Witcher 2 Again

[Slowtrain]

I mainly stopped playing the game because of the horrible horrible UI, mainly the inventory.

 

Is it worse than Witcher 1? That would seem difficult to believe.

 

 

So what's the verdict on the Witcher 2?

I would love to have given you an informed opinion, but the game was/is so boring that I didn't make it past the prologue

 

I'll probably end up uninstalling it and write it off as a loss. It's trying too hard to be "contemporary" (interpret that as you will).

 

 

oofff. That's harsh.

 

Did you like the first one?

Edited August 10, 2011 by Slowtrain

[Morgoth]

The first one was really bad, but in a charming way. At least I made it to Chapter 3 before I got bored and gave up.

 

As for Witcher 2: I think the Prologue was really nice, but after that... I dunno, technically speaking, the game does everything better than W1. Also better dialogues and better cinematics, if you're into that thing. It's just that the game doesn't really pick up speed, it lacks direction, and that compounded with very severe balancing issues (like you need 3 attempts to beat some Wrath, next time you load up the game you beat 2 of them in the first turn) and the horrible UI (mainly Inventory) and the totally unclear magic system (Aarg, Gaart, Faart, etc. I mean what?) somewhat makes it an obstacle to really delve into it.

 

Final verdict: Witcher 2 is overrated, Dragon Age 2 is underrated.

[Malcador]

Did you play it after the first patch Gorgon ? The game seemed easier after that. I must have low standards I suppose, but I found the game pretty fun - combat did take some time to get used to but it was kind of cool at times, I still preferred the styles from the first. Well, here's hoping they listen to the negative feedback.

Edited August 10, 2011 by Malcador

[entrerix]

ok so i thought the witcher 1 was good, and the witcher 2... not great.

 

there are aspects of the witcher 2 i really like, but honestly the combat is just unpleasant (akin to my opinion of the combat in TW1) the main difference between them though?

 

time.

 

when i was younger i was more patient, and would have been willing to put up with the crap combat to see what else the game had to offer (which is how i finished TW1). but now im old and cranky and work too much and have other stuff to do, so boring as hell combat that is really unfun makes me turn the game off in annoyance.

 

so yeah, final verdict on TW2 after about 30 hours:

 

its a good game, and maybe a great one, IF you don't mind the combat.

 

 

edit: some more thoughts - the dialogue was ok and the story interesting enough i guess, but i felt a little too trapped playing as geralt. I don't mind playing a pre-set character in torment, but for some reason in this game it was really starting to bother me. also, did i say i hated the combat? clicking buttons like im playing diablo 1 is just retarded. i thought this was an rpg, why can't i just tell the game "attack that guy" and then pause for some special moves or something, why do i have to click for every attack? its beyond stupid in this day and age, hell, even in older games like baldurs gate (or even diablo 2) you dont have to click the mouse button repeatedly to execute each single attack, its mind numbingly stupid.

 

and before people jump on me about the rpg thing, if the game wanted to be an action rpg like a medieval deus ex or something, then they really screwed up terribly, because they forgot to include the action part. its just clicking. clickclickclickclickclickdrinkpotiondrinkpotionclickclickclick. just like diablo 1, but with an inferior camera angle and not addicting at all.

 

final edit: i actually think i had more fun playing DA2. DA2 is stupider on the whole (lots of things about the witcher 2 are "smart"), but more fun to actually play.

Edited August 10, 2011 by entrerix

[Slowtrain]

For some reason, I though the overall reception to Witcher 2 here had been overwhelmingly positive.

 

I'm in less of a rush to find some free time to play it now.

[entrerix]

my opinion was really high at first, but after a while, the honeymoon was over and then the frustration set in.

 

i do that from time to time though, i am usually very optimistic about a game when i first start playing it. (and dont get me wrong, there are flashes of brilliance in the witcher 2, its definitely worth playing once to see how it suits you)

Edited August 10, 2011 by entrerix

[Slowtrain]

Was the combat actually less fun in Witcher 2 than in Witcher 1? Or was it just too much more of the same?

 

I found the combat in Witcher 1 reasonably fun within the context of the overall game. I was hoping Witcher 2 would at least not be worse.

[Malcador]

Was the combat actually less fun in Witcher 2 than in Witcher 1? Or was it just too much more of the same?

 

I found the combat in Witcher 1 reasonably fun within the context of the overall game. I was hoping Witcher 2 would at least not be worse.

 

You'll probably dislike it, I suspect. Is a bit too twitchy.

[Hassat Hunter]

It's great first time around.

 

Second time... well... I find it a hard time going through the prologue and chapter 1 (which is exactly the boring same) to get to the good stuff, the story split.

Not successfull yet.

[Zoraptor]

Most of the chapter 1 quests do have alternative approaches, though as with pretty much every title it would certainly benefit from some more meaningfully alternative ways of doing a lot of those quests and some time between replays. Some thief skills or similar would add to the variety (not sure if that would fit with the fiction).

 

I'd say that combat is closest to something like Gothic 2 or Risen. It had much the same 'first time I went down the hill I got pwned by a wolf foetus, now I'm one shotting dudes' feeling except you run into proper 'wolves' pretty much from the start (though supposedly the starting difficulty is far easier now), and just as with Gothic you will get stomped in two seconds flat if you get surrounded.

 

I have to say I find entrerix's description a bit... baffling. Much like Gothic (and totally unlike Diablo), button mashing means you're Doing It Wrong as well as Making It Hard On Yourself. And of course you cannot drink potions in combat in TW2.

Edited August 10, 2011 by Zoraptor

[Hassat Hunter]

Useless button mashing is possible on the lowest possible difficulty... just don't expect it to work any higher.

And yes, you would be doing it extremely wrong.

[Gorgon]

The only thing that seems to work is chain hitting intercepted with signs, try and kill one and then roll out of there so you don't get mobbed. I spent a long time running around in circles waiting for my health to regen enough for me to have another go at my pursuers. Not very entertaining.

[Tigranes]

There's a huge difference between "the one thing I found that works" or "the one thing that suits me best", and the "only thing that seems to work". There are very clearly several styles of play that are viable in TW2 (though of course not as much as, say, a proper party-based RPG) - some are easier than others, and obviously individual players are oriented towards particular solutions as well.

 

On Hard, once I figured out various ways, there were only a few fights where I had to roll/run around in circles, such as if you choose to take on La Vallette and all of his men. There's no denying that rolling is silly and overpowered in TW2 and blocking underpowered, but there's lots of styles to be found there if you look.

[Gorgon]

I'd like to know what the alternative is to strafing until swallow has healed you is. Particularly if there are 4 or 5 opponents and you don't have resources like bombs or traps.

Edited August 11, 2011 by Gorgon

[Tigranes]

Why don't you have bombs or traps, though? The ingredients are plentiful and they really change a battle - sure, sometimes you'll find you've run out or something, but generally, I mean, they're mainly there for crowd control, so if you don't use them of course you'll be on the back foot and running more.

 

I've also found if you go full magic user route you can get 3-4 vigour pretty early - lets you Aard/Yrden + coup de grace difficult enemies or the sign that charms enemies. IMO you don't really want to be in a situation where you consistently get damaged - you want to work out a system where you don't take much to begin with. It would have helped if blocking cost less vigour (there's a mod for that now), but yeah. If you're running around relying on swallow to bring you back from the brink on a regular basis, you either haven't figured out a good way to fight, are not good friends with twitchy combat, or both.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Why don't you have bombs or traps, though? The ingredients are plentiful and they really change a battle - sure, sometimes you'll find you've run out or something, but generally, I mean, they're mainly there for crowd control, so if you don't use them of course you'll be on the back foot and running more.

 

I've also found if you go full magic user route you can get 3-4 vigour pretty early - lets you Aard/Yrden + coup de grace difficult enemies or the sign that charms enemies. IMO you don't really want to be in a situation where you consistently get damaged - you want to work out a system where you don't take much to begin with. It would have helped if blocking cost less vigour (there's a mod for that now), but yeah. If you're running around relying on swallow to bring you back from the brink on a regular basis, you either haven't figured out a good way to fight, are not good friends with twitchy combat, or both.

 

In other words you need to actually put in some effort to beat the game, unlike some others that could be mentioned.

Edited August 11, 2011 by Drowsy Emperor

[HoonDing]

Useless button mashing is possible on the lowest possible difficulty... just don't expect it to work any higher.

And yes, you would be doing it extremely wrong.

With maxed out Quen, you can button mash with impunity until the adrenaline bar is full and you can press the magical X button.

[Gorgon]

Don't think I've ever had full adrenaline.

[Tigranes]

I think that's an indication of where you are going 'wrong'. i.e. You're too busy rolling around and dodging enemies and essentially on the back foot most of the time, so that you are never attacking enough to build up adrenaline.

 

Quen is definitely OP. As I've said from the start they needed to make Quen last half as long and block cost half as much vigour. I think there's mod(s) for that now... waiting for my new computer before I return to TW2.

[Hassat Hunter]

http://www.thewitcher.com/patch1-35/

New "hotfix" patch...

 

Never used Quen or Bombs or Traps my first game (Normal difficulty). Also only used "magical X" about 3 times the whole game, usually by the time it was charged everyone was already dead. You get so overpowered in the end...

[Gizmo]

edit: some more thoughts - the dialogue was ok and the story interesting enough i guess, but i felt a little too trapped playing as geralt. I don't mind playing a pre-set character in torment, but for some reason in this game it was really starting to bother me. also, did i say i hated the combat? clicking buttons like im playing diablo 1 is just retarded. i thought this was an rpg, why can't i just tell the game "attack that guy" and then pause for some special moves or something, why do i have to click for every attack? its beyond stupid in this day and age, hell, even in older games like baldurs gate (or even diablo 2) you dont have to click the mouse button repeatedly to execute each single attack, its mind numbingly stupid.

My biggest peeve was the changes to combat/ and potion use. I know from your post that you did not much care for the combat in either Witcher, but I really liked it in Witcher 1; and I agree with you about wanting to just be able to select a target and have him attack.

 

And I'm of the same opinion with Fallout 3 / NV; I seriously would have preferred a game that was closer to the original series, than to FO3.

* Closer in the same way

to Dawn of War than say... Space Marine)

 

 

Was the combat actually less fun in Witcher 2 than in Witcher 1? Or was it just too much more of the same?

 

I found the combat in Witcher 1 reasonably fun within the context of the overall game. I was hoping Witcher 2 would at least not be worse.

The view is now restricted to the over-shoulder camera, (The ISO modes are completely gone ), and the combat game is all about accurate twitch attacks; Which means ~predictably that Geralt can hop around chaining attacks at nothing but air while his opponents just off center of him.

 

It can be fun ~no mistake... but its not the fun I was hoping to find.

 

Here is a clip [of combat] I made the first day I when I got the game.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GizmoJunk?feat.../14/4olt1v4bPXA

 

 

Useless button mashing is possible on the lowest possible difficulty... just don't expect it to work any higher.

And yes, you would be doing it extremely wrong.

True.

[Drowsy Emperor]

Here is a clip [of combat] I made the first day I when I got the game.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GizmoJunk?feat.../14/4olt1v4bPXA

 

That seems perfectly fine, you just have to be careful, know your distances and use a few tactics.

 

It looks like an improvement over the first game, but I can see why some find it tiring.

 

Especially those used to bioware's (and others) click to win combat.

Edited August 14, 2011 by Drowsy Emperor

[Gizmo]

Here is a clip [of combat] I made the first day I when I got the game.

http://www.youtube.com/user/GizmoJunk?feat.../14/4olt1v4bPXA

 

That seems perfectly fine, you just have to be careful, know your distances and use a few tactics.

 

It looks like an improvement over the first game, but I can see why some find it tiring.

 

Especially those used to bioware's (and others) click to win combat.

I would not have minded at all if this was the gameplay in the close over-shoulder view (like the original had ~in a way), but I was disappointed that they discarded the other two modes seen in the original, and I could no longer play the series combat as before (this was something that had drawn me to the series to begin with and the way I'd have preferred to keep playing the series; In the previous game it was an option ~in this game its not ).

 

The second problem is a bigger one though. In Witcher 2, Geralt is incapable of pulling a potion out and drinking it.

 

That's right... To drink a potion [now], Geralt must find a place to kneel down (away from active threats), and pick one out of a list. Its awful (IMO). What it does is mildly akin to

Painkiller's method of activating Tarot cards before a level ~it removes the the option of quick slots... Those three potion straps you used to see on him. Its jarring, because it not only goes against common sense (and Geralt's pragmatic approach to threats), but it was his common behavior before.

 

Its a great game visually, but its developed some very contrived game mechanics IMO ~making it less than the original in some ways.

Edited August 14, 2011 by Gizmo

[Drowsy Emperor]

The latter (potions) is a bad design decision, but I won't be sorry for the lack of isometric mode because Witcher 1 looked infinitely better in OTS (as you could see the sky and everything). My opinion of course.

My favorite RPG's are isometric but the W1 used its OTS mode and graphics in the best possible way at the time, I think.

Edited August 14, 2011 by Drowsy Emperor

[Zoraptor]

No potions in combat is fine, imo- your enemies ought to skewer you pdq if you pull one out while fighting. Forcing meditation for potion drinking is a rather poor solution though. Maybe they ran out of buttons on the 360 controller but why they didn't just have a 'belt' system as in tw1 with quaffing allowed out of combat baffles me a bit as the meditation requirement is just make-work as it stands.