The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Xbox 360 Review - PAGE 1

PC exclusives rarely receive as much widespread attention as The Witcher, and nearly a year after The Witcher 2 was released to its native platform, Polish developer CD Projekt RED is finally introducing their highly successful dark fantasy to consoles, by way of the 360. In an unexpected case of role reversal, 360 owners now find themselves wondering how a console port would turn out and whether the end result will feel “too PCish.” 

On the Xbox 360, The Witcher 2 maintains a certain flavor that reminds us of its keyboard-and-mouse origins, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Instead, what we end up with is a deeply ambitious RPG that challenges the notion that console games need to be simplified for an addle-brained demographic incapable of managing anything remotely complex.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings introduces us to Geralt of Rivia, a wandering monster hunter or “witcher.” An optional tutorial is your first hurdle, one that first-time players probably shouldn’t skip. It covers all the basics, from navigating the world to Geralt’s various combat abilities, with the latter being what makes the instructional segment so important. Yet the tutorial doesn’t make much of a first impression, its design cumbersome and oddly outdated. Rather than placing instructions somewhere out of the way or utilizing prompts for a more immersive feel, the tutorial annoyingly interrupts play every few minutes with tooltips to offer helpful information. A minor complaint, perhaps, but first impressions are important, and The Witcher 2 stumbles a bit at the start. Fortunately, it’s all uphill from here. 

Story Rated “M for Mature”

Once this clumsy yet comprehensive introduction is over and done with, the story picks up with an amnesiac Geralt being stuck in prison for regicide. Though his distant past is a complete mystery, we relive recent events through an interrogation sequence with one Vernon Roche, during which Geralt recounts the goings-on that led to his imprisonment. Flashbacks play out in the order you choose to tell them in, chronological correctness be damned. Still, the game makes clear early on that despite having to play as a premade character, you are the one in charge.

Nothing is sugarcoated or watered down in Assassins of Kings. Full (female) nudity and sex scenes are in ample supply, sure, but those come accompanied by violence and a plot heavily laden with political intrigue. Rape, torture, and murder are an everyday occurrence, even sanctioned by the governing rulers who ceaselessly wage war against one another. There’s a lot to take in, and The Witcher 2 doesn’t hesitate before bombarding you with a mountain of relevant lore – warring nations, racial factions, important people, political agendas, and so forth. Some clarity can be found in early dialogue, but for the most part, the game assumes the player understands what’s going on. Newcomers (just about anyone playing the 360 version) might find themselves referencing online resources on a frequent basis in order to keep up. The primary plot, at least, is easy to follow.

The plot will evolve based on Geralt’s decisions throughout the game, and though he possesses some semblance of his own personality – an amusingly sarcastic one, even — his morality is dictated entirely by player decisions. Morality in Witcher 2 is a slippery slope, and you won’t have a convenient little meter or any sort of compass to guide Geralt’s actions. As a result, players are inclined to make choices based on context and personal perceptions rather than a clear good-or-evil scale, which further strengthens the element of immersion. 

The Art of Witchering

Leveling is paced rather well and a low level cap eliminates the dreaded grind. Skills and bonuses are stretched across four talent trees and may be upgraded twice. Spend your points wisely, because you won’t have enough to unlock every trait in the game, and The Witcher 2 is not exactly a forgiving experience. Even on Easy, players might need a good hour or so to figure out the controls, which can feel a tad complicated at first. The control scheme doesn’t abide by an established standard, and no alternatives are found under options. On the bright side, a little practice is all you’ll really need to get used to the game’s one setup, though a few issues may still arise now and again – like attempting to toggle the camera during combat and winding up on the wrong target.

No matter what difficulty Witcher 2 is set at, enemies never develop much intelligence, but their superior numbers and nasty habit of swarming Geralt can land a careless fellow in hot water. Players quickly learn the importance of utilizing every ability and accessory Geralt carries on him. Basic yet versatile “Signs” allow the witcher to wield fire, set runic traps, mind-control enemies, or shield his body in a lightning cocoon. More mundane tools like bombs and traps can be crafted or bought, offering a non-magical avenue of crowd control, while potions provide the means of healing (excluding passive traits) and must be taken prior to entering a fight. 

Prettier on PC, Still Pretty on 360

Assassins of Kings is absolutely gorgeous on PC, and hardware as old as the Xbox 360 just doesn’t stack up. There’s an unfortunate problem with flickering, in that the screen flashes briefly whenever you’re exiting a cutscene or selling items to a vendor. Fog effects are also prone to shifting on and off during dialogue sequences, which is a little distracting. 

That said, Witcher 2 must be one of the best looking RPGs for the console, and it runs quite smoothly with minimal pop-in textures. Most surprising of all is the absence of horribly muddied surfaces, something that many console gamers have simply grown used to seeing. Dynamic lighting clearly differentiates time of day, though perhaps not to the same breathtaking extent as Skyrim, and textural details hold in and out of cutscenes. Overall, this is a stunning game, just not nearly as stunning as the PC version. Anyone can see, however, that CD Projekt isn’t cutting corners when it comes to visuals.

Final Thoughts

Although not without faults, The Witcher 2 is by far one of the best RPGs we’ve seen in recent years. The gameplay transitions very well from PC and Xbox 360, and even on an aging system, the graphical quality barely falters. Above all else, Assassins of Kings excels in its storytelling, and never shies away from its own maturity. Instead, it embraces the adult themes – no matter how gut-wrenching – that most other RPGs simply ignore for fear of alienating their audience. 

CD Projekt has woven a rich narrative built around player decisions and a central character that falls under your complete control. True, Geralt of Rivia isn’t a character you create from scratch, but he is nonetheless effective as a conduit, an avatar of the player that somehow maintains enough personality to be considered his own man. Most importantly, Witcher 2 proves that even a melancholic tale of war and violence can be deeply satisfying, and wherever your decisions lead Geralt, the end is anything but a letdown.