Monsters from tales our parents told us to scare us lurk around every corner in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings. Not just monsters from stories of our elders, but new monsters that come from the deepest bowels of our nightmares.
The original Witcher game was quite good despite the fact that it was incredibly predictable for the smarter gamer. The only unpredictable moment of the game was the very ending in which my jaw dropped to the floor and I had trouble sleeping that night. The Witcher 2 completely blows the first game out of the water.
The Witcher 2 is an action-based RPG based off a series of fantasy novels by the famous polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. The novels follow the story of a man named Geralt of Rivia who was once a human, but is mutated by chemicals from secret ancient formulas to become the ideal monster killing machine like many Witchers before him.
The Witchers serve a very important purpose: they kill monsters that pose a threat to the common folk. While typically staying away from politics, their line of work constantly tangles them up in the matters and lives of the noble class.
That’s enough explanation about the lore, however, if you want to learn more you should definitely pick up the game for yourself.
The gameplay is intense and very difficult for the right reasons. It’s not difficult because of bad controls or interface, it’s difficult because the combat requires finesse and doesn’t coddle you. It harkens back to the days of old where games weren’t toned down to appeal to children with sluggish reflexes. But the game doesn’t just stimulate reflexes, it stimulates philosophically and intellectually.
Do you side with the radical freedom fighters with questionable methods? Or do you side with an oppressive force for the sake of keeping peace and order? Or are you going to end up like me and play through several times to see the difference your choices have on the world? There are 16 different endings so you’d better get started soon if you hope to see them all by the end of the year!
The game doesn’t take itself too seriously either. There are moments of humor in the game that will have you literally laughing out loud. For example, perhaps after a night of heavy drinking you’ll end up with nothing but your underwear on the shore of a river with a tattoo of a bare-chested woman wielding sword and shield on your neck. Perhaps you’ll also find out that same night you rode a whore down to the river, tied her to several other whores and tried to float them across the river like a raft. Perhaps the name of the quest associated with these events is called “Hung Over”, a possible reference to a certain movie.The game is full of fun minigames like arm wrestling, bar room brawling for money, knife throwing and various quicktime events during boss fights.
I clocked in at 39 hours with a single play through of the game, so you shouldn’t feel like you’re getting gypped like with a lot of other short single player RPGs, especially with seeing the game on sale lately. The developers recently announced a new patch; toted as a “2.0” that adds a new difficulty and a new game mode to the game. Most surprising of all is that this is free considering the rampant trend of premium DLC that has gotten so popular around the gaming world.
Overall it’s an amazing game. It kind of makes me sad because this sequel really shows me what Dragon Age 2 COULD have been. So far I’d have to say it’s my favorite game this year, and probably my favorite game since Dragon Age: Origins. I may even like it a little more than my beloved Dragon Age. It’s definitely a 5/5 stars in my book, and I truly mean to give it the highest possible score I can.
If you’re interested in playing the Witcher 2 I’d highly recommend shopping around for the original first as it’s nice to go into the game with some knowledge about what’s happening, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
