This game is really the dark horse of 2011. Well, not exactly, as we all know that it is gonna be good, but not THIS good. I am also happy with the fact that I avoided almost all marketing materials beforehand. My mind was constantly blown from the first second I step out of the tent to the time the credit is rolling. In fact, I am still blown away when I read the spoiler thread.
How is the game doing number-wise? Outside of hardcore RPG circles, it seems to lack a presence. What happened to the Facebook viral marketing thing?
Weird, it was getting caught while sneaking behind Loredo’s house that was causing the bug. Made it to eavesdrop on the convo and no bugging out when I left Loredo’s area.
From all indications, CD Projekt RED has been pleased by the preorder numbers worldwide. I would think the audience is somewhat limited at this point by the hefty system requirements, but it seems like a word of mouth success in the making.
I wonder when will we see reviews on sites like Gamespot, Giantbomb, cough G4, and so on…
As I said in the spoiler thread, so many probably missed it, reviews all around are delayed since outlets didn’t get the game any earlier than release. G4’s will be this week.
Ah, good to know, thanks. I am avoiding spoiler thread because I never know what kind of spoilers are being talked about…
sadly (fortunately) in this game, where finishing once means seeing half of it, I will probably avoid that thread for much longer than usual.
Just finished off the Prologue in one sitting. Wow.
Actually the first 20 minutes were pretty crap, because once you get to your first proper fight they give you no tutorials. Even having played the first one, it’s been awhile so I forgot what the hell the spells stood for. Or how to use my sword. Died 4 times.
Anyway, once I got past that, everything else has been amazing. Witcher 2 seems to really be what Dragon Age 2 was going for (action combat, cinematic feel) but with a much more realized world and real exploration. Whee. Great game, best rpg in years. Also it’s pretty.
rei
1848
Oh to daydream for a modern Ultima game in the Witcher 2 engine.
Joe_M
1849
I’d settle for The Witcher in The Witcher 2 engine.
I hope they do a “Mass Effect 3”, a “fast” The Witcher 3 sequel, using the same engine and combat, and polishing up stuff like interface and balance.
In UK, it has taken 5th place of the top 40 on disc sales alone: http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2011-05-23-uk-top-40-la-noire-catches-first-place
Not bad for a PC only RPG.
Wendelius
Attention to the last sentence of that page:
There’s good news also for Polish developer CD Projekt - its Witcher sequel is outselling the original by three-to-one.
300%, nice! Of course it’s normal than a sequel is more frontloaded than a new ip. But we also have to take in account that in 2011 more people use digital stores than in 2007.
SPOILERS
That’s interesting. That’s the same point that the voices and ambient sounds vanished from the game and I had been troubleshooting it yesterday. Nothing worked to fix the issue; eventually things just started working again after starting a new game, reloading old saves, continuing out of the area with a current save, etc. Got to the point where I had voices back and no ambient sounds, then after loading a save in the tavern everything was back. Perhaps there’s something about what was happening at that time in that area that is glitchy.
Interesting, i also had sound issues in that area. Except in my case they persisted to the second Act. I had to deactivate every sound device/output except the default one to solve it. But at least i could solve it.
Mutagen information time. From gog forums :
Which talents:
The last 2 in the Witcher training tree
The last 3 in the Swordsman tree
The last 5 in the Alchemy tree
The last 2 AND the Enhanced Yrden in the Magic tree
What mutagens
he mutagens have these effects (lesser/normal/greater):
Vitality: +2 vitality/+5 vitality/+10 vitality
Strength +1 armor/+2 armor/+2 armor and +1 vitality regeneration (outside combat)
Enhancement: +1 adrenaline/+3 adrenaline/+5 adrenaline on hit
Critical effects: +1%/+2%/+3% chance of all critical effects
Power: +1 damage/+1-2 damage/+1-3 damage
Concentration: +1 sign damage
Range +2%/+5% Aard and Igni range. This is a percentage increase and so will usually only increase the range of an already upgraded sign by 1.
Madness: +2 armor and +5 vitality and +1-2 damage. The damage bonus is not listed until you perform the mutation.
Special impregnation talent:
The Impregnation talent in the Alchemy tree says it gives +15%/+35% effects of mutagens. It does a lot more than that. Level 2 is roughly a doubling, but it varies by type. Note that mutagens you have already used do NOT get boosted. If you want to get this talent, do it before you use any mutagens.
These are the effects of GREATER mutagens with 1/2 levels in Impregnation:
Vitality: +15 health/+20 health
Strength +3 armor and +1 vitality regen/+4 armor and +1 vitality regen
Enhancement: +7% adrenaline/+10% adrenaline
Critical effects: +4%/+6% critical effects chance
Power: +2-4 damage/+3-5 damage
Concentration (normal): +2 sign damage/+3 sign damage
Range (normal): +7%/+9% Aard and Igni range
Finished the game. Would give 10/10. Loved the ending I had. Cannot wait for expansion/witcher 3. Posted impressions in spoiler thread.
Definitely the combat difficulty could have a bit better balance. It’s not only obvious stuff like the too hard combat in the prologue and in some bosses, it’s also monsters like harpies, where it goes other way, they are too easy. They are introduced in the Act II, but they are weaker than some monters i fighted in Act I with my actual equipment. And i am not using oils or potions agains them, nor i have a swordman centric stats.
A silly question but… i have an arachas part (mmm shell? can’t remember right now) that is marked in the description as an crafting component (apart of also being an alchemy comp.). I wonder what crafting recipe uses that part, because even i am checking all the crafting sellers and buying lots of recipes, i haven’t seen anything that uses that part.
