The world of The Witcher 2 is a volatile, violent place filled with selfish, furtive characters. As monster slayer Geralt of Rivia, you'll need to not only combat beasts and bandits, a case of amnesia and the public perception that you're responsible for regicide, but also navigate between powerful figures and unravel complex conspiracies amidst a huge cast of power-obsessed monarchs and magic users. It's an adventure where choices that appear inconsequential slap the story in unexpected directions and one that doesn't compromise its fiction in the name of convenience or accessibility. In some ways those qualities are flaws, but they also contribute to a world that feels convincing, making its initial inaccessibility seem inconsequential relative to the intrigue and revelations embedded further in. The characters in The Witcher 2 exist in a land of monsters, celestial bodysnatchers and magic, and though there are stereotypes walking around, they're not all typical video game fantasy fare. Even the supposed heroes are hopelessly self-serving, arrogant and impudent. This isn't a game afraid to paint its characters as racists, sexists, drunkards or just generally reprehensible people governed by fear and uncertainty, including Geralt and his friends. Those styled as saviors and leaders possess far more flaws and secrets than they initially let on, and as a result the characters don't feel like Pez dispensers of brittle phrases, they feel human.
here are so many involved in the game's labyrinthine plot of conspiracies, ancient curses and power grabs it's easy to get lost. If you didn't play the 2007 original, expect to spend a while reeling in bewilderment. There's a journal to help you sort out the main personalities, but little to aid you when characters speak only in colloquialisms. Toss in a few storytelling elements that seemingly pop up at random, like stylized animated flashbacks and moments where control is briefly switched from Geralt to other characters, and The Witcher 2's pacing can be disorienting. Despite that, it lends further authenticity to the world that a ruler of a region would not take the time to explain himself when referencing names and places. Geralt too, a well-traveled figure of renown, would hardly need someone to describe the difference between Aedirn, Kaedwen and Temeria. So while characters don't often launch into detailed explanations, it fits the fiction considering Geralt is not the genre-standard naïve paragon of morality stepping away from his home town for the first time.
Geralt slides into the background of major conflicts and, though he provides critical assistance, he is never the obvious hero. He is feared by townsfolk and soldiers because of his appearance and reputation, and he's as flawed as you want him to be. Decisions can be as minor as determining how to deal with a small-town drug peddler to undercutting the significance of one of the game's major motivations in the pursuit of love. There's no +7.2 to your evil rating when you choose to punch someone in the face. There's no morality meter at all. Instead, the quests and opportunities change to accommodate your version of Geralt. It lends an exhilarating mutability to the experience, as dialogue responses could trigger results as mundane as a quest giver's disappointment or significantly alter the path of the main progression, even going so far as determining on which side you stand in major conflicts.
Though The Witcher 2 does not offer a huge number of quests, none feel like arbitrary endeavors. Even the basic kill quests feature multiple steps, requiring you to explore the terrain surrounding the game's population centers, hunt creatures and eventually strike at nests and more formidable creatures. Some involve stealth, some collection, and all are wrapped in enough story to make the label "side-quest" seem inadequate. Whether it's venturing into the depths of a foreboding forest ruin and dealing with furious spirits or negotiating with a succubus in a mountainside warren, with few exceptions the quests in The Witcher 2 refuse to blend together into forgettable haze.
It's a little disappointing the voice acting and writing aren't consistently on the same level as other aspects of the game. Many lines for Triss, Geralt's initial love interest, aren't delivered with the conviction of others on the cast, Geralt's expressions in combat are repeated too often, and for as many hilariously brusque uses of profanity as there are, some of the cursing feels as though it's merely there to mask a lack of substance. Still, it's a dramatic improvement over the original Witcher, and only noticeable here because so many other aspects of the game are so stunning.
The visuals, in particular, are consistently gorgeous. Though I experienced some performance issues on launch day, a driver update allowed smooth play on max settings with a GeForce GTX 580 card, and the game still looks great at lowered settings. Provided you can turn everything up, the resulting virtual vistas are unmatched in modern role-playing games. From the towering heights of besieged ramparts at the game's outset to the glittering forests surrounding the riverside town of Flotsam, The Witcher 2 is one of the prettiest games you can play. The lighting effects as beams bloom through trees and light up mountain peaks make adventuring all the more exciting, and the animations are far more natural and plausible than in Geralt's previous adventure. The special effects impress, and so do the more subtle effects like the detail jammed into every one of Flotsam's worn and dirty shacks, or the waterfall that cuts through Vergen's rocky mountain walls. It's a world constructed with care where everything feels custom-built, nothing cut-and-paste.
All this collection and crafting enhances Geralt's abilities in combat, which, aside from a few annoyances, are fast and fun without losing depth. At the beginning of The Witcher 2 you're tossed into precarious situations and must immediately take advantage of all aspects of the combat system. Geralt relies on two swords – steel for humanoids and silver for monsters – to deal damage. To complement this he can set up traps, toss bombs, throw knives and tap into a number of magical abilities to carve up the opposition in real-time battles. Managing all this is easy enough once you get comfortable with the command wheel that slows time while allowing access to swords, items and magic. The trick is figuring out what everything does right from The Witcher 2's opening moments, from the way the Yrden magical sign locks enemies in temporary energy shackles to how Axii can mind-control enemies. You absolutely have to take advantage of all these elements if you want to succeed at the outset with the difficulty cranked. Once over the initial difficulty speed-bump, battles become varied, satisfying sequences of superpowered swordplay, though the boss battles, once you grow accustomed to their spectacular scale, can be infuriatingly punishing.
As Geralt levels, talent points can be distributed across a skill tree to enhance existing abilities as well as unlock new ones, though specialization decreases the need to use all combat options. By dumping points into the magic talent line, for instance, the Quen sign takes on an increased significance, allowing Geralt to temporarily block incoming attacks by summoning an electrical shield that discharges damaging bolts to aggressors. Combined with a powered-up Igni spell to singe enemies with fireballs and, eventually, an Adrenaline Gauge, there's isn't as much of a need to use every skill to survive encounters. Fighting is still fun throughout and upgrading skills allows for noticeable increases in power during battle, but it feels backwards to have to rely on every skill at the outset and then a smaller number toward the end. Even so, it's a flexible system, and one that benefits from a tidy amount of well-defined combat options instead of an overwhelming amount with overlapping functionality.
It's also a system that punishes mistakes. If you're not paying close attention it'll only take a matter of seconds to be shredded by harpies and gutted by wraiths. The potion system is set up so you can't quaff restorative items mid-fight. Instead, you drink them down before an encounter begins to boost the regenerative rates of health and vigor (which limits magic use and parrying), meaning even when the effects are active in a fight, you still can't charge into combat mashing the attack buttons and expect to do anything but die. This kind of system that forces more thoughtful, skillful combat does wonders for the sense of satisfaction after clearing a group of enemies without feeling unfair. The one truly problematic area of the combat is the targeting system, which can be jumpy and imprecise at the worst times. It is possible to lock on to single targets, but in large groups when enemies are shifting positions, casting spells and shooting arrows, it's not easy enough to shift Geralt's focus to a desired target in a fast, precise manner, which can result in frustrating deaths.
The original Witcher had technical problems when it launched, making The Witcher 2's relative level of polish all the more impressive. I only experienced a handful of bugs through my entire run through the game, and only one or two crashes. For this to be the case this early for a game this complex, I have to believe it's a good sign for whatever content is to follow. And there will be more, to be sure, considering how many unresolved conflicts are stirred up throughout the course of The Witcher 2's run. By the end some of the major questions are answered, but it's tough to feel entirely content considering how the overarching large-scale conflict is clearly left open for future installments of the franchise.
source : http://pc.ign.com/
0 komentar:
Post a Comment