The Witcher - Previews @ GameSpy, 1up

CD Projekt's pre-E3 presentation of The Witcher has generated two new previews - GameSpy and 1Up. Let's take a bit from GameSpy:

To avoid combat degenerating into a mere button-masher, Geralt's fighting skills are based on combos triggered by pressing the button at the proper time. Depending on the difficulty the player selects, this timing can be indicated by the cursor flashing, an audio cue or nothing at all. Improper timing will break the combo and afford the enemy a chance to strike at Geralt. The right mouse button will trigger a magic spell. This also breaks a combo chain but will often be necessary to stun opponents or maneuver into a better fighting position.

In playing around with the combat system, I found myself impressed at the level of skill that will be required to master it. CD Projekt could easily have changed a button-mashing system to one that merely required decent timing. As it turns out, each segment of a combo sequence is actually a different length. That means that even at lower difficulty levels, players will need to pay attention to the flashing cursor and at higher levels they'll actually need to have mastered each and every combo sequence.

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1Up's article is short and generic but I like this intro:

The Witcher's lead designer Michal Madej has a theory regarding RPG development from around the world -- he feels that Japanese RPGs tend to be about bright-eyed fantasy, while American RPGs are partially inspired by historical myths, and European RPGs stick closer to history and are more realistic. In other words, Japanese RPGs have flying castles, American RPGs have gleaming castles, and European RPGs have muddy castles crammed with peasants.

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More information.

Hmm... 1up says that the "wooing the wenches" side quests are not going to exist in the NA version. Sounds fine to me, except I wonder if that means NA players will not be able to level as high? Or will they slip those missing skill points in somewhere else for the "impotent" American players?

Well, can they remove the silly minigame aspect of the "adult" content from my
version too ? ...Please ?

Dont get me wrong, sexual themes and nudity in videogames does not offend me
in the least IF its tied to the story or introduced to add texture and realism to the
game world (i.e G2's brothel... A port without a brothel is like... well you get the
idea).

I think including images of sex and exploitation would certainly add to the dark
gritty (and dirty mediaeval) atmosphere of the game but please no playboy
version for me...

/rant

Looks like I'll be getting the European import of this one from gogamer.com again. I don't want gratuitous adult content, but I want the game like the developers intended in its original form so that I can judge that for myself.

"wooing the wenches" Count me in

Lechers ! ...

Anyway, I must say that content cuts for the sake of a rating is something I
dont like seeing in any medium. And I am not one to support it (even indirectly).

I was more voicing my hope that the Developers reevaluate their aproach
on "features" that seem to hint at a somewhat immature (and crowdpleasing ?) tendency. I mean who are they catering to here by giving nudy cards after you succesfully "woo a wench" (seems a terrible immersion
breaker too) but 15 year old boys with a hormone overflow*.

It reveals a certain philosophy that comes directly in opposition to their
promises about an adult (in the other sence, heh) minded, morally
ambiguous story set in a gritty world ,introducing mature issues like racism
and ghetoes and presenting choises and consequences tied to these
circumstances.

Like someone else said here, its a jarring note, hinting that not all may be as
good as they sound with the Witcher...

Ooops, another rant, I ... really ... must .. stop...

* Oh Ok thats their main clientele anyway I guess. sign me in for the minority