The Witcher 2

Prepare The Canons

Nabeel Burney 2 Comments

Fear the Reaper

Not much longer now before the Reapers arrive to wipe out galactic civilization.

Mass Effect 3 is almost upon us, and I’m hardly ready. For anticipation is not just a case of checking the calendar and willing the days to advance quicker, there is work to be done before March 6th comes around. Few games in history have featured what is the Mass Effect series’ main selling point: the ability to carry your save forward into the sequels in order to retain your character and the decisions you have made over the course of the games. So fans aren’t just looking forward to playing the last instalment of a trilogy, they’re looking forward to playing the last instalment of their trilogy. Every decision you make defines your Commander Shepard, decides your relationship with other characters – possibly even their fate, and shapes a universe that is unique to your save. Loading up a game with that save will bring a story that recognises you and remembers what you have done. The series has already provided an unprecedented level of player authorship over narrative, and it only remains to be seen whether the final chapter can deliver a satisfying conclusion.

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The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Martyn Zachary Leave a comment

…has, with the most recent batch of screenshots from the game, confirmed what CD Projekt RED senior producer Tomasz Gop boldly stated in a March 2010 developer preview, that The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings would be “the best-looking RPG you’ve ever seen.” 1)http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xcph86_the-witcher-2-dev-diary-0-the-begin_videogames, 4:39

Above, the detailed greens of the grasses contrast against the charred, smouldering red hues of a battlefield partially shrouded by smoke, together with the dynamic silhouettes and tense poses struck by soldiers and burned-down tree trunks standing in the horizon, creates one of the most beautiful low fantasy vistas that I have yet to behold. Despite all the aforementioned detail, a great degree of visual clarity and readability remains, seemingly in large thanks to a lighting scheme that accentuates the characters scattered on the battlefield.

If graphics alone do not make The Witcher 2 seem like a must-buy, what really seals the deal is how Gop revealed earlier this month that CD Projekt RED have, in their implementation of the game’s combat system, “been inspired [by Batman: Arkham Asylum]. I’m not hiding this. We have.” 2)http://www.eurogamer.net/articles/2010-11-25-the-witcher-2-were-not-afraid-of-dragon-age-interview?page=2

Like Red Dead Redemption before it, The Witcher 2 seems to be really pushing forward the art of functional and cohesive visual design in video games. The only question that truly remains now is how to best acquire the forthcoming Collector’s Edition – and if you’re a collector spirit like us, find that suitable spot for the cheesy Geralt bust that comes with the whole dang shebang.

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