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Once we got used to the sticky controls, and earned the essential upgrades from our skill tree, we were chopping up enemies, dodging, blocking, and casting Aard force pushes like we were some kind of medieval Jedi. When Geralt is out in the wilds staring down a horde of Nekkers or the massive Kraken-like boss, the Kayran, all of the careful preparation, crafting, and sword polishing comes into play with intense, active combat. There's no get-out-of-jail-free health potions or aid available during combat and no amount of preparation guarantees victory. Geralt can exploit enemy weaknesses by coating his swords with various oils to boost damage or gain status effects, or protect himself by drinking potions to counteract harmful effects like poison or bleeding. Jumping head first into a battle will often get you killed, so gathering ingredients beforehand, laying traps, crafting special bombs and drinking stat boosting potions becomes a necessity. Geralt has an arsenal of traps, bombs, potions, swords and armor that can be crafted, upgraded and modified to fit specific combat situations.
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But to that end, the Witcher 2 succeeds gloriously in making us feel invested in every choice we make.īeside the immersive world and engaging storytelling is robust, challenging, action-packed combat that is supported by all the things RPG lovers love: deep crafting, leveling, and inventory management systems. Everything is grey, making every decision that much harder to choose.
#THE WITCHER 2 FREE#
There is no clear cut, black or white situation or character, more just taking sides of a conflict comrades have ulterior motives, bandits strive to free the downtrodden, and righteous leaders can turn out to be political puppets. It is easy to get lost in the world they've created, especially one so gritty and unapologetically vile. The “F” word gets tossed around like nobody’s business, dialogue is as hilarious as it is vulgar, and the “romance” scenes put Mass Effect’s soft-core love to shame. Drunks stagger outside taverns, whore houses are thriving businesses, hangings are common place and interacting with townsfolk and major characters is just as colorful.
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You'll see townsfolk go about their daily lives chopping wood, butchering meat, and selling goods at shops. CD Projekt spared no attention to detail creating believable environments to explore. Geralt's world is an unforgiving one filled with bickering nobles, downtrodden peasants, and racially abused "non-humans" (elves and dwarves). Geralt must clear his name, catch the true assassin and solve any well paying citizen's problem as he faces the poverty ridden, racially tense, and monster infested world. This sequel starts off right after the events of the first game with Geralt having saved King Foltest of Temeria from a mysterious assassin, been hired as a gloried bodyguard and then framed for said king's regicide. Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher - a mutant monster hunter with magical powers, silver hair and so many scars that chicks probably don't dig it anymore.
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