Reviews// The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings: Enhanced Edition

The original PC version of The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings was released a whole year ago. It already has a reputation as being one of the finest offerings in the RPG genre, so all that was really in question was whether or not it would hold up well through the porting process to the X-Box 360.

The game’s fan base of hardcore RPG people may have feared the rampant censorship and dumbing down that always seem to occur whenever titles like this try to go mainstream (yes, I mean 'go console'), but developers CD Projekt seemed determined to have none of it.

All of the nudity and sex, gory violence and gratuitous bad language made it through unscathed, putting The Witcher 2 right up there as one of the most adults-only experiences on the console. But it’s not the X-Rated fluff that makes The Witcher 2 a more mature experience, it’s the game itself. The Witcher 2 is one of the most uncompromising and challenging games I can remember playing in a long time. You will never have your hand held during this one.

Many intrigued console fans may be concerned that they won’t be able to just drop into the game without playing its PC-exclusive prequel, but they shouldn’t worry too much. The major events of the first game aren’t really brought up much, and smaller incidents will be readily explained as they crop up.

But that isn’t to say the game does a stellar job of keeping a new player on top of things. During the first few hours of the game you’ll be bombarded with so many names, places and bits of political intrigue that you’ll find yourself wondering if you’ve missed some sort of guidebook. And you probably will have, it’s called the in-game journal and the game expects you to actually read the thing in order to keep up with what’s going on.

It’s refreshing to see something often implemented in RPGs but just as often ignored being made so important, especially if you actually enjoy reading and appreciate the depth of The Witcher’s world.

As a virgin to the series, I was pretty much caught up after the first few major events of the game, at which point the onslaught of exposition does slow down and the story becomes much more focused on the titular Witcher Geralt’s quest to clear his name and hunt down the sub-titular Assassin of Kings.

Much praise has been lauded on The Witcher 2’s story for its maturity and depth, and it’s pretty well-deserved. Geralt’s very restrained for a badass anti-hero; he's also likeable despite his gruff exterior. His personality serves the game well, whether you decide to reason, threaten, magically influence, or just bribe people, it all feels natural thanks to his flexible and self-serving character.

While game franchises such as Mass Effect allow you the option of alternating back and forth between being a complete bastard or a shining hero, Geralt feels like Geralt no matter how you try to behave.

The quest system is one of the best I’ve seen, and is what really helps bring the story to life. Even seemingly minor fetch quests tend to have unforeseen repercussions later in the game, and many quests lead naturally into further adventures. Don’t be surprised when someone you betrayed earlier in the game turns up looking for revenge later, or when someone who owes you a favour comes in handy with another quest.

The design style really helps cement the game’s tone. Towns are run-down and dirty, underground caves are dark and rugged. But the forests were my favourite environments. Overgrown and untended, these are a far cry from the pristine woods of Kingdoms of Amalur or the untouched snowy plains of Skyrim.