The witcher 2 game review. The Witcher: Censorship and Blood

Some games are so good that you can polish them almost endlessly in order to make something out of an already great game, candy. In this sense The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings occupies a unique, distinctive position compared to other projects in the category of story-driven open-world role-playing games.

The situation is such that each new patch brings something truly worthwhile to the world of the Witcher. Since the time of the first part, developers from CD Projekt RED have made it a tradition with each update to introduce into the game not only technical changes, but also new adventures of the white wolf - Geralt of Rivia, a professional lover of women and monster slayer. Actually, the Polish developers decided not to abandon this tradition in continuing the adventures of the Witcher in the 2nd part. At the time of writing this article, version 2.1 update has already been released. So on this occasion I want to say the following: it was not in vain that I waited for the release of all these patches, because only now The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings stopped seeming a little crude and unfinished project. Both new small quests and interesting arcade modes (like the same arena) have appeared. In this simple way, you should understand that this review was written under the impression of a completely different and updated version 2.1, and not the one that was released on May 17 last 2011. However, then I only played for 3 and a half hours and was satisfied. But only now, when all these patches came out, did I decide to play the game to the end and finally get through the review.

Everything ingenious is simple

The storyline continues the story exactly from the moment where the previous part ended. As we remember, at the end Foltest was assassinated by a killer with strange eyes. Geralt miraculously saved the king. A month has passed since then. The white wolf Geralt is now the personal mascot and bodyguard of the King of Temeria, Foltest. In a word, life seems to be a success, but everything is perfect only in fairy tales. In the end, Foltest is killed... And the witcher Geralt rushes in search of the killers of kings.

Of course, you will say that there is nothing special in the plot. I partly agree. But here there is a special scenario presentation of the plot, which is not found in any other role-playing game. Even Dragon Age: origin It just pales in comparison to this background. Oh The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim there is nothing to even say in the presence of the witcher, because there is not even a plot as such - you don’t notice it. Therefore, the second Witcher has some similarities only with BioWare games. Because here, as in the same Mass Effect , there is a plot point - it is also the founder of everything that happens during the passage.

One of these special innovations in plot presentation is the “book” approach to writing quests. What is surprising is that not a single task ever has a description of the following type: create a silver sword, find 10 plants, etc. All this is presented in the form of a story, as if you were reading a book, and not a description of a quest. For example: “Having obtained a new silver blade, Geralt became happier. Finally, our hero had everything a real witcher needs! So Geralt set about solving his own and other people’s problems with renewed vigor.” So, wherever in another role-playing game there would be a boring description or ordinary conversation, here the Witcher includes a whole movie for us.

If it makes sense to compare The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings with other games, it is only with Mass Effect, since otherwise the Witcher will be an order of magnitude higher than other similar games. Just don't think that CD Projekt RED and BioWare create their own virtual worlds in completely different genres and time frames. Still, both of these games are, first of all, plot-oriented role-playing projects, that is, the main thing in them is roleplaying, and not leveling up and everything else like that, which, in general, manifests the very factor that makes them to some extent equals each other.

The only thing in which the novice Polish developers are inferior to the masters from BioWare is only in the quality of animations during ordinary dialogues. There is not enough facial expressions and more character movements. But otherwise the plot has gained weight (compared to the previous part) and the epic nature of what is happening, which is also beneficial. In addition, we were given the opportunity to decide for ourselves and then be responsible for our actions. Geralt's story is our story. It is full of surprises and interesting events that depend directly on our choices. Oddly enough, but it is we who decide the history and fate of not only Geralt, but also in many ways influence the world around us.

Manic detailing

As for the locations, they are almost the most beautiful and believable of all that the gaming industry has ever seen in role-playing games. The picture on the screen amazes not so much with its graphics, but with its manic attention to detail. Although both are at the highest level. Moreover, the number of locations is not very large, but they themselves are large enough to have room for walking and exploring. I note that, over time, the location of key objects is perfectly remembered in such a way that you can even find exactly the place you need on the map without a marker on the map. this moment. The design is simply amazing! For which special thanks to the developers.

Combat, upgrade your hero!

Has changed in some way combat system. Not everything is smooth and practical, but it’s where it’s at better than that one, which was in the previous part, although the old combat would have been good here. However, let's not remember the old, it's better to talk about the present. Or rather about what the second Witcher's combat system ultimately is? Let me immediately draw your attention to the fact that she has a lot to boast about.

Oddly enough, the combat turned out to be very beautiful, sometimes interactive and smart. Reminds me a bit Assassin's Creed, but it just reminds - no more. In fact, the entire combat system is tied to your intuition, and not to the correct button presses, although sometimes correctness is also necessary. Honestly, if you think about it, everything was done at a decent level. I would especially like to note its convenience. I haven’t seen such correct placement of buttons on a keyboard for a long time. In literally a split second you can decide which blow to use next and immediately implement your plan. With the left mouse button we apply simple quick blows, and with the right mouse we apply long, strong and heavy blows. Q - use of signs, E - place a block, R - throw, for example, a bomb... Everything is quite simple. I'm glad that the developers didn't simplify anything. Geralt makes all his combat movements only after we press a certain button and does nothing automatically, as is customary to do today in many other games, when they almost play themselves. True, some people have the opinion that it is only interesting to play on an easy difficulty level. I hasten to disappoint you, nothing of the kind! It is quite possible to become a master at high levels, scattering enemies left and right. The main thing is diligence and desire to learn the combat skills of a witcher. After all, you are playing here, and not the game itself, as you are used to and have been spoiled by other projects.

Combat skills have a strong influence on the chosen direction of leveling up the hero. In total, there are 4 paths of development, and it’s impossible to get everything to the end. Therefore, it is best to focus on one direction rather than pumping everything up little by little. One branch is responsible for basic witcher skills, but has nothing special in itself. The other branch is a magical direction - the path of the sorcerer. But one of the most important branches is alchemy, since knowledge of making elixirs and taking them in a timely manner can often save Geralt’s life. However, in comparison with the previous part, elixirs now need to be taken before the battle, but not at any time, which brings the witcher even closer to his book prototype. There is another, final branch - the path of the swordsman. Having upgraded this area, you will see a real master and professional of sword fighting. Geralt will knock down arrows from a distance and reflect blade blows from any direction.

In addition, there are separate combo attacks, when the witcher deals with opponents in a particularly colorful way. Here, your development path does not matter, since Geralt has both techniques for magical attacks and for the sword path in his arsenal. True, there is one small blemish on the part of the developers. All spectacular techniques do not occur in the place where they were activated and the hero is currently located, but a little nearby in the form of a video insert. After the reception, the witcher somehow miraculously finds himself back where he should be. Such movements slightly spoil the overall impression of the combat system, but, nevertheless, you should not pay attention to such a small flaw on the part of CD Projekt RED.

Few people remember, but there is another branch of combat skills - stealth. There is no progress in this direction. However, in some tasks you can slip through the guards silently, eliminating everyone from behind. Sneaking forward, Geralt leans against the wall, from where he watches the enemies from around the corner. Then he assesses the situation, patrol routes - suddenly Geralt is noticed and the stealth comes to an end. There’s nothing better than good old blades! As there is nothing special in silent passage. Here the only question is the preferences of the player, who is sometimes allowed to choose the method of passage.

Yes, we almost forgot to mention hand-to-hand combat. However, there is only one thing worth knowing about it - there is no one equal in strength and skill who can resist the witcher Geralt, since simpler and easier entertainment in the game simply does not exist. That is, the witcher entered the ring, the QTE started, victory was in his pocket. By the way, fist fights are very in a simple way fill your pockets with gold.

The Way of the Witcher

The path of a witcher has never been easy. It was especially difficult at first for beginners, I mean that category of players who missed the previous game, where everything was explained about the use of signs, mutagens and other elixirs. For some reason, CD Projekt RED decided that there was no need to chew everything over a second time. As a result, beginners had to play by chance, trial and error. After all, at first the second part lacked even a simple training mode, which was only added over time with a patch. Therefore, only fans of Andrzej Sapkowski, or players familiar with the first part of the game, knew all the intricacies of witcher life. We were never told that “Swallow” is needed for health regeneration, and “Cat” is needed for better visibility in the dark. On the one hand, this is a serious miscalculation on the part of the developers. But on the other hand, it’s time to start moving your brains, and not wait for hints from the game during the passage. That's exactly what the developers did, they created a serious game where you really need to think and decide what to do.

In conclusion, I note that the game can find a huge number of shortcomings in almost every component. But in the end you find much more positive.

If you still haven't played this game, here are a few minutes of gameplay footage that should convince you that the game is worth your time. In addition, on our resource you can find other videos for the game.

2011 was one of the busiest years in history gaming industry. There was no time to think about the lack of breakthrough and innovative projects, because it was more than compensated by the number of magnificent and memorable games. But there was one circumstance that distinguished this particular year from others. 2011 will go down in history as the year of high-quality role-playing games.

The Witcher 2, Dragon Age 2, The Elder Scrolls 5: Skyrim- this is the real elite of role-playing games. Their name alone is enough to take the breath away of any connoisseur. RPG genre. Players, anticipating this feast, were wondering which of these games was destined to become the best among role-playing games this year. And one of the main contenders for this title was The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

The Witcher 2- continuation of the cult RPG - The Witcher, created by CD Project Red studio in collaboration with the Polish science fiction writer Andrzej Sapkowski. His series of stories and books about the Witcher Geralt, which became very popular in Poland and the CIS countries, formed the basis of the game. Largely thanks to this, the original Witcher turned out to be so original and iconic.

A dark and cruel world, an interesting and exciting plot, extreme non-linearity, colorful characters, as well as a polished role-playing system contributed to the phenomenal success of the first part. In this situation, the most logical solution seemed to be to bring to mind the ideas of the original, but already from the first demonstrations of the game it became clear that the Poles did not agree with this development of events. They decided to make a completely different game: cinematic, epic and dynamic.

Despite the obvious desire of CD Project Red to make their own Mass Effect, it is necessary to immediately clarify that the canonical postulates of the series remained intact. We, as in the first part, from the very beginning are forced to adapt to the very cruel world around us, to its morals and rules, and also learn to survive in all this chaos. Andrzej Sapkowski, who took an active part in the creation of the original Witcher, did not participate in the development this time. However, surprisingly, the game became even closer in spirit and atmosphere to his books, which undoubtedly benefited it.
Geralt has changed since the first part. But he’s not the only one, because our old friends have also changed
So, we play as the witcher Geralt again. It is worth recalling that witchers are artificially mutated people designed to fight monsters. In the world of the game, they are disliked, like, in general, all non-humans, and this leaves a special imprint on the personality and character of the witchers. However, let's return to Geralt, he is still tormented by dreams about Wild Hunt and it is with the next nightmare, as in its time, the first part, that the game begins.

Geralt has changed since the original game. He changed both externally and internally. Geralt, finally, has completely ceased to be a stereotypical hero, and new habits have been added to his already known habits. Our old friends have also changed a lot since the original, some only on the outside, but most of them have also changed in character. With all this, we hope for a direct continuation of previous adventures Geralt wasn't worth it. This is due to the fact that the developers, having radically changed the game, hoped to gain new fans without losing old ones, so new story, of course, is related to the previous one, but in a very neat and hateful way, so new players most likely won’t notice it.

The story begins some time after the events of the first part. During this period, Geralt managed to become the personal bodyguard of King Foltest, and our old friend Triss Merigold became the personal adviser to the monarch. Now the king has problems related to his illegitimate heirs, and it is with them that the beginning of the game is connected. Everything, as expected, turns out in the most unexpected way, and, as a result, Foltest is killed, and Geralt finds himself interrogated as the only suspect in the murder. This is how the cruel world of The Witcher 2 greets us.

Finding himself in such a difficult situation, Geralt is trying to regain his good name, and to do this he will have to find the king’s killer. It doesn’t end with the Witcher’s rehabilitation, as one more is added during the course of the game. story line, already connected with the restoration of Geralt’s memory, which turns out to be even more fascinating than the investigation into the murder of King Foltest. The only sad thing about it is that, escalated throughout the game, it does not find a logical conclusion. This is frustrating, but the positive emotions received during the game make you forgive this shortcoming. One could try to tell more about the main storyline, but this is completely pointless, since the game is extremely non-linear.
People live their lives and even try to imitate activities, but they don’t do it very well
Speaking of nonlinearity, a feature of the original game that distinguished it favorably from a number of other games, in the new part is implemented even more high level. Suffice it to say that the game has 16 endings. But this is not yet its most striking manifestation; the apotheosis of the implementation of the idea of ​​​​nonlinearity is the second of the three chapters of the game. The fact is that, depending on our choice in one of the many plot branches, we may find ourselves in two completely different places in which we have to communicate with completely different characters and solve completely different problems. In fact, two completely different chapters are hidden under the guise of one single chapter. Along with this comes a clear realization that our every word and action affects and changes the world around us. Needless to say, the desire to replay the game only intensifies because of such situations.

The game's presentation of the plot is excellent. Despite the fact that the main information is presented through videos, these same videos silence even their most zealous opponents. It's all about masterful camera work, good editing, good acting and the convincingness of the events taking place. It is worth noting that the videos do not look like an alien component of The Witcher 2. On the contrary, they contribute to immersion in the world and plot of the game and, together with the aforementioned nonlinearity, as well as tavern humor and eroticism, create a complete illusion of the authenticity of the events taking place on the screen. The cinematographic course taken by the developers during the creation of the game fully justified itself.

However, not everything in the plot is rosy. Sometimes, as the story progresses, there are sagging moments. The motivation of the characters, the logic of their actions and some aspects of their behavior are not always clear. At such moments, the authenticity of what is happening collapses. Knowing the developers, we can only assume that in the original script everything was fine, but later they simply did not find a way to communicate all the aspects and little things that make up the big picture. But, despite such unpleasant moments, the plot quickly returns to the right track and draws us into its crazy cycle of events.

The changes to the game's plot haven't ended. The developers relied not only on the plot, world and setting, but also on the gameplay itself. The changes affected all game components, but I will focus only on the main ones.

So, The Witcher 2 is an RPG, so first of all it’s worth talking about the changes in the role-playing system. The system from the first part, with basic characteristics and abilities pumped up using bronze, silver and gold talents, has been replaced by a more traditional and familiar one, which is familiar to us from many other role-playing games. There are four branches of developing character talents (training, fencing, alchemy, magic), in each of which you can improve your skills. This system is much clearer than the similar component from the first part. It allows you to think through the development of your character, as well as decide on his future specialization at the very beginning of the game, avoiding confusion in the future. It is almost impossible to create a universal hero in such conditions, so when we reach a new level, we are often faced with the question: “What to choose this time?” By the way, upon reaching a certain level, the character unlocks unique abilities. In addition, the game now has skills that improve not through skill points, but as they are used. Summarizing all of the above, it is worth recognizing that, despite the loss in uniqueness, the new role-playing system turned out to be deep, hardcore and thoughtful.
The combat system has changed a lot and now resembles a slasher, which has benefited the game
Now it's time to talk about the weakest component of the original game - the combat system. Everyone probably remembers the rather boring combat from the first part. It was deep, but not at all spectacular. The combat system included three fighting styles: power, group and fast; two types of swords: steel and silver, as well as special elixirs that had to be properly prepared and used, and magic signs. Depending on the type and number of opponents, it was necessary to combine different combat tactics and types of swords. But, excluding these aspects, one had to admit that the combat system was monotonous, and all fights boiled down to monotonous calling of the enemy. As a result, despite having excellent initial data, it did not realize even half of the potential initially inherent in it. Trying to make the battles meaningful, the developers made the fights the most boring, monotonous part of the game.

But now everything has changed. The combat system in The Witcher 2 is more like a good, competent slasher film than a traditional RPG itself. Two types of blows, block, rolls - it doesn’t sound entirely convincing, but it plays surprisingly cheerfully. Moreover, remembering any shortcomings during fights is problematic, since the fights turned out to be very intense, dynamic, and also complex. This is due to the strength, dexterity and speed of the opponents, as well as their tactical knowledge. During fights, you have to react with lightning speed to their every action and come up with your own adequate counter moves. Different types enemies require completely different approaches to themselves, it is also necessary to know their strengths and weaknesses in order to choose the most appropriate tactics and style of combat. We must not forget about elixirs and magic signs (almost all signs are available initially, with the exception of only one). Now they are even more closely connected with the combat system itself and bring even greater tactical variety to fights.

In general, it is worth recognizing that all the experiments related to changing the gameplay component were a success. Aspects that were frustrating and annoying in the original game were corrected and improved in the second part. Thanks to these changes, The Witcher 2 managed to reach a completely different level of quality than the first part. Now playing the creation of CD Project Red is often more interesting than playing games by Canadian developers from Bioware.

And now, it's time to talk about the graphical component of the game. The Witcher 2 looks great, and generally ideal for its genre. But this is the merit of not only the new graphics engine, but also artists. The fact is that the game locations are worked out to the smallest detail. Despite the fact that, frankly, all of them are far from small, the level of detail is simply amazing. But for all these beauties we had to pay with disgusting optimization. Scripts not working, terrible lags and brakes, periodic crashes - these are just some of the problems. This may have been due to CD Project Red's inexperience in writing its own graphics engine. But in justifying the developers, it must be said that they are doing their best to eliminate the problems that arise and improve the performance of the game.
The Witcher 2 is undoubtedly the most beautiful role-playing game for now
The sound component in the game was a success without any reservations. The change of actors voicing the characters benefited the game, as they gave it their all. The surrounding world sounds believable and natural, and the soundtrack, written by Polish composers Adam Skorupa and Krzysztof Wierzynkiewicz, helps you feel the atmosphere and completely immerse yourself in the world of the game.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is the best Eastern European An RPG of our time, and the rough edges present do not detract from its merits. She is not yet able to become the best in the world, but she is already confident that CDProjectRed will still achieve their goal.

Alas, like any more or less large-scale project, The Witcher 2 was not without serious errors that were not “caught” during the beta testing stage. At the time of writing this material, most of the shortcomings had already been corrected - the game never crashed to the desktop and confidently maintained an acceptable number of frames per second throughout the entire playthrough. However, not only lags and critical errors crept into the final version - there are still problems with the operation of some scripts, due to which key characters, for example, do not run where they are supposed to.

Some strange bugs sometimes happen with other elements - bombs, map and inventory. The button used to throw bombs and knives often does not work correctly, which is why Geralt stops moving around the battlefield and “catches” all the opponents’ attacks. Such a problem can be “cured” in the only known way - by loading the latest “save”. The developers are working to correct these shortcomings and release updates quite quickly - just a few days ago another “patch” appeared, which quite possibly corrects these errors. Be that as it may, we really hope that all existing problems will be solved as soon as possible and that the same thing that happened with the original will not happen (when all the bugs disappeared only with the advent of special edition The Witcher: Enhanced Edition).

But even now, when not even a month has passed since the second part of The Witcher went on sale, it’s time to think about who will be the winner in the “ Best game of the year". The confrontation between The Witcher 2 and Dragon Age 2 is inevitable, but the choice of many of us will probably fall on the blockbuster of our geographical neighbors. And we’re not talking about any kind of “family” sympathies or feelings of comradeship here - Geralt’s new adventures really turned out to be fascinating and well-directed. At the same time, the Poles do not hide the fact that not everything has been told yet - downloadable add-ons for the sequel are on the way, and then, you see, we’ll wait for the third “The Witcher”. The main thing is to be patient.

If you think about what makes The Witcher 2 unique compared to other famous RPG of the latter time, then we can come to the conclusion that this game is a spectacular film drama, the events of which completely depend on the choices and preferences of the players. Think about it - it's not Fallout: New Vegas, nor Dragon Age 2, no matter how large-scale they were, did not give such a feeling of permissiveness that is in the second “The Witcher”. What’s even more interesting is that when deciding which side to take in the brainchild of CD Projekt RED, you involuntarily catch yourself thinking that you are trying to calculate in advance possible options for the development of further events. However, this does not always work out - which, in fact, is why you should love this game.

Game world

While most players evaluate The Witcher based on its graphics and combat system, connoisseurs of the RPG genre primarily love it for its unique and special world. Which, by the way, they say is based on Sapkowski’s books.

The game world stands out sharply against the background of other fantasy worlds depicted by Tolkien. Here the elves are not distinguished by their beauty and sophistication (for example, one of the negative characters in the game is an elf), the main characters are not knights of goodness and light, etc. All this only contributes to new and vivid gaming experiences.

And what perhaps sets The Witcher even more apart from other European RPG games is that much of the game is based on Slavic mythology.

At least in last years one can notice an increasing simplification of games and their age ratings (in order to reach as large an audience as possible), but the Witcher developers fundamentally made the game for adults. We will see a lot of bloody scenes, violence and explicit erotic videos. Speaking of erotica in the game. This is not a whim of the developers, and not a marketing ploy (although probably that too), but a real reflection of Geralt from the books, who was still that connoisseur of the fair sex.

Elaborate game world, a twisting storyline, a deep history of its characters it distinguishing feature witcher The second part continues the story that ended in the first part... and not just continues you can load saves from the first part, and your “past actions” will influence the plot of the second part. This is how I understand the approach to the storyline.

The technical side of The Witcher 2

Completely created for the second part of The Witcher new engine. Graphics, physics, play of light and shadow, performance promise at the highest level. But the main thing that served as the impetus for the creation of our own engine was that none of the existing ones could implement the interaction between game characters that was required.

By the way, contrary to some opinions, The Witcher 2 can be played even on very “average” PCs, minimum requirements not very high. I recommend watching interviews with developers about technical side games:

Classes

The plot of the game is built around the main character Geralt, aka the Witcher. There's no choice between classes or gender, but they promise some customization appearance and the abilities of our hero before the game.

The lack of choice between characters does not mean that the game offers us only one “type” of character and one style of play. We can be both a “good guy” and a bad guy. Fortunately, Geralt was never nominated for the title of super hero.

Leveling up

The main three areas that can be developed are warrior, magician and alchemist. But even if you fully pump up your magic, you won’t be able to make a “pure magician” out of a witcher. All the same, the main weapon remains the sword, and everything else only helps in battle.

Inventory

Development branches

Also, the developers were concerned that “pumped up” players would not be able to kill any enemies with one hit, as they say “there will be no freebies.”

Items

Unlike the first part, where the choice of items was very, very poor, in the second we will find a rich selection of armor, weapons, and other items in the game.

Customization items will include runes and mutagens, but there are no details about them yet.

Game Features

• Non-linear plot, 16 types of endings;
• Living world each character in the game lives his own life: goes to work, communicates with neighbors, sleeps;
• Psychologically developed main characters each has their own opinion on current events, their own desires and goals, their own attitude towards Geralt;
• New, dynamic combat system;
• Gambling games such as dice, wrestling.

Screenshots

Platform: PC

Genre: Role-playing games

Publisher: CD Project

Developer: CD Project RED

Localization: Russian version

Players: 1

Age: 18+

King's Killer

The Witcher has returned. He returned as president, having given up his seat for four years (he was taken by Dragon Age) only because of legal formalities, and, having met the allotted term, having studied and mastered all the strong and weak spots the current ruler, he appeared before the jubilant voters full of strength and determination, ready to regain his former power not only in words, but also in deeds.

The Witcher: Censorship and Blood

One of the most anticipated games of 2011, on which all fans of indigenous RPGs had high hopes and the success of which none of the true fans doubted, has fully justified itself. At a time when most video entertainment is made with the intention of grabbing the player by the scruff of the neck and never letting him go, using a variety of means to do this: from huge sandbox worlds to narcotic online modes - in such times The Witcher becomes a drink fresh air, intoxicating no less than other games that try to do this on purpose. The brainchild of Andrzej Sapkowski's novels is not attractive due to its pretentious adherence to the latest fashion trends, which are imposed on the player regardless of his needs - on the contrary, in this world you can truly feel free from any influences of the global gaming industry. Here everything is done for yourself - brutally, seriously and without censorship - just look at the scene presented to the players back in the trailer, where, against the backdrop of a severed royal head, a hefty brute with a scarred face offers an elf (by the way, with the same scarred face) to provide and other heads. Creepy.

The Witcher 2: Sourdough

And again, trying from the first minutes to make it clear to the player that everything is in an adult way, the plot of the story in its chronological order (had to be clarified, since the prologue takes place in flashbacks, which, moreover, we can choose in any order) begins from a sex scene in which an invisible director and cameraman show us all the delights of naked Triss Merigold without any shame, and the next moment we, in the role of a dissatisfied Geralt, deprived of morning pleasures with the sorceress, are already standing in front of King Foltest to go to the front line against the rebels. By the way, it is worth noting that in the second part, such juggling with situations that are completely opposite in content is a very common way to shake up the player. The prologue is just one big number with juggling: politics, sword fights, shooting from catapults, escaping from the dragon, negotiations with rebels, meeting with the children of Foltest and a colorful and tragic introduction to the story - the murder of the king, presumably by a witcher disguised as a blind monk , right before Geralt’s eyes - Cameron himself would envy such diversity and richness.

The world as it is

On the other hand, following the precepts of the original source, the game captivates with its atmosphere. The graphic style, everything that happens around you - it’s as if you were on the other side of the book spread of the novel, where the life of remote villages, flowing quietly and measuredly, is contrasted with the bustle of the city, constant intrigue and squabbling, and the world lives according to its own, far from ideal laws. All this is permeated with black and commoner (in the context of the game) humor and the sarcastic and arrogant attitude of our witcher from Rivia to everything that happens. An atmosphere that will attract gamers still unfamiliar with this world, and into which people who came to it four years ago will plunge headlong. And if you are familiar with the pre-game story of Geralt, then beware - a powerful attack of nostalgia awaits you ahead, growing as the plot develops and starting with a report on the massacre of non-humans in Rivia, in which the witcher Geralt and the sorceress Yennefer died. And the girl with ashen hair took their bodies.

Geralt in the forest

Contrary to the attempts of modern developers to take the player by the hand and lead the player along the entire path of the story being told under their strict guidance, CD Projekt RED throws us at the beginning of a small path in an impenetrable forest, caring little about which way we will get out of there. However, do not think that the quality and presentation of the story suffers from this: if in a linear game it is enough for the developers to place all the attractions along one single road, and themselves act as a guide, carefully explaining each element, then in the case of the Witcher, the attractions are scattered throughout the forest, even along the most inconspicuous paths, and we ourselves act as a guide: are you interested in something? - take a book and read. And literally. IN best traditions In the first part (the traditions of which, again, have their roots in books), we learn a lot of information from books and a diary (which, by the way, is now kept for us by Maestro Buttercup himself). It's hard not to call this approach hardcore. After all, reading all these manuscripts, treatises and other writings is far from what ordinary players are used to. CD Project RED, apparently just for this case, provides the opportunity to go through the game only through key plot points, without delving into the atmosphere of the world (for this, important plot option answer, making it clear that it is not necessary to listen to others), but is there any point in galloping through a game, the whole meaning of which lies in those very nuances, treatises and manuscripts?

“Try to kill me! Only now I’ll hide behind the house...”

Having mentioned the books, we come to another significant aspect of the game: the combat system and everything connected with it. First, it must be said that it was completely reworked, leaving unchanged only the presence of signs and two swords: for people and monsters (which is of great interest to the village boys, who make their own guesses about this: “Why does he need two swords? Does he often lose them?” ). But now in battle we don’t need to rhythmically beat one key to get a graceful and deadly pirouette, periodically diluting this with shots of signs and, if necessary, changing the combat mode. Now we have at our disposal fast weak and slow strong blows, as well as blocking and rolling for defense - with this system, battles have become not just aggressive - they have turned into a complete nightmare. Moreover, new system moved away from the witcher combat from the book: there their trump card, repeatedly mentioned by Sapkowski, was the very rhythm that was embodied in the first part and abolished in the second. Now, in order to defeat a handful of worthless lanky neckers, you will have to fill yourself with elixirs (and a carefully selected combination of them), which, however, will provide only 5-10% additional probability of victory, and you will have to do everything else yourself: swing your sword, dodge in time (and when from 3 sides at the same time the monsters are waving their paws - it’s not so simple) - and even with full concentration, using all the signs, bombs and oils for the sword, there is a high probability of your losing. And, in principle, we can come to terms with this, if not for one small nuance: our hero is a witcher. He should kill monsters, not defend against them. And people shouldn’t become a hindrance at all. Now, after several close acquaintances with monsters (and even with negatively minded people), you involuntarily begin to avoid them in the future, afraid of getting caught on the first day - well, is this a witcher? And by the way, speaking of “innate” witcher instincts: if simplified rhythmic combat has become obsolete, then the ability to brew elixirs, on the contrary, has become subconscious - now you just need to select a recipe, and the ingredients themselves will fall into the desired cell, leaving you only with the need to press the “Brew” button . On the other hand, instead of thinking about How brew the elixir, you have to think which one the elixir will be required in a specific case. And information about a “specific case” will have to be obtained from books, so as not to end up all over the battlefield. This is such a contradictory combat system.

The most important

Leaving the content of the game unchanged (which, by the way, they were right), the developers, at their own peril and risk, changed the tools with which we have to dig into this content. There will probably be gamers who are dissatisfied with certain aspects of the innovations, but set your priorities: The Witcher is a game in which absolutely everything (and even, surprisingly, the plot) is just a means that allows you to plunge into the unique atmosphere of the hyperbolically realistic world born fantasy by Andrzej Sapkowski. And The Witcher 2 not only carefully preserved the atmosphere from the first part (which, in turn, became a reflection of the books) - it multiplied it many times over. And this is the most important thing.