Kalniel's first impressions: The Witcher

[Ferral]

I've found that it plays very much like the origional Neverwinter Nights. No bad thing really. Even the way the areas are mapped out in sections with quests in the relevant areas.

I do keep getting crashes though. Due to Vista however, getting display driver stopped working and recovered so the screen ocassionally goes black for 30 seconds while it does the recovery thing. Wish they would get the drivers sorted out.

[pauldarkside]

thanks for the great write up kalniel ... looks like one to add to my autumnal purchase list

[Barkotron]

This is a really excellent game. I wouldn't take it lightly though - be prepared for a major time-sink .

The more I play, the more I'm liking it, occasional glitches during multiple-monster fights aside

[Elessar_VPR]

Thanks for the review and screenies kalniel. Pretty much convinced me to buy it as it looks like a lot of fun and something a bit different.

[TiG]

Anyone taken on the Salamander camp in act3?, best fun i've had in crazy arse full on army vs me. Think there are about 14-16 enemies, a summoned ifrit from the mage and the mage casts lightning that hits for about 45 points per hit. That and the boss who seems to want to cut me to ribbons with his dual swords.

The druids reckoned it would take an army to get them out, but my Hamill sword and group combat and a bit of lucky dodging and they were all dead.

Intense or what!.

I still maintain that this game has some awesome touches above and beyond what i've played on other games, i've found that the character development is absolutely key, getting hold of reciepes and further information on monsters and herbs is essential. But its more than that, i've found developing the character is definitely down to personal play style.

The fire sign with incinerate boosted is a big imo +++

TiG

[DevilMayCry42]

aw jeez, SPOILER!

[acrobat]

I'm totally less impressed than most people.

What I like the most in RPG's is being able to do stuff with magic. Stuff like "colour spray", or "confusion" or "fear", or ensnaring an entire area of enemies, or even stopping them in place with grasping roots. And then fireballing them all. Or cleverer stuff like charming/dominating an enemy to basically turn them into your pet. And then using him to fight another enemy. And if your pet is losing.. you can use enfeeblement etc.. on the enemy. I just love magic, and good combat systems, and this game really did a bad job at that. It reminds me of Oblivion, in that their idea of magic, is to just blast a big generic blast of flame or something, and incinerate everything. Or just use a "paralyze" spell that completely reduces the enemy to nothing, so you just then hack it to death like fighting a dummy. Maybe I'm spoilt by other RPG's, but I just found this really lacking.

But it still managed to entertain me, which just tells you how good the storytelling is. Because that is pretty much all this game has going for it imo. I wrote more what I thought in this thread:
http://forums.hexus.net/gaming-news/...ml#post1261573

[kalniel]

It gets better - while there are only 5 base signs, the optional skills in them lead to some quite different tactics. They are a supplement to the other combat skills and on harder difficulties you do have to be quite clever with them against some foes.

[acrobat]

Doh, I played on Medium Hopefully it will still get better though.

I've got a third sign now, which is something. Its still no D&D But its something. I just love the story though, and how its told. Really nicely done in that respect.

[Deadlight]

Loving this. i need to go in this crypt, right, so where do I get a) a torch or b) a cat potion?

[acrobat]

You'll need those in most dungeons really, unless you dont mind fumbling around in the dark. Sometimes you can get away with doing that though, but usually you need one or the other.

The potions are made using alchemy. If you don't have the recipe already, you need to buy (or find) an alchemy book with the right recipe in. Once you have that, you can see what components you need to loot. Click on all the plants you see in the world, and loot their petals or whatever. (And the same goes for a lot of the enemies you kill - loot their bits and pieces). When you rest (at a fire / in an tavern etc), you can click on your alchemy button at the top right and if you have the right ingredients, you can make those cat potions. I always try to keep a few of them for when I go somewhere really dark.

The only alternative is to find a torch. They are in various places. You just have to look around. Click on all the barrels you see, crates, chests, etc.. Soon enough, you'll find one with a torch inside. You have to put it in one of your weapon slots.

p.s. Just out of interest, to those of you who love it, what do you love about this? Also, do you play many other RPG's? If so, what other ones do you love? Two Worlds? Neverwinter Nights 2? Gothic 3? Oblivion? WoW? EverQuest? Diablo 2? Other? I'm just trying to figure out if this game did something really special that everyone has been craving, or if it has just attracted a lot of people who rarely play RPG's, or if its attracted hardcore RPG fans who play any RPG they can get their hands on. I'd like to know, cause im interested in this stuff. The last RPG I played before this, was Two Worlds. Before that was NWN2. And before that, it was probably Gothic 3. I was really unimpressed with all of them really. I like this one, but I don't think its that great. Great story and storytelling, but the rest leaves a lot to be desired. If the game is really widely popular, it makes me think that maybe most gamers have been desperate for a good game with a good story, and have been waiting for ages. I dunno.

[TiG]

I've played the lot you mention before this, and what appeals to me is i feel part of the story, lots of voice actors, really good well laid storyline and the concequence thing really does make me enjoy it.

The fact its outlasted NWN2 significantly too is another big plus. The potion reciepe finding, alchemy, weapons etc are all wonderful.

If you've not got to Chapter 3 then you've not enjoyed half the game. I'm going to have to replay it on hard as i'm completely decimating bosses now. Almost completed it now.

TiG

[acrobat]

Thats kind of what I feel about it too. I feel like I'm part of the story. But I'm trying to figure out why I don't usually feel like that in other RPG's. I don't know what it is.. I just never really get drawn into the story most of the time. And its not just me either. I sometimes a show a game to my mate, and as soon as the conversations appear... he just click! click! click! clicks! to get past it... Talk about jaded...

So I wonder why this game is different. Not sure what it did, but I do really feel more drawn into it. Nice game.

[kalniel]

It's really really polished I think - the balance of story, optional quests, linearity vs non-linearity, number of areas etc. is all spot on. My gf is playing at the same time as me and while we end up moving through the chapters at the same time, we're almost never doing the same things at the same time - and we're always catching a glimpse of each others screens and going 'oo.. I didn't know you could do that' or 'I've never even seen that quest line!'

p.s. Just out of interest, to those of you who love it, what do you love about this? Also, do you play many other RPG's? If so, what other ones do you love? Two Worlds? Neverwinter Nights 2? Gothic 3? Oblivion? WoW? EverQuest? Diablo 2? Other? I'm just trying to figure out if this game did something really special that everyone has been craving, or if it has just attracted a lot of people who rarely play RPG's, or if its attracted hardcore RPG fans who play any RPG they can get their hands on.

I love Oblivion, love PS:T, like NWN2+MotB, like Gothic 3, like Diablo 2, hate Two Worlds, hate EverQuest.

Yes I play a lot of RPGs, and in my grand all time list going back to the Ultimas, this comes in at one of the top two RPGs I've played. What do I love about it? Everything, but if I had to be really brief, the world setting, the areas, the immersion, the combat, the polish. It brings together the best bits of all the RPGs I love, so as a total package contains more than pretty much any single other game.

[acrobat]

I can understand that. Thats what I think too. All apart from the combat part though. I still can't get into that. It just seems like click, wait, click, wait, click. Its not terrible now that I'm getting a couple of signs, but not something I would want to see in more games. I thought the likes of Baldurs Gate (even NWN) blows it away. Because not only do you have an enormous amount of spells and skills to use, but you can even have up to 6 party members... So there is so much depth, they had to allow us to pause the game I really loved that.

p.s. What didn't you like about EverQuest? (The grind?). Also, have you ever played Gothic 2? (I liked that even more than Gothic 3. Not sure why though.. because its quite simpler, smaller world, older graphics. So I wouldn't suggest going out and buying it if you haven't already played it. But I did really like that one anyway).

[Fabula]

So far have watched the opening cinematic (cool), and played about 20 min. Looks great and loads of potential, though combat does seem dodgy so far. Looking forward to the rest of the game, definately.


Been playing RPGs since the start of the SSI gold box series, along with angband etc. Gothic 2 (with expansion) is probably the most enjoyable I've found.