The Witcher 2 is a game that shoots for the sun while its rivals are still lining up their sights on the moon. It’s an AAA RPG with an indie soul, and a charged, exciting adventure you can really sink your teeth into, admire, and for the most part, love. From the raw technical wizardry of the engine, to tent walls rippling in the breeze and villagers running for cover when it rains, it’s a game built with burning, red-raw passion and exactly one goal. To be the best RPG ever, whatever it takes.
Ultimately, it falls short of that, but not without giving it a damn good go. Over its 20-30 hours of almost relentlessly superb moments, Witcher 2 raises almost every bar it can get its hands on. It’s let down by only two things: an undercooked combat system, and a story resolution that it actually hurts to watch. The rest is simply amazing, from the beautiful writing to the gorgeous visuals, meaningful choices, and a world that feels like a real place that exists beyond the game’s limitations.
For fans of the first game, this shouldn’t be a surprise. You don’t have to have played The Witcher to get into Assassins of Kings, although expect a confusing intro if you haven’t. After that, it’s a brand new story, with our hero Geralt – a travelling mutant monster-hunting-swordsman-alchemist – on the run after being fingered for the death of the Temerian king he was meant to be guarding, while powerful factions try to take advantage of the post-regicide chaos. The best thing about Assassins of Kings? They only think they’re in control. Really, you are. The Witcher 2 is packed to the gills with big decisions and major plot branches, and unlike most RPGs, these have consequences far beyond whether or not you get a magic karma point, a kiss from an NPC, or an extra bit of shiny loot from a treasure chest.
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