The Witcher 2 Improved Version 2.0 Reviewed
The Witcher 2 Improved Version 2.0 Reviewed
Review - posted by VentilatorOfDoom on Fri 30 September 2011, 12:26:35
Tags: CD Projekt; The Witcher 2: Assassins of KingsGamebanshee now also reviews patches. How does the Improved Version 2.0 for The Witcher 2 hold up against the plethora of enhancements the Enhanced Edition brought to The Witcher 1? Learn more:
That said, there were a number of complaints leveled against The Witcher 2, related largely to its more mainstream- and console-oriented direction, and I don’t think that The Witcher 2 Patch 2.0 is going to change many opinions about that. For one, the user interface hasn’t received any updates, so the same lengthy list menus and tabs are present, making navigation more suited to a gamepad than a mouse and keyboard. On top of that, it’s hard not to look at the game’s arena mode with a bit of skepticism – it’s trendy these days to include some sort of survival or “horde” mode, especially console games, and the arena mode included in the 2.0 update feels much more geared towards those sensibilities. While the mode is no doubt well designed, personally I would have much preferred a few new side-quests, a new town to explore, or even a completely separate bonus module, and it’s a bit disheartening to see that CD Projekt didn’t take that opportunity.
Overall, The Witcher 2 Patch 2.0 is definitely worth downloading, and, if you've been waiting for a chance to give the game a second play-through, you'll likely find that the changes made result in a better experience. The new content added is more of an aside, but for fans who have already played the game a good deal, it should provide a new avenue to test their skills and compare them with other players. In a broader sense, though, it also shows that CD Projekt are serious about bringing The Witcher 2 to Xbox 360 gamers and more mainstream audiences, and recent statements have suggested they're more than ready to continue supporting the game across both platforms, especially as future updates will add additional story content. While The Witcher 2 Patch 2.0 isn't quite up to the level of the Enhanced Edition as far as new content goes, now is a great time to get into (or back into) one of the best action RPGs we've seen in years, and if you're holding out for the Xbox 360 version, you have a lot to look forward to.
Spotted at: Gamebanshee
That said, there were a number of complaints leveled against The Witcher 2, related largely to its more mainstream- and console-oriented direction, and I don’t think that The Witcher 2 Patch 2.0 is going to change many opinions about that. For one, the user interface hasn’t received any updates, so the same lengthy list menus and tabs are present, making navigation more suited to a gamepad than a mouse and keyboard. On top of that, it’s hard not to look at the game’s arena mode with a bit of skepticism – it’s trendy these days to include some sort of survival or “horde” mode, especially console games, and the arena mode included in the 2.0 update feels much more geared towards those sensibilities. While the mode is no doubt well designed, personally I would have much preferred a few new side-quests, a new town to explore, or even a completely separate bonus module, and it’s a bit disheartening to see that CD Projekt didn’t take that opportunity.
Overall, The Witcher 2 Patch 2.0 is definitely worth downloading, and, if you've been waiting for a chance to give the game a second play-through, you'll likely find that the changes made result in a better experience. The new content added is more of an aside, but for fans who have already played the game a good deal, it should provide a new avenue to test their skills and compare them with other players. In a broader sense, though, it also shows that CD Projekt are serious about bringing The Witcher 2 to Xbox 360 gamers and more mainstream audiences, and recent statements have suggested they're more than ready to continue supporting the game across both platforms, especially as future updates will add additional story content. While The Witcher 2 Patch 2.0 isn't quite up to the level of the Enhanced Edition as far as new content goes, now is a great time to get into (or back into) one of the best action RPGs we've seen in years, and if you're holding out for the Xbox 360 version, you have a lot to look forward to.
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