of Temerian spec-ops. To think about it, I almost missed the epicness of Roche and company. Unbelievable.

My Geralt would've ditched Triss and Yen for Ves if that was an option. Also, nice to see some Ves cosplay.
 
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