Post by Dan @ 01:22pm 17/05/11 | 41 Comments
The second installment in the RPG saga about the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia, features a thoroughly engrossing, mature storyline defining new standards for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration. In addition to an epic story, the game features an original, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action. A new, modern game engine, responsible both for beautiful visuals and sophisticated game mechanics puts players in the most lively and believable world ever created in an RPG game.Digital distribution of the game from Steam and (DRM free and superiorly priced) GOG.com don't kick off until tomorrow.
Still currently a PC exclusive title, there has been more recent murmurs that ports for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3 versions of The Witcher 2 are still a possibility. If true, we expect to find out more at the E3 trade show in Los Angeles next month.
Watch the launch trailer below, or click here for the HD option.
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Posted 01:26pm 17/5/11
Posted 03:35pm 17/5/11
Posted 01:53pm 17/5/11
But I have the US edition :D
That will teach you to purchase retail Tanaka!
Posted 03:28pm 17/5/11
Posted 04:41pm 17/5/11
Posted 05:38pm 17/5/11
Posted 05:44pm 17/5/11
I can't seem to.
Posted 05:57pm 17/5/11
Posted 07:33pm 17/5/11
I thought I closed it and re-opened it, but it turned out I just minmised it >.>
Posted 03:29am 18/5/11
If your going to make combat so f*****g in-depth and finicky you need to give us a bit more than some s***** roll and a parry/block that looks like my grandma when she sneezes.
If you get surrounded by enemies you are completely f***ed, as they just lay down epic sword slashes into your ass as you roll around like a f*****g nitwit, and thats on easy diff. lulz at the poor f*** that tries insane or even hard.
The Story seems really interesting and the world is awesome, but I'm not putting up with the farce that they call combat just for that.
what a massive let down. f*** you CDP RED, you've taken my hard earned one too many times.
Posted 08:51am 18/5/11
On normal the combat is actually quite challenging and you just can't wonder in and swing your sword till things die. Unfortunately the game doesn't let you in slowly. It throws 3/4 mob encounters at you right away.
Once I figured out the combat system and how to work it, the game got a lot easier. But some kind of training beforehand would have been nice. Even some easy encounters that lead up to progressively more difficult ones would have been nice.
Some tips for people just starting on normal:
Use your magic as much as possible. Learn what the 5 spells do and use them liberally. Also, if you are up against multiple mobs you have to kite around and attack when you aren't surrounded. Use the direction+space bar to roll/dodge to get into a good vantage point. As soon as a dude blocks your attack, roll back out of the way and come back in later. Don't just run into a pack of mobs and start swinging because they will pwn you. Also, healing potions can only be used from inside the menu system. Health will regen when you are out of combat.
Also, bewbs.
Posted 09:26am 18/5/11
Posted 09:42am 18/5/11
Posted 10:06am 18/5/11
Posted 05:11pm 18/5/11
Posted 05:54pm 18/5/11
Posted 06:20pm 18/5/11
Posted 06:58am 20/5/11
I'm not impressed with how heavily used kiting is so far. Kiting is the LEAST epic approach to spectacular fight scenes. It may have worked for Miyamoto Musashi but he was a smelly old man.
Using the shield spell lets you stand and fight for a bit which is good. 1-3 vs you is good no kiting needed, when you are taking on 6 or so yer..
Anyway other then kiting the game is great, except Doors, DOORS ARE STUPID IN THIS GAME.
Performance is a little lacking, hopefully a patch will sort that out a bit.
Posted 08:40am 20/5/11
The animations are so f*****g slow too, I ran away from a bunch of dudes and proceeded to drop a trap, before I knew it the f*****s were standing on top of me and the trap blows with all of us standing there.
Oh and wtf with not being able to meditate at certain spots where you really need too... silly.
Posted 09:27am 20/5/11
Posted 09:48am 20/5/11
Or are you one of those strange lefties.
Posted 10:31am 20/5/11
Open launcher, go to video and something. There will be a tab for keyboard bindings in there. Stupid you can't do it in-game though.
OOOOO, you saying you cant bind the arrow keys with that? That sucks.
Posted 11:28am 20/5/11
tsk tsk
8-)
Posted 11:44am 20/5/11
I guess everyone on their development board played with wasd, no-one thought to try changing the movement keys lol.
Posted 11:48am 20/5/11
Posted 12:46pm 20/5/11
Posted 01:01pm 20/5/11
Posted 01:43pm 20/5/11
Posted 01:52pm 20/5/11
Evis, the game is really good for me so far. Just a couple of issues. stupid use of doors and the oddly inverted combat, ie starts of hard then gets easier as you advance. I'm OK with that, just wish there was less kiting involved for the first couple of levels.
I still think Skyrim is going to pants Witcher 2.
Posted 02:27pm 20/5/11
But yeah, whatever everyone else said. You get thrown in the deep end (didn't even know there was a shield spell) combat seems so clunky and all about how well you can kite, controls are a tad annoying but the story seems decent.
Not sure if I'll play to the end but only 15 mins in it's ok.
Posted 04:02pm 20/5/11
Annoying enough having to click on every single chest too, especially when they bunch like 10 in a room all over the place, rather than just one with all the stuff in it, now do i have to check whats in all those chests to see if its worth picking up?
And yeah combats a bit clunky, like sometimes block doesnt activate, so rather than risk using it i just hit and roll most of the time, potions help, but most of the time i cbf meditating to use them before a fight, that and creating them - the alchemy interface is not the best, in the first you could pretty much tell what ingredients you had a lot of and could waste on potions, and what rare ingredients you have, whereas in 2 it looks more stramlined, yet less easy to see things at a glance. (havent delved too deeply into it yet though)
Targetting in combat can be a bit iffy too, youll have 3 guys lined up, go to swing and find youve targetted the one in the rear, ending up charging right into the middle of the pack, oh and the guy you meant to attack had like 5% health and was about to die too, yet now he is behind you and takes half your health.
Looks good though, story seems decent, although i laughed when Spoiler:
the monk at the start takes off his robe and is 7 feet tall and just as wide, yet no one seemed to notice til them also the assassins creed nod gave me a chuckle, and as i am only at the start of chapter one im sure ill get used to the combat.
Posted 04:46pm 20/5/11
Can you punch NPCs for no reason like in Mass Effect 2?
Posted 07:03pm 21/5/11
http://www.gog.com/en/forum/the_witcher_2/unlimited_carry_weight_mod/page1
A couple of weight mods, f*****g sick of rpgs where i spend as much time in my inventory as i do killing s***.
Posted 07:56pm 21/5/11
It's a pretty unforgiving game and rarely holds your hand through anything, but when you start to lay some smack down and make some progress, it's pretty rewarding. Loving the narrative.
My only real complaints would be the annoying context actions and animation waits for basics things like climb a ladder, jump down a ledge or open a gate; the function that blocks quicksaving when there's enemies nearby and the lack of a f*****g invert mouse option (you have to manually edit the config to do it).
Other than that, I'm really digging it. The unforgiving combat that punishes the s*** out of you if you don't pay enough attention can suck when the going is tough, but it does seem to make it more rewarding when you make it through alive.
Posted 08:08pm 21/5/11
Posted 08:21pm 21/5/11
Posted 08:22pm 21/5/11
Posted 08:33pm 21/5/11
The tutorial parts were pretty pissweak. Without pausing any of the enemies that are in the middle of bum rushing you, it just briefly flashes up a whole bunch of text in a dialogue box giving you some very basic information (in a f*****g tiny font if you have a high resolution set).
I learnt far more by just reading the PDF manual external to the game, which was actually kind of nostalgic in a way. Old school styles.
Posted 08:43pm 21/5/11
Posted 12:12pm 22/5/11
Posted 08:40pm 22/5/11
So many times I have gripped my head in frustration at dying X amount of times, but you know what? I'm loving it. I'm sick of games holding me by the penis and jerking me left and right through some tailor made 'action cutscene'. I left proud when I worked out the kayran thing, even more proud when I read the boils about the nekkers and blew the s*** out of them.
I love this game. Infuriatingly hard, but better then being bulls*** easy.