Zero Punctuation: The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

[Azhrarn-101]

I have to agree with Yahtzee on the combat though, there is literally no tutorial, they expect you to just know. I survived the first few fights through luck, but one swarm of cave dwelling things during that elven lady quest he mentioned took me about 25 tries to get through. It involved lots of running around and picking one or two off at a time.

The game could have been a lot more user friendly, but I do love it now that I've figured most of it out.

 

[Chucktanium]

It's official, Yahtzee sucks at video games. He trashes every video game that he finds to difficult

There's a difference between 'difficult' and 'challenging'. The difficulty in The Witcher and games like it are that the user interface in counter-intuitive when the player needs it most. You shouldn't have to use potions outside of battle, fighting is when you need them most of all; there's not a lot of healing you can do when locked in combat, seeing how it would make for an awkward doctors appointment. Along with having to scout through the interface to even FIND your inventory, yeah, one could say the game is being difficult.

 

[dantoddd]

Lol! finally, someone who agrees with me about TW2.

 

[majunga]

Its true that the combat is hard to get at first but you do get used to it after amny many deaths. Forgetting to save is a pain as well. Don't quite see the problem with reviews moaning about the menus tbh could be worst. After you get used to the comabt and saving frequently I found the game quite enjoyable, especially when there are no black or white moral choices and tend to be more grey.


P.S
Right click to skip cut scenes >.>

 

[-Dragmire-]

"...Anyway, I agree that the fight against the chapter 1 boss was tough, but the initial cutscene *is* skippable. Just click RMB.

When it comes to fighting groups, by the way, different tactics are needed than just blocking or dodging (as you clearly won't be able to avoid everyone if they're all around you). Make bombs and traps during down-time and use those; use Yrden to trap foes magically if you didn't prepare any traps and Igni to, you know, ignite foes if you didn't prepare bombs; put up Quen to deflect damage (though you should really have that up in all fights but the weakest); use Aard to knock foes down and Axii to bewitch foes to fight on your side..."

Good points, should have been part of a tutorial.

I've been debating on getting into this series but I'm put off by the thought I'll need Gamefaqs to learn how to play it.

 

[Bors Mistral]

Excellent review, Yahtzee, as always.

That said, The Witcher 2 is an amazing and greatly enjoyable game. For those who are worried, it comes with a useful manual you can read, pressing J in game gives you all the information you need to know regarding how stuff works, and the patches are like 20MB or so each (lest you bought it on STEAM, in witch case - tough luck). It also looks phenomenal, even on a sub $100 graphics card like the 5770.

The developers have been stellar with support. Free DLC's already out and Steam's HUGE patch issues are being worked on.

 

[beema]

Yes Yahtzee, it does indeed appear that console gaming has made you soft and squishy and wimpy.

I'm joking of course

kind of

maybe

It is of course a giant irony that he will complain about the overcomplexity in a PC game review, but then turn right around and complain about the lack of such complexity in a console game review.

 

[synobal]

I have to agree with Yahtzee on the combat though, there is literally no tutorial, they expect you to just know. I survived the first few fights through luck, but one swarm of cave dwelling things during that elven lady quest he mentioned took me about 25 tries to get through. It involved lots of running around and picking one or two off at a time.

The game could have been a lot more user friendly, but I do love it now that I've figured most of it out.

Those Nekkers were a pain soon as I saw them I reloaded and read up on the Nekkers and made some grapeshot bombs, so easy after that. Really though I was happy I couldn't just wade in god of war style and slay hordes of monsters with out any sort of tactics or skill. I saw my friend do the same quest and he went the magic route and he took care of them silly quick with Igni. So it's not like there was only one way to do the quest either.

 

[DirtyMagic]

Is it me or did Yahtzee sound unusually happy this time?
For some reason I thought he had the biggest smile ever on his face while narrating this.

 

[Gaute Eiterjord]

Once in a while i disagree with you, Yahtzee.

 

[Pandabearparade]

Funny review, though you can skip the cutscenes (I know, I had to retry the boss fight fifty times because I refused to take the difficulty off of hard).

Basically, the review boils down to:
-Too much stuff to manage. Well fine, if that bothers you it's a fair point, though you can play through the game just fine on easy if that micro-management annoys you.
-Too hard. That's what easy difficulty is for. Maybe they should introduce a Hello Kitty difficult level for the especially bad?
-They didn't actually say fuck that much, and it really wasn't all that dark. Felt very realistic and organic, to me.

 

[CommanderKirov]

You know, from all of this there is one thing I'm interested the most.

Does Yahtzee have just a general dislike for PC gaming now days, or does he just do not enjoy the way that PC gamers treat console gamers.

I think he just knows that attacking PC gaming is an easy way to get alot of people butthurt.

Ahhh. A good reason than.

 

[dantoddd]

I see a lot of denial already.

And i highly doubt yahtzee hates PC gaming.

 

[Racecarlock]

You can't deny that some games are dumbed down for console gamers, there is a difference between "dumbed down" and "streamlined" that a lot of people don't seem the grasp.

No, developers use the excuse that a game was dumbed down for console gamers, and frankly, we aren't asking them to do that. Also, we're not stupid just because our games aren't complicated, and I am really tired of people saying we are.

This is precisely why I'm a console gamer, console games don't take all day and I don't have to reduce the graphics to 1st grader quality to actually play. Good review Yahtzee you faustian king amongst us mere mortal squishies. Just remember to have fun with Brink He he he.

Nope console games comes pre-factored at lowest grade quality.

Again with the "PCs are better because the graphics are better" crap? I would think that PC gamers aren't that concerned with graphics, but I guess that you specifically are. In that case I reccomend you play "Google streetview". It has the most realistic graphics ever. Seriously, it looks just like real life.

 

[standokan]

I never played the first, my dad loves the witcher 2 though. I'll not pick it up since my laptop is nowhere near good enough to run it even on lowest settings.

Wow, you have quite a cool dad, I wish my dad played games.

OT:Ugh PC only, my shit laptop can´t even run San Andreas properly let alone the Witcher.

Back to Baldur´s gate it is then.

 

[CopperBoom]

Amazing spot on review!
(No one is firing me from that factory)

I had no interest in the game and now I have less interest so I guess as a critic he succeeded. I also laughed quite a bit more than usual, so, cheers!

 

[LupineWolf]

The last 2 patches fixed a whole lot of the game's weaknesses. May still need better tooltips or something, but combat is more fluid now, they fixed the input lag which made Yahtzee stop playing.

 

[Estelindis]

Good points, should have been part of a tutorial.

Agreed; the game sorely needed an optional tutorial in which Geralt practises fighting some of the men in the camp before he goes to meet Foltest. I don't like obligatory tutorials when the character I'm playing is supposed to already be a badass, as they're hard to integrate into the story (I hate anything that breaks immersion), but it should have at least been possible to engage in some combat basics in this game (with one being able to ignore the tutorial in favour of the manual, should one wish).