The Witcher - Review @ 2404.org

Dhruin · November 25, 2007

9/10 is the score for The Witcher at 2404.org in their new review:

Like many RPGs, you have the main quests and several side quests that are available. You are, however, confined to certain regions; you cannot roam around to different areas whenever you wish. The regions are fairly large, but if you’re really set on a free-roaming RPG, then you might suffer from some slight feelings of claustrophobia with this game. The areas you are confined to are fairly large, so I never really had a cramped feeling. For the most part, areas are fairly open but there are some areas where there are obstructions. Being able to walk off the sides of stairways, docks, etc. would have been better, in my opinion, and there were some areas in the swamp where you can only walk along a set path.
When the game advertises nonlinear gameplay, I don’t think it’s necessarily focusing on the order of the main quest, because that does follow a fairly straight order. There are, of course, side quests, but it seems to me that the nonlinearity term is focusing on Geralt’s decisions along the journey. You have to make small decisions all the time, such as whether to help someone or not, to be friendly or not, to do a quest or not, etc., and these decisions seem to take on a ripple effect in that they change many things.

More information.

Foss · November 25, 2007

Very nice review.

Kind of summons up much of how I feel about the game too.

Though to be honest, I think more of Planescape Torment or even Fallout when I want to compare it to other games. Torment for the story driven aspect, plus the thing about open up for new areas through story related quests instead of having it all open from scratch.
Also the main chr both suffered from amnesia, making you able to have some influence on his personality.

And Fallout for some of the mature aspect of the game, sex, prostitutes, drugs etc.

Visually it looks more like Gothic 3 than Oblivion I think.

indigo · November 26, 2007

Foss said:
Visually it looks more like Gothic 3 than Oblivion I think.

Run both games on max settings and you will see that graphics in Gothic 3 is MUCH better than in Oblivion - better crafted landscape, more diversity, better textures etc.

Foss · November 26, 2007

indigo said:
Run both games on max settings and you will see that graphics in Gothic 3 is MUCH better than in Oblivion - better crafted landscape, more diversity, better textures etc.

I have. Thats why I think it looks more like G3.
Oblivion is more shiny and bloom, where both G3 and The Witcher seems darker.

Jabberwocky · November 26, 2007

I would compare the world layout to Fable, the graphics to Enclave, the atmospere and depth to Gothic 2.

I wouldn't compare anything in the game to Oblivion.. and why it's still being done practically two years after that game's release is beyond me.

The Witcher - Review @ 2404.org

Dhruin

SasqWatch

Foss

Sentinel

indigo

Watcher

Foss

Sentinel

Jabberwocky

True Synaesthete