The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition

[GarfunkeL]

I've never played the Witcher games. Decided to fix that now. Started with Witcher 2. I'm still in Act I but it's pretty damn good. Beautiful graphics, people actually have names unlike Oblivion/Skyrim, not every door leads to a loading screen, fluid animation with barely any clipping - all in all, fantastic job.

But man I suck at the combat. I'm playing on normal and while I can deal with the regular stuff, the "bosses" are damn hard. I figured out the Kaytan at Flotsam eventually but now I'm getting my shit kicked in by Letho. I don't have time to put down traps, because he throws a bomb at me if I'm too far. His sign-shield stops my sword attacks, when he isn't blocking them. If I block his attack, he shocks me. I can't poison or bleed him, yet his attacks repeatedly make me bleed. If I roll around and Igni his ass, he either throws Igni at my face or charges me and his animation cycle cannot apparently be interrupted. I'm level 10, have the best possible gear at this point available from vendors and crafting. Fuck me.

Bioware should have learnt from CD Project - the love scene in the abandoned elven bath between Geralt and Triss was fantastic, managing to be romantic, sexy and funny at the same time, which is no mean feat. Compared to the awkward and cringey love scenes in DA:O and Mass Effect games... :D It's also quite refreshing to see a different aesthetic in the fantasy genre. Of course the Witcher world isn't free of cliches and stereotypes, but at least Flotsam looks like an actual medieval shithole without succumbing to the "everything is brown"-syndrome. Again, compares really well with Bioware and Bethesda products.

 

[Konjad]

I've never played the Witcher games. Decided to fix that now. Started with Witcher 2. I'm still in Act I but it's pretty damn good. Beautiful graphics, people actually have names unlike Oblivion/Skyrim, not every door leads to a loading screen, fluid animation with barely any clipping - all in all, fantastic job.

But man I suck at the combat. I'm playing on normal and while I can deal with the regular stuff, the "bosses" are damn hard. I figured out the Kaytan at Flotsam eventually but now I'm getting my shit kicked in by Letho. I don't have time to put down traps, because he throws a bomb at me if I'm too far. His sign-shield stops my sword attacks, when he isn't blocking them. If I block his attack, he shocks me. I can't poison or bleed him, yet his attacks repeatedly make me bleed. If I roll around and Igni his ass, he either throws Igni at my face or charges me and his animation cycle cannot apparently be interrupted. I'm level 10, have the best possible gear at this point available from vendors and crafting. Fuck me.

Bioware should have learnt from CD Project - the love scene in the abandoned elven bath between Geralt and Triss was fantastic, managing to be romantic, sexy and funny at the same time, which is no mean feat. Compared to the awkward and cringey love scenes in DA:O and Mass Effect games... :D It's also quite refreshing to see a different aesthetic in the fantasy genre. Of course the Witcher world isn't free of cliches and stereotypes, but at least Flotsam looks like an actual medieval shithole without succumbing to the "everything is brown"-syndrome. Again, compares really well with Bioware and Bethesda products.

Why the fuck would you start with Witcher 2 and not the first one? They are storytard games, you should play them in order.

 

[GarfunkeL]

Just to piss you off, of course.

 

[Doktor Best]

He's doing it right. He starts with the weakest game so he can experience the series in a purely incline fashion.

GarfunkeL: I remember that fight being the hardest one in the game. Theres no shame in lowering the difficulty for it or reloading an older save to go in fully buffed.

Bombs are also your friend here.

 

[Neanderthal]

Decided to replay the second Act II (and some of Act I) since I couldn't really remember how the Roche path plays out.

And holy shit, Roche and Ves are like the saddest pair ever. Completely ineffective. Ves is presented as a tough soldier girl but whose only job in the actual game is to be rapebait. First for Letho and then Henselt. But hey, she takes care of a baby and then cries in Geralt's arms so... good job Ves! Of course Roche is the one who puts her in the situation with Letho because... uhm, because... well... why did you do that Roche? Geralt wrecks Letho's army anyway. So what was the point of Ves risking herself like that? Maybe I missed something. The "Letho groping Ves" scene felt rather David Cage-ish in my mind.

When I first played the game I remember thinking Roche was a kinda cool character but he's just a gigantic fuck-up, lol. Everything he does turns to shit.

That said, I think that path is a bit more fun to play through in Act II for some reason. Vergen is a lot nice aesthetically but something about it feels like a slog to me. The Soldier's Camp is boring as a location but perhaps it's due to the presence of Henselt and Dethmold (who is so "toady evil" that it becomes amusing) that it just feels a bit more fun.

You're mixing up Letho, giant muscled Witcher with Bernard Loredo, fat commandant o Flotsam I think mate. Ves was just a distraction while you infiltrated place from back and Blue Stripes assaulted front I think, catch the loveable old rapist off his guard. Gotta admit though that Roche's path int a happy one, better for him on Vergen path as him an his lads survive an help you out.

 

[Starwars]

Yeah, I meant Loredo. And it was mentioned that Loredo always orders in prostitutes anyways so it didn't seem to make a whole lot of sense to have Ves be there. Again, since she's just tied up and utterly useless.

 

[Neanderthal]

Roche likes a bit o sloppy seconds? No you're right, makes no fucking sense.

 

[Dux]

This is my Witcher 2 face.

I thought fucking Triss in a bathhouse would rouse my nethers and finally get me into the spirit of things, but nope. Not even a tingle. They wouldn't even let me QTE during the copulation. Come on, guys, what the fuck?

 

[Don Peste]

Does it get any better after the prologue?

 

[Deleted member 7219]

Does it get any better after the prologue?

Yes.

 

[Revenant]

Chapter 1 (Flotsam and the swamp) is the high point of the game. If you don't like it by then, don't torture yourself any further and just uninstall and watch a LP.

 

[Carrion]

The first few hours (prologue and the start of the first act) are awful pacing-wise, and it definitely gets better once you've got past all of the initial exposition dumps, QTEs and cutscenes. Flotsam might be the best location in the game, but I liked Act II the best as it has a more open structure. You also meet some of the best characters of the game in Act II.

 

[Morgoth]

I played this a bit when it came out back in 2011 and couldn't quite get into it mostly due to the clunky combat. Now six years later, I'm planning to get into this again soon, and I was wondering if I should play vanilla, try the FCR2 mod, or the Master Witcher Redux mod? Any recommendations for a Twitcher newfag?

 

[janior]

Don't install any mods, play on easy, enjoy the cutscenes.

Spoiler

and merigold's ass

 

[Carrion]

Any recommendations for a Twitcher newfag?

Play Twitcher 1 first.

 

[Morgoth]

Any recommendations for a Twitcher newfag?

Play Twitcher 1 first.

Already did.

So vanilla should be okie dokie?

 

[janior]

mods make it worse tbh especially fcr

 

[Carrion]

So vanilla should be okie dokie?

I'd go with vanilla, yeah. The mods probably improve some things but also introduce flaws of their own, and their balance issues are most likely just as bad if not worse than vanilla's. CDPR have introduced some minor improvements to the combat with their own patches, too, so the game plays a bit better than it did in 2011.

 

[Sensuki]

After one playthrough on vanilla, try your next one with Rise of the Sword (sooooo much better, even if it makes most fights easy peasy).

 

[GarfunkeL]

Turn QTEs off, play on medium unless you really like the combat, enjoy the game. It's quite pretty and the story and characters are good.

 

[Falksi]

Turn QTEs off, play on medium unless you really like the combat, enjoy the game. It's quite pretty and the story and characters are good.

Think a medium play through first time makes sense as TW2 takes some getting used to. But Dark Mode is brilliant once you're use to the combat.
Also, one of the second acts is significantly more interesting on 1st play through than the other (both are great, but perspective of one helps you enjoy the other more). So leave a save there at the end if act one before 2 bros duel it out, and of the 2nd act isn't to your liking reload and choose the other path. Both are worth playing through several times Imo, but my virgin run was defo better for me choosing the one I did.

 

[Arvennios]

Any recommendations for a Twitcher newfag?

Play Twitcher 1 first.

Already did.

So vanilla should be okie dokie?

Mostly fine, you might want to install a weight reduction/removal mod, the limit on carrying capacity gets annoying pretty fast.

 

[Morgoth]

After one playthrough on vanilla, try your next one with Rise of the Sword (sooooo much better, even if it makes most fights easy peasy).

I doubt I will play this twice. Right now it's still in the backburner as I'm busy with other games, but when I'll get into W2 during the slower summer days, and I wanna do my one and only playthrough "properly".

 

[the_shadow]

Turn QTEs off, play on medium unless you really like the combat, enjoy the game. It's quite pretty and the story and characters are good.

If that's your kettle of fish, then you might as well just put Witcher 2 back on the shelf and go watch a swords and sorcery movies/series (Game of Thrones post-season 3 is about as good as Witcher 2's stories and characters). Running from cutscene to cutscene with combat that you streamroll through isn't exactly stimulating gameplay.

 

[Sensuki]

After one playthrough on vanilla, try your next one with Rise of the Sword (sooooo much better, even if it makes most fights easy peasy).

I doubt I will play this twice. Right now it's still in the backburner as I'm busy with other games, but when I'll get into W2 during the slower summer days, and I wanna do my one and only playthrough "properly".

I think it's worth at least two for the Roche/Iorveth paths

 

[Old One]

Running from cutscene to cutscene with combat that you streamroll through isn't exactly stimulating gameplay.

How is running from cutscene to cutscene with combat you don't steamroll through any better? The only difference is it takes a little longer.