The Witcher 2 - Trailer and Release Date of version 2.0

CDP went above and beyond updating TW1. They did what was needed, and then a lot more. Most devs would have only fixed what they absolutely had to. TW2 could definitely benefit from a few core changes.

I don't really agree. The translation, voice acting, load times and more of the original Witcher release were downright atrocious. The EE was really needed to make it seem like a professional product outside of Poland. The Witcher 2 feels like a blockbuster big-budget game and scored very high in reviews and consumer reaction. It does not need an overhaul.
 
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
1,830
I don't really agree. The translation, voice acting, load times and more of the original Witcher release were downright atrocious. The EE was really needed to make it seem like a professional product outside of Poland. The Witcher 2 feels like a blockbuster big-budget game and scored very high in reviews and consumer reaction. It does not need an overhaul.


They fixed all those things and did much more. They even added something like 200 new animations.

Not sure what reviews and consumer reaction have to do with anything, and I didn't say TW2 needed an overhaul. There are still things that need to be addressed though, like the sluggish controls and mediocre loot system.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,136
Location
Florida, US
I just think you are asking too much considering the standard level of support one can expect from games like this. They went above and beyond on the original because it was pretty janky. That does not mean they have to release a massive patch that addresses every issue for all of their games going forward. Especially when those issues are subjective... I thought the controls and looting system were fine.
 
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
1,830
I'm not asking anything of TW2, I'm just pointing out what CDP did with TW1. I still think TW2 is a great game as it is.

I have to question how much you actually played of the original TW1 release. It was far from "janky". While it did have issues, it still won a shit-load of awards, and was considered a classic by a lot of people, even before the EE version was released. That's really beside the point though.

The issues in TW2 are not subjective, at least not concerning the controls. A lot people are still encountering a major bug with actions not being performed on time when certain keys are pressed.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,136
Location
Florida, US
I have to question how much you actually played of the original TW1 release. It was far from "janky". While it did have issues, it still won a shit-load of awards, and was considered a classic by a lot of people, even before the EE version was released. That's really beside the point though.

I played through chapter 3 in the original before waiting for the EE. I remember it being pretty busted, but then PC gaming means that can vary from one person to the next. The dialogue is pretty janky even today though, let alone before they patched it.

The issues in TW2 are not subjective, at least not concerning the controls. A lot people are still encountering a major bug with actions not being performed on time when certain keys are pressed.

Most of the complaints I read about that are from people who don't realize block only works when you have stamina. I never had any problems with other keys not working.
 
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
1,830
That's not true Doc, sometimes the controls just didn't respond. It's not anything to do with game mechanics.
 
Joined
Apr 17, 2007
Messages
5,749
That's because The Witcher EE had a ton of changes to the core game. This seems like a minor update in comparison.
Yes, which is why I implied comparing EE with 2.0 may not have much merit since 2.0 may not be supposed to be an equivalent of EE and it´s possible a more significant update of TW2 is planned for later.
Till it´s clear whether further major update is in the pipeline or not I think more adequate comparison would be 2.0 vs. The Witcher patch 1.3.
 
Joined
Apr 4, 2008
Messages
2,437
Location
Prague
Code:
I played through chapter 3 in the original before waiting for the EE. I remember it being pretty busted, but then PC gaming means that can vary from one person to the next. The dialogue is pretty janky even today though, let alone before they patched it.

If poorly translated dialogue means "busted", then yeah. It didn't seem to kill the experience for most though.

Most of the complaints I read about that are from people who don't realize block only works when you have stamina. I never had any problems with other keys not working.

I'm surprised you're not aware of the issue I'm referring to considering how many people have posted about it. Not everyone has the issue, but a lot have experienced it. I'm talking about when Geralt simply doesn't execute commands, or does so after a delay. It's not related to stamina.

You can find several examples in the TW2 forum here at the Watch. It happened to me quite as bit, and it was irritating as hell and resulted in having to reload a few times. Consider yourself fortunate if you didn't experience it.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,136
Location
Florida, US
there was nothing wrong with the great original witcher upon release for me other than the load times, with being a gothic veteran was hardly an issue. the enhanced version was great though i still feel they made some of the english voices more neutered and less enjoyable. witcher 2 was a good game, but to me didn't seem to have the magic of the original with huge areas to just roam around in. if by best game in 15 years you mean one of the most disappointing games in 15 years i would lean more towards the later. still a great game, and would hate to call them a one hit wonder but i personally think their management blows. i'll probably go and replay the game next year perhaps, but i simply didn't have as much fun as i felt i should have with witcher 2 which for me is usually the ONLY reason i'm pulled back to replay a game for that essence. oh and triss is even more disinteresting than in the first game, please bring shani back, or allow more meaningful and emotional choices than the lackluster ones in witcher 2 compared to the original. everything went downhill after the promising flotsam...
 
Joined
Oct 26, 2006
Messages
1,386
Location
California
If poorly translated dialogue means "busted", then yeah. It didn't seem to kill the experience for most though.

Right. It didn't kill the game for me, but it did hurt it.

I'm surprised you're not aware of the issue I'm referring to considering how many people have posted about it. Not everyone has the issue, but a lot have experienced it. I'm talking about when Geralt simply doesn't execute commands, or does so after a delay. It's not related to stamina.

You can find several examples in the TW2 forum here at the Watch. It happened to me quite as bit, and it was irritating as hell and resulted in having to reload a few times. Consider yourself fortunate if you didn't experience it.

Yeah, other than block I never experienced that (and then I figured out block was my fault).
 
Joined
Jan 28, 2011
Messages
1,830
How come there's no RPGWatch review of the game yet?
 
Joined
Aug 17, 2008
Messages
1,718
Location
Dear Green Place
CDP went above and beyond updating TW1. They did what was needed, and then a lot more.

They did what they believed they had to do to make money. TW1 got screwed by the pre-patch reviews (long load times etc), they figured an EE could get them a new round of more favorable reviews and thus more sales.

TW2 already got top scores, it's not getting revised for a new round of reviews.
 
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
527
They did what they believed they had to do to make money. TW1 got screwed by the pre-patch reviews (long load times etc), they figured an EE could get them a new round of more favorable reviews and thus more sales.

TW2 already got top scores, it's not getting revised for a new round of reviews.

CDP had no guarantee that putting that much time and effort into the EE was going to pay off. If it was strictly for money then every developer would be doing it.

Btw, the average review score for the original release was over 80%. Not exactly what most people would consider unfavorable.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,136
Location
Florida, US
They did what they believed they had to do to make money. TW1 got screwed by the pre-patch reviews (long load times etc), they figured an EE could get them a new round of more favorable reviews and thus more sales.

TW2 already got top scores, it's not getting revised for a new round of reviews.

I don't agree at all. They didn't have to include so much for free, and since so few developers are doing it - I think it's a safe bet that it's not a guarenteed road to more money.

I'm not saying they're not playing the public in their own way, but as long as it benefits the audience, I find it silly to speculate in such a negative fashion. There's no immediate incentive to do so.
 
CDP had no guarantee that putting that much time and effort into the EE was going to pay off.
I think it's a safe bet that it's not a guarenteed road to more money.

There is no such thing as a guaranteed road to more money, especially in this business.

If it was strictly for money then every developer would be doing it.

No, only developers who felt they got jipped by the early reviews due to bugs and could afford to "relaunch" the game would be doing it.

Btw, the average review score for the original release was over 80%. Not exactly what most people would consider unfavorable.

The early reviews- the ones that matter, the ones that came out with the game's release before any patch- bashed it for its long load times, sometimes awkward dialogs and other bugs. The damage was already done by the time the load-time fixing patch(1.2?) came out.

I'm not saying they're not playing the public in their own way, but as long as it benefits the audience

It does, in fact I find that the way they try do do business is by creating long-term fans and I think that's great. CDProjekt is the only rpg house I like, they don't try to sell less for more and then respond to the audience by saying that the fans are greedy or aren't innovative enough.

I find it silly to speculate in such a negative fashion. There's no immediate incentive to do so.

I'm not quite sure what you mean by incentive or silly here, I don't believe there's anything to be gained or affected by some short comments on an article at rpgwatch, for good or for bad.

I'm just saying that I find lines such as "CDProj went above and beyond in supporting TW1" exaggerated when you consider that the EE wasn't just something done within the confines of a patch. The game got effectively re-packaged, re-marketed, re-sold and re-reviewed on account of the EE. I believe they were definitely looking to score more than just the good publicity/customer satisfaction patches get.

And to be honest, I had already played through TW1 more than twice by the time the EE came out and wasn't very impressed with it, not a fan of the two extra side campaigns, the new inventory system nor some of the new voices. Would've been happier with a properly implemented walk button/toggle and some sword sheathes.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Oct 8, 2009
Messages
527
I am not clear about this dark mode? is it something harder than hard? or is it special mode with some differences in story etc ?
 
Joined
Oct 25, 2006
Messages
6,292
Both, as far as I understood it from the Games Com presentation.

It is the same like the hardest difficulty, it was said, but you can still do savegames - which implies that you won't be able to do that from within the hardest difficulty. Sounds like "Ironman" to me : If the character is dead, then he is dead.

But this new difficulty level - at least that's how I understood it - seems also to include new ... versions ? twists ? of the original story ? This is the point which I'm not sure I correctly understood it.
 
Joined
Nov 5, 2006
Messages
21,908
Location
Old Europe
No, only developers who felt they got jipped by the early reviews due to bugs and could afford to "relaunch" the game would be doing it..

And yet CDP is the only one who's actually done it. Try reaching some more…


I'm just saying that I find lines such as "CDProj went above and beyond in supporting TW1" exaggerated when you consider that the EE wasn't just something done within the confines of a patch. The game got effectively re-packaged, re-marketed, re-sold and re-reviewed on account of the EE. I believe they were definitely looking to score more than just the good publicity/customer satisfaction patches get.

You conviently leave out the fact that it was also completely free to people who had already purchased the original game.
 
Joined
Oct 21, 2006
Messages
39,136
Location
Florida, US
Back
Top Bottom