The Witcher - Review @ Eurogamer
 

The first major English review for The Witcher is out with Eurogamer awarding 7/10 in a fairly positive two-page article that supplies a critique without really giving much detail into the gameplay. Here's part of the intro:
More information.

This review is a bit strange to me. First of all, i've got the game like for 2 days and I can't stop playing. They say it's not a real role-play. Bullshit. Role-play does not mean you have to have hords of different characters to play. The hero is one - true, but the rest is up to you. You can be a baddie, you can be noble and save damsels (they can be really grateful for that and pay you back with arms… and legs spread wide open;) You can support elves, humans or these strange knights of the Order.
But yes yes yes!! The world is just amazing. The colors, the water, the humans and nonhumans… they are simply great. I find real pleasure in simply walking and looking around admiring the environment.
Ok, that's enough from me. I'd better get back to the game. I've just met a nice elven woman ;)

The review basically says that the game excels at everything that matters and then gives it a fucking 7/10? Because you can't craft jewel-encrusted armor?

Isn't that already implied in the words "Eurogamer" and "review"?

His definition of RPG is retarded. You are playing a role, it's just chosen for you.

Yeah, this is a bit of a disappointing review. I'm reminded of Kieron Gillen's EG review of Mask of the Betrayer, with its "if you like RPGs, you'll like this. If you don't like RPGs, you won't." style summation.

Yea, exactly. What the heck? I'd rate it AT LEAST 9/10 (I've just finished the first act :)

Just installed the witcher!

So I'm going to spend whole weekend playing witcher, can't remember when I was as excited of any game as I'm now :-)

whoa
 

Hey, the game's great! So you can play only one character, big deal. I've been playing it for two days and I'm pretty much in love with it :)
Gotta go play :)

Anyone really surprised? RPG's are the most ambitious games typically, and always get a heavier critique than a more focused game. I too have had the game for about 12 hours, and can mark it as the 3rd game in recent memory that required a sick day from work :)

I think they gave Dungeon Runners 8/10 or something? Never really took them seriously after seeing that.

You're fired - greetings - your boss. :XD:

Oh Goodie I haven't had a game like that since Civilization IV came out. :)

Currently, I'm in the second act and this is how I feel:
As for now, the game has met all my expectations. The plot is interesting, the dialogues witty (the first game I really listen to the whole dialogues), the combat is simply great (at the first it wasn't as captivating, but when I developed the styles, it became great), the mini-games are interesting (especially dice poker), NPCs are great….. And I could go on and on…
Graphics is better than I expected, really. Sometimes it's hard to believe that it's the Aurora engine. There were a couple of times when I was simply standing and admiring the views.

Only a relative handful of actors ever get to pick and choose the roles they're offered, so if his definition of role-play were true, I guess the majority of actors would never really be acting. That sounds like awfully creative thinking to me.

So what if the player can't choose his role? It's still a role. A better consideration might be how much the player is able to develop that role.

"If, however, you're a fan of compellingly realised environments, commendably realistic social interactions and full-blooded fantasy storytelling then pull up a pew, since The Witcher has a lot to offer. "

Pull up a pew?? Is that supposed to be witty? It doesn't even make any sense as a pun.

Hmm…that makes perfect sense where I'm from. Maybe it's a local idiom thing?

I'd guess he was saying that if you like all those things, then the Witcher is the church for you to worship at.

This kid hasn't got a clue what RPG is all about. I can smell Borelivion follower when I see one. Torment wasn't RPG either. Why? Because you can't customize your own character, that's why! It's nothing compared to best-in-the-world Oblivion!

Average (unpatched) review is still more like 8,5 so its still all good. Single review scores dont really matter that much.

"Pull up a pew" is just a colloquialism meaning something like "take a seat".
Used commonly where I'm from (New Zealand), and probably in Oz and the UK as well.
Seriously, people use it all the time. "Hey mate, how about you pull up a pew and have a couple of drinks with us" etc.

Ok thanks for the clarafication. I mean, I know what a pew is, I just didn't realize that was a common expression, so I wasn't making the connection between "pulling up a church bench" and "The Witcher."

I guess I learn something new every day! :)

this one is making me rethink my moratorium on buying new titles til i finish what's on my plate!

What is CD PROJECT?

CD Projekt is the company which created the game. (Actually, their 'Red Studio' made it.)

Managed to get some quality time with this last night. Suddenly it was 6am and I thought it prudent to grab some sleep :)

It's an easy 8 for me, bordering on a 9. This review's way out.

I'd find it very hard to review this game, because I love the hell out of it. It's got to be one of my all-time favorites, right up there with PS:T and Fallout.

But, also like PS:T and Fallout, it does have its flaws too. I just like the damn thing too much to think about them. If I was reviewing it, I would have a real temptation to ignore them, just so I could grab people by the scruff of the neck and drag them to the store to buy it.

What language is your voiceovers?

Still waiting for the U.S. release date :)


Sande Chen
Writers Cabal Blog -- http://writerscabal.wordpress.com

Hey sk8gundy, my voiceovers are in Polish. But I saw a lot of the dialogues translated into English and they are ok. Same kind of humor.

English. With an enormous mishmash of accents, from Scottish to Cockney by way of South Carolina. :p

Well, we have here two new reviews:

IGN: http://pc.ign.com/articles/831/831264p1.html 8,5/10
Total video games: http://www.totalvideogames.com/artic…cher_12323.htm
8/10