The Witcher 2 Assassins Of Kings Controls Pc
Renzo Hayami
"The Witcher 2? is arguably one of the best, most mature, dark, bloody, and game changing RPGs (Role Playing Games) to come along so far. PC owners have had the chance to enjoy this adventure for almost a year now, but the time has finally come for Xbox 360 owners to rejoice. "The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Enhanced Edition" has finally made its way to the home console, and even with its flaws, it's still a solid experience.
Taking its rich plot from "The Witcher" novels, the game follows the gifted witcher, Geralt of Rivia. Geralt finds himself in a world of chaos, with warring kingdoms and bloody conspiracies. Swearing to remain out of the corrupt Kings' wars, Geralt seemingly finds himself constantly in the middle of battle, fighting for his name, his freedom and his life.
This isn't your granddaddy's RPG. Young kids shouldn't be allowed to go anywhere near this bad boy. Between the sex and the violence, the game has been classified as a mature RPG, and that's exactly what it is. The storylines are pretty intense, pulling players in at every corner. I've played my fair share of RPGs, but "The Witcher" really makes the player pay attention to every detail. It's so rich and engrossing. Players will get sucked into the world around them pretty quickly. There isn't a lot of hand-holding in this game. Either you figure things out, or you die trying.
Let's be honest: if I had a choice between playing the game on a supercomputer or the 360, I would choose the computer. It's like asking someone if playing "StarCraft" would be better on a console. It's not. I say this for two reasons: control and overall graphics power.
I'll start with the look of the game and then move on to the controls. As hard as it may be to believe, the Xbox is a six-year-old system, with six-year-old hardware stuffed into it. An ultra PC nowadays can handle what "The Witcher 2? brings to the table a smidge better then the hardware of the Xbox. It doesn't make the game any less enjoyable, but it's clear if I had a choice, I'd go with the PC version. Since I haven't owned a PC in ten years though, I am very happy to play this excellent Xbox port. Developer CD Projekt RED has done a great job porting this game over. You will notice texture pop-ins and occasional twitchiness at times, but overall, it looks very nice. Additionally, by installing the game to the 360's hard drive, you can actually alleviate some of that.
Control, control, control! There are certain types of games that are simply easier to play on a keyboard and mouse system. First person shooters, real time strategy, and role playing games are just a few genres that don't always port over well to home consoles. "The Witcher 2? on the other hand has great control, but navigating the menu systems might take a little time to get used to. I would say players will feel a little awkward when they first pick up the controller, but after a couple of hours, it comes to be like second nature.
I have to mention again that this game is truly an engrossing experience. There are countless other RPGs with open worlds to explore, but most of them still feel like you're on rails. Yes you get to choose where to go, but it's all rather linear. "Witcher 2? gives the player a broader sense of freedom and exploration. You do what you do because that's what matters the most, altering the story on as little as a whim.
Let it be known that this isn't "Fable." You're not out to save the world and be a shining light to society. Most of the decisions the player makes will see your character murdering for profit, enjoying the bed of a working girl, or tripping around drunk and belligerent. The game's direction can change so radically from decision to decision that the replay value is exceptionally high. Play it through once and get one kind of experience, while playing it through again will be as if you're playing a totally different game.
At the end of the day, "The Witcher 2? holds its own against its PC counterpart. There are some minor graphical issues and control headaches, but overall, it's a very enjoyable experience. The story and character development are some of the best I have seen in a long time. Rated M, "Witcher 2? is violent and racy, but also smart and witty. Between the cinematic score and great voice acting, players will be engrossed in this unique adventure. After all, when you open up a game that comes with an 89-page quest handbook, you know fun times are to be had.
Geralt of Rivia is a formidable opponent. His lithe body has been enhanced by mutagens, granting him uncanny powers and senses. Make the mistake of challenging him to a fight and you'll soon find yourself overwhelmed by a flurry of blades, magic, bombs, potions, and crossbow bolts.
Also, Geralt breaks his ankles when he steps down from a height of more than three inches. If he were to hop over a waist-high fence his body would reach terminal velocity, exploding into paste and white stubble when it came into contact with the soft grass on the other side.
He moves like a toddler learning to walk. Geralt goes from a trudging stroll to a full-on sprint without any transition at all. When he tries to loot a container he often misses and mistakenly interacts with a nearby candle. In combat he doesn't have precise control over his body, just vague suggestions of direction. It's like there's a panning camera beyond his control, and his movements are sort of relative to the position of that camera, but not quite. Geralt never knows when his attack will be an overhand slash, or a dash forward, or a lunge, or how far he will move during that attack, or whether he will hit the enemy he is facing, or whether he will perform a dazzlingly useless pirouette.
Geralt of Rivia is far too cool to waste his time on dumb shit. He shakes his head and sighs as quest givers go off on narrow-minded, superstitious tangents. He is constantly having casual sex with powerful and interesting sorceresses who use magic to make themselves unnaturally attractive. They see him as a fun diversion, as he is worldly and rugged and amusing.
Also, Geralt is obsessed with a collectible card game called Gwent. Sometimes after a grueling quest he will stand amidst a pile of corpses and reorganize his army's cards. He is driven by a compulsion to collect all the rare cards. A "hullo" will barely leave a merchant's mouth before Geralt - shifting impatiently from one foot to the other - blurts out "Wanna play Gwent?"
Geralt of Rivia is a master negotiator. He influences kings, trades quips with scholars and assassins, and peacefully solves conflicts by convincing intelligent monsters to open up about their problems.
Also, Geralt gets ripped off by every merchant in the known world. This pile of swords is worth 5,000 crowns. He knows because the information panel says so, clear as day. So why is this guy offering Geralt 30 crowns? While negotiating a contract's rewards, Geralt could only haggle the quest giver to pay one crown more than the starting bid. Again, convincer of kings over here. Getting ripped off by people who don't even have proper names. This guy is literally named "Peasant" and his pal is "Blacksmith".
Geralt of Rivia is a master detective. He's been around for more than a hundred years, in which time he has accumulated a wealth of knowledge about monsters, legends, herbology, crime scenes, politics, and geography. His witcher sense allows him to scan his surroundings and hone in on clues. He's basically Batman with a Bat-Computer in his head.
Also, Geralt can't solve the mystery of inventory management. He opens his bag and is greeted with a whirlwind of garbage. There are around three hundred types of flowers in there, eighty different crafting components, and ten treasure maps that he's afraid to throw out because he's not sure which maps he's used and which ones he has yet to follow. Then there are the old and useless pieces of equipment that might be upgraded one day, thirty five honeycombs, and, of course, more than a dozen dog livers.
Seems like a lot of stuff, because it is. Geralt can manage just fine though. Unless he loots a cloth shirt. Then he'll be overburdened, and will have to do his wobbly toddler walk to get ripped off by the nearest merchant.
Combat in the Witcher 2 is completely different than the first game. You no longer have to worry about various stances. However, there are still key means of strategy in order to survive. Your special Witcher silver sword, magic signs, and alchemic potions are main the tools for the adventure. You can also unlock new skills in various trees, such as using throwing weapons.
The odds are stacked against you, and you'll be fighting multiple enemies at a time. You'll always want to be prepared before a fight by meditating and gulping several potions. Rook to boost damage (Damage +10%, Duration 10, Toxicity 26) and Swallow for health regeneration (Vitality Regeneration during Combat +1, Vitality Regeneration +1, Duration 10, Toxicity 25) should be your main drinks of choice. However, other tonics such as Mongoose and Cat are needed for special situations. Keep in mind though that each potion raises toxicity, which can be deadly at high levels. You can drink three potions at first, and four after focusing in Alchemy.
During combat you will want to fight defensively. Parry attacks and counter when you have enough Vigor, and dodge when your Vigor meter is depleted and recharging. A successful Parry will reduce damage and may stun the enemy. The safest bet is to use a three hit combo before going back into a protective mode. In early stages you might find it is more tactical to run and face each enemy at a time. Otherwise you run the risk of being swarmed.
Magic is also important for defenses. The magic sign Quen creates a shield that resists damage and shocks the enemy. Yrden is a trap spell that can lock enemies in place; its power comes into play with most bosses and is worth investing in later. Axii is both an offensive and defensive spell: it takes control of one enemy and allows them to fight on your side for a short time. This not only removes a threat, but adds to damage output and a good decoy.
d3342ee215