Witcher 2 on Xbox 360: changing the console RPG experience

When The Witcher 2 arrived on the PC last year, it was considered by some to be a dark horse candidate for the best RPG of the Year [and it wound up winning Game of the Year here on the Shack -- ed.]. It had its share of commercial success as well, going on to sell some 1 million units. Yet, when I asked friends and colleagues if they planned on picking it up, the typical response was, "We'll wait for the console version." Developer CD Projekt Red finally seems to be ready to reward their patience, making good on its promise to bring the cult favorite series over to the Xbox 360. It's definitely taken a technical hit in the move -- the resolution is lower and the textures aren't quite as detailed -- but the framerate is intact and it looks and plays just fine. And, in a bit of enticement for PC fans to pick the game up a second time, the port includes additional quest lines for Act 3. As for console owners who are wondering what The Witcher is all about, here are a few ways the series distinguished itself from the likes of Elder Scrolls and Dragon Age. 1. It's More Medieval The Middle Ages weren't an especially nice -- or sanitary -- time to be alive. Putting aside the terrible diet and the backbreaking labor, there was also the threat of being sold out to the Inquisition and falling victim to one of the instruments now populating European Torture Museums. Such scenes hold their place in the west's institutional memory, but North American writers and developers seem to romanticize the era more than their European counterparts. The Witcher exposes its overall approach near the beginning of the game. Geralt, the legendary Witcher at the center of the game, hangs shirtless in a dank dungeon while his guards play cards. The screams of luckless prisoners can be heard in the background. When he eventually affects his escape, he even runs across a fairly grisly torture chamber -- perfectly in keeping with the era that it emulates. Of course, there's more to the Middle Ages than misery and torture. The Witcher 2's characters wear period appropriate clothing, obsess over etiquette and protocol (if they're royals), and sing drunken songs before battle. It may not be precisely accurate, but it comes closer than most to capturing the look and feel of dark medieval fantasy. 2. The Action Strikes A Nice Balance Between Dark Souls and Dragon Age II The Witcher 2's combat drew some criticism from fans who derided it as shallow and "arcadey" when it launched last year. It also had some legitimate balance issues, including one particularly overpowered defensive spell that arguably made the second half of the game trivial by essentially absorbing and even reflecting all damage. These balance issues have since been addressed through patches, though--the defensive shield dissipates faster now--and the combat is certainly worth another look in comparison to its console competition. What it lacks in depth it makes up in entertaining setpieces, such as the dragon attack early in the tutorial. The magic signs are its main strength, as they offer numerous ways in which to deal with a crowd while forcing you to keep an eye on your stamina gauge.

The Witcher 2

Compared to Dragon Age II, which couldn't seem to decide whether it was an action game or an old-school RPG--and tried to be a little of both--The Witcher 2's action is both more interesting and better focused. And while Dark Souls' stance-based combat and wide range of weapons make it deeper, I imagine that some Xbox 360 owners will prefer the quicker, less intimidating style of the Witcher. It could stand to make better use of the potions and alchemy that defined the first game, and Quen is still a bit overpowered, but it nonetheless strikes a solid balance between the extremes represented by Dragon Age II and Dark Souls. 3. It's Morally Ambiguous and Full of Intrigue At its heart, The Witcher 2 is one big succession crisis. Any number of powerful factions are out for the crown, and Geralt frequently finds himself having to pick between the lesser of two evils. "We believe we have quite a different approach to RPG design compared to our competitors. We're not afraid of gore, nudity, or discrimination and racism," lead combat designer Maciej Szczesnik told me. "These are just the elements of our work. Sure they aren't the core elements, but we're trying to reproduce the problems from real life in this RPG." He continued, "So it's not high fantasy, it's not about saving the world. Sometimes it's about saving a person because someone wants to kill her because she's an elf. It's a simple problem, but it can be extremely emotional as well." This approach is nicely illustrated in one of the quest lines in Act 3, which is exclusive to the Xbox 360 version. King Foltest's children are ambushed and kidnapped, and the evidence points to the Baron. Upon the testimony of a mercenary that I ended up saving, I eventually implicated the Baron, but I didn't feel particularly good about my decision. For one thing, the rival Count who directed me to the mercs was far too gleeful after the arrest. For another, some of the evidence was forged. I kind of wish I had investigated further. Ultimately, its quests like that one that go the furthest in helping The Witcher 2 to distinguish itself from its competition. It deliberately plays down monster hunts and fetch quests, in exchange for promoting its intrigue and realism as much as possible. For that reason alone the Witcher 2 looks to be a breath of fresh air for RPGs in the console space, and the main reason that I'm looking forward to playing it later this spring.

Kat Bailey

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January 26, 2012 11:00 AM

Kat Bailey posted a new article, Witcher 2 on Xbox 360: changing the console RPG experience.

After playing the Xbox 360 version of the Witcher 2 at an event in San Francisco, the Shacknews Game of the Year looks poised to make its move from PC to console in top form.
- Pettytheft
  
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  January 26, 2012 2:55 PM
  
  Always thought the first felt more like a console game at heart. I was disappointed when the game got canceled. Couldn't get through the first on the PC, I always wanted to kick back the play it on the couch and TV. Hope this turns out good, I'll give this series another shot.
  - technotica
    
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    January 27, 2012 12:07 AM
    
    bad bad Pettytheft, finish Witcher 1 do it now!
  - 0mar
    
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    January 27, 2012 4:35 AM
    
    Gameplay-wise, you may be correct, but overall, the experience is PC-centric through and through.
    
    There is a massive amount of reading that is required and an even more massive amount that is just background fluff. Console games simply don't do that nowadays. The closest thing I can think of is ME's codex (which is voiced anyways) and DA's codex, which aren't really that long nor numerous.
  - silverback1138
    
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    January 27, 2012 7:50 PM
    
    I actually did that for both. Hooked my PC up to my TV and played on my couch. I still say that while it felt good with the controller, I still stuck to the mouse/kb in the end. I have one of those belkin laptop rests and I just placed my bluetooth kb and my mamba on there.
- Dusty_Slim
  
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  January 26, 2012 4:12 PM
  
  Hi Kat, welcome to Shacknews! Please be ignoring all posts regarding Jessica and her slumber party.
  - [deleted] 92559685
    
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    January 26, 2012 4:24 PM
    
    [deleted]
  - Mecha Tofu Pirate
    
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    January 26, 2012 11:13 PM
    
    Always read posts about Jessica's slumber party
- Fenring42
  
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  January 26, 2012 4:26 PM
  
  Hi Kat, I can only assume you are our Xav replacement, and now a freelancer who is filling in until Xav get a permanent replacement, so let me ask you, what is your opinion of hoverboards?
  - GodZilly
    
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    January 27, 2012 3:05 AM
    
    What happened to Xav?
    - Fenring42
      
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      January 27, 2012 8:30 AM
      
      He's leaving for joystiq
  - sickVisionz
    
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    January 29, 2012 9:30 PM
    
    Man, Kat replacing Xav on Weekend Confirmed would be awesome. I've missed her monotone voice and RPG expertise ever since Active Time Babble left the interwebs. Anyways, looking forward to Witcher 2. I've always wanted to play the series but never had a PC that had any chance of handling it.
- melkore
  
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  January 26, 2012 4:50 PM
  
  Hey Kat! Are you going to be on the podcast?
- [deleted] 1281235931
  
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  January 26, 2012 5:02 PM
  
  [deleted]
- azshack
  
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  January 26, 2012 5:04 PM
  
  I'm in Act 2 and still waiting for the Game Of The Year stuff to start kicking in. Just not getting the OMG factor that the game seems to generate.
- GreggD
  
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  January 26, 2012 6:09 PM
  
  I'm looking forward to playing this game, once I get a new PC. I bought it back when it was 30 bucks on GOG. Still gotta finish the first game, though. Does anyone know how many hours I should be looking at with the first game? I'm still in the Outskirts of Vizima, and they haven't opened the gates yet. So it's very, very early on.
  - technotica
    
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    January 27, 2012 12:08 AM
    
    a long time. its much longer than 2. and imo possibly better, though its hard to say.. 2's got the whole cinematic god of war pretty visual thing going for it.
- XAVdeMATOS
  
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  January 26, 2012 6:16 PM
  
  Kat freelanced this article for Shacknews. She isn't on staff... unfortunately... because she's great!
  - [deleted] 1856106348
    
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    January 27, 2012 3:46 AM
    
    [deleted]
    - [deleted] 798822065
      
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      January 27, 2012 4:40 AM
      
      [deleted]
- Waatulakula
  
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  January 26, 2012 10:52 PM
  
  This makes me happy. The Witcher website has a bunch of a stuff for a Black Box Ed. (I think that's what they called it), but preorders links only go to a standard Ed. Does anyone have any information on the Black Box or how to pre-order it?
- peasofme
  
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  January 27, 2012 5:45 AM
  
  don't support these sopa faggots
- [deleted] 354047836
  
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  January 27, 2012 12:09 PM
  
  [deleted]
- apocreg
  
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  January 29, 2012 5:25 AM
  
  No problem with this going to consoles, sll deserve to play it BUT they better be bringing those extra lines to us PC players who have stuck by them for years too!!!!!
- Wise Men
  
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  January 30, 2012 8:16 AM
  
  I'm in as long as his hair moves when he walks! :-)