The One Problem With The Witcher Franchise...

[Zhukov]

That's because it's daaaaaark fantasy.

You can tell because it has daaark swearing. And daaaark sex. And daaaark racism. And daaaaaark arseholes.

The effect on me was that I couldn't give shit about any of the factions or characters (except Iorveth, he was cool). Subsequently, all those well-implemented choices were meaningless to me.
Do you want to assist this character? - Uh... okay, I guess. Don't care one way or the other.
Do you want to kill Letho? - Nah, can't be bothered. I don't care if he lives or dies.
Oh no, the T&A Redhead with no personality has been kidnapped! You must save her! - Uhh... why?
The evil empire is being evil again, you must stop them! - Why? I don't care about them or the people they're being evil to.

To the game's credit, at least at the end it gave you an option to effectively say, "Fuck you lot and your political machinations, I'm grabbing the hot chick and gettin' outa here."

 

[Emiscary]

You don't. You do it for the hot redheads and the dwarf bros.

Prettymuch, yeah. Also liked Iorveth personally, his sense of humor agreed with me.

And what's with the hate for Triss? Am I the only man here who finds power sexy?

 

[Berenzen]

It's not a game for everyone. It makes no pretenses for being a game where there is always a good choice, and I find it refreshing. At its core it's an adult game. Not like how Mass Effect is an adult game- it's more of a teenager's view of what adulthood is like- instead it says, here's a fucked up world, you're a guy that everyone hates because they're superstitious/power hungry and you're a abnormality that can severly change the power balance in a kingdom. Go.

Honestly, I got it a few years ago, when I was in high school, and I really couldn't get into it. I just played it again recently- my first complete playthrough of the game- and I found I really enjoyed it. Maybe it's because I've actually gotten some experience outside of a scholarly institution, I don't know. I just found that the fact that there was no 'good' or 'evil' option in any of the choices was great, it's just a choice. And I think that's the thing that drives the most people away, the fact that there is no defined 'good' or 'evil' choice is something that a lot of people can't get into- compared to something like, again Mass Effect, where you have defined good and evil choices, where even the most grey choice is along the lines of kick the puppy eat the puppy alive.

 

[The Madman]

Please don't spoil anything, but tell me: Is the game longer than it seems? From the Achievements and how fast things are going now, it seems the game is no longer than 12 to 15 hours with a full playthrough (similar to the original Mass Effect Length).

Don't worry, it's a pretty lengthy game. I'd put it around 30ish hours on average, although obviously if you rushed through the plot and never did the side-quests it would be much quicker while someone like me who enjoys reading the journal entries, books, and just enjoying the scenery will take longer.

I'm near the end of the 2nd chapter right now in my replay and I'm loving it. It's awesome that even though I've played through the game before thanks to a few decisions I've made differently this time it's an almost completely different experience. I know where the final chapter takes place and I know roughly what sorta happens, but beyond that I've no damned clue. Awesome!

 

[Andrewtheeviscerator]

That's kinda because it's dark fantasy which as yahtzee says "which means people say 'fuck' all the time and everyone's a racist asshole"

the problem for me is that the story just isn't very interesting. Nothing is really explained and I have no reason to care about anything that's going on. Also none of the characters are really likable except for maybe Zoltan but thats just because he has good dialouge. All in all I'd say the story is piss poor which is surprising considering its based on one of the best novels ever written (from what I've been told from my Polish friend).

 

[VulpesAqua]

That's kinda because it's dark fantasy which as yahtzee says "which means people say 'fuck' all the time and everyone's a racist asshole"

the problem for me is that the story just isn't very interesting. Nothing is really explained and I have no reason to care about anything that's going on. Also none of the characters are really likable except for maybe Zoltan but thats just because he has good dialouge. All in all I'd say the story is piss poor which is surprising considering its based on one of the best novels ever written (from what I've been told from my Polish friend).

I honestly though the story was brilliant, with a final twist that left my jaw hanging and made me want to applaud it (sadly I couldn't because boss fight.)

I also found the characters fairly likeable (spoilers) Dandelion has some great quips, Iorveth is fantastic in the "Stennis accused" scene. Letho is one of my favorite game villains ever. Really the only character I found lacking was Foltest (He kinda did the Ned Stark thing, which as much as I love Sean Bean Ned Stark did get on my nerves the further I got into the book.)

 

[Andrewtheeviscerator]

That's kinda because it's dark fantasy which as yahtzee says "which means people say 'fuck' all the time and everyone's a racist asshole"

the problem for me is that the story just isn't very interesting. Nothing is really explained and I have no reason to care about anything that's going on. Also none of the characters are really likable except for maybe Zoltan but thats just because he has good dialouge. All in all I'd say the story is piss poor which is surprising considering its based on one of the best novels ever written (from what I've been told from my Polish friend).

I honestly though the story was brilliant, with a final twist that left my jaw hanging and made me want to applaud it (sadly I couldn't because boss fight.)

I also found the characters fairly likeable (spoilers) Dandelion has some great quips, Iorveth is fantastic in the "Stennis accused" scene. Letho is one of my favorite game villains ever. Really the only character I found lacking was Foltest (He kinda did the Ned Stark thing, which as much as I love Sean Bean Ned Stark did get on my nerves the further I got into the book.)

Well I'm just near the end of chapter 2 so I haven't seen the whole story yet. Dandelion is kind of a ponce, a lovable ponce, but a ponce none the less, I choose to roll with Vernon Roche so I really don't know much about Iorveth. None of the characters beside your posse (dandelion, triss, zoltan, and whoever you choose in act 1) are fleshed out they all seem one dimensional and I just can't seem to care about any of it.

 

[VulpesAqua]

That's kinda because it's dark fantasy which as yahtzee says "which means people say 'fuck' all the time and everyone's a racist asshole"

the problem for me is that the story just isn't very interesting. Nothing is really explained and I have no reason to care about anything that's going on. Also none of the characters are really likable except for maybe Zoltan but thats just because he has good dialouge. All in all I'd say the story is piss poor which is surprising considering its based on one of the best novels ever written (from what I've been told from my Polish friend).

I honestly though the story was brilliant, with a final twist that left my jaw hanging and made me want to applaud it (sadly I couldn't because boss fight.)

I also found the characters fairly likeable (spoilers) Dandelion has some great quips, Iorveth is fantastic in the "Stennis accused" scene. Letho is one of my favorite game villains ever. Really the only character I found lacking was Foltest (He kinda did the Ned Stark thing, which as much as I love Sean Bean Ned Stark did get on my nerves the further I got into the book.)

Well I'm just near the end of chapter 2 so I haven't seen the whole story yet. Dandelion is kind of a ponce, a lovable ponce, but a ponce none the less, I choose to roll with Vernon Roche so I really don't know much about Iorveth. None of the characters beside your posse (dandelion, triss, zoltan, and whoever you choose in act 1) are fleshed out they all seem one dimensional and I just can't seem to care about any of it.

The only character I'd consider one dimensional is Saskia, and even she is an interesting lass. But Letho, Sile, Phillipa, Cynthia, Stennis, Shilard and Loredo are all very fleshed out to me. Of course not every character can be fleshed out, but I find the main quest to be well rounded by intriguing personalities.

 

[Andrewtheeviscerator]

After the first hour or two of gameplay, and hearing 'fuck' 20 times, and seeing boobies and vagina, I can see the rating being valid, but not the story.

That's the first problem.

Not sure you can only say the horrible gameplay/controls/interface/invisible walls/dialog/potions/inventory/loot/interaction with the world ect ect ect... merits only 'one' problem after such lack luster shit tho...

Not the worst game, only considering it came from the PC. You have to forgive some of it's flaws.

well I assume your playing on 360 and if you are then I can tell you the controls and interface were a lot worse on PC then they are on xbox. Although their are defiantly problems, combats nothing more than "cast quen" then "roll around enemies and flail when get chance" or "sit there with your sword up and parry even person, then roll around while your vigor recharges"

I don't find it to be a bad game honestly just not as great as so many people make it out to be.

 

[The Madman]

I must be unsophisticated or something, eh?

lol troll/fanboys

I remember the topic you made awhile back asking about the game. Glad to see you bought it, even if you unsurprisingly seem to have ended up disliking it. Like I said in that topic if you go into a game expecting to hate it you're going to find reasons to hate it.

Can't help but think that's exactly what happened to Dragon Age 2 after all the bad mouthing started to leak out. Those that otherwise might have shrugged and said 's'alright, definitely not Bioware's best' instead saw it as much worse just because after everything they'd heard they were looking for reasons to hate the game.

Anyway still glad you bought it. If nothing else CDProjekt are a company I'd say deserve the support considering the way they treat their customers.

 

[Andrewtheeviscerator]

After the first hour or two of gameplay, and hearing 'fuck' 20 times, and seeing boobies and vagina, I can see the rating being valid, but not the story.

That's the first problem.

Not sure you can only say the horrible gameplay/controls/interface/invisible walls/dialog/potions/inventory/loot/interaction with the world ect ect ect... merits only 'one' problem after such lack luster shit tho...

Not the worst game, only considering it came from the PC. You have to forgive some of it's flaws.

well I assume your playing on 360 and if you are then I can tell you the controls and interface were a lot worse on PC then they are on xbox. Although their are defiantly problems, combats nothing more than "cast quen" then "roll around enemies and flail when get chance" or "sit there with your sword up and parry even person, then roll around while your vigor recharges"

I don't find it to be a bad game honestly just not as great as so many people make it out to be.

I hate the gameplay, but I really want to see the story unfold....


I'm like... an old man now! lolz

Yeah honestly the combat just feels loose and Geralt goes all over the place, and there is no way to tell whether he's going to do a normal attack or fly across the screen while doing a somersault attack. Also the hit detection can be terrible at times, I've been directly in people's faces slashing away and not get a hit while I can be a few feet away from somebody and get hit, it can get incredibly frustrating.

 

[Norrdicus]

Well I'm just near the end of chapter 2 so I haven't seen the whole story yet.

Then I'd suggest keeping the "nothing is really explained" comments until the end of the game. Nobody goes out of their way to explain their assassination plans for you

After the first hour or two of gameplay, and hearing 'fuck' 20 times, and seeing boobies and vagina, I can see the rating being valid, but not the story.

I must be unsophisticated or something, eh?

lol troll/fanboys

More like impatient, prudish and quick to jump to conclusions

 

[Knight Templar]

Not everybody is a dick, most people are but not everybody. This is pretty similar to the real world, most people are not nice, the uneducated more so. Where there any bad people in Lobinden or Vergen for example?

 

[The Madman]

Hell yeah! I dislike it, but want to keep playing it for the story. Regardless of how sexist/childish it's been in the first few hours. It must have something good in it eventually based on the praise it has gotten in the past. Even tho they released the game way too early, as in, before it was finished...

I wonder if the elite PC gamer hype helped kill the game here. Take Dragons Dogma, which has been called a sleeper hit already (lol)... So far so good, but I bet if the masses can (and will) be turned off of it, if enough kids rant and rave over entiteled elitist crap, it will ruin the experience for me/others

Over exposure, preconceptions, overt advertisements, make the gaming community suffer me thinks.

I want to like a game, but my exposure to gamer forums taint it. Shame on me I guess. I wish I could be informed without having so damned much negative diatribe forced down my gullet.

/Drunk Rant Over...

Bluntly put I doubt it, but by all means soldier on. Preferably while slightly less drunk mind you.

Personally I dislike the beginning for Witcher 2. I think they'd have been much better off making it a more linear but better explained experience at the start rather than that silly 'interrogation' thing they did. Too many jump cuts, too much information with too little explanation, and the gameplay in those two dragon bits was stupid. But then pacing seems to be a problem with CDProjekt considering how bad it was in the first game. Witcher 2 is much better in that regard but I still find it disjointed at times, the beginning especially.

Regardless I love the game... don't think you will however. If you want to dislike a game you're going to although I'm glad you did end up buying it. Considering that Witcher 2 is still only the developers second shot at a game and how much it's improved in a number of areas over the first game, I can't wait to see what they do next if they keep improving at this rate.

 

[SextusMaximus]

That's why I like it, it paints Geralt as the hero of the age, and portrays how he doesn't give a shit about racism (don't quote me, havent played in a while).

Going to play it again very soon, just need to buy my new video card first!-_-

 

[zefiris]

Can't help but think that's exactly what happened to Dragon Age 2 after all the bad mouthing started to leak out.

No, what happened to Dragon Age 2 was people who loved Dragon Age: origins buying it, then noticing that it was simply a bad game.

@Topic: Yeah, I agree. See, for all the cries of "but it's realistic"...it really isn't. The society it portrays is a faux medieval one, extremely exaggerating parts and ignoring others.

If it was a portrayal of a real medieval society, it would a)not be as dark, b)racism wouldn't be AS common, and c)women would do more things.

Somehow, male gamers seem to have a very strange notion of what medieval europe actually was like, a view that is completely at odds with what science has unearthed.

That's a big part of the Witcher's problem. The sexism is often neither realistic, nor actually in game, a lot of the sexism is in game design and writing. Witcher 1 really showed this blatantly with the girl cards.

 

[TotalerKrieger]

I love the dark, unpleasant themes of the Witcher franchise. It makes the atmosphere actually seem medieval rather than some ridiculous Tolkien wetdream where everyone is perfect and feudal life is just fine. The Medieval Era wasn't only about knights and castles, it was a time of great religious and racial intolerance as well as widespread disease and poverty. Peasants were uneducated, overworked and malnourished, most are not going to be all that attractive or pleasant. Monty Python's Holy Grail provides a more accurate depiction of the medieval era than many similarily themed RPGs. I'd love to see more darker themes in medieval oriented games, something that manages to think beyond the overused undead and demonic cliches.

 

[SL33TBL1ND]

I've never given a shit about characters in any game that I can think of. I always choose the "Fuck everyone!" option.

 

[DementedSheep]

Not everyone is a racist asshole, there are just a lot of people who are which is to be expected. The Citizens of lobinden (just outside Floasom) where all fairly nice and got on fine with the elvan citizens. Some of the citizens of Flotsoms itself are decent. When Loredo

Spoiler

locks the elvan women in the burning building

some of them help you save them. You notice the racist assholes the most because they are the ones causing problems whereas everyone else is just minding their own business. There aren?t really any saints, everyone has flaws including Geralt but that?s not a bad thing.

The peasants in Vergen practically worship Saskia and she doesn?t have enemies due to her looks or her intelligence. She has enemies because she is leading a rebellion in a particularly important piece of land and upsetting the balance of how things are ?suppose to work? (she is a nobody and female). It?s the nobility that don?t like her.

The elves aren?t necessarily hated because they are pretty either, they are different, they are a minority race and have been at war with humans. Racism and war go hand in hand, many don?t really separate the squirrels (who they have every reason to hate. They tend to raid villages, kill civilians and fought for Nilfgaard) from the elven civilians who arn't with them.

There wasn?t a particularly large amount of hatred directed at the whores and when Margot(?) got insulted by one of Loredo?s men some of the peasants leapt to her defence.

Scholars and mages are pretty much universally hated yes. Especially mages but they are pretty separate from the rest of society, they tend to have high standing and there is a lot of ignorance and suspicion around what they do. Mages are powerful, people fear them and if somthing happens they don?t understand they are probably going blame on magic which they also don't understand.

Any ruler that?s not a walking penis? What?

They don?t hate the blue stripes because they are ?usefull?, they hate them because of the nature of their job and also because some of them lord their authority around and don?t respect local customs.

It wasn?t the peasantry who hated the Troll. Loredo wanted to get rid of it because he was trying to cut Flotsom off from the rest of the world by getting rid of the bridge.

Dwarves are once again a minority race and are considered different.

 

[demotion1]

There are a lot of good people in The Witcher. A good person doesn't have to be a saint you know.