The Witcher 2

Players: 1 Offline
Publisher: Atari
Genres: Action, RPG
Release Date: May 17, 2011
Developer: CD Projekt
MSRP: $29.99
Platforms:
The second installment in the Witcher saga features a thoroughly engrossing, mature storyline defining new standards for thought-provoking, non-linear game narration. The game also features an original, brutal combat system that uniquely combines tactical elements with dynamic action and a new, modern game engine puts players in the most lively and believable world ever created in an RPG game.

The Witcher 2 Sexy Review, 9.2 out of 10 based on 9 ratings

Ohhhhh Yeahhh!

Angry Joe takes a serious long hard lustful look at The Witcher 2, the most mature adult oriented RPG he’s had the pleasure of playing. This game has sex and titties, now hold up – before you run out and buy it, check the review for what else you can expect!


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Rating: 9.2/10 (9 votes cast)

The Witcher 2 Review - ZGR

Daniel is clearly very excited about The Witcher 2! - ZGR

The Witcher 2 Review

Johnny M. breaks out his regular sword, and also his good silver one for the guests coming over. He just can't remember how 'sharp' a cheddar the undead prefer. It's The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings review.

The Witcher 2 Sexy Review

Angry Joe takes a serious long hard lustful look at The Witcher 2, the most mature adult oriented RPG hes had the pleasure of playing. This game has sex and titties, but check out the review for what else you can expect!

The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition Review

Finally one of the most critically acclaimed PC games of last year makes its way to the 360. With 4 hours of extra content and gameplay adjustments, does this action RPG stand up to the competition on home console? Find out right here...

Sage Reviews: The Witcher 2

It's one of the best RPG's of the last five years, and now it's on the 360. What more do you need to know?
  1. October 25, 2011 at 12:19pm
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    Aww Joe why did you censor it, I had my lotion all ready :[

    PS. I really hated that the stances were gone, another example of console-simplification of RPGs (Which need to be as complex as possible imo: Examples: fallout 2, arcanum (beauty stat!), baldurs gate).

  2. August 11, 2011 at 01:19am
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    Why would you need the lotion if you have a girl like that in real life? Unless… there’s a problem with her, in which case I understand.

  3. June 18, 2011 at 09:50pm
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    I’m sorry Joe, for the first time since I started watching you back in the days of Red Dead Redemption, I’m going to have to disagree with you. This… thing is nowhere near Game of the Year material. Yes, its pretty. Yes, the women are… friendly. And yes the story is well done. But the gameplay: that broken piece of crap combat system, the clunky inventory, the weird-ass leveling system, and the almost 90 degree learning curve just completely ruined the game for me. On top of that, while the voice actor is great, that’s not the voice I hear when I read the stories (yes, I have read them, in English. I’m not fluent in Polish yet.) and it jars me. But that’s a personal thing. Objectively, this game is a 7. But in any case, good review, and I look forward to your next. Hopefully its Duke Nukem.

  4. June 11, 2011 at 05:32pm
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    I just recently bought the game and let me tell you… as a counsel gamer this game alone has proven to me that PC RPG’s can be just as good if not better than counsel RPG’s. I’m currently playing the game without the use of a controller and at times I wish I had one, but I can’t afford it. Speaking of the controls, they’re not terrible, but they could have been better. I good example is when I tried fighting the Kayran. I got myself ready with the potion you need and I casted quen to help with the fight, but I found it really hard to control Geralet since the cast button is right next to the move forward button (q=casting w=move forward), but replacing the button made it easier. I also found that even if you’re armed to the teeth with the best weapons, armor, and enchanments you can get, that doesn’t always mean your going to win every battle, so if you need to and if you can, run away and regenerate your health and then go back to the fight. If I can see more of this type of effort put into games like this one did, I just might buy my RPG’s on PC if they are available (but not the Final Fantasy series, since Square has proven time and again they can’t make those games for PC). I agree with everything you said in this review Joe with where I’m at so far in the game. I believe this game deserves a nomination for “Best RPG of the year”, “Best PC game of the year” and I personally think this game does deserve a nomination for “Best game of the year.” The reasons why are for it’s story, graphics, fun, and it’s soundtrack is just awesome.

  5. June 10, 2011 at 11:35pm
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    Joe you have ruined Sexy Saxophone forever…

  6. June 10, 2011 at 04:18am
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    First Witcher mixed reviews? IT WAS PRAISED.

  7. June 10, 2011 at 01:51am
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    $5 says Gerlalt has Madonna-Whore Complex. The day he meets a woman he doesn’t want to bang, he will marry her & call her “Mama.”

    My bicurious side says even though this is super misogynistic, I should play it for the boobies. My nazi feminist side is pissed that Geralt isn’t bisexual. My troll side wants everyone to go to Youtube & check out the hilarious graphical bugs for the first game.

  8. June 10, 2011 at 01:15am
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    lol I love how the woman grabs the guy and pulls him in before he’s even undressed.

  9. June 09, 2011 at 11:14pm
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    Now to sort things out:
    This game is much more related to books than previous game. Thats why of reasons why you can’t drink potions in battle. Potions were strong toxins, and drinking them would have strong effect on Geralt right after he took it, which would be critical in combat. Thats why you have to prepare BEFORE battle. Now, fast travel system would just spoil fun of game, and maps aren’t that big, so I don’t see need for fast travel system. Now people who are complaining about “why can’t I be girl witcher”, well, game is based on books, and main hero of books was Geralt, not some sexy-chick-fanservice-Witcherine. Now for those who complain “Geralt is shagging everyone left and right, thats not fair!”, well, again, books. He was f*cking at least one girl per chapter, and it wasn’t Yennefer only. And this is the biggest minus of this game, as it was aimed mainly for book fans. In my opinion they should include at least chapter of any Witcher book to manual, so new players could feel what Geralt and other characters, and world surrounding them really are. Without reading any of the books new players can be completly lost. It’s not some Dragon Age where you can make s*it up, Witcher has already defined world and characters, so developers had to put much effor not to let Witcher fans down, aswell as to introduce new people to the White Wolf character. In my opinion, the best RPG game I played so far. None of BioWare games were this satisfing as Witcher games.

  10. June 09, 2011 at 07:21pm
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    So you blurb out the tits? But not the VAJ? That makes a LOT of sense…

    • June 10, 2011 at 03:58pm
      In response to nafeasonto
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      In all fairness there was so much bush you couldn’t really see anything anyway.

  11. June 09, 2011 at 03:16pm
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    Being a girl gamer, I don’t feel offended by the mature content of the game, on the contrary, it’s sexy and I love that. However there’s 2 things I need to complain about. Even you Joe kinda poke fun at the fact there isn’t much romance here. I remember in the first game, it really just felt like collecting lays, there was no lasting connection whatsoever between the 2 caracters. This is where I really gotta side with Bioware in that department. You may not be able to sleep around that much but the girl or guy you are after are really fleshed out. And this brings me to my second point……… THIS GAME IS COMPLETELY ON-SIDED. Are you kidding, how fair is that? Give me the option to play a gale and tease guardsman or fluster some noblemen right in front of their wife… I mean gee, girls play games too. Bioware got that waaaaay back during the time of Baldur’s Gate 2, why hasn’t CDProjeckt? And don’t give me the typical “The Witcher in the original story is one of the last of his kind so there couldn’t be females blablabla”, that’s a very lazy excuse. If you’re going to release a game world wide, you need to be to be able to adapt your story to match a broader gamebase. Refusing to do so is ignoring a great deal of people.

    So, sure, the game looks great, but it still managed to find a way to rub me the wrong way before even thinking of giving it a shot.

    • June 09, 2011 at 07:15pm
      In response to xen999
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      Aren’t The Witcher games based on books? It would be kinda odd to randomly throw in a new female character to play as.

    • June 09, 2011 at 07:50pm
      In response to xen999
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      I agree, even as a male I often play as female characters and I dislike any game that doesn’t give the option. As far as player character and romance options go, I think every game should take a note from Dragon Age 2, which lets you do whatever you like in that regard.

      Also in agreement with your first point. To me, character depth and interesting emotions will always be more important than sex scenes, and I’d rather have the former without the latter than the other way around.

      Besides that, having an actual romance going on adds an additional layer to any story elements. For instance, if something bad happens to your character, it’s always more interesting if they have a romantic involvement with a character who takes an interest in the event or comforts them, and huge battles are better when they reassure each other and work together.

    • June 10, 2011 at 12:18am
      omg
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      In response to xen999
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      You miss the point, Geralt of Rivia is the main character from the books, no one else. They made 2 games inspired by novels and managed to be pretty faithful to the the source, they’re not going to rip off the books and bring some female character who has nothing to do with the novels just to please someone.

      • June 10, 2011 at 03:24pm
        In response to omg
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        Exactly this. Some RPGs are made for a lot of customization, and we should support those RPGs as well. Sometimes though, the developers want to tell a story with a certain character. Often the character is shoved down your throat, but here Geralt has many different personalities you can take on. Sure, you can’t be gay or anything, but I think regarding the character of Geralt the options make a lot of sense. Being Geralt is just about the only thing really linear about the game.

    • June 13, 2011 at 03:56pm
      In response to xen999
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      Really there’s much more romance in this game than Joe (for comedic effect I assume) has let on. Every woman you can seriously involve Geralt with isn’t a delicate flower that needs protecting just because she’s a woman. Triss and some other real involvements are very strong individualities that don’t scream for your help. They save you as much as you help them out. It also doesn’t treat intimate moments as a goal (Bioware school of bedroom dance just before final mission and never before) but as part of a relationship. There really isn’t anything juvenile about how it is presented unless you act like a horny teen yourself, which I’m sure Joe was parodying.

  12. June 09, 2011 at 03:03pm
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    Story wise how lost would I be going into the game without having played the first? Do I need to find a synopsis or something at least?

  13. June 09, 2011 at 01:25pm
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    I didn’t know you were a Kenny G man Joe!

  14. June 09, 2011 at 12:33pm
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    I am going o save my money for Dark Souls. If i have enough i think i will buy witcher 2 if i can

  15. June 09, 2011 at 12:14pm
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    Joe,

    Either you censor all your swear words or you don’t; make up your mind. You do this in pretty much every review where you censor a few swear words, but then you keep a few other swear words uncensored, even the SAME SWEAR WORDS. For example, in this review, you have the other Joe saying “fuck” uncensored, yet later on, you censor yourself saying “fuck”.

    It really is pretty jarring. I don’t care which direction you go, but have some consistency.

    • June 09, 2011 at 11:51pm
      In response to OdinReborn
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      I’m pretty sure he said awhile back that he censors things for comedic effect and not for actual censoring. Weird that people notice though I never notice it’s all words or bleeps.

  16. June 09, 2011 at 11:12am
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    So let me get this straight, Joe: Witcher 2 is a highly advanced and polished form of a combination of the Elder Scrolls 3 and Elder Scrolls 4.

    Or, for a better example, Witcher 2 is what Two Worlds 1 SHOULD have been.

    You’ve been hard on Dragon Age 2, Joe. I can understand, the game wasn’t finished. In fact, EA had Bioware RUSH DA2 out the door instead of giving them a few more months to finish polishing and optimizing the game.

  17. June 09, 2011 at 09:07am
    Cat
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    Well, this was mildly awkward to watch. >_>

  18. June 09, 2011 at 08:50am
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    Hell Yesss! It’s finally out! God, I’ve been waiting for this. I knew Joe would love this at least as much as I do. It just pisses me off how people keep complaining how it’s so difficult, bloody whiners. Though I have to disagree about the tutorial. It think it’s one of the most clever ones I’ve ever seen. It makes you THINK what you should do to survive. Make your own stragedies.Sure you die a lot first. So what? And about the fast travel. I didn’t think it was that big of a deal. There just isn’t that much traveling to make it annoying. Though the following missions kind of sucked. All in all it’s been a long time since I’ve had this much fun with any game. It took it’s audience seriously, it didn’t chikcken out in any way I know of and was just challenging to play. I. F#cking. Loved it. I don’t think there was a moment that I was bored while playing the game. It makes Dragon Age 2 seem like a bad, sexually awkward dream… This is fantasy gaming at it’s best. I personally think it should’ve been 9/10. But I’m a fantasy nerd, so.. yeah. Good review.

  19. June 09, 2011 at 08:23am
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    Wait, Obama has a copy of the game?

    …why do I get the feeling we should brace ourselves for a much weirder, geekier version of the Monica Lewinsky scandal?

  20. June 09, 2011 at 07:26am
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    I’m a massive RPG fan but I’m also female and often I think we are not considered as a target audience of games other than Sims. Some of the stuff in this game is plainly sexist and doesn’t really make me want to play that game all that much.

    • June 09, 2011 at 11:34am
      In response to Kirke
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      I haven’t seen enough to say whether or not I’d consider it sexist, but I must say it does seem to have a large squick factor. All the good points that Joe mentioned give me an interest in the game, but I’d like to know I can skip the sex. I don’t mind playing as a male protagonist in a game, but I DO mind having naked woman shoved in my face.

      I don’t think a lot of guys (game developers in particular) get that. With a little role reversal and some imagination they might understand why it’s so unpleasant.

      • June 13, 2011 at 03:37pm
        In response to DivideByZero
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        You can chose NOT to have any of the “scenes” except the prologue one. There’s always a “decline” option. Still most of them are logical and not just “I need to honkadonk you”. Hell the choices about either pursuing a romantic relationship or not play a crucial role of you shaping Geralt’s character.

  21. June 09, 2011 at 07:05am
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    Looks like this game has lots of Angry Joe logos.

  22. June 09, 2011 at 03:51am
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    I don’t think the lack of fast travel but the potion thing seems really dumb. I also don’t understand why this game would be optimized for a controller.

    • June 09, 2011 at 07:32am
      In response to Gooberslot
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      Its not dumb its all in the lore. Geralt potions are not your standard fantasy potions that anyone can drink and it magicly restores hp, nope they are highy toxic and normal person would die drinking one. Even Geralt can’t drink them normally, that’s why you need to meditate when you want to drink one, to slowly take it in, not to poison your self to much. If he drank one while fighting he would only poison himself and do more harm then good.

  23. June 09, 2011 at 03:25am
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    I don’t at all understand the complaint about the fast travel system. There is no part in that entire game where anything is ever seriously far away. The first act is the largest by pure landmass and going from one end of the map to the other takes only about 2-3 minutes if you’re not stopping to fight any monsters. I mean, this isn’t like Morrowind…

    Also saying the Alchemy tree is useless isn’t quite right, it gives a lot of constant bonuses, such as having mutagens be twice as strong, bombs do 60% more damage, finding more ingredients and so forth. Alchemist is an absolutely viable character to play in the Witcher 2, and I personally like that they moved all the Alchemy stuff into its own “class” rather than having it like in the Witcher 1 where on the harder difficulty settings you had to spend a lot of additional time making potions to have a fighting chance against most enemies.

    The really big weak spots in The Witcher 2 are two things:

    1. The story ends much too abruptly. The second Act to the Witcher 2 sort of has that The Empire Strikes Back feel, at the end of it the evil forces at work have revealed themselves, and it didn’t end well for you, but you feel like you’ve grown to the point where you can confront them and right all the wrongs. Then the third act starts up and you’re ready to just kick ass and take names, but its over in 2-3 hours. My first playthrough of the Witcher took me about 32 hours, so that was certainly disappointing.

    2. The sign system suffers heavily under how overpowered Quen is compared to the other signs. Quen can completely absorb about 500 damage before breaking, and that means you can easily eat a hit from even the toughest bosses without taking any damage as long as you manage to recast Quen in between his attacks. The issue with Quen is that it stops your vigor regeneration while its active, and as a result blocking and other signs are no longer an atractive option along with it. If you just use your temporary invoulnerability to hack down some enemies with your sword and then reapply Quen you can win most fights without taking much if any damage, if you try to block or use other abilities on the other hand you’ll be out of vigor quickly and with Quen up you can’t regenerate any of it, so by making the fight more interesting you made it a lot harder. More synergy between the signs instead of having one really dominant one would have made the fighting in the Witcher a lot better.

    Those are the two really big weaknesses in the game, other than that it’s an absolute masterpiece, easily one of the best RPGs I have played, and I’m thrilled to see that they are taking a mass-effect style aproach to a continuing story. Can’t wait for the Nilfgardian invasion.

  24. June 09, 2011 at 02:06am
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    boobs

  25. June 09, 2011 at 12:47am
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    Actually, the initial update, when the game first became playable, removed all DRM. Gotta love how CDProjeckt actually make you feel like you own the game and are not just renting it from some company until you use up your 5 goes.

    And as far as tutorials go – are we really too lazy to read the manual on this one? Anyhow, hilarious review Joe – not since you dressed up as a geisha have I laughed so hard. Great review. Awesome game!

  26. June 08, 2011 at 07:16pm
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    Been following this show for quite some time but I never bothered to register.

    I’d like to point out that this game is available WITHOUT any DRM on http://www.gog.com (unlike Steam) and that euros will get a $16 USD credit if you are a euro due to the 49.99 USD != 49.99 Euro. They also have other classics like Baldur’s Gate among tons of other great games. And no game on their site has DRM at all. Win-win!

  27. June 08, 2011 at 03:21pm
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    Bought the first one (The Upscaled ver.) on steam when it was cheap..looks like I’ll have to wait a while to pick this one up. Great review though. Especially the slow-mo sex part :D

  28. June 08, 2011 at 11:46am
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    Mature? Really? In regard of the sex stuff, the Witcher games seem incredibly immature to me. Not much there but a string of badly-imitated, embarrassing porn clichés.

    • June 09, 2011 at 07:45am
      In response to Creature_SH
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      To you maybe , but that’s how it is in this dark fantasy world. He’s a monster killer, one wrong move in his job and its death, not to mention he can’t have kids, its understandable why he has this and not other attitude towards sex. To him sex is just that, sex, a way to blow out some steam and relax, nothing more nothing less.

      • June 10, 2011 at 03:54pm
        In response to Doomtrain
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        If that “is how it is in this dark fantasy world”, this dark fantasy world is written immaturely. End of line.

        • June 13, 2011 at 03:27pm
          In response to Creature_SH
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          Sorry but you’re immature thinking that the intimate moments that are tied to the character development are immature. Sure you can “rent” a whore but that’s your choice. Other “boobies” moments are logical progression of relationship between two adults where “funky time” isn’t a goal but a part of it.

          It’s funny how people acting offended by those moments show how much they don’t know how things work.

  29. June 07, 2011 at 07:40am
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    Joe, you need to learn to remove Skype from your auto start-up list.

  30. June 07, 2011 at 06:52am
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    Ironic that first Joe says that Witcher 2 dosen’t hold hands and then later on he complained about lack of tutorial.

    • June 07, 2011 at 03:05pm
      In response to Mecha
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      Tutorials are not equal to holding hands. Tutorials just explain the mechanics of game play, it doesn’t help you fast track through the game by making every mission easy to finish. “like showing you the location of an item once you walk within 30m of it” So no irony there from what he said imo anyway.

    • June 09, 2011 at 07:27am
      In response to Mecha
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      Ironic how he says the game’s competitors look like ass, when he sure seemed to enjoy the ass he was looking at in the intro.

  31. June 07, 2011 at 03:56am
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    Nice review Joe. Thing I disagree most about tho is the Fast Travel thing…..I just think it is needed in this game. All the chapters arn’t that big and it’s kinda realistic not to have a fast travel system.

    Now where the maps the size of lets say Oblivion THEN I would understand this complaint.

  32. June 06, 2011 at 08:33pm
    Tyr
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    Btw the name of that song Joe uses is Hardstyle Sex by DJ ASA in case anyone is wondering.

  33. June 06, 2011 at 07:04pm
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    Hhahaha i found the song i just typed Hardcore sex song not knowing it was the actual name for the song go here and let them know that joe sent u xD

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c6Fz1XpU2f8

    • June 06, 2011 at 08:05pm
      Tyr
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      In response to AllianceGamer
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      German, not just for scarring the crap out of people, but its also a great porn language! :D

      Can’t…stop…laughing…at…Joe’s…Review. Sound’s like this game is something I need to check out, once they come out with the console versions that is. Course by the time it comes out I may be busy with Skyrim.

      I gotta ask Joe, Is there a teleportation spell I can acquire in this game to help speed up travel, or is there no form of quick travel whatsoever? I mean if I want to go for a hike in a lush forest, I could just go outside and take a walk. At least this game seems to be filled with breathtaking scenery I wouldn’t see on one of my hikes.

      Oh, and Joe…REAL MEN DON”T NEED LUBRICANTS! TAKE YOUR FRICTION LIKE A MAN! :P

      • June 07, 2011 at 03:08am
        In response to Tyr
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        There’s no fast travel whatsoever except when a quest makes you move places in a cutscene. I think Joe over dramatized it. The enviroments feel big as hell but truth you can get from one end to the other in 3 minutes tops. Combined with how beautiful this game is the lack of fast travel really shouldn’t be an issue aside from nitpicking.

  34. June 06, 2011 at 06:59pm
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    Please tell me the song XD i cant get it out of my head i turned to my Gf and started singing it like 3 hours ago xD haha this guy is a legend

  35. June 06, 2011 at 05:40pm
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    I could see how the inventory system would be a little difficult playing with a controller, but with a mouse & keyboard it works just fine. There was at least one problem that springs to mind with it (not being able to sort by ‘junk’), but otherwise there were no complaints with it from me.

    Great review Joe.

  36. June 06, 2011 at 05:20pm
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    EEEEEWWWWWWW! You sniffed the crusty sock! Anyway I cant wait for this game to come out for the 360 too.
    Plow the Lillies!!!!!!

  37. June 06, 2011 at 03:57pm
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    Ahhhhhhh! She’s a babe! SCHWING! But on a serious note, I can’t wait till this game comes out on the 360!

  38. June 06, 2011 at 02:01pm
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    Word of warning, you might want to be careful what kind of lotion you use.

  39. June 06, 2011 at 11:26am
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    The beginning, while hilarious..it CANNOT BE UNSEEN O_O

    (in other words, what Darth Dialup said)

  40. June 06, 2011 at 09:48am
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    The thought of Joe jacking it is one I want to soon forget. Thanks for that horrible image!

    The Witcher 2 is great and I like any review that endorses its greatness.

  41. June 06, 2011 at 07:16am
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    What you were doing at the beginning and end isn’t adult that’s 13 year old boy, and also hillarious. Was that your actual girlfriend at the end?
    Great video had lots of fun watching.

  42. June 06, 2011 at 06:52am
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    Joe, you’re going to FUCKING LOVE ‘Dark Souls’. Really check that out when it hits the shelves.

    Good review too!

  43. June 06, 2011 at 06:49am
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    The TV series was bad? You have no idea Joe. It wasn’t just bad. It was absolutely terrible. Here, enjoy this beautiful scene.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiKhtonoGIQ&t=370
    It’s even more horrible if you’re familiar with the original story and can see how it was butchered here. And the only actor capable of, y’know, acting, looks nothing like his character should look. I’m talking about Jaskier. Or Dandelion for you English types.

  44. June 06, 2011 at 06:48am
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    The intro was genius Joe! xD Excellent review, completely agree with everything you said. See ya after E3 :)

  45. June 06, 2011 at 06:43am
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    Apparently they edited the version here in Australia to meet our effed guidlines, as well as charging us more (which we already are for games!). So I’m planning to import it once it comes out on Xbox because hopefully by then it will have some of the issues you talked about fixed up and it should include (hopefully) any DLC that comes out for it. I’m just not a PC gamer, I find it really hard to play games (except WoW for whatever reason, but even then I find it hard to play longer than a few hours) on computers. Maybe it’s staring so intensely at the computer screen, because you generally closer to it then a TV screen. I think it messes with my eyes. I just hope I can wait till the end of the year!

    • June 06, 2011 at 09:25am
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      You can get it on GoG.com for regular price and uncensored even if you’re from Australia.

  46. June 06, 2011 at 06:27am
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    Hilarious.

    Joe, going by the strategy rant you went on about from 12:00 on, you are going to LOOOVE Dark Souls when it comes out on 360. Assuming the game is anything like Demons’ Souls, which looks incredibly likely.

  47. June 06, 2011 at 06:16am
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    It´s good to see that it´s not all about graphics, though the game has a very striking atmosphere. Gameplay-wise, it looks engaging enough, and, while still having some issues, seems like good old, simple fun.

  48. June 06, 2011 at 06:15am
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    The Song of Ice and Fire comparison is quite good though the comparison should be the other way around as the first tome of the Witcher Saga was published 2 years before Song of Ice&Fire ;)

    Just joking. People compare things to what they know already and lets face it Andrzej Sapkowki isn’t exactly know outside of central and eastern Europe.

  49. June 06, 2011 at 06:00am
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    I love the Witcher series, the games, the books… ok not the movie xD
    I’m really glad cdproject get the recognition they deserve
    Good review Joe.

  50. June 06, 2011 at 05:47am
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    Let’s be honest here. Most of the complaints could be covered by the statement “I didn’t want to read the manual!”. Let’s also not forget (although never mentioned in the reviews!) that the standard game came with a strategy guide included! Surely between the excellent strategy guide, manual and in-game help, there is enough info to deal with the game? I don;t think CD Projekt should be blamed because gamers and reviewers don;t even want to read manuals anymore! Also, I disagree totally with marking down a game because of features the reviewer doesn’t like or features missing. The review should surely just be about what the game offers and how good it is, so for example, if it does exploration well, that’s it. The fact there is no fast travel shouldn’t come into the score. Also, I didn’t notice Dragon Age 1 and 2 getting downscored because of LACK of exploration, and ENFORCED fast travel?!

    So it still seems, even on The Angry Joe Show, it’s one rule for the big boys and another for the smaller guys. Also, as Joe was obviously playing the PC version, why did he not mention the fact that mods are already out to fix some of the issue he mentioned? It’s funny, I see so many 9′s where the reviewer basically says “I am sure they’ll bring out a patch to fix it”. None of this “benefit of the doubt” for the smaller developers. CD Projekt have a good track record of fixing problems and patching the game to perfection. Why didn’t you give them the benefit of the doubt Joe? If they do fix everything – are you coming back to this game to re-score it? I thought not!

    • June 06, 2011 at 11:01am
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      Perhaps the mods that fix these issues weren’t available when he was making the video. You state many reviewers give 9′s and say “I’m sure patches will fix it”, but not Joe. Then you slate him for not coming back and rescoring based on a criticism that you didn’t even direct at him….are you high? Also, a reviewer absolutely SHOULD comment on features that are missing from a title but are available in other competing titles, particularly if said features are well established and can improve a game. An why shouldn’t a reviewer comment on things he doesn’t like? It lets people know of little niggles that may or may not annoy them, and after all, he is a critic. Ignoring things he doesn’t like would restrict the information he is able to give to his audience.
      I’m struggling to think of how many of his criticisms have to do with reading a manual or not, care to enlighten us? He never once said the games challange was down to that type of incompetence, in fact he praises the game for it’s lack of hand holding….I’m not sure where you’re coming from at all.

      Also in Dragon Age 1 and 2, is it really the case that you can only fast travel wherever you go, or are you just being glib to make a point? And I wouldn’t mind so much if he didn’t compare DA2 to Witcher 2 and hold Witcher 2 up as the positive example. You seem to be stretching to imagine a conspiracy that simply isn’t there…he’s torn apart games from huge publishers and developers before (Mindjack from Square Enix?).

      And finally, how can this in any way be construed as a negative review with a solid 8/10 score and stating that it’s terrific value and a must buy?

    • June 08, 2011 at 03:05pm
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      “I thought not!”
      Are you going to give Joe a chance to answer before throwing in your random “I thought not!”? That hardly seems fair.

      I have to agree with Stewie here. The purpose of a review is for the reviewer to give his impression of the game. If he sees there are features left out that could have improved it, it is perfectly valid for him to comment on that. It is also your prerogative to disagree, and to give your reasons for why you disagree. But here, you are actually saying he shouldn’t even do that at all. That is to say, to not even do his job as a reviewer.

      Maybe the game doesn’t actually need a fast travel system. But then, instead of telling him he shouldn’t mention it at all, why not explain why you think it doesn’t need it?

      Second, I think it is perfectly fair to rate a game according to its boxed release. After all, developers do have a responsibility to sell a completed product to their customers. This new age of internet patches and network updates has the potential to create a generation of game designers who are too lazy to complete their products before release. Now, I will grant this: no one is perfect, in which case, it is a very good thing that patches and updates are made available to correct mistakes in the release. But I still think it is perfectly valid for a reviewer to point out problems with the release version, and not just allow designers to become lazy.

      Third, do you understand how Joe’s rating system works? An 8/10 a a very good game on his scale. A mediocre or average game gets around 5/10, and only a near-perfect game gets a 9 or 10. In fact, so far, only Red Dead has gotten a 10/10 on his scale. Frankly, I like Joe’s rating system. I get tired of sites that give mediocre games high ratings, so that they are practically indistinguishable from masterpieces. And if he slaps a Bad Ass Seal of Approval on it, then that’s his way of saying, “Must Buy!”

      Your critique of his review comes across as if he outright dissed the game unfairly, when in reality, he loved it. Yes, as part of his job as a reviewer, he pointed out both its strengths and its weaknesses, but he still gave it both an 8/10 (a Very Good on his scale) and a BASOA.

  51. June 06, 2011 at 04:47am
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    First of all- english is not my native language. Polish is (so sorry in advance for misspelling). I registered strictly to comment this reviev. ;) Nice job, Angry joe! It was funny, it was smart. I mostly agree to all of fuckpups you pointed out except of fast travel. I actually WALKED trough all locations just sightseeing! The game is truly beautifull and it’s simple a joy to just walk trough alleys in Floatsom listenint to citizens. The game still need some patches (and some big DLC’s, cause is way too short!!) but as it is now it still is enjoyable.
    About a TV series- please, don’t watch that crap! You have no idea how ashamed polish fans are because of that abomination! ;(
    And about how proud of the game we are in Poland… You see, The Witcher World from books (7 in total) was created for polish audience in the first place. It’s our country’s reflection. It show us our own world in diferent angle so we can realise how violence and ugly it is and encourage us to make it better. It’s not like Lord of the Rings, where Tolkien just wanted to tell some epic story for his children and get famous in process. ;)
    That’s why we, as a nation, are proud of Geralt of Rivia’s world (at least those who actually read the books…). And that’s why CD Projekt want to make the game as good as possible.
    Sort of… It’s of course my own opinion, not some well known truth in Poland. ;)
    ps.: in Poland game cost about 29,20$ in standard (premium) edition. :>

  52. June 06, 2011 at 03:44am
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    I laughed so much on this video, great job! It’s also a very fair review, here in Poland every brand magazine gives it like a 9+/10, or 10/10, which it really doesn’t totally deserve (but I guess it’s justified to promote the success of the game).

    But I think that the English version is a little missing out. You know in the original novels Mr Sapkowski often uses words from middle aged Polish, and actually a lot of funny things come out of it. It’s both mature, and funny. Don’t know if you’re informed, but in polish, you can say “f*ck” or “ass” in like a dozen of ways, which is a hilarious fact on it’s own. Using that many ways of expression really adds up to the atmosphere. The translation loses some of that charm, but it’s the only way of introducing Witcher to the world. Cheers

  53. June 06, 2011 at 03:34am
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    Would probably have been worth mentioning that depending on a choice you make in the end part of act 1 your act 2 is completely different, in both setting and story. Act 3 is also abit different but not much. Really enjoyed this game but I agree with alot of your criticism. Good review.

  54. June 06, 2011 at 02:16am
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    These are the types of games that make console only fanboys weep…Awesome game. Good review.

  55. June 06, 2011 at 01:09am
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    Oh Joe, you dirty dirty man-child, lol. The game does look pretty good, both graphically and gameplay-wise. I’ll just have to wait for the 360 version and hopefully with that, it will have some things worked out, like the “quick travel” issue, that would be nice. Plus, your show is the first one I’ve officially subbed to on this site, so that just one more for your “Angry Army” or whatever you call your fans.

  56. June 06, 2011 at 12:16am
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    I love how anyone who has points out the reasons they don’t like the game get thumbs down.

    • June 06, 2011 at 02:50am
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      People thumb you down because they do not get your “interactive porn” impression, and frankly neither do I. Yes, there are several sex scenes but they do not dominate the game. Unless you decide to go around LOOKING FOR (yes, except for Triss-scene you pretty much have to search them) every sex option and ploughing every whore you see, but you have only yourself to blame then. Its a choice.

      People are raving about the sex scenes (especially the one with Triss, Geralts lover) because they think we finally have a game that treats its mature audience like they really are one.
      Yes this thing is getting really blown out of proportions and yes, you do not need to have full frontal nudity to make such scene mature (Mass Effect 1 for example did it very tastefully, very mature take on sex scenes IMHO) but it fits Witchers style perfectly.

  57. June 06, 2011 at 12:07am
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    Aww man Joe the first and last scene I could not stop laughing there thx for the lol.

    By the way great review

  58. June 05, 2011 at 11:44pm
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    Damn, games like this make me regret that my PC is a piece of crap. Well, here’s hoping that the Xbox-version is going to be decent. It’s a long wait though. At least the controls won’t suck with a pad.

  59. June 05, 2011 at 11:24pm
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    Of course it’s “padded” with “too much sex,” it’s The Witcher and Geralt is never too busy to bone. :-)

  60. June 05, 2011 at 10:54pm
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    Alot of people compare this story to that of George RR Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series in terms of how dark and political it can get and being a fan of both the series and the new TV show and Joe and other reviewers’ praise of the game, I am definitely getting this game the moment it comes out for Xbox 360 (been confirmed). I am glad that this series is being different from Bioware (even as a Bioware fan I have to admit DA2 looks like CDi Zelda compared to Witcher 2 (also don’t be ashamed of making the comparison Joe, everyone everyone and a dog in the BIoware community has as well) and can’t wait to see how a zero morality system will make this game experience in terms of the choices as this way it would feel like I’m relying completely on my own judgement and only time will tell if my choice will lead to a good or tragic conclusion. The lack of fast travel doesn’ bother me that much, but the inventory does sound like it’ll be a daunting task. Let’s hope it gets fixed for the console version.

    On a side note Joe, I would like to reccomend you keep an eye on an upcoming PC game called Kara no Shoujo, a mature adult themed murder mystery game set in 1956 Japan. The reason I reccomend this to you is based on your praise of LA Noire (plus I rmember in a twitter post you also liked Ghost Trick) and this game has an investigation mode that isn’t linear since if you miss a clue the story will continue based off that, meaning the killer can get away and/or claim a new victim. People who have played the game have also said that avoiding a bad end route (yes the story continues even if you fail) is actually difficult without a walkthrough. Game comes out June 29, here’s links if you want to see for yourself:

    http://mangagamer.wordpress.com/2011/05/17/announcing-kara-no-shoujo/#more-2068

    http://mangagamer.wordpress.com/2011/05/20/kara-no-shoujo-changes/

    http://mangagamer.wordpress.com/2011/05/30/testers-corner-kara-no-shoujo-ed-vol-1/

  61. June 05, 2011 at 10:50pm
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    You know what, I’m sold. I’ll definitely try this game out, even if I have to put the settings way down (Having a cheap computer SUCKS).

    Or maybe, I’ll get it on the Xbox when it comes out; but that would require waiting…oh, what to do…

    Well, thanks for the good review Joe.

  62. June 05, 2011 at 08:34pm
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    I will consider getting this game next month. Also, you may want to get around reading the manual to your own ship.

  63. June 05, 2011 at 08:28pm
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    With the patching this game is going through, the majority of the grievances will probably be nullified which will definitely bring in a lot of the people on the fence. I too recommend this game whole-heartedly, and I’m on my second playthrough.

    As for your final comment Joe, I highly doubt “all loose ends to be tied up”. First off, I think there might be a large DLC or Expansion to add a Fourth Chapter to the game sometime soon so we don’t have to wait all that time for TW3. Second, I don’t want this to be a trilogy. There’s a lot more to explore and get through in the kingdoms, and many more kings to meet. Believe me, there is no reason that it should be wrapped up in three games. Geralt, even being as old as he thinks he is, has a lot more fight left in him. Third, the sorceresses plan probably goes miles deeper than we think.

  64. June 05, 2011 at 08:20pm
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    I will more than likely skip on buying this game. Yeah sure the game looks it has an interesting story, but in the end it just looks like an interactive porn. Yes I know it is all optional, but seriously, who would choose not to see some naked woman in a game? Not to mention every review I have read and seen has talked about the sex in great detail and not the story. I will give the game major props from straying away from the BioWare formula.

  65. June 05, 2011 at 07:41pm
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    I felt the review was padded way too long with the sex stuff. >.>

  66. June 05, 2011 at 07:40pm
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    no fast travel?? are you that lazy? not that big of areas to run around in

  67. June 05, 2011 at 07:40pm
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    The sex scene itself was good but I couldn’t stop laughing at the dialogue. “You could use a bath” just sounds like a cheesy porno, regardless it looks like a great game.

    And for those that don’t know it’s on sale for $39.99 on Steam for the US.

    • June 06, 2011 at 02:33am
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      So did I. So clunky that it was hilarious! Though its okay, since they are lovers one doesnt have to be a smoothtongue for some quality-time in the pool. :)

      The fasttravel bit got me bit confused Joe. Where on earth you need fast travel in this game? Each chapter is an area of its own and they arent terribly large. About 3 minutes tops going from place A to B, more if monsters get in your way (though you can outrun most).

      • June 09, 2011 at 08:10am
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        Yeah, I think so to, they’re like an old couple that knows each other very good, and the were lover for years, breaking up several times in the process. Knowing each other for so long time its understandable that they can get it “on” in two word, if they want and are in the mood.

  68. June 05, 2011 at 07:33pm
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    I’m hoping this can run on high settings on my comp too. What are the specs on your system Joe?

  69. June 05, 2011 at 07:25pm
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    I’m gonna clear this up for everyone here and now, Obama isn’t the first president to get something game related as a gift, Bush received a DS lite from Nintendo when he turned 60

    other then that it’s an awesome game made by developers that actually listen to their fanbase

    • June 05, 2011 at 08:18pm
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      i think the point joe was getting at is that as a present to obama polen’s leader gave him the game witch says alot of how proud they are of this stroy and game

  70. June 05, 2011 at 07:21pm
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    I don’t plan to get this. I didn’t like the original Witcher in the slightest and I don’t think I’ll care for this one. Maybe there is some kind of epic story behind everything, but I just don’t like Geralt, I don’t like the setting, I don’t like the gameplay, and even if things are somewhat improved for the sequel, the lack of a proper tutorial is a game breaker for me. Before anyone thumbs me down and decries me for being against “mature” stories or anything that deviates away from the Bioware formula, that is not the case. I like non-aligned moral choices, mature stories, and the like; I just don’t like The Witcher. It just is not for me.

    • June 09, 2011 at 09:00am
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      And you got thumbed down to oblivion nonetheless because you didn’t like a hyped game.

      It annoys me to no end how every time “mature” is brought up people think “titties”. Whether something is mature or not is unrelated to the amount of naked, moaning women inside.

      I’m curious as to what people will say of Duke Nukem Forever when it’ll be out, will it be considered an extremely “mature” game because of titties and turd throwing or will there be someone left to realize that it’s actually thriving on the fun of being extremely immature (and be thumbed down to neverland in the process)?

  71. June 05, 2011 at 07:20pm
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    I agree with most of what Joe said…except for the fast travel argument. It’s just not applicable to a world that is so small and the very fact that quick save exists makes things pretty painless.

    Also don’t agree with alchemy tree argument…yeah, alchemy needs planning, but you usually know what you’re up against and you have time to prepare. E.g., you’ll usually know when a boss fight is going to take place and areas have specific and predictable enemies. I will say that magic and swordsmanship are more useful on the first playthrough and alchemy on the second though and the fact that your potions wear off can cause you to take so long between dialogue and boss fight can make the other two trees more effective.

  72. June 05, 2011 at 07:10pm
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    Let’s hope these games give more popularity to the books so they’ll translate more of them in to other languages. I think only the first two of the main saga and one of the short story collections have been translated into English.

    As for buying the game, it’s too bad that my setup is probably too old to run this on the higher settings, but when the time comes to update my hardware, this’ll be among the first recent titles I’m going to get.

    • June 11, 2011 at 01:22am
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      The Witcher book situation is more messed up than you think. The first and third books have been released in English. The second book is a lot like the first one (a collection of short stories with a framing story threaded in) The publisher believes that short story collections do not sell, so they refuse to do anything with the second book.

  73. June 05, 2011 at 07:10pm
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    Great review and probably one of your funniest reviews to date. I’ve actually owned this game for 2 weeks but haven’t gotten around to playing it. Got too many other games (especially with inFamous 2 being released on the 7th) :( . But I like that you really pushed the limits (I think) of what you can actually show, and it honestly paid off.

  74. June 05, 2011 at 07:10pm
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    I’m not a PC guy, so I’m gonna have to try out this game when it comes to the Xbox.

  75. June 05, 2011 at 06:58pm
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    I enjoyed the review as always Joe. My only complaint is the Dragon Age II argument. They seem like two completely and wildly different games to me.

  76. June 05, 2011 at 06:51pm
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    Awesome review dude.

  77. June 05, 2011 at 06:48pm
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    Controller Optimised ? the Xbox 360 port WILL be pretty fast… I’m getting a new laptop pretty soon and I’m buying this game…

  78. June 05, 2011 at 06:43pm
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    you forgot that this game dosen’t have a DRM anymore witch will not hinder your enjoyment in this game,

    also this game is coming on the 360 and i can say right now it is not gonna look as good at all sens it is a pc port to 360

  79. June 05, 2011 at 06:38pm
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    Poor Joe, can’t get a second to himself.
    I also enjoyed this game immensely and I got to say it has the best sex scene I’ve every seen in a video game not rated X.

  80. June 05, 2011 at 06:30pm
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    I really didn’t liked Witcher. I hated the awkward control system and dull story. Luckily controls in Witcher 2 are much better but the story is so full of ‘WTF moments’ that I facepalmed like never before. C’mon, my spoon is more charismatic than Geralt. But this review was indeed sexy and wrong in SOO many ways.

    • June 05, 2011 at 08:28pm
      In response to TheSarcasticOne
      VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
      Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

      What ‘WTF moments’ are you talking about? This game blew me away with its believable characters and decision choices – only a few voice actor roles could have gotten better applicants. I don’t think Geralt’s one of them, however – he belongs in the same character archetype as Clint Eastwood’s the Man With No Name, an inexpressive, seemingly indifferent onlooker who turns a place upside down by his very presence.

      Yeah, too much time was devoted to the sex scenes in this review considering that they are all optional, and though vastly superior to the ridiculous Dragon Age fare, still not all that awesome. The Witcher books don’t shy away from talking about sex in detail at any point, but they don’t usually go into unnecessary detail in the actual sex scenes. It’s slightly annoying that some people are writing this game off as softcore porn because of them.

      This game definately doesn’t need a fast travel system either, though. Each Act is set in a dense area with little aimless wandering or backtracking. Is it really so hard to just run for the 2-5 minutes it takes to get anywhere on the map at any time?

      Also, it’s pretty sad the the criticism lacked any mention of the game’s numerous bugs. Quest items clutter the inventory long after their purpose is done for and getting rid of them is impossible, characters sometimes get stuck, possibly forcing you to take an earlier save to resolve a plot-critical situation, the game freezes or crashes every few hours…It’s so good a game that these things don’t bother me much, but they deserve attention so that they can be fixed. And yes, I already have the patch 1.2 installed.

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Sage Reviews: The Witcher 2

Posted by [ 1 year ]

It’s one of the best RPG’s of the last five years, and now it’s on the 360. What more do you need to know?

The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition Review

Posted by [ 1 year, 1 month ]

Finally one of the most critically acclaimed PC games of last year makes its way to the 360. With 4 hours of extra content and gameplay adjustments, does this action RPG stand up to the competition on home console? Find out right here…

The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 Will Bewitch You

Posted by [ 1 year, 2 months ]

Does the Xbox 360 port of The Witcher 2 still retain the magic, or is it just a junky pot of witches brew? Read my hands-on preview to find out!

The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition Coming in April

Posted by [ 1 year, 3 months ]

Not content with releasing a 2.0 version of their critically lauded RPG, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, CD Projekt Red has a new enhanced edition, set for release in April for the Xbox. PC copies will, of course, be upgraded for free.

Witcher 2, 2.0 Too.

Posted by [ 1 year, 7 months ]

Development Director for CD Projekt Red, Adam Badowski has a lot to say about upcoming support for the Witcher 2: DLC, patch notes, added tutorials and game modes, and more. That’s a lot of news for a game that was released over four months ago.

The Witcher 2 Sexy Review

Posted by [ 1 year, 11 months ]

Angry Joe takes a serious long hard lustful look at The Witcher 2, the most mature adult oriented RPG hes had the pleasure of playing. This game has sex and titties, but check out the review for what else you can expect!

The Witcher 2 Review

Posted by [ 1 year, 11 months ]

Johnny M. breaks out his regular sword, and also his good silver one for the guests coming over. He just can’t remember how ‘sharp’ a cheddar the undead prefer. It’s The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings review.

HardCorner: The Witcher 2 Deluxe Edition

Posted by [ 1 year, 11 months ]

THE ULTIMATE collector’s edition putting every other ones to SHAME ! Let’s dig in !

The Witcher 2 Review - ZGR

Posted by [ 1 year, 11 months ]

Daniel is clearly very excited about The Witcher 2! – ZGR

The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 Will Bewitch You

Posted By about 1 year, 2 months ago

Does the Xbox 360 port of The Witcher 2 still retain the magic, or is it just a junky pot of witches brew? Read my hands-on preview to find out!

The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition Coming in April

Posted By about 1 year, 3 months ago

Not content with releasing a 2.0 version of their critically lauded RPG, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, CD Projekt Red has a new enhanced edition, set for release in April for the Xbox. PC copies will, of course, be upgraded for free.

Witcher 2, 2.0 Too.

Posted By about 1 year, 7 months ago

Development Director for CD Projekt Red, Adam Badowski has a lot to say about upcoming support for the Witcher 2: DLC, patch notes, added tutorials and game modes, and more. That’s a lot of news for a game that was released over four months ago.

The Witcher 2 Sexy Review

Posted By about 1 year, 11 months ago

Angry Joe takes a serious long hard lustful look at The Witcher 2, the most mature adult oriented RPG hes had the pleasure of playing. This game has sex and titties, but check out the review for what else you can expect!

The Witcher 2 Review

Posted By about 1 year, 11 months ago

Johnny M. breaks out his regular sword, and also his good silver one for the guests coming over. He just can’t remember how ‘sharp’ a cheddar the undead prefer. It’s The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings review.

HardCorner: The Witcher 2 Deluxe Edition

Posted By about 1 year, 11 months ago

THE ULTIMATE collector’s edition putting every other ones to SHAME ! Let’s dig in !

The Witcher 2 Review - ZGR

Posted By about 1 year, 11 months ago

Daniel is clearly very excited about The Witcher 2! – ZGR

The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition Review

The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition Review

The Witcher 2 Sexy Review, 9.2 out of 10 based on 9 ratings
I have to admit I was a little worried about this one. Some may remember that the original Witcher title was scheduled for release on PS3, but was cancelled very late in production. So when I heard that CD Projekt Red were developing an ‘enhanced’ version of The Witcher 2 for Xbox 360, I had some doubts about it ever coming out. Thankfully for 360 owners everywhere I was wrong.

PROS Unique, Beautiful, Excellent port, Additional content
CONS Daunting, Poor combat controls, Not for everyone
WTF?! A white robed man who fell to his death next to a haystack

For those of you who haven’t heard or paid attention to The Witcher before, you need to know two things. First, the game is based on a series of novels by Andrzej Sapkowski which follow the exploits of one Geralt of Rivia, who is like a medieval alchemist crossed with a Jedi. Second, the superb Johnny M wrote a review on The Witcher 2′s PC release and can be read over here. There have been a number of updates since then, but the core of his review is still relevant to the 360 version.

You would be forgiven for thinking that The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edtion requires a play through the original game to understand what is going on, but even having completed the original, I found myself a little lost at the beginning of the game. The story settles down after a couple of hours and lets you relax into the title, but I can see many players turned away from the title due to the bewildering opening section. Unlike the original PC release however, The Witcher 2 now contains a tutorial which I highly recommend everyone plays before entering the game. This quick rundown of the controls and menus helps to reduce the confusion of the opening section significantly as it’s only the plot you now have to worry about, not how to live!

Many of you will be right at home with The Witcher 2. It’s an RPG some of you may liken to titles like Dragon Age or Fable. You travel between locations picking up side quests, leveling up your character and getting on with the story when you get round to it. You’ll kill your fair share of mythical beasts, raid dungeons and sell loot to the local merchant in hopes of having enough gold to by that thing you wanted. The difference with The Witcher is alchemy.

Play 5 minutes of the game and you can remove that logo.

Through the collection of herbs, spices and animal parts, Geralt can mix up potions and oils to boost his effectiveness in combat. Unlike other games were busting in the front door with your best weapon results in killing everything in the room, The Witcher requires you to prepare for encounters, drinking the right potions to fight your foes. Go in without this preparation and you will end up in a world of hurt, more commonly known as, your last save game. Potions can only be imbibed outside of combat, so players must plan ahead.

The Witcher 2′s control scheme is very different from the first game and is far better suited to a console experience. Console players will feel right at home with strong and light attacks sitting comfortably on Y and X respectively. The Witcher 2 feels more like an action game losing a huge portion of the RPG elements of the original when it comes to combat. Unfortunately, this does make the game lose some credibility on the console format. With a plethora of action hack and slash games available on 360, the way The Witcher 2 works feels poor in comparison, despite the control scheme receiving an overhaul for the console release.

I’ll give an example. Having held the left trigger to lock onto an enemy, I found my target obscured by another warrior. I looked to simply hack my way through this bystander without changing lock on targets only to find that despite the sword clearly passing through his head, no connection was made. The Witcher 2 feels like it turned up to big boy school still sucking its thumb. With a little effort I found myself suppressing gaming instincts and eventually retargeting enemies, but it really felt clumsy. Interaction with items and the environment is also a chore. Without the precision of a mouse I once found myself unable to target a bag of gold next to an intractable switch. Best not to even mention stealth sections. All of these issues can be overcome, but with the challenge of the game so high early on, many simply won’t bother to try.

You know, sometimes, just sometimes, The Witcher 2 can take your breath away

Disappointing as the combat mechanics may be, they are worth getting over. The actual visual display of the combat is gorgeous, as is the rest of the game. While the 360 version is absolutely nowhere near the PC version on full spec, that doesn’t stop it from being one of the best out there. The developers have done their best to keep all the effects from the PC version in, including lighting and particle effects. The lighting specifically stands out for me, still giving that warm glow that I remember gawking at on the PC version. It must be said that if you took each visual aspect individually (character models, environments, etc) then nearly all of them would be considered subpar to today’s standards, but when combined together, The Witcher 2 can be jaw dropping.

Technically the game stands up very well too. The loading times are more than reasonable, menu navigation has been adjusted nicely for console use and the framerate stays at a constant level. Admittedly, I think this framerate level is far from 60fps, but it’s not disastrous. Strangely, the tutorial section is perhaps the only section where I really noticed framerate drop and was quite surprised that the busy opening section of the game ran smoothly in comparison.

The Witcher 2 is a long game, even if it does end rather unceremoniously, taking around 30-40 hours depending on your skill level and penchant for exploration. However, the game should take you a little longer than the PC version with a ton of new content and a claimed 30 minutes of additional cutscenes. This added content is of the highest quality too, not just an afterthought. New characters are introduced and the missions are relevant to the overall plot, making it well worth your time. Knowing CD Projekt Red, this content will be released on PC for free at some point, so original purchasers shouldn’t be too disheartened.

best…Reference…ever!

The Witcher 2 is a great game, but I agree with Johnny’s original review, it’s not going to be for everyone. The challenge level combined with frustrating control issues will put many people off before the game even gets started, and the huge scope of exploration in every location will leave some feeling lost. When you can enter pretty much every house in a city and be given a quest, finding everything in the game can be daunting. It’s a title that makes you think that you missed a tutorial, didn’t get a weapon or simply, have walked into the wrong area when things get tough. Powering through is well worth your time, but you would be forgiven for walking away.

As console ports go, The Witcher 2 is a brilliant piece of work that allows console players to get their hands on a fantastic action RPG without having to get themselves a high end gaming PC. While it may have its flaws, The Witcher 2 is a great ride with a very intriguing plot, far better English voice acting than the first game and interesting mechanics that truly makes it stand out from the competition. There is nothing like it, and I can see great things coming from a third installment in the future.

This game was provided by the publisher for review purposes on Xbox 360. The game was played for roughly 45 hours and was completed. Some of this time was dedicated to replaying sections of the game. 

8/10

The Witcher 2 Review - ZGR

Daniel is clearly very excited about The Witcher 2! - ZGR

The Witcher 2 Review

Johnny M. breaks out his regular sword, and also his good silver one for the guests coming over. He just can't remember how 'sharp' a cheddar the undead prefer. It's The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings review.

The Witcher 2 Sexy Review

Angry Joe takes a serious long hard lustful look at The Witcher 2, the most mature adult oriented RPG hes had the pleasure of playing. This game has sex and titties, but check out the review for what else you can expect!

The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition Review

Finally one of the most critically acclaimed PC games of last year makes its way to the 360. With 4 hours of extra content and gameplay adjustments, does this action RPG stand up to the competition on home console? Find out right here...

Sage Reviews: The Witcher 2

It's one of the best RPG's of the last five years, and now it's on the 360. What more do you need to know?
  1. April 26, 2012 at 06:52pm
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    well i just got it and I’m really enjoying it so far. I was going 2 get prototype 2..im pretty sure i made the right choice. What do you think?

  2. April 15, 2012 at 07:52am
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    The date given to freely download the extra content for the PC is April 17, that is in two days, if everything remains on schedule and PC players don’t overload the servers downloading it.

    Also, “daunting” is a con, now? When was the last time a book, a game, or a movie was “daunting”. “Daunting” is a pro, not a con.

    • April 18, 2012 at 05:42am
      In response to 3DMaster
      VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
      Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

      I disagree, Daunting is a con.

      Definition: Tending to overwhelm or intimidate

      I used Daunting in reference to the second to last paragraph and how the game will turn some players away.

  3. April 14, 2012 at 04:06pm
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    Hi, I’m form Poland and author of The Witcher is not Andrzei it’s Andrzej. You may want to change it ;]

  4. April 13, 2012 at 10:37pm
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    Sure, console controls are more limited than those for PC, but they don’t have to be as awful as they actually are.

    Ah well, maybe I’ll check out this game eventually, if I can get over the game’s low fantasy style.

    I like low fantasy as long as the creators explore life as it could be and take a decided stance that it ought not to be that way.

    Does the Witcher fulfill this Dostoevsky-like artistic requirement?

    • April 14, 2012 at 09:01am
      In response to Defianc4
      VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
      Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

      If your looking for the game to bring to life the low fantasy world created in Blood of Elves, The Witcher 2 will not disappoint. There is plenty the developers crammed into the title to keep players busy just exploring the culture alone.

  5. April 13, 2012 at 01:03pm
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    I didn’t have a single issue with the combat of this game, I was playing in a PC with a Xbox 360 controller, and all I read in this review regarding the controls feels far off of what I experienced… There’s nothing wrong with the controls, the game was simply made to be a little hard, that’s what I feel.

    You gotta know when to roll, when to strike, when to guard, what signs to use, and so on, and sometimes it is a little troublesome to get rid of certain enemies, but it’s due to the complexity of the combat itself, and not because of lame controls.

    But I do agree with Yousif in one thing: it’s not for everyone.

    • April 13, 2012 at 01:55pm
      In response to TheAbyss
      VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
      Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

      The controls have been changed for the 360 version. I too played the PC version on a 360 pad.

      Also compared to other hack and slash games on console The Witcher 2 is clumsy. Compared to Dark Souls it doesn’t even come close.

      • April 13, 2012 at 02:48pm
        In response to Yousif A.
        VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
        Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

        Well, I can’t argue with you on that Sir…
        As I am a really big fan of Demon’s/Dark Souls…

        I didn’t know they’ve changed the controls for the Xbox, I thought the Xbox controls were the same as the PC + Xbox pad, so I can’t give my opinion on the Xbox’s version.

  6. April 13, 2012 at 11:05am
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    Given that PC gamers like me were stuck with the console designed menus and controls, it bothers me that when the console version finally came out the word is that the controls don’t quite work.

    Do feel the need to call out people who were bitching far less about Witcher 2′s console design then, say, the on par or less console favoring designs of other games like Amalar or Skyrim. Favoritism much due to CDProjekt sucking nostalgic dork?

    Well anyway it’s nice knowing I’ve got more content to play through coming my way sooner or later.

    • April 13, 2012 at 04:47pm
      In response to Hydra
      VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
      Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

      The criticism of Skyrim’s interface isn’t that it was made with consoles in mind, it was that it was awful.

      Also, having to interact with the magic/inventory/skills/map/quests screens so often in Skyrim made it worse.

      Even if I agreed that the Witcher 2′s interface is console-centric, that doesn’t make it a bad interface; even if I agreed that it was a bad interface, you weren’t digging around in it as often as you would in Skyrim.

      • April 13, 2012 at 07:01pm
        In response to HiddenDistance
        VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
        Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

        Can’t argue with that. Spell/item swapping really dragged the action (which was pretty weak already) down.

  7. April 13, 2012 at 10:18am
    In response to Article
    VN:F [1.9.21_1169]
    Rating: 0 (from 0 votes)

    Good review. I played The Witcher 2 on PC with a controller and it worked great. I’m just curious if the MSRP: $29.99 is also for the xbox version. I want to get this for my brother because his PC was too crappy to play this.

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Sage Reviews: The Witcher 2

Posted in Bennett The Sage [ 1 year ]

It’s one of the best RPG’s of the last five years, and now it’s on the 360. What more do you need to know?

The Witcher 2 Sexy Review

Posted in Angry Joe Show [ 1 year, 11 months ]

Angry Joe takes a serious long hard lustful look at The Witcher 2, the most mature adult oriented RPG hes had the pleasure of playing. This game has sex and titties, but check out the review for what else you can expect!

HardCorner: The Witcher 2 Deluxe Edition

Posted in Benzaie [ 1 year, 11 months ]

THE ULTIMATE collector’s edition putting every other ones to SHAME ! Let’s dig in !

The Witcher 2 Review - ZGR

Posted in Zeitgeist Review [ 1 year, 11 months ]

Daniel is clearly very excited about The Witcher 2! – ZGR

The Witcher 2 on Xbox 360 Will Bewitch You

Posted by [ 1 year, 2 months ]

Does the Xbox 360 port of The Witcher 2 still retain the magic, or is it just a junky pot of witches brew? Read my hands-on preview to find out!