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[IbizaPocholo]

Taking a look back at the original Witcher after hearing about the plans for a remake in the works last October.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:56 Extra Adventures
02:35 History
05:05 Story Set Up
08:18 The Story
25:57 Thoughts On Story
29:01 Difficulty
29:46 Progression Systems
37:45 Combat
41:37 World & Atmosphere
45:47 Steam Deck Compatibility
47:08 Positives/Negatives
49:06 Conclusion
50:42 Wrap Up

 

[IbizaPocholo]

Talking about some of my experiences and thoughts on The Witcher 2, more than 10 years after playing it for the first time.

Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 Prior Experience
02:17 Getting It To Run
04:47 Steam Deck Compatibility
07:01 Save Imports
08:37 Tutorial
09:12 Difficulty
11:33 Story & Thoughts
26:35 Progression Systems
32:55 World & Gameplay
36:20 Combat
43:06 "DLC"
43:33 Positives/Negatives
47:00 Conclusion
50:45 Wrap Up

The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings - A Review and Overview​

The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings is an action role-playing video game that was released in 2011 for PC and Xbox 360. The game's story, which is its main draw, is a phenomenal experience, with branching narrative and various outcomes depending on the player's choices. The game has a total of 16 different endings, and the player's decisions, even in the prologue, have a significant impact on the rest of the game.

About the Reviewer​

The reviewer, Mortum, has a unique approach to game reviews, as he reviews games after playing them for over 100 hours. This allows for a more in-depth analysis of the game, setting him apart from other reviewers on the platform.

Game Overview​

The Witcher 2 is a game that came out in 2011 and has started to have issues with modern hardware due to the older version of the red engine on which it was built. This has led to some peculiarities that can lead to issues with modern hardware, such as the launcher for the game not launching correctly with higher-end CPUs. The game's graphics hold up well, even a decade after its initial release, and the sound design is also excellent, with voice acting being particularly noteworthy.

Gameplay​

The game combines elements of the first and third games, resulting in some clunky gameplay. The game's decisions can impact the story in a significant way, making for a unique experience for each player. However, the main draw of the game is its phenomenal story, which more than makes up for any gameplay issues.

The Prologue​

In the prologue, the player is presented with a choice to either save or spare Aryan Lavalette, which has a resounding impact on the rest of the game. King Foltest is trying to quell a rebellion against the crown involving his bastard children. What happens to this family in the wake of King Foltest's death is important, and the player's decisions even in the prologue have a significant impact on the rest of the game.

The First Act of the Game - Flotsam​

Once the player has played through the prologue, they get caught up with what puts them in prison, and if they play ball, Vernon Roche will give them the opportunity to escape from prison and help him track down the actual murderer of King Foltest. This brings the player to the first act of the game known as Flotsam.

Flotsam is all about setting up a lot of the key characters, and the game drives home that this game is much more about talking and roleplay than side activities. Each act of the game is a small explorable area for the player to run around in and fight monsters, but the actual side content of these areas is very small. The player will spend most of their time on the main story, and because of this, the game is relatively short, with a full playthrough taking around 20 hours.

Act Two​

The second act of the game brings the player to the town of Vergen, where they will spend a considerable amount of time. The story begins to unravel, and the player starts to learn about the real villain of the game.

Act Three​

The third act of the game brings the player to Loc Muinne, where they will spend most of their time. The game's story reaches its climax, with the player's choices having a significant impact on the final outcome.

Conclusion​

In conclusion, The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings is a fantastic game with a phenomenal story. Although it has some clunky gameplay elements due to combining mechanics from the first and third installments of the series, it still manages to provide an engaging and immersive experience. The game's branching storyline and choices that affect the outcome make each playthrough feel unique, and the game's graphics and soundtrack add to the overall atmosphere. While the game may not be for everyone, fans of RPGs and dark fantasy settings should definitely give The Witcher 2 a try.

• The video is a review of The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings, more than 10 years after the game's initial release.
• The game is mechanically a combination of the first and third game in the trilogy, and the review identifies several clunky gameplay elements.
• The game's phenomenal story is its main draw.
• The reviewer always reviews games after completing them 100%, and they explain what that entails in a video linked in the description.
• The reviewer played the game in 2012 and again in 2014 ahead of the launch of The Witcher 3 in 2015, and their review will call back to their previous knowledge.
• The review contains spoilers, but the ending of The Witcher 2 is somewhat predictable if you have played The Witcher 3.
• The game's launcher may have issues on modern hardware, but there are workarounds.
• Graphic settings and other options are handled through the game's launcher, not in the game itself.
• There may be issues with playing the game in 4K due to the game engine limiting the amount of VRAM the game can use, but this is less likely to be a problem at lower resolutions.

• The story is the best part of the game and it takes place roughly one month after the end of the first game, where a Witcher attempted to take the life of King full test and being thwarted by you. The prologue sets up the story and familiarizes the player with the basic mechanics and controls of the game.
• The game is more about talking and role-playing than it is about side activities, with each act of the game being a small explorable area for the player to run around in and fight monsters. The actual side content of these areas is very small, with most of what the player will be doing being the main story.
• Act 1 introduces many of the key characters, such as Dandelion, Zoltan, the leader of the scoia cell, Jorvith, and Vernon Roach, the interrogator. The player will have to side with one of them, which will dramatically affect Act 2.
• The Chiran boss fight is a good indication of things to come, with many of the boss fights in the game being down to QTEs and playing the game the way it wants to be played. The game loves to one-shot the player in ways that have nothing to do with combat.

• The story of The Witcher 2 is amazing and it builds upon aspects of the first game and sets up the third game masterfully.
• The gameplay mechanics and combat in The Witcher 2 leave much to be desired.
• The game has a simple leveling system that grants a character point each level and is divided into four trees: basic, mage, alchemist, and swordsman.
• The first six levels require players to invest points into the basic skill tree, which grants abilities like parrying arrows and more health.
• The later part of the trees offers skills that can be mutated to gain additional benefits, and each node requires two points to unlock.
• In the world of The Witcher, even someone as capable as Geralt is prone to the machinations of things beyond his control. Many people, including those close to Geralt, take advantage of his amnesia.

• The game uses QTEs and puzzle events to pad out its length and keep players engaged, but they are not challenging and can be annoying.
• Combat system is arguably the worst thing about the game. It is a weird middle ground between the stat-based system of the first game and the action-focused system of the third game. Hitboxes are broken, which makes taking damage unpredictable.
• Combat consists of light attacks, heavy attacks, parrying, vigor, adrenaline, throwables, traps, and other things. There are two swords: steel for humanoids and silver for monsters. Enemy blocking can weaken the block as well.
• Witcher signs also consume vigor, so using them while being low on vigor can reduce damage and increase damage taken.

• Grinding monsters for XP is not worth it as most XP comes from completing quests.
• The gameplay in The Witcher 2 can be flawed and has broken mechanics.
• The story is the game's strength, with well-told plots and choices with consequences.
• The game is worth playing for the story but not for the gameplay.
• The game gets worse the higher the difficulty setting.
• The characters, plot, and world of The Witcher 2 are compelling and allow the player to overlook the flawed gameplay mechanics.
• The game is easy to pick up for a cheap price but can have obvious flaws.