Xbox The Witcher 2, Enhanced Edition

Sex and Violence

Developer: CD Projekt Red
Publisher: Atari (NA) / Namco Bandi (EUR) / Warner Bros. Interactive
Platform(s): Microsoft Windows / Xbox 360 / Mac OS X
Release Date: May 2011 (PC) / April 2012 (Console)
Genre: Action-Adventure RPG
Rating: BBFC: 18 / ESRB: M / PEGI: 18

"Indeed, naught is more repulsive than these monsters that defy nature and are known by the name of witcher, as they are the offspring of foul sorcery and witchcraft. Unscrupulous scoundrels without conscious and virtue, they are veritable creatures from hell, capable only of taking lives........." ~ Monstrum - A Portrayal of Witchers, Anonymous

An ominous roll of thunder seems to shake away the darkness revealing misty wood. Rushing through this forest with torrential rains stinging his face, his body the testament to the life path he chose to tread, a wounded man runs. He fights to stay conscious, to stay alive. To stay ahead of the dangers at his back. But fight as he must, even a wolf, a white wolf, must lay down to reality. His eyes grow heavy, his muscles grow weak, his hold upon the waking world beings to slip.

Until he knows only the nothingness of oblivion.

Reality slowly peels away the shadows as the waking world greets him. His hands and feet are bound by iron and stone. His soul is bound in an iron cage of men. For many, their tales would end here. But not for this man. Not for this creation of magic and witchcraft. Not for the White Wolf. Not for Geralt.

Not for a Witcher.

In fact, this tale has only just begun.......



Use Your Head Before You Lose It
So now we have the Witcher 2 for Xbox 360. You know, I half expected it to be heavily censored when it made the transition from PC to console boxes earlier this year. Thankfully someone at the ESRB finally realized that the 'M' rating for this game actually means "Mature" not "Modest." There's plenty of plenty to keep any hardcore RPG fan happy for at least 50 to 60 hours. Everything from a Hangover-esque side quest to obvious Fight Club inspired mini-games.

And how you want to tackle these events are entirely up to you.

Because once you get past the less-than-easy prologue events, the world literally opens up and becomes your oyster. Every quest you take is unique. Every side quest you tackle is engaging and white knuckle. And the fact that every choice in this game seems to have its own line of consequence, much like in real life, they're something that cannot be magically erased and/or forgotten about later on during gameplay. In fact your decisions can, and sometimes will, come back to haunt you.



All of this gives you this sense of progression. Of change. This feeling that you are quite literally shaping and defining the world around you. And in that doing so sometimes feels like an accomplishment worthy of a game's end boss triumph just makes it all the more sweet.

Because the "getting there" is by no means an easy feat. If you've ever played Demons Souls or Dark Souls, well.....The Witcher 2 is just a notch below that. Expect to see Geralt fall more than once, sometimes just a whisker's hair away from coming out the victor, to the inevitable "use your head and try again" approach to some enemy encounters.

Now for the naughty bits. Yes, The Witcher 2 does have rather graphic depictions of sex and nudity. CD Projekt Red left nothing (and I mean absolutely nothing) to the imagination. If you have children, keep them away from this title. Otherwise you'll be having "the talk" about where babies come from.

Santa Claus. Just in case you're wondering.

Yet oddly, I didn't consider these scenes to be overly gratuitous or shockingly explicit. Frank yes, explicit.....to a point. But nothing that would lead me to march down to my local Gamestop demanding that the video game public boycott said business for selling interactive smut. Trust me, I'm all protested out anyway.

My only personal gripe is that, so far, there's really not much in the way of collection mechanics. Sure you might come across some visual bit of armor piece, but as far as weapon collection goes, it's rather stingy and downright miserly. If you're hoping that every bad guy has a new dagger, a new sword, a new piece of armor you can doll up on your Geralt, well, expect to be disappointed. New arms and armors come in a very short supply line.



That Voodoo You Do So Well
Graphics: CD Projekt did a good job with their RED Engine, even though there are the occasional texture pop-in moments rather reminiscent of the texture problems in the (and I hate to keep bringing the series up but...) much like what players experienced in the first Mass Effect title. Towns and environments look exceptionally well done, very organic, and vary from one another in small or significant ways. Various venues can range from decrepit and bleak looking townships that look like the buildings are being held up only by magic and prayer, to the solid and weather worn spires of stone that, though battered by time and war, could last well into the next century.

Audio/Music: Exceptional. The music is a blend of high fantasy, heavy drums, light wind chimes, the thrum of some stringed instrument. Even the occasional use of bagpipes and lutes. The "Howl of the White Wolf" is nearly on par with Skyrim's "Dovahkiin" battle song. And currently my second favorite bit of musical prose behind the aforementioned Elder Scrolls melody.

Controls: Takes some getting used to, due to the fact that the layout of the various functions on the 360 pad takes a bit to memorize and remember (especially when you're trying to do something in the heat of battle), but once you do it becomes a manageable exercise.

Difficulty: This has to be noted since, unlike some RPG's you might have played in the past, this game starts off strong and only gets stronger as you progress. Again, if you've ever played Demons or Dark Souls, you'll get the gist of what I'm trying to impart here. The Witcher 2 is unforgiving, unrelenting, and unapologetic for those of you who think that your character is this god-like being right out of the gate who can wade into a throng of bad guys and expect to walk away from the encounter unscathed. Every encounter, EVERY one, requires you to take stock of your surroundings, yourself and, more importantly, your enemies.

I can almost guarantee you that, if you DO decide to just blindly run into the fray without thought or planning, 10 times out of 10 you're going to end up face down in the dirt with your blood spilling out as the Game Over screen slowly comes up to mock you. Use your Head. Or you'll soon find yourself without one.

Score: 4.5 out of 5.

Despite some graphical marring here and there, and despite the brutal difficulty spike even against opponents that you might think you'd have no problem with, the game is still enjoyable. Yes, it can be somewhat text heavy in places, but it is a mature and grown-up RPG. One that gives me as much joy as it does frustration. And I hope that this is a game that sets a standard for future Mature rated role playing games to come.

Bravo CD Projekt.