Game of the Week: The Witcher 2

By Oli Welsh Published 20 May, 2011

Pieces of nine.

Weeks like this don't come around too often.

We get gluts of quality releases, of course, and plenty of hard choices when it comes to what to spend our hard-earned money and free time on come Friday. But this week sees the release of two absolute titans. They're not exactly similar, and they're far from perfect, but they have a couple of important things in common.

They're both adult, not just in terms of language, violence and nudity but also seriousness, ambition and fictional scope. And they're both long-form, resolutely single-player adventures of a sort that's recently seemed threatened with extinction.

There's not a multiplayer mode in sight, and the only way these games seek to defend themselves against short shelf-lives or trade-in ignominy is through sheer wealth of absorbing, crafted content.

Whether you game on consoles or PC you can play a worthy epic this weekend, and if you do both, you're spoilt for choice.

Rockstar's L.A. Noire unusually - and laudably - credits the sofa crowd with an attention span. This episodic detective thriller may have showboating production values, but it's a slow-burner; it repays patience with a compelling evocation of place and time and a surprisingly serious attempt to tackle the social issues of post-war Los Angeles.

"One of Rockstar's greatest talents is for transposing iconic slices of pop culture - Miami Vice, Spaghetti Westerns or the gangster rap myth - into games with perfect tone and timing and an uncanny sense of cool. In L.A. Noire, it has performed its most surgical transplant yet," I wrote in our L.A. Noire review.

"L.A. Noire is slow but quietly engrossing; its mechanics are suspect, but you can't fault the ambition, attention to detail and commitment that went into its making. It risks stumbling over its own earnestness at times, but it's saved by its star... That star is Los Angeles: as bizarre, threatening and fascinating in this virtual 1947 as it is in the real world today."

In my review, I noted that L.A. Noire was heavily inspired by writers like Raymond Chandler and James Ellroy, albeit filtered through their famous movie adaptations. This week's other grown-up epic needs no film director as intermediary; it comes straight from the page.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

A few years ago, writing for another publication, I travelled to a wintry Warsaw for a preview of the first Witcher game. I'd never heard of the low fantasy works of Andrzej Sapkowski on which it was based, but I understood that they were a big deal in Poland.

I was struck by the national pride and intense connection with the subject matter displayed by the developers at CD Projekt. Here was a studio emerging from the journeyman workshops and humble niches of the Eastern European game scene with big ambitions and a distinctive voice - for which Sapkowski's gritty folklore formed the perfect platform.

With this sequel, CD Projekt has shown that it's ready to take a seat at the RPG top table.

"Fans of RPGs should consider The Witcher 2 a must-buy," said Quintin in our Witcher 2 review. "There's simply no competitor that can touch it in terms of poise, characterisation and storytelling, or the way in which it treats you not as a player - someone to be pandered to and pleased - but as an adult, free to make your own mistakes and suffer a plot in which not everyone gets what they deserve.

"Everybody else should approach excitedly, but with a little caution. The Witcher 2's opening ten hours are as impressive as they are clumsy, and a little patience is needed until the game hits its stride. What a stride, though. What bravery and gravity. With a little time investment, this game offers everything the fantasy genre can be."

And almost everything CD Projekt can be. Almost, but not quite, not yet. BioWare and Bethesda should watch their backs; the Polish underdogs have their own designs in this game of thrones.

Picture of Oli.

About Oli Welsh

Oli is Eurogamer's acting deputy editor and reviews editor and likes to take things one word at a time. He is among the best dressed people in South London.

Read more articles from Oli by visiting the Oli Welsh archive page.

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Comments (42) Latest comment 1 year ago

Comments for this article are now closed, but please feel free to continue chatting on the forum!

  • Ninja_Tino #1 1 year ago

    Would *love* to get The Witcher 2, but I think my PC would struggle. Then again, I only got through a couple of hours of The Witcher, so perhaps I'll start that again.

  • Yodith #2 1 year ago

    Well deserved, it's a wonderful game and almost certainly going to be near the top of my GotY list come the year's end. My copy of LA Noire arrived yesterday and while I really enjoyed getting stuck into it last night, I could really feel the pull of The Witcher 2 calling me back.

  • Sharzam #3 1 year ago

    I find the comment funny regarding "BioWare and Bethesda should watch their backs" when Bioware do not make RPGs anymore they make shooters with some RPG light overlay and Bethesda are not more experienced as they have only done a couple RPGs of note.

    Anyway... back on topic. Cant say i argue with this game of the week, its nice to see PC only games still being made and not dumbed down constanly for the masses, this is an adult game (like the first) with its own goals and will to pander to the console or casual crowds.

  • Huddy #4 1 year ago

    It was this or L.A Noire this week, so glad I went with the Witcher 2. Awesome game.

  • morriss #5 1 year ago

    Geralt is the best RPG protagonist ever, and I've played most of the big ones. But Geralt edges it. Sorry, Commander Shepard, it's true!

  • morriss #6 1 year ago

    The ad is selling the game at Zavvi for £65. BARGAIN! :)

  • krudster #7 1 year ago

    Boo, no mention of Blocks That Matter, a whisker away from a 9/10. Those on a budget, check it out. Brilliant game.

  • butler` #8 1 year ago

    Anyone running this on a shitty old core2duo / 8800gts era machine?

  • kalinichenko #9 1 year ago

    Hoping The Witcher 2 sells loads and loads.CD Projekt has done a remarkable job.

  • velimirius #10 1 year ago

    Witcher is my RPG of the year, RTS would be Shogun 2 while FPS will be BF3 (cant wait) it will be hard to decide which will pick game of the year for me :)

  • UncleLou #11 1 year ago

    BioWare and Bethesda should watch their backs; the Polish underdogs have their own designs in this game of thrones.

    They shouldn't watch their backs, they should run faster. CD Projekt have already passed them.

  • hiddenranbir #12 1 year ago

    I think Bioware has given up anyway.

    Bethesda are trying things, to their credit. (hopefully dynamic quest system in Skyrim helps to be another attribute in providing living worlds)

  • The_Bloody_Kettle #13 1 year ago

    Now I want a good PC.

  • deadstoned #14 1 year ago

    Running it on a PC from 2008 with Q6600 and 4870 512mb, its quite crappy by todays standards, but can run Witcher 2 on high and BFBC2 on High both at 1680x1050.
    Edited by deadstoned at 20/05/11 @ 19:02

  • Garfy #15 1 year ago

    Unfortunately my Core 2 Duo/8800GT system isn't up to the job of powering the Witcher 2 as anything other than a stuttery mess. :(

  • butler` #16 1 year ago

    @Garfy

    fuck

    thanks

    oh well, LA Noir it is

  • Inmediasress #17 1 year ago

    Well it's truly a great RPG and the normal package is also great you get a soundtrack and a other neat stuff.

  • infernox1 #18 1 year ago

    @garfy. it should be able to. download the latest nvidia driver.

  • number3son #19 1 year ago

    For people worried whether their machines can run the game, give it a little time. If their past history is any indication, CD Projekt will follow up with a healthy amount of post-release support and optimization which should improve things a bit.

  • riz23 #20 1 year ago

    "Bethesda are not more experienced as they have only done a couple RPGs of note."

    Elder Scrolls I, Daggerfall, Morrowind, Oblivion (plus dlc) Fallout 3 (plus dlc) & the rest that may not be quite 'of note' say "Hi!". Still, no doubt Witcher 2 is an awesome game, and CD Projekt have definitely arrived. Now if only they could get their games onto a console the big bucks will flow...

    EDIT: And now they announce a Witcher related game for consoles at E3. I smell them big bucks coming..
    Edited by riz23 at 24/05/11 @ 19:53

  • number3son #21 1 year ago

    @riz23

    "Now if only they could get their games onto a console the big bucks will flow... "

    Ah, no... they're already making big bucks. They don't need help from consoles: http://www.next-gen.biz/features/1m-sold...

  • Paul_cz #22 1 year ago

    Witcher 2 is pretty much the best RPG since Vampire Bloodlines.

  • apoc_reg #23 1 year ago

    What a year!!!!!!!!!!

  • Robbobloke #24 1 year ago

    It runs fine on my C2D E6600 (oc'ed to 3ghz) with 8800GTS. Low settings but still looks and plays lush. Fab game!

  • comradetony #25 1 year ago

    Warsaw? Eastern Europe? I wouldn't say that too often on Poland. Central Europe, if you need to generalise.

    Geography rant aside, great choice. Ive got both The Witcher 2 and L.A Noire, and I am going to have to make the decision on which one to concentrate over the weekend... The Witcher 2 seems to be winning.

  • glottis0 #26 1 year ago

    This result, meaningless and fleeting as it is, made me grin a big grin. Don't get me wrong - I've got LA Noire sitting on the side all shrinkwrapped, but CD Project Red really deserve all the success - seems like they really care about the game and their customers - just the right amount of arrogance to stick to their guns, without ever screwing people over.

  • TheApologist #27 1 year ago

    A week with two big single player games is my kind of week.

    Will be getting both of these.

  • linksdad #28 1 year ago

    Well done Witcher 2, look forward to playing you soon.

    Absolutely enthralled by LA Noire, stayed up all night playing which hasnt happened for a good few years.

  • riz23 #29 1 year ago

    @number3son a million units is impressive I admit, but I'm still an advocate of getting your game to the widest possible audience. What if they sold a million units on each platform?

    EDIT: You may wish to neg me defensive PC elitists but looks like CD Projeckt agree with me.
    http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-0...
    Edited by riz23 at 24/05/11 @ 19:55

  • Garfy #30 1 year ago

    I tried the latest NVIDIA drivers but unfortunately I think my old-ass C2D is the main thing holding me back

  • EVERYGAMER #31 1 year ago

    I'm so happy that there are still strong singleplayer games coming out and for me i'll love every minute i spend with both of them :)

  • UncleLou #32 1 year ago

    @ number3son a million units is impressive I admit, but I'm still an advocate of getting your game to the widest possible audience. What if they sold a million units on each platform?

    It's not quite so easy, is it. Developing for consoles is expensive. Devkits, licensing fees, and whatnot, and a lot of manpower (to make 3 versions) for a comparatively small team. I am pretty sure there'll be console versions, but give them time. They've got an audience and excellent reputation on the PC (which is much stronger than any consoles in Eastern Europe and for example Germany anyhow), and this game will certainly sell tremendously well on the PC. Most certainly better for them to make it thorough and take it slowly rather than overburden themselves with a multiplatform release at this time.

  • WizenWolfBain #33 1 year ago

    I have a 4870 OC, i5 2500k (OC to 4.3GHZ) and 6GB of DDR3. "Ultra" settings look like a slide show for me. This game literally is next gen. My reasonably mid-end PC coughs and dies at the mere sight of the loading screen. But fear not. This game looks exceptional even on medium settings. If, like me, you don't have a ridiculous Crossfire X setup with the latest i7; that's fine. because medium settings still blow away anything on consoles. Mass Effect and Fable 3 look like PS2 games in comparison to the scope and textures/lighting in this game. And the scope and feel of the gameplay is something i haven't felt in years.

    This game is beyond awesome.

    EDIT: This is yet another reason for me to throw another £300 at my PC. Battlefield 3 and The Witcher 2 are unmissable. This Xbox is going straight on Ebay!
    Edited by WizenWolfBain at 22/05/11 @ 03:46

  • Leolian #34 1 year ago

    "Anyone running this on a shitty old core2duo / 8800gts era machine?"

    Mine is fine at low settings and even on
    Medium it's playable but I think I'll invest in a new graphics card. I'm thinking radeon 6950, but I'm not sure if the rest of my system will support it. Oh well, full upgrade if not :)

  • sebmojo #35 1 year ago

    I have a 9800GT with 512 meg (old drivers), 2 gig of rubbish RAM and an Athlon ii X2 250 (dual core 3Ghz). It runs very nicely on quite high settings, though at 1280x1024. Basically try and push your textures as high as they'll go as they're stunning, but turn off vertical sync, SSAO, danglers, shadows.

    It's going to sell a lot of video cards though. Very tempted to go get an upgrade.

  • Hexcaliber #36 1 year ago

    The game is far too short, ten hours play was enough to finish it, while I know there is another path to be taken through the game, I simply cba going through the start again so soon after first play through. Wish I had spent the money on dirt 3, which I am sure will provide far more than 10 hours gameplay.

  • Daeltaja #37 1 year ago

    Hexcaliber must be trolling. 10 hours to finish this? Did you literally speed run it and skip every cutscene? Have a walkthrough at your side? What about the absolutely brilliant side-quests, exploring and crafting? I'm 15 hours in and only half way through Act 1.

    Edit: Why do I even bother!

    Edit Edit: WizenWolfBain - My Rig is quite a bit worse and I can run on Ultra happily at 35~ fps. Starting to think that this is much better optimized for Nvidia cards. I have an i3 clocked to 4.2ghz, 4gb ddr3, gtx460.
    Edited by Daeltaja at 24/05/11 @ 11:17

  • WizenWolfBain #38 1 year ago

    Well I'm running at 1920x1080 resolution, although you're probably right about Nvidia cards (because it usually takes a driver update for AMD to get in gear). I have found a good mix between medium/high settings with some shadow effects lowered and textures raised. I'm getting a very playable 35-45FPS, which I'm very happy with.

    My new AMD 6970 will arrive in a few days. Hopefully then I'll be able to appreciate this game in all it's glory!

  • neems #39 1 year ago

    An HD6970 will be perfect for this game, I get approximately 40fps on ultra* @ 1920x1080 with an HD6870 (i5 2500k @ 4.2 GHz), so you should probably add at least 10 fps to that.

    *No ubersampling obviously.

    I am currently at Flotsam in game, and it is absolutely mind blowing.


    Curiously, Hexcaliber's comment is a cut and paste from another thread, he really seems to have an axe to grind :-) I'm early doors at the moment, but it's hard to see how you could play through in ten hours.

  • Snake_2011 #40 1 year ago

    @EddieMink fastest selling new IP in the UK I doubt Rockstar give a crap .

  • Galathorn #41 1 year ago

    Love the "Game of thrones" reference! Regarding "The witcher 2", I'm going to wait for an enhanced version to enjoy this great game even more.

  • MMMMMM7 #42 1 year ago

    This game is quality, quality and again quality.
    I think the RPG genre has a new king called
    Witcher 2.

    The artistic presentation and beautiful
    graphics unfold an epic nonlinear story that
    no game so far has managed to deliver. Also
    the combat mechanisms and moves are greatly
    improved over it's predecessor creating also the best
    combat I have ever played.

    I wish Lucas Arts could colaborate with CD project and
    together create Force Unleaashed 3. It would be
    a definit hit and a game the STAR WARS universe
    deserves. But I think CD PROJECT will have a lot of work
    to undertake to create Witcher 3 so maybe Lucas Arts should try
    to hire more talented people with an open mind and vision.