Let’s assume a few things here.
You love RPGs on the PC. You think this whole “Witcher 2 thing” sounds cool. But here is your conundrum:
* Your PC is going to laugh hysterically the second you try to install Witcher 2.
* You didn’t play the original and feel like you’re gong to be jumping into a world that should be already familiar.
* Your girlfriend at the time thought the idea of collecting cards with half naked women you scored with in a videogame is really juvenile and hinted that you shouldn’t even think about playing that game, then you realized she was a real harpy and you moved on with your life and then forgot all about The Witcher.
Well does GoG (https://www.gog.com) have a deal for you: You can get The Witcher Enhanced Edition Director’s Cut right now for five bucks. Being a big fan of this game, that’s a no brainer and should help you ease into Witcher 2, assuming you have the PC horsepower. It’s not perfect, but should provide you with many, many, many hours of monster hunting pleasure.
The Witcher is a solid game, don’t get me wrong. However, the first 2 to 3 hours or so are some of the most boring and drawn out experiences you’ll have to…well..experience.
To put it blunt, The Witcher treats the prologue and 1st chapter as one giant introduction. The setting is very drool, combat is fairly limited and basic, and the over all story is really one big run of the mill murder mystery.
If you can push through it on to Chapter 2, the game quickly shifts into high gear. You get to experience a more vibrant city, gameplay starts to get fun as your skills advance and allow for more combat options, and the story line begins to branch out into twists and turns dependent on your personal choices.
The Witcher is kinda like dinner at my aunt’s house. The appetizers suck and the pre meal salad is bland and boring. However, the the entree is full of delicious meat and potatoes that leads to a homemade apple pie desert that is both warm and satisfying.
All points except the third apply to me. Instead, I substitute the third bullet point with “As a result, you can’t play the Witcher 2 for a little while, but you love the GoG guys and want to support them.” Sold!
I definitely agree that it drags in places, having just recently played through the game. Another issue I had was the voice acting and just the overall awkward dialogue, which I assume was just a shaky translation. But, if you can just accept the game for what it is, it’s really good. I’m really looking forward to the sequel because I know CD Projekt can make a good game already, and the sequel looks like it will clean up most of the faults The Witcher had.
I played the first Witcher for all of a few hours. Would not have given it a shot at all if it hadn’t come as a pack in with my videocard. I could never quite get into it. It had a few cool moments but it just seemed so awkward as far as the control scheme.
This control system (in Witcher 2, I mean; forgot what post I was in) will probably be much more to your liking in that regard. You direct your avatar about much as you would in a typical 3rd-person action game or RPG.
Purchased! I have no idea how I missed this game. Maybe I had my head under the WoW rock…