The Witcher 2

[Saniflush]

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There are very few differences between playing this on 360 or a high-end PC. The graphical gap is noticeable but trivial, load times are short and infrequent on both, and the game plays equally well on mouse/keyboard and gamepad. Several complaints I had about the original – horrid inventory management, punishing early difficulty, targeting problems – have been patched away since launch, and those improvements are incorporated here (thus the slightly higher score). The few flaws I take issue with should in no way discourage anyone from playing this fantastic, unique RPG. So long as they’re over 18, anyway, because this is the most deserving M rating I’ve ever personally played through.


Concept:
Thread your way through a branching, epic plot that has equal parts heroism, villainy, combat, booze, and (ahem) short-term romantic encounters.

Graphics:
This looks almost as good on 360 as it does on PC. If you put your mind to it you can find some low-res textures and level-of-detail pop-in, but they do little to cheapen the experience.

Sound:
Every piece of dialogue is voice acted, and very few exceptions mar the generally high-quality work in a variety of accents.

Playability:
Navigating both combat and menus works great on a 360 pad. Don’t confuse the game’s modeling of momentum and the long animations for being hit or parried as unresponsiveness.

Entertainment:
This unique RPG is finally available to console owners, and not in any kind of diminished form. This is a triumph of technical achievement, world-building, and plotting.

Replay:
High


GI Rating
9.50

[Saniflush]

Ok. So finished this last night. Well worth the play.

Graphics and story are top notch.
Lot's of shades of grey decisions that affect the storyline. Not nearly as black and white as Skyrim.
Also not nearly as long as Skyrim. The mainline quests are probably pretty comparable to Skyrim but the side quests are much fewer and far shorter on average.

Would probably shy away from buying it until you catch it used or a hot deal new, but well worth a rental if you gamefly.