The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

User Rating: 9.5 | The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings PC
For the first day after I downloaded this on Steam, all I could think was: Why in the hell doesn't this game play properly? The game started up and nothing had any textures, only lights showed. This made me angry for a while, until I found out that AMD Vision kept trying to put on AA that the game wouldn't accept. So I disabled that and was rewarded with some of the best graphics in videogaming. And although my graphics card can't handle max settings, it's gorgeous.

Playing through, I noticed the game was a lot harder than its predeccesor. Gone are stances, now it requires you to actively dodge, parry, and counterattack with a high risk of death. The combat is well designed and has various different weapons, spells, and poisons to suit your preferred playstyle. The enemies hardly let up for a second unless you parry their blows or stun them.

The characters and plot are fantastically done, with the character detail, from skin to the extremely well-researched period armor and clothing. People still don't move that much during conversations, and refuse to blink, but otherwise are memorable and detailed, each with their own persona and distinct appearance.

The soundtrack is also good, from deep booming drums during large battles, to the soft northern European backround music in towns.

Overall, it's a buy. If you have problems, they can be resolved fairly easily. Aside from that first bit, I have had no technical issues throughout the game. It is a satisfying ride with beauty, grace, and a harshness to keep you on your toes. This game will leave you satisfied.