Immersive RPG gameplay intertwined with "what were they thinking?" moments.
Let me preface this by saying I adored the first Witcher. I first bought it in retail in 2008, then again on Steam (this time the Enhanced Edition) in 2009, and again recently on GOG.com, CDProjekt's sister company. Why three times? Simply put, I wanted to support an independent studio that catered to their players' needs in an era where publishers dictate terms to please investors instead. I completed The Witcher four times in its entirety. I was seduced by its engrossing storytelling qualities, the mature feel of the game and its unusual take on combat mechanics and gameplay (such as the role of alchemy). The Witcher was an imperfect game at release, but in my opinion, very near perfection in its EE state. It lacked the polish of certain AAA titles, but because it remained so close to old style RPG roots, any superficial dents could not deter my appreciation of this great game. Suffice to say, I pre-ordered The Witcher 2 in November 2010, and it became one of my most anticipated game release of all time.
After completing the Witcher 2 once on "normal" mode, I must admit my experience has been both enthralling and unforgettable, but questionable design changes compared to the first game, a lack of interface polish and the clear signs of consolitis symptoms have chipped away at what could have been a perfect 10/10 game.
***
The Witcher 2's storyline picks up a month after the shocking finale of the first game. I wish to keep this review spoiler-free (for those who haven't played either games), so I will simply say the storytelling is as polished as it was in TW1. The influence of prominent and talented writer Andrzej Sapkowski is clearly felt, and is what sets the Witcher series apart from other RPG. Characters are fully fleshed out, each have their interesting backstory, and thanks to improved voice acting, TW2 could not feel more authentic. As Michael Yavish said in his excellent review on Gameradar, the mature elements used in the game do not feel gimmicky or immature simply because they are entrenched in the general atmosphere and level design. The Witcher 2 doesn't try to look or feel mature by adding senseless gore or nudity, it simply IS. From the visuals to the sharp dialogs, it all comes together to create an authentic mature setting that you can totally believe. It does so unapologetically, without restraint or shame, and I am thankful for it.
Graphically, the game is simply astonishing. Again, it lacks certain features that AAA titles might have (no doubt due to the sub 10M budget), such as proper optimization for SLI or Crossfire configurations and the lack of 16:10 aspect ratio support. There are numerous advanced settings users can tweak to get the best appearance/performance ratio. From antialiasing (specifically MLAA), SSAO, motion blur, depth of fields, bloom (no HDR), shadows and textures quality, light shafts, Ubersampling (a proprietary function of the RED engine, designed in house by CPR, that enhances graphics but at a very steep performance price), vignetting, decals to texture memory size, it's all there. It looks gorgeous, textures feel organic and from lush forests to burning battlefields, your eyes will be feasting on the sceneries. I rate the graphics with a solid 10/10.
On the audio front, I was once again seduced by the soundtrack. Wonderfully composed, it suits the atmosphere perfectly. I must admit disappointment in a voice actress change for Triss, which now sounds a bit younger and softer, whereas the Triss in the original game sounded somewhat more mature. Generally, and I mean 99% of the time, the voice overs are exceptional, both in English and Polish. TW1 suffered from blend voice overs at times, but a lot more care was put in this installment. Character will scream, cry, laugh or call for help in terror, and you'll believe it each time. It helps a great deal with immersion, and the quality of the voice and music work ascends CPR to the same playfield as Bioware and Bethesda. It's too bad their audio engine suffers from several, but minor bugs. If it weren't for these, this category would also deserve a perfect score. Alas, a 9/10 it is.
Several changes in gameplay mechanics make TW2 not only very different, but for fans of the first, those changes feel like a hit or miss. Starting with combat mechanics, gone are the quick, strong and group stances. The first two were replaced by something that could be called equivalent, but I for one greatly missed the group stance in my TW2 playthrough. Whereas a left click would activate your sword and a right click cast a sign in TW1, the LMB now unleashes a quick/light sword slash, and the RMB is used to deliver a stronger blow, better suited for armored opponents. You now cast signs using the Q button. Those changes are easy to adapt to, and even feel more intuitive. However, the dynamics of combat have greatly changed. Whereas in TW1 you could approach a group of drowners with near mockery, any cavalier attitude will probably mean the death of you in TW2. Opponents deal significantly more damage, your vitality (HP points) is much more easily depleted and vigor points have replaced the endurance bar. Simply put, each sign you cast costs a point. You can now block opponents using the E key, but each block uses a vigor point as well. You are therefore faced with choosing either signs, blocks or both, but since signs are usually much more useful and powerful, I very rarely used block, especially when rolling away doesn't cost you anything and is just as effective defense-wise. It is an odd mechanic and design choice, and I would be curious to hear what rationale the devs had in mind when they decided that system would be the most appropriate. Oils, bombs and potions are back, but with a twist. You can now only drink potions while meditating (which in TW2, can be done anywhere that isn't hostile. Finished are the constant searches for fireplaces or beds! Yay!). The toxicity system remained intact, which is both logical and needed, as it forces players to make a choice. I am however puzzled at the drinking mechanic. Objectively speaking, it is impossible to know ahead of time which foes or enemies you might encounter in the specific dungeon or part of the world you are preparing to enter. When you are in combat, it is already too late. You cannot meditate unless you run away and lose your opponents. Therefore, you are forced to approach potion drinking as a guessing game. You might drink the right ones, you might not. Most of the time, you won't even know if you're about to meet creatures or foes, so you might either waste your potions, drink the wrong ones (or not the most appropriate ones) or due to their short timers, lose their effect at a critical moment. This change has been discussed ad-nauseum in many forum threads, and most have stipulated that the devs wanted to make alchemy a more inclusive plot device that would further the immersive quality of the game. In my opinion, their attempt has failed completely. The appeal of RPG games is the power of choice given to the player. TW2 was marketed as a game that will force you to make impactful decisions throughout the game, the consequences of which will affect your character's journey. Guessing work is not choice, and is neither satisfying nor fulfilling. I can see from a storytelling point of view how it might seem like a good idea, but practically, it isn't. Coupled with the long drinking animation that isn't skippable, potion drinking is much more of a hassle than an immersive aspect of the game. I did everything I could to avoid it, and leveled a character that could be as powerful as it can WITHOUT potions (which now has its own leveling tree), whereas in TW1, I welcomed potions and was thankful for them. There is something to be said about the quests, which are varied and interesting. Gone are the fedex missions, which I'm sure will be welcomed by many. Sidequests are fun and do not feel like useless material meant to artificially boost the length of a game. It's unfortunate that the game's climax is underwhelming, especially if compared to the first game's ending, but that is of minor concern compared to the epic storytelling the game subjects you to for over forty hours.
The most notable change in general game mechanics concerns boss fights, whose designs were clearly influenced by the God of War series. They are now epic in nature, require a fair bit of planning, and it is that planning and stratagem elaboration that makes these fights feel so fulfilling. To the dismay of many, myself included, TW2 makes heavy use of Quick Time Events (QTE), not only for boss fights, but mini games as well (such as fist fighting). In my humble opinion, QTEs are console gimmicks that have no place in PC games, and I was appalled to find them used so often. It doesn't deter from the sheer fun of fighting those bosses, and I have never felt cheated by cheap boss mechanics. I simply wish CDProjekt had forgone the inclusion of these QTEs, and their presence in the game only helps to promote the idea that CPR developed TW2 with a potential expansion into the console market in mind, which brings me to my next point: the interface.
The interface feels unpolished, clunky and frankly, a huge step backward compared to TW1. The first game made use of the traditional grid-like inventory system that most RPG players are used to. It was intuitive and everything was easily accounted for at a quick glance. The auto-sorting feature sorted all the items by type automatically, the Enhanced Edition provided a separate alchemy bag for the ingredients, and it overall felt very RPG-like. Rather than criticize the aspects that bug me in an incomprehensible wall of text, I have devised a list of features that I think would merit further elaboration.
1. Lack of storage
TW1 provided storage options. One simply needed to visit an Inn to access it. I do not know of ANY RPG game out there that doesn't offer some kind of storage in one form or another. The inclusion of a crafting system in TW2 means you will encounter a LOT of material that take a lot of space. The inventory system is now nearly identical to Fallout 3: you are no longer limited by SPACE like in TW1, but by WEIGHT. I don't care which limiting factor you impose on a player (space or weight), but not offering any storage option is a serious design oversight to me. If Triss is able to conjure up some raw steaks at a party for a princess, there should be a way to bring storage in TW2 in a way that satisfies the immersive quality required for the storytelling.
2. Drinking potions in meditation
This was brought up in my review in more detailed, but simply put, the current mechanic seems to favor plot device over gameplay quality. There is simply no way, other than guessing or dying and reloading, to plan ahead. This is another serious oversight that seems contradictory with Geralt's abilities. Some fans have hypothesized that the devs wanted to make the game feel more like the introductory cinematic of the first game, when we see Geralt preparing for the Striga encounter. In this context, Geralt knew which foe he would be facing in advance, so it made sense to picture his potion drinking habits as a stratagem rather than an on-the-fly resource. In reality, and practically speaking, it's a poor implementation.
3. Lack of highlighting key
This is, by far, my biggest gripe. In TW1 and indeed, in almost every RPG I can think of,
I used a highlighting key to make the names of containers or NPC "pop up". It was useful to take my bearings and make sure I didn't miss on loot. It was an optional button that wasn't forced on you for those who preferred a most authentic gaming experience. In TW2, we now have a medallion that can be activated with a Z key. It unleashes a wave of orange light at a very limited range, and serves to "highlight" loot containers/bodies by applying a distinct red glow to them. Unfortunately, the glow is insufficient in swampy areas, and it doesn't highly NPC names. Furthermore, the medallion is on a timer, which is even more annoying.
A better system would have been to keep the medallion system to highlight loot, but remove the timer and STILL make a highlight button available to identity buildings and NPC. That way, players who wish to stick to more limited highlighting abilities to favor immersion can only use the medallion, and the rest of us could make use of an alternate button that would identify buildings and NPC as in the first game.
The situation as it is leaves the game lacking. The mini-map is unbelievably uninformative and unhelpful, and this lack of feature of greatly missed.
4. Inability to see ingredient types at a quick glance
In TW2, you need to select each ingredient in your list one by one to see their type, whereas in the first game, a color system was used. A colored dot appeared in the bottom right corner of the ingredient's icon, which made it easy to glance at the inventory and see what was worth harvesting and what you had plenty of already. This, I believe, is a symptom of consolitis. I am NOT advocating the game is a console port, but it's clear they wanted to keep the menus console-friendly for potential future expansion in the console scene.
5. Inability to see what diagrams we already have
TW1 provided a clear method to know which book or formula you already possessed. "You've already read this" would appear in the prompt that popped-up when you moused over an item in your inventory. There is no such system in TW2, which forces you to go through your list one by one. It is a huge waste of time, and becomes frustrating very quickly.
6. The inventory in general
It is very, very clunky. You cannot sort your items in any fashion and the interface is not streamlined at all. This is another clue that brings me to believe that the world "console" dictated certain design decisions. I believe CPR 100% when they claimed PC would always be their priority, but the deviation from the more RPG-like inventory of the first game suggests CPR had a console version in mind when they did this. A sorting feature is URGENTLY needed to alleviate the bloated feel of the interface design.
7. Complete absence of control remapping
Not sure what else to say except "what were they thinking?" Edit: It was brought to my attention that control remapping exist through the external launcher. It is true, so I bump the score to 8.6/10 rather than 8.5. But this begs the question: why have the video settings for the game been externalized, a common feature for multiplatform games, when it would have fit into the in game menu the same way it did in the Witcher 1? Same for control remapping, the lack of quickload, etc. Further sign of heavy console influences... so let's make point 7 "7. consolitis"
None of these problems are game breaking, but they seriously make a dent in the overall quality and polish of the game. I can live with the combat just fine, I even find it interesting and revivifying. But these seven issues could have EASILY been avoided with Q&A and thorough playtesting. I feel they all represent a step backward, and I cannot imagine how any gamers out there, especially TW1 fans, would feel they are an improvement as far as gameplay mechanics are concerned.
Overall, The Witcher 2 is a great and satisfying game. Unfortunately, there are too many controversial mechanics to make it a contender for GOTY in its current state. But just like TW1, which was far from perfect at release, one can hope for an Enhanced Edition, or at the very least, fan-made modifications that might rectify these. Though I cannot give The Witcher 2 the perfect score the fanboy in me so deeply wanted the game to have, there is no doubt TW2 is an engrossing RPG that any fans of the genre will enjoy in spite of its minor imperfections.
8.6/10