The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

This is the second game in the series based on the fantasy books The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowsk. The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings is now an important part of game history. Although people talk more about its sequel The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, looking at what came before is nice too. And thanks to the newly released Netflix series The Witcher, the games got a second golden age.

Although not as much as the third part, this game is a complete success however you look at it. It sold nicely and got an excellent response from the audience and the critics as well. Released originally in PC and later on for Xbox 360 with an enhanced edition, adding different new features.

About the game

Just like the other games in the series, it is a combination of action/RPG/hack and slashes adventure game. The player plays the role of a Geralt, the main protagonist of the saga. Geralt is what they call a Witcher, a monster hunter that uses special powers and abilities to kill its objectives.

The Slavic mythology of the setting shows a lot of amazing representations of creatures from folklore tales. The fantasy world of The Witcher is full of life and lore, all kinds of stories surround the game and it's full of mysteries waiting to be solved.

Contrary to the first game, it is intended for this sequel to be less linear, giving the player a new power. We are talking about the power of choice, in this game you can make decisions that actually affect the way the main story develops. Even though it was the first time implemented in the series, this new mechanic is already nicely polished. Taking decisions feels, and actually is, important. These are presented in a balanced and interesting way, it is in no way a black and white situation.

Against one of the biggest

The year 2011 was a big one for video games and especially fantasy and RPG based ones. The Witcher 2: Assassin of Kings is not the only big fantasy game el eased that year, but the amazing The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim did as well.

It's hard to find a game that can compare against Skyrim in the fantasy-RPG-adventure game, but if there's one that can do it is The Witcher. Even though the worlds have different mythologies, and the gameplay is completely different. Skyrim has a more epic feeling to it overall, with a legendary soundtrack, a huge world to explore and groundbreaking missions. Both games allow you to choose factions and to make choices that would affect the plot. But the choices feel much more personal in the Witcher, more heavy and important too.

It is hard to tell which one is "better" as they are not directly comparable, but they sure brought back the interest to the fantasy games a big jump ahead.

Review

The Witcher 2 was, at its release, pretty much the finest example of what fantasy games and RPG games could be. Not only did it have amazing art and a beautiful world, but an interesting and compelling story. It keeps the player engage in one of the most interesting stories ever presented in a fantasy game.

• Graphics and visuals: The Witcher series is now popular for delivering some of the most stunning visuals and art direction in games. Even by 2011, it had amazing graphics, and a creative world full of interesting characters. Amazing creatures, and incredible structures that helped to deliver an everlasting experience.

• Gameplay: As mentioned before, it has interesting new mechanics added to the series. The decision making played an important part in the development of the plot. This helps to makes the player feel more immersed in the game. The preparation for each battle made resolving each quest even more interesting.

• Sound: The soundtrack of the Witcher is not the only thing amazing about its sound design. It is important to note just how detailed the sound effects and general mix of audio work in this title to deliver an incredible experience for the player.