The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings

[Segitz]

Already have the PC version, but I am VERY surprised at how good the port looks... CD Project are some awesome developers. And the added content for the PC version (for free, that is) is great, too... will replay this game shortly. It has a massive "chose your destiny" moment, early on, so it's rather complex, too.

[D3adcell]

Looks like a good port. I would like to see how you chose to play through and which faction you side with Ac!d. I still need to play through again doing different things and with all that new content.

[Segitz]

My first run I chose

 

The rebels. But it's been quite a while (nearly a year) since I played it. So I can't even really remember half the game.

[D3adcell]

My first run I chose

 

The rebels. But it's been quite a while (nearly a year) since I played it. So I can't even really remember half the game.

Same choice I made. At first I thought a lot of the footage shown in the 360 trailer was new content. Then I remembered that the game completely changes depending on what you choose. So it could have just been content from the other side.

[masteratt]

Definitely Day1, looking forward to this.

[AC!D]

Ok i put in a few hours and so far im caught in two minds. On the one hand the the story, characters, voice acting, music and variety in level design is superb. On the other hand the user interface is a nightmare and the camera is way too sensitive which really pisses me off because there are no options to tone down the sensitivity. Im literally getting headaches because the camera swings way too fast and usually completely past the centered area as a result. This makes targeting enemies in battle pretty shit and trying to pick up herbs and other loot very annoying when you are just running around levels. Then decisions like forcing you to meditate to take a potion seriously? Why? I like the combat system but the controls, targeting problems and overly sensitive camera really take away from it. Especially when you try to use quickfire objects like daggers and bombs in tight spaces. Maybe ill get used to it over time but damn i thought this was the enhanced version. The menus are also annoying when you equip objects or just generally try to find something you just picked up. The quest system is also weird. I have quests in my log but i cant activate them because im still in the linear story parts of the game. So i wonder if ill completely forget later and miss out on them or what

Its a fantastic game so far dont get me wrong and maybe im still in the heavy learning curve faze but so much of this game could have been streamlined a little better for operability. The graphics are decent enough with only nhe draw distances really disappointing and the frame rate seems rock solid to me so far. Oh and credit to the developers for keeping the sex, brutality and language as it fits perfectly in the era. It very much feels like im playing a Game of Thrones game which is nice.

[masteratt]

The menus could use more streamlining, agreed. A few of the modern conveniences are missing. I.e: (1) Showing you what you have equipped (2) if item is better or worse than what you have (3) when shopping doesn't tell you how much of said item you have in your inventory etc.

From your achievements you haven't even completed the Prologue yet, AC!D, so definitely give the game more time.



I really like this game. Awesome combat that even on Normal challenges you tactically and one of the best stories by far. One key thing, SMART CHARACTERS! I hate in RPGs when they dabble on for hours on plotlines you figured out before you even started talking to them. Not here. The characters in this game ask the right questions and the story definitely has me intrigued. It's so refreshing to finally be excited about going to meet a new character because you actually want to hear what they have to say.

And yes the brutality and the sexual content is handled very maturely too. Definitely one of the best adult universes ever in a game.


I am Level 10 now and no quest felt like stupid grinding, no character bored me and no place felt repetitive. Awesome all the way so far.



---------- Post added at 03:08 AM ---------- Previous post was at 03:02 AM ----------

Oh and if you are doing the MALENA quest, SAVE! as you are entering the cave. As you will die, a lot. Man that was a tough one, so early on too :/ Because it was so early I was worried I did something terribly wrong in my battle tactics or something, then google showed many people found it very hard as well. I am one for challenge, but I wouldn't be against nerfing that quest a bit. Not for me, as I already did it, but for any other soul.

Hint:

 

Bombs, and shit loads of them

[Segitz]

I didn't have camera problems, but that's probably because of mouse and keyboard controls... the potions thing is... well it does come for the lore and it was also present in TW1, too... so I am alright with that.

The game is VERY hard in parts, too. There are ~2 endbosses which I've had MASSIVE problems with. And by that I mean like 50 tries to get past them. In other games, I would've probably stopped playing, because I get pissed, but not this one.

[masteratt]

Just so people reading this thread don't get a wrong idea, I personally don't have any camera problems. In fact the hitboxes for items and enemies are done so well that it all feels very natural. Sometimes when you target someone and untarget them and want to target someone else there is an issue but that to me has nothing to do with camera system, just a targeting system doesn't react fast enough.

There are few MINOR obvious things that let you know this is a PC port though. One annoying one for me personally is there are only two speeds of walking animation. Normal and the "hold shift down" sprint. In console I am so used to adjusting my speed 1:1 with how much I am nudging the analogue so that feels a bit annoying. Especially when you want to follow someone at the "perfect" distance to make the scene look realistic and good, it's hard to do with the two speed system.


Yeah, this game is going to cause me a lot of trouble (good challenging type) I can already tell. From beating GodOfWar3 on Titan to making my way through Castlevania: Lords Of Shadow on Hard (not finished yet though), patience is something I don't lack luckily in 3rd person fighting games. And here I learnt one tactic very quickly: Come prepared and use potions before battle and don't be shy on throwing bombs.

I also unlocked a counter move now, not as good as AC (thank god, I guess) but still helps me out here and there. And the top left spell Aard (?) is awesome when it stuns people. One hit cinematic kills for the win.

Only boss I did was Kayran

 

so far which had a simple attack pattern. And even him I had to try three tries. One cheap death though: for some reason in QTE, the B prompt appeared at the bottom when in fist fights buttons appear on screen where they are on controller (so B would be right hand side), which threw me off and so I got slammed into the wall to my death lol.

[AC!D]

One annoying one for me personally is there are only two speeds of walking animation. Normal and the "hold shift down" sprint. In console I am so used to adjusting my speed 1:1 with how much I am nudging the analogue so that feels a bit annoying. Especially when you want to follow someone at the "perfect" distance to make the scene look realistic and good, it's hard to do with the two speed system.

This combined with the over sensitive default camera setting is what i have issue with. Im getting used to it though and aside from my other menu streamlining annoyance the game is perfect. Im absolutely loving the pacing and variety. The combat is also getting easier now that i understand the preparation faze better in terms of reading a book on the enemy to crafting to deciding on tactics. If the game keeps this set piece and variety in pacing up it might just be up there with my favourite RPG ME2 this gen. Kudos to the devs for the effort they put into this world with little things like crows being scared away when you approach a dead body or enmies fighting one another when you lead them to each other etc.

Also i was listening to the soundtrack today and third song on the disc is absolutely amazing.

[Segitz]

The only thing I would complain about, was the ending... but apparently, the "Enhanced Edition" fixed that to a degree... don't want to spoil anything, so psshht^^

[masteratt]

Also i was listening to the soundtrack today and third song on the disc is absolutely amazing.

That is another plus worth mentioning. I know this is the enhanced edition but in UK was same price as a regular game and came with an awesome box. The soundtrack. A map. And a quest handbook!

I opened the game and thought I accidentally bought the special edition or something lol. Very very awesome developers these guys. They definitely shot up there just with how well they handled this port, other than those couple of tiny issues AC!D mentioned which is dwarfed by the rest of the game.


Takes too much of my time though. So gonna finish off a couple of assignments before opening it again. Yesterday feels like a haze because I just played this game so much lol. Don't want to start playing it again and get into a panic with the deadlines. Will check out the soundtrack though keeping the third track in mind.

[D3adcell]

The only thing I would complain about, was the ending... but apparently, the "Enhanced Edition" fixed that to a degree... don't want to spoil anything, so psshht^^

I downloaded it yesterday. It's over 10GB of data. How the hell did they fit all that and the game on the 360?

[masteratt]

It's 2 discs. Which is something I didn't know until I opened it. And you can't do a Forza (i.e: Install the 2nd disc and play with one).

[Segitz]

Well, this game is structured in a way that allows for disc swapping similar to FFXIII... so yeah. The PC version is quite big, though^^

[BahnNZ]

Just bought it to play once I've got my dull-but-awesome-looking shooter fix, 18GB download from Steam.

PC version is very 360 controller and so couch friendly, looking forward to it. Seems like the best western RPG out there.

[AC!D]

I didn't have camera problems, but that's probably because of mouse and keyboard controls... the potions thing is... well it does come for the lore and it was also present in TW1, too... so I am alright with that.

The game is VERY hard in parts, too. There are ~2 endbosses which I've had MASSIVE problems with. And by that I mean like 50 tries to get past them. In other games, I would've probably stopped playing, because I get pissed, but not this one.

I understand the reason for the potion decision but the fact is its a bit broken because when you really need to prepare for the tougher boss battles you almost always end up with conversation sections that run the timer on them down and then you cant rejuice in battle.

As for the last two bosses they are a breeze. Beat them both first time. Mind you i had swords that did 60+ damage, a ton of bombs, 36 armour rating with 30% 200^ vitality and 70% resistances against everything. Me thinks you did not spend enough cash on crafting diagrams, exploring and ultimately crafting what you find. I am kind of pissed i wasnt able to get the two best swords in the game because i missed one ingredient on the one and i have no idea how you are expected to find a Dragon scale for the other. I struggled a little in chapter one with the wraiths and then the Kayran until i finally realized what the game expected of me.

Looks like a good port. I would like to see how you chose to play through and which faction you side with Ac!d. I still need to play through again doing different things and with all that new content.

I made the same choice because that cause seemed more just but i prefered Roche. I did not like the elf at all.

Just bought it to play once I've got my dull-but-awesome-looking shooter fix, 18GB download from Steam.

PC version is very 360 controller and so couch friendly, looking forward to it. Seems like the best western RPG out there.

There we go! Now this is a great game to follow up Batman with. Not those crappy shooters you were playing. You want a good shooter then play Resistance 3. You are to old to waste your time on crap games no matter how good the sale seemed on Steam at the time. I dont know if i would call this the best WRPG this gen but its definitely the best Medievil RPG i played this gen.

[Segitz]

A... I didn't mean THE endbosses of the game, but rather "midbosses" (in German, the moniker for boss is "Endgegner" which literally translates to endboss). I had MASSIVE problems beating "the guy" (you know who I mean) when

 

you fall under the "garden" with the "statue of lovers".

Needed like 10 or 15 retries to beat him. I specced "wrongly". And I didn't massively bother with sidequests either (first playthrough with reloads was something like 22hrs).

[D3adcell]

A... I didn't mean THE endbosses of the game, but rather "midbosses" (in German, the moniker for boss is "Endgegner" which literally translates to endboss). I had MASSIVE problems beating "the guy" (you know who I mean) when

 

you fall under the "garden" with the "statue of lovers".

Needed like 10 or 15 retries to beat him. I specced "wrongly". And I didn't massively bother with sidequests either (first playthrough with reloads was something like 22hrs).

I thought it was a little tough but got it pretty quickly. Actually much of the game became pretty easy when you used the sheild sign, ran around when it was depleted, used it again then fight, etc.

[masteratt]

That is actually one of the niggles I have with the game, running around is too powerful. Makes the fights look funny and is not a fun tactic. But you use it because it works.