CD Projekt unveils The Witcher 2

By Robert Purchese Published 18 September, 2009

Revamped graphics, combat, dialogue.

CD Projekt boss Marcin Iwinski has revealed The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

He presented an alpha build of the game in an internal, "confidential" demonstration video. Luckily for us, the internet was peeping (via Kotaku).

The bread and butter Witcher experience, which went on to sell 1.2m copies (on PC only), returns. Mutant monster-fighter Geralt, therefore, is back and swishing his sword at toothy enemies and toothy harlots. Graphics, combat, magical powers and dialogue will all be overhauled, however.

Game designer Marek Ziemak talks us through the demonstration.

The "incredible graphics" are teased as Geralt overlooks a burning cityscape while a dragon feeds the flames from above. The day-night cycle has been "revamped", and a time-lapsed shot of a medieval encampment shows the sun passing overhead as wind lashes the tents. The scene is tinged with a bluey hue, which lends a cold, harsh-reality feel.

The engine advancements, Ziemak reckons, produce "some of the most realistic environments ever in the history of RPGs".

Dialogue is "completely new", and now has a dynamic camera that puts you "smack in the middle of an interactive movie". A penniless Geralt demonstrates this by swatting away a prostitue, showing a multi-choice response system with answers he fleshes out once picked.

Geralt's actions now affect AI bystanders. He smashes a bunch of barrels with a Force Push-like power and bloke with a bizarre US 'homeboy' accent reacts. AI also goes about its business around you, as if the world were alive. A soldier speaks to recruits as Geralt looks on; one throws up; the rest do push-ups.

Background chatter and encampment noise accompany a dramatic score to set an atmospheric scene.

Combat, finally, and finishing moves are "revamped" to be more dynamic, spectacular and "bloody" - blood splats across the screen as Geralt pulls gruesome moves. Havok physics underpin the action, and power our hero's magical abilities, which look a lot like those from Star Wars.

"Quick-time events will be another innovation," added Ziemak, as Geralt faced-off with an assassin boss, trading slurs in cut-scenes that react to the flow of combat. It works.

There's no date nor mention of platforms. CD Projekt's console adaptation of The Witcher - Rise of the White Wolf - went awry earlier this year, and was put on indefinite hold. We doubt any but PC will see the sequel, at least to begin with.

Also unclear is who the publisher will be. CD Projekt sided with Atari for the original, but Rise of the White Wolf payment disputes may scupper the partnership a second time around.

Have a look at our Witcher review for some background reading.

Picture of Robert.

About Robert Purchese

Bertie is Eurogamer's Senior Staff Writer. When he's not hunting down news stories he's often found playing with his kids or gabbling about fantasy games and strange online worlds.

Read more articles from Robert by visiting the Robert Purchese archive page.

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Comments (28) Latest comment 2 years ago

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  • Poorandugly #1 2 years ago

    This might be really good. Expect it to be a far way off, though.

  • ChthonicEcho #2 2 years ago

    Quick-time events? An innovation? What rock has the man been living under? Oh, right, Poland.

    Jokes aside, I really loved the first game. A superb RPG with minor flaws. Colour me intrigued.
    Edited by 1 at 18/09/09 @ 10:00

  • Haloboy #3 2 years ago

    This news just made my day. The original was such a fantastic gaming experience, in fact it's probably the best damn RPG made during the last decade.

  • Evolution #4 2 years ago

    "Quick-time events will be another innovation," - I'm not sure that sentence is correct, looks nice though and the first game was a lot of fun.

  • matrim83 #5 2 years ago

    Saw the video. It does look very good indeed. I kinda wish Bioware were using this engine for DA.

    And the physics are very nice too. This is on my "buy first day" list.

  • Xerx3s #6 2 years ago

    Wauw, that looks really good!

  • JahB #7 2 years ago

    What rock has the man been living under? Oh, right, Poland.

    you fucker. i just laughed coffee all over my desk

  • makeamazing #8 2 years ago

    He presented an alpha build of the game in an internal, "confidential" demonstration video.

    What?? The guy has recorded a voice over intro, this isnt no internal confidential demonstration video...lol

    Anyway looks interesting... never played the first game, is it any good? Might see what its all about.

  • TheTingler #9 2 years ago

    @matrim83 The first game used a heavily modified version of Bioware's Knights of the Old Republic/Jade Empire engine, I don't know if this is the same even more revamped.

    Really excited about this. Utterly loved the first game and loved it even more when the Special Edition was released... for free! I particularly loved how you'd often not get the consequences of your choices in the game until hours afterwards.

    It all looks spectacular. Couple of worries - Quicktime Events are one of my most hated videogaming conventions, and I hope the voices are only temporary because they're a bit basic right now. Plus I hope they get the same Geralt from the first game. However, I loved when that guard yelled "Mommmmyyy!!" as he flew off the cliff!

  • WJF #10 2 years ago

    Looking forward to this muchly. CD Projekt are one of those rare developers that 'get' how to do a proper choice-based story and the previous game, despite the flaws, was easily one of the finest RPGs this decade.

    Not too sure what to think about the QTEs though...

  • pankomentarz #11 2 years ago

    Quick-time events? An innovation? What rock has the man been living under? Oh, right, Poland.

    Nice one, spilled coffee on my Polish desk at that :)

  • TheSnotGoblin #12 2 years ago

    The Quicktime event shown just seems to be a timed mouse-click during conversation. Considering the combat pretty much consists of timed-mouse clicks I don't think they'll stand out all that much; just add a bit of flavour to mid-combat cutscenes.

  • LittleSacky #13 2 years ago

    @makeamazing I would say that it looks like its a video intended for selling the game around for publishers. Hence the introduction by one of the head of the company and some of the wording used to describe some of the game's systems.

  • chukcyQ #14 2 years ago

    The best vodka comes from Poland. And I will buy this game so much!

  • Evolution #15 2 years ago

    @TheTingler

    Not to nitpick, but the Kotor/Jade Empire engine was the Odyssey Engine. The Witcher uses a modified Aurora Engine of Neverwinter Nights 1 fame.

  • hiddenranbir #16 2 years ago

    swatting away a prostitue

    Sold!

  • Rubarack #17 2 years ago

    I'd have hoped for a step forward in terms of game transition. On release the original was a total nightmare shipping you from one corner of the map to another juts to have a conversation with 2 people. While the improved load times helped a lot I'd still like to see some smarter design here.

  • hiddenranbir #18 2 years ago

    By the way, the way those QTEs are being handled in the game, FANTASTIC!

  • Yossarian #19 2 years ago

    The WRPG is saved!

    ...or at least put back on life support for a while longer.

  • Yossarian #20 2 years ago

    Actually, on second thought, this looks shaky as hell. Fable II-style crowds "gathering" "intelligently" to "comment" on things you did, with "comic" results? Daily routines and all that boring-as-hell, barely-working AI shit Bethesda try to do? In-combat cutscenes? QTEs, in any form? And they changed the Geralt actor. And the dialogue still sucks.

    Le sigh.

  • SpaceMonkey77 #21 2 years ago

    Its a shame the console version is on hiatus, as I was really looking forward to this game gracing my 360. Would be nice to kiss all the sugary sweet jrpgs a break.

    I think what CD Projekt need to do, is get in league with one of the larger publishers, where they can get the console version pushed out faster.

    I'll keep an eye on this sequel, sounds cool, apart from the quick time cheese. So sick of them too.

  • FirewalkR #22 2 years ago

    They never talked about a console version of this game, to my knowledge. The "Rise of the White Wolf" console game that was canceled was not Witcher 2. Regarding the actor the voices are obviously temporary.

  • hiddenranbir #23 2 years ago

    Yeah, they sound like the developers themselves, obviously for internal demonstration purposes.

  • Sar #24 2 years ago

    Echellenté.

    I'm a big fan of CDPR, and I'm glad to see a great PC game get a much deserved sequel.

  • qoobah #25 2 years ago

    Oh joy, looks nice (the army camp weather and ambience is particularly ace).

    Although QTE's. Well shit. I really hoped these would die out as they get smacked in each and every game they appear in. You'd think people would learn...

  • Triggerhappytel #26 2 years ago

    This sounds good, and I welcome a project like this from a smaller developer, but I'd really really like to see Rise of the White Wolf get released at some point, or failing that, The Witcher 2 make its way to consoles.

  • George-Roper #27 2 years ago

    Framerate looks suspect and from my first dippage into Witcher 1 using an 8800GTX im worried how this will perform on current spec rigs.

    Also, it needs to be open world. Fully. Open. World. Any more invisible walls and they can definitely count me out. Good storyline counts for a great deal but if they bring that crashing down with an inability to climb over a tiny picket fence and venture into the goats pen and they can fuck right off.

  • TheTingler #28 2 years ago

    @George, I think you've been spoilt by Bethesda slightly... but I prefer The Witcher to Oblivion and Fallout 3. Not all RPGs have to be open world!

    @Evolution Don't mind the nitpick! Would've sworn they were all Aurora...