What is "The Witcher?"

[Daledge]

Okay so obviously enough it's a game but I'm just wondering about a few things seeing as how I haven't played it..

I have just a few questions:

1. Is it a good game?

2. What is the storyline like? (For the sake of others, no spoilers please, I wouldn't mind but..)

3. Is it made by Bethesda?

4. Is it expensive and is their a steam version?

 

Thanks,

Daledge. :thumbsup:

[MarkInMKUK]

The Witcher, and The Witcher 2, are based on a series of medieval fantasy books by a Polish author, Andrzej Sapkowski. They cover the adventures of Geralt, a Witcher, one of a small group of monster-hunters who seek out and deal with creatures from mid-european mythology. Witchers are trained fighters, and have also undergone mutation through a series of chemical and magical enhancements. They have a series of buffs via potions, but the potions also cause a toxic effect and that, in turn, must be dealt with.

 

The books are good, although the translation into English is a little pedestrian. I'm told that the Polish versions are far better - but then I don't read Polish.

 

The initial game was based on a heavily modified version of the Neverwinter Nights "Aurora" engine, and was pretty good compared with NWN in many ways. However, the game is much more story-led, so there's no sandbox play as there is with a game like Oblivion. I've not yet played Witcher 2, so someone else will have to comment on that. One major feature is that decisions you make carry consequences - a choice in the tutorial section will come back as an adjustment in a later encounter for instance (that's not a spoiler - that specific encounter is pointed out as one that has consequences in the tutorial messages).

 

The

for the Witcher is up on Youtube, and gives a little of the background, but obviously gives not too much away about the gameplay. Well worth a look though.

 

It's not a Bethesda game, it's made by an independent studio - but then that's no bad thing. It's got limited moddability, and you have a construction set which can be used to make your own adventures, but not integrated with the main game as far as I know.

[Vindekarr]

Well, I would say it was one of the very best RPG games ever created, but Im biased because I really didn't like this type of RPG... ...till The Witcher got me hooked.

 

It's a Polish/Russian made RPG, based on the mythology of that ancient region, and is a good all rounder as RPGs go, combat is a bit spammy, but good animation and weighty weapons give it good feel, nonetheless combat is about as far from the in-vogue JRPG style as you can get, with full autotargeting and the emphasis on combat style, positioning and timing rather than the currently popular "run around with a giant sword and shoot lightning bolts from your tummy" Magic is here too, but in limited form(you're a swordsman, not a wizard) and takes the form of runes that cast proscribed effects, such as fire, knockback, or other signs. The will never be the basis of your fighting style but they are, used judiciously, a fightbreaker, that turns a lengthy, uphill battle into a murderous romp.

 

Animation and interaction is very much The Witcher's strong suit: it's hugely hated by some, mostly women, for the simple reason that this is unapologeticaly an R18+ game, with all sorts of vice available, in addition to the sidemissions, to divert you and offer entertainment. The dialogue is... fantastic, provided you're using the patched Russian or Polish voice/english subtitles(you can have American accented english voice, but that drops the quality of acting a fair bit) and it's matched up with almost seemless little animations-tiny little bits of gesture and bodylanguage you only notice an hour into the game, when you realise NPCs don't just stand still while chatting. It's however a very "adult" game, and it's sense of humor may very much offend some-I've seen some people absolutely enfuriated by it's sex-related shenanigens-to the point that some reviewers have called the game "obcenely sexist" and "despicable"-but you should just ignore that or don't play it. You've been warned. There is sexual content, a helluva lot if you want it, or virtualy none if you don't. Finaly, you have a lot of choice, moral, emotional, and general decision making, And it really weighs in later on, in one of the first cutscenes, with Geralt's(main man, a tough as all hell Monster Hunter) ex-girlfriend, which can end about a bazillion ways, ranging from a shoutingmatch, to her jumping in bed with you, and treating her one way one day will effect how she thinks about you on another.

 

It's well worth grabbing a bargain bin copy of The Witcher for about $20 and seeing if you like it, just be damn sure to get The Enhanced Edition, or you'll be playing a vastly inferior version.

[CDPREDteam]

To expand a bit on the previous reply, many of the decisions involve options that are not clearly good or bad, good or evil, right or wrong, etc. You may prefer certain choices depending on the type of character you're playing, the path you're taking through the game, etc., but if you play again in a different manner, you may well have different preferences at the same decision points. You may also find some different decision points.

 

TW2 picks up the saga of the main character, Geralt, soon after the end of TW1. However, it is a standalone game / adventure; i.e. it is not necessary to have played the first game to enjoy the new one.

[mondotomhead]

 

 

Animation and interaction is very much The Witcher's strong suit: it's hugely hated by some, mostly women, for the simple reason that this is unapologeticaly an R18+ game, with all sorts of vice available, in addition to the sidemissions, to divert you and offer entertainment.

 

 

 

HEEEEYYYYY, I'm a women and I think the vice, sex, dismemberment and blood spatters are the best parts of the game :D

[naked blade]

I found that I still have Witcher installed on my old XP system, but I do not have the enhanced version. And the old game I was playing is still there so I think I'll go back and start where I left off. To be frank, I got rather bored with it but after the DA2 debacle, it is now looking pretty good LOL. I'll give it a chance and continue on, and I'll see if there are any upgrades or patches and finish it, has me curious now. :whistling:

[JimboUK]

I found that I still have Witcher installed on my old XP system, but I do not have the enhanced version. And the old game I was playing is still there so I think I'll go back and start where I left off. To be frank, I got rather bored with it but after the DA2 debacle, it is now looking pretty good LOL. I'll give it a chance and continue on, and I'll see if there are any upgrades or patches and finish it, has me curious now. :whistling:

 

You can upgrade to the enhanced version for free.

[brokenergy]

Based on a series of books. I advise to find these books and read them before playing as the games doesn't explain it's own lore that well (and yes I'm really serious). It's really confusing for people who are new to the franchise and it's one of my major complaints about the games.

[swordsman5]

I dunno, I'd hate to see the Witcher games get to the stage where there were arguments over lore, that did happen quite a bit with Morrowind, someone would produce a mod and the poor sod would get ripped to pieces by a lore crazy faction, because it didn't fit into what they believed the lore should be.

[dragonbird]

I don't think anyone answered one of your questions - yes, it's available on Steam. If you're not in a hurry, watch out for sales - I got it with a big discount last December.

 

And yes, it is a bit sexist, but, like mondotomhead, I didn't find it especially offensive. Plenty of coarse language though :)

 

Very good storyline, and enough options to make it replayable.

 

I hated it at first try, but went back to it a couple of months later and got completely addicted.

 

I don't see any need to read the books first. There's a really good wiki on it at http://witcher.wikia.com/wiki/The_Witcher_FAQ that gives good background info on the lore and books as well as on the game. However, I suggest you DON'T read too much from it until you play, as it has a lot of spoilers.