The Witcher 2 Review

So, the launcher for The Witcher 2 is the main problem with getting the game to actually run, because the launcher will get confused if you have a larger CPU with too many cores. It simply doesn't know which one to use. So, you have to go into Task Manager and force the launcher to only use a single core, which will enable it to actually launch the game. However, while that is simple enough to fix, the problems continue after that because there's a similar issue with graphics cards being a little too much for this game to handle, and the game often doesn't know what to do with it. So, this will lead you to having to tinker with various settings quite a bit, none of which can be done in-game.

So, as you can see, there are some problems with this game on modern hardware, but if you are willing to push past those things, we can talk about the rest of the game and what it has to offer. 

So, I've played this game before. Not only that, I've played this game a lot. The Witcher 2 has 16 different endings. You can also import your save from The Witcher 1, which will affect a few things depending on your choices throughout the game. The entire middle chapter can be entirely different. So, needless to say, there's a lot of choice and consequence, which is why story-wise, The Witcher 2 is my favorite.

Now, gameplay-wise, it leaves a lot to be desired because the switch from The Witcher 1's snap-based combat to the more action-focused combat in 2 came with a few speed bumps. And while 3 mostly ironed a lot of this stuff out, 2 feels very janky as a result. The big thing you'll hear people mention is the hitboxes, which are mostly in relation to dodging out of the way. They're a little bit wonky.

Sometimes, even if you dodge, you'll still get hit, which if I'm remembering correctly, is down to the game taking into account where you are when the attack starts, and not where you are when the move actually happens. Now, once you kind of get used to that, it's relatively easy to get into the combat because, beyond that, it's pretty standard action stuff. You have the ability to parry, which will reduce damage, of course, or you can even use signs or any of the new ranged options that were added. You can even set traps to lead enemies into and kill them that way. So, you have a variety of options that simply weren't present in the first game. But make no mistake, it definitely feels very janky.

But then we have a variety of other things, such as the action sequences the game tries to set up, which are usually done through quick-time events, which aren't everybody's cup of tea. And even more than that, it's possible for Geralt to die in a variety of conversations throughout the game. There are several where the ongoing situation is very dangerous, and if you pick these sort of antagonistic options in a few conversations, you'll just die outright, which is also something I remember pretty fondly.

Though outside of those things, the rest of The Witcher 2 plays somewhat similarly to the first game in that it's a relatively linear game where you play through hubs. So, in Act 1, you'll be in Flotsam. In Act 2, you're on one side or another of a battle. And then things kind of wrap up in Chapter 3. 

In each of those chapters, you're free to explore the given area and, of course, solve side quests, hunt down monsters, and make a variety of moral decisions, which leads you to one of the 16 endings of the game. And the story of this game is done so well that you'll often see it very highly praised, despite all the problems I've listed up to this point.

So, story-wise, this happens about a month after the end of The Witcher 1. Letho starts going around murdering various kings, and his murder of King Foltest, which serves as the prologue of this game. Leto framed us, which is why we're in the dungeon, trying to escape and clear our name while also figuring out why Letho is doing this. However, regicide inherently leads to a lot of political power vacuums that cause all sorts of other problems that then lead to the events of The Witcher 3.

One playthrough of The Witcher 2 will run you like maybe 25 hours. However, it's very replayable thanks to all the endings you can get and the various parts in Act 2.

The Witcher 2 has a variety of difficulties, one of them called Dark is very difficult, and even adds new items to the game, which are three different outfits that give you various set bonuses to help you with that mode. However, insane difficulty puts the game in hard mode but also in Iron Man mode, so if you die, it's game over. And given all the ways major characters can die that have nothing to do with combat in this game, on top of the actual combat and the hitbox problems, it's something I just never got around to trying.

Witcher 2 also offers a variety of mechanics, such as the way you drink potions in this game,  or how you level up, and how you specialize because that works a bit differently here. You can meditate pretty much anywhere in this title, but you can only drink potions while you're meditating. So, drinking them right before combat is a no-go, and that makes things like healing very central to how the game works. 

This game sees you filling out the first sort of core Witcher training first, and then after that's done, you can specialize into one of the other trees, which is again Alchemy, Magic, or Swordsmanship, as usual with these games. So, the progression systems aren't complicated.