The historiography urges the mind to draw upon classic tales as well as historical fact; it is rare that a game may reference both ‘Grimm’s Fairy Tales’ and the ‘War of the Roses’ so seamlessly. The story in The Witcher 2 is the richest I’ve seen in an RPG this year, it is dynamic, beautifully written and geared for adults. The writers are not afraid to touch on themes like drug use, sexuality and racism and do so far better than its competitors *cough* ‘Dragon Age 2’ *cough*. The Witcher features a script written simultaneously in both English and Polish so whichever your inclination your getting the dialogue as faithfully as it was originally conceived. The themes are adult and complex and the cinemas are not afraid to show off some sex scenes that obliterate the competition and make them look juvenile *cough* ‘Dragon Age 2’ *cough*.

The Witcher 2’s story is the strongest element of the game and while this may seem like a no brainer in an RPG in this case with every other piece of the puzzle so damn well constructed you would think the story would fall a little short in comparison but it doesn’t. In this excellent game the story reaches perfection. If ever there was a time to trust a review it is here. The story is perfect and I can’t go into detail concerning the plot or characters as it is too good and revealing the smallest detail would be spoiling your experience. Beyond outlining the game’s most basic of themes all I can really tell you is Wow!

The Visuals

Visually the Witcher 2 is the most remarkable RPG ever created. Such attention has gone into the smallest of details, every piece of the visual makeup is amazing and none of it falls short of astounding. Powered by an all-new custom graphics engine, CDProjekts own RED engine, the game is capable of some of the most amazing computer effects I have ever seen. The engine features the slew of tricks you would expect from a game like Crysis 2 and in aesthetic terms that is the only comparable game. The engine also displays a mastery of newer techniques such as depth of field and motion that set the game in a deep level of real. Models, textures and particles are crisp, smooth and lifelike. Artistically the game stands above nearly every other RPG, the art style is that of classical fantasy juxtaposed with the renaissance reality that sets the game apart from the likes of Tolkien seminal works. The environments are truly a work of beauty; they are varied, gigantic and according to MyETVmedia’s media director (Mat) evoke memories of Poland’s vast countryside. You will see a forest so thick with life that it screams wild, wide European planes that are ripped right from national geographic, craggy mountains capped with ice and snow and cities so vast and ancient they brim with intrigue. Suffice it to say the environments in The Witcher 2 put Dragon Age 2 to shame, “to utter crap your pants in front of the classroom shame”. The one thing that does stand out is character animation in dialogues. While the characters themselves are beautifully crafted the animations seem a little stiff. It is not bad as it actually is above average it just stands out a bit compared with an otherwise flawless visual package.