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In 2007 a small Eastern European game developer (CD PROJEKT)...teaches BIOWARE how to use their own Aurora engine. The original Witcher was the game that Neverwinter Nights had promised to be. Two years later BIOWARE picks up the glove and comes back with a strong response, the masterpiece Dragon Age: Origins. Unfortunately, its 2011 sequel does not live up to expectations. And this is all the opening the perfect sequel needed to come in and, once more, steal the show.
THIS IS HOW TO MAKE A cRPG SEQUEL!
Although there may be Xbox and PS3 versions of this game later on, this is a game designed from start to finish for the PC. In an age when 5-6 years old consoles set the standard this is very important. From the brand new engine to the very last script line, everything that could be worked on was and everything that could be improved shows improvement. The story is now even deeper; the graphics are several notches higher; character development has been both streamlined and more balanced; equipping Geralt is now more detailed whereas loot is abundant.
It is possible (although not necessary) to import your character from the first WITCHER. If, like me, you liked the original game, you will simply love the sequel.
LOOK AT THE SKY: IT IS THE WITCHING HOUR EVERY HOUR!
The graphics are simply A-MA-ZING! I like the way the rock formations catch the moving shadows and how the wind stirs up dust. I like the subtle movement of the grass and the exploding colors of the wild flowers. I like the textures of the clothes, the shine of the armor and the glint of the swords. I like the way the sun gets in your eyes and the way rays of light play with the tree foliage.
What is also important, these graphics and dynamic lighting are achieved even on medium-built systems (Minimum specs: Intel Core 2 Duo 2.2GHz/AMD 2.5GHz, nVidia 8800/ATI 3850, 1GB of RAM for WinXP/ 2GB for WinVISTA&7).
Even more impressively, the game is set in a day/night cycle, and this is reflected not only on the levels of ambient light but also on the activities of the surrounding world.
THE WORLD AROUND YOU COMES TRULY ALIVE
Remember how in most RolePlaying games approaching a Non-Playing Character (NPC) usually means he or she would utter any one of a small number of preset phrases? After a while, you have heard them all and it got very predictable. Well, prepare to be surprised. Again and again.
This is a world you will truly be immersed into. A world that wakes up, goes to work, gossips, bickers and barters, and unwinds in the tavern. Walk the same streets at night and they are eerily empty. And that is without taking into account the ever changing weather!
The immersion is so total for yet two other reasons: not only is the world fully open from the very beginning (no blocked areas or closed bridges!) but there are no loading delays between areas (only between chapters).
THE LIFE OF A WITCHER IS NEVER BORING
Geralt is a real warlock, combining a mix of sword fighting with potions and spells. These are the three main character developing trees, Swordmaster, Alchemist or Mage. Sword moves, potion ingredients and spells can be combined and all choices are meticulously balanced.
With the original WITCHER it took me a while to master the timed sword-strokes but it was really satisfying after that. In the sequel, sword-fighting has been simplified to the classic mod and that is one of the gripes I have with this game. The other is the short dialogue options. I like my cRPGs wordy.
Now, the story is far from being linear. Choices matter and choosing a path will bifurcate the story, most of the times irrevocably. And the story in WITCHER 2 is as important as the fighting.
What I also appreciated was the return of consequences. Those of you who have played BALDUR's GATE Saga know that bashing or picking the lock of a chest was a punishable offense if anyone saw you. In contrast, in DA-O you could rob the town blind and (quite unrealistically) the NPCs could not care less. Well, in this game, your character better behave or face the ever vigilant guards.
ADJUST TO YOUR ACCEPTABLE LEVEL OF BINDING
Most retail versions of the game come with a simple disc-check, implemented by SecuROM. If you own FALLOUT 3, for example, you have experienced the same thing. Compared to the customer-abusing schemes out there (UBISOFT's and 2K GAMES' ears should be burning at this point) I find this solution not ideal but palatable. And yet it gets better: if you are objecting even to this mild version of SecuROM, the developers made sure to also release the (digital) GOG version of the game which is DRM-free. Just for giving us this option, THE WITCHER 2 gets full marks in my books!
A FINAL SPELL
I have only praises for this magnificent sequel to a great game. It was one of the rare cases when I pre-ordered a game before I knew anything about it and was rewarded with a game that exceeded my highest expectations. I do have some advice for the game developers though.
First, keep showing the same respect to your customers and you will see that gamers know how to repay this with equal respect and loyalty. And finally, when the mega-publishers show up at your door with their mesmerizing bags of money, try to remember what happened to so many great game developing groups in the past that did not resist to temptation.
WITH MY HIGHEST RECOMMENDATIONS!
(and not only because they promised all of their future DLCs to be free!)
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First things first, let's set some of the other reviewers straight. People are complaining that the bust is 'damaged' upon arrival. This is not the case, some people are just a little slow on the uptake. The bust is designed to replica a classical piece of stonework, and to look ancient. The scuffs and cracks are intentionally there, to make it look weathered and authentic.The set as a whole, the collector's edition, is one of the best I've ever seen. Most collector's edition sets are made for a small fraction of the price above a regular edition, and charge a great amount more. This is the first such set I have seen that is worth the money.
The whole thing comes in a large high quality cardboard box, not cheap plastic like most other collector's eds. The artbook is clearly the best thing in there. Hardback, 200 pages, glossy full colour A3 size paper, great content. A beautiful collection of works from hand drawn concepts to final digital designs.
The stickers, are....stickers. You know what you're getting there. 3 of them, good for laptops.
The bust is larger than expected, a little over six inches, and nicely designed. The interior box mold that 'holds' all the content is made of a black felted plastic, which can rub off on the bust. A wet cloth removes it just fine.
The dice come in a neat little bag, VERY similar to the World of Darkness brand dice sets sold in stores. Black and printed with a Witcher design. The dice themselves, 5 of them, are nicely made, if of a simple light-weight plastic. An off-white bone colour, with designs actually etched in, not just printed on. All five dice are the same.
The card deck comes in a fitted cardboard box with Geralt on it, simple enough. It's a full deck, just slightly smaller than regular card size. The backs have an original design on them, the aces feature another original design, and each of the 12 'face' cards (Kings, Queens, Jacks) features artwork of a different appropriate character on each one. Dandellion features on the three Jokers. All the remaining cards are as a regular deck.
With the dice and cards comes a 16 page booklet, written in character as Dandellion, detailing some in world card and dice games, as well as some trademark wit.
The coin, a Temerian Oren, is made of solid metal, about heavy as a British 50 pence piece or an American silver dollar. And bears the resemblance of King Foltest and the arms of his city on the reverse. Nice, simple.
A letter is also packaged within, in a designed envelope on mock stained paper. This is an in world replica of a call to arms, and inside is a propaganda leaflet against King Henselt, in the style of Victorian publicity. Also within the envelope is a tiny coin, the size of a British 5 pence piece or an American dime, bearing the sigil of the game's villain, an actually rather cool cephalopoid skull. I prefer this one to the larger Oren, myself.
Two bonus pieces of Downloadable content come with the collectors ed, one specifically from Amazon. The ultimate swordsman suit, and the Roche Commando jacket. These downloadable outfits enhance Geralt's abilities in game.
Last, is of course the papercrafts. The collectors edition comes with a large 'Boss' papercraft, the Draug. Two more smaller ones are also packed, which also come with the regular edition of the game. The first is Geralt De Rivia himself, the second is random, so you don't know who you will get from several others.
As with the Regular edition, inside the game package itself, you will find a large sized two sided map of the realms of the Witcher, featuring some nice artwork. A DVD that contains the games soundtrack, well beyond any soundtrack to an American game in years, and a selection of videos and development diaries. These contain information on characters, design, the game engine and other such diaries. Lastly on the DVD are the game trailers, screenshots, and some promotional art images.
Like the platinum edition of the first game, also packaged is a game guide, full of information on quests, locations, secrets and tips for the game itself.
The game comes on two DVD discs, along with a user manual.
As this is a review of the collectors Edition, I won't go into detail on the game itself, other that to say there are many reviews around the internet, and the vast majority of them agree, The Witcher 2 is probably the best RPG of the decade. Outdoing most everything else in it's class, and putting American game developers to shame.
It is adult, well written, complex, and above all, uses the world of the Witcher brilliantly.
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First of all, let me list my Specs:AMD PHENOM 1055T OC'ed @4.1 GHZ
Corsair 8GB DDR3 XL3 RAM
Dual EVGA 570's
All water cooled.
Performance & GFX:
Game runs maxed out @ a resolution of 1920x1080 (everything enabled in advanced settings)
Constant 40+ FPS with sometimes dipping below it also. THIS GAME IS VERY DEMANDING!
Environments are lush, character models are awesome. The animations are very fluid!
Sound:
Character voices are great! Music and all other sounds are awesome!
Game play:
You need to plan ahead of time each time you go into battle (ie set traps, make potions, take potions) You cannot take potions when fighting or running, only during meditation! You may die allot, but you will learn from it. Also, use your silver sword when battling monsters!
Contents of collectors edition:
The bust of Geralt came chipped and scuffed, was definitely disappointed with that.
Art book is very detailed, dice are awesome, so are the cards and the paper craft thingies. Comes with 2 codes for dlc's and a coupon for 10% off a EVGA gfx cart (560ti I think)
Overall a great game, but needs better packaging, but I wont remove any stars for that. Don't know whether if I should send it back or not, any advice would be nice!
-Erick Chavez
Honest reviews on The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Collector's Edition - PC
Packaging awful, the inside of the box was busted and Geralt's head came scuffed & damaged. Items that came with the game are "cheap".Game itself is great, artbook is nice everything else is not worth the extra money.
Find helpful customer reviews and review ratings for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Collector's Edition - PC
At first when I received this game, I had mixed feelings.Yes it came with a lot of content within the Collectors edition and yes I was surprised by everything that came with it. The boxes little gifts were well worth the amount paid for it. I was a bit disappointed when I found out that the inside of the box was a bit broken (not the material itself but rather the mold that held all the items. More specifically where the statue head was situated). The statue was a bit scuffed with the black felt from the box mold where it had cracked. I would imagine if I was sending a collectors edition of a game, that I would of placed FRAGILE on the box itself. Also the fact that the game was pre-ordered for so long only to have it's launched stalled because patching issue (game crashing randomly and so on).
Now that said, this game is impressively awesome. I've played a full run and finally playing another run, siding with the Rebel Elves and the game has such rich content that I am very impressed. The new patches make the game more stable and the apology from CDR by giving everyone all the DLCs is a wonderful gift.
I absolutely love this game and its great repayable story. I've seen the end and I am guessing there will be a 3rd one or possibly an expansion pack.
This game is a MUST have if your an RPG fan and a Witcher fan. The collectors Edition was a perfect package and worth every penny.
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