The Witcher 2 Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition XBOX 360

In its own way probably better than Skyrim its nice to play a proper adult RPG.Good looking,good combat,great story.Not over the top with adult content swearing always in context only repetative if you engage with same character,always funny when relating to dwarfs.Voice acting good customisation is not limited if you take in mutagens and armour upgrades,and you can change your hair,why you would worry about such things when playing such an imersive game.GET IT PLAY IT AND CHECK OUT THE PRICE!!!

Simply one of the best RPGs I've ever played

Pros:

+ Length
+ Soundtrack
+ Graphics
+ Creature designs

- Cons:

- Some poor/average Voice Acting
- Limited customisation (Appearance and armor)
- Combat
- Art design
- Overuse of swearing becomes off-putting

Amazing game. Love it.

Really good game, really good value.

I played Witcher Enhanced Edition on my pc. And I was waiting for the Xbox version of Witcher 2 for a long time.

First of all, game controls seem weird at the beginning because it was actually made for mouse+keyboard. Looting can be difficult sometimes because of this. Also there are some bugs, but all of them gets fixed when you save your progress, restart the game and load the latest save. And I don't like people comparing other RPGs to the Witcher games. This game does not have huge explorable areas like Skyrim, but combat mechanics are far more better than Skyrim. There are many different armors and weapons in game, you can find some by discovering places, or you can buy schematics from merchants and craft very good armors and weapons. There aren't millions of side quests but again, this game is not Skyrim. Also skill tree is actually good.
And best part is it's great story. There places you have to make hard decisions, and with these decisions, many things change. Even the weapons and armors you find changes.
Graphics of the game are not the best, to be honest. But this doesn't mean graphics are awful. Looks very good.
Sound effects are pretty good. You feel like you're slaying a real monster with those effects. Soundtrack is how it must be. And if you like it, there's the Soundtrack CD comes with Enhanced Edition pack.
And finally, this game is not like new RPGs. I played Skyrim, and I loved it. But I was slaying huge dragons in seconds without dying ( no, I wasn't playing on a low difficulty). In the Witcher 2, you will die many times. If you don't learn when to block and attack, or if you don't make preparations for that combat, you'll probably die in seconds. For example, if you are going to fight a boss that is poisonous, you'll have to drink a potion to increase your poison resistance. You can't drink potions during a fight, so you have to make plans before you fight.
If you want a game that has a great story for adults, has many things a RPG should have, and not easy as the new generation games, then you should buy this game.

Having got this a few days ago I have now played 26 hours of the campaign and have come to a decision. That decision is that this game is good, but not great.
Let me explain...
I will start with the graphics, just to get it out of the way as it is not something that determines my love for a game (I was raised on Pong for goodness sake!).
Compared to the likes of Skyrim and Mass Effect 3 (2 games it resembles in it's gameplay and narrative) it is a little behind the times. Some of the animations are questionable, the voice synch can be a mess at times and there are far too many instances of animation repeated, especially in the Minigames such as Pugilism.
Environment wise, again it is a mixed bag. Some areas are beautiful and yet others are just bland caves! Games like Kingdoms of Amalur proved that even a generic dungeon can be beautiful but adding crystal deposits and the like, this is just grey stone for hours..
Next I will tackle Sound.
Soundtrack wise it is perfectly acceptable. Ambient sounds and music are pleasant and the combat tunes are recognisable enough to be helpful and composed in a way to get the blood racing.
Voice acting is pretty good throughout but falls into the usual stereotypes of farmers being Cornish, Dwarves Scottish and elves very British, but this is more a failing of the genre than the game itself I think.
Sound effects are fine also. Monsters make nice noises, weapon crashes are realistic and the splashing of foot in water is suitably repetitive :)
And finally we have Gameplay. If you have played any of the aforementioned games you know what to expect here.
You wander a village and speak to people to discover about quests and the like which are added to your journal. Completing quests ranging from monster eradication to thievery and information gathering garners money, items and XP.
Levelling up rewards with a Talent Point to spend on, what I think is, a pretty dull skill tree.
If your looking for new attacks or signs (aka spells) look elsewhere. All the skill tree does is increases some stats, increases signs range/damage or improve swordplay.
And swordplay is another sore point for me. As your character is renown for wielding 2 swords, one standard and one 'monster-slaying' silver sword you find the alternative weaponry (axes, maces etc) extremely rare and shields are a total non entity.
I like the chance to choose a sword/axe & shield or 2 handed weaponry etc but here we have only 1 handed weapons.
Another bugbear for me was the journal I mentioned earlier. It keeps a record of the missions as you play but is very vague. It offers no suggestion as to whom is best to speak to, where people are and the like.
I know the pack comes with a Mission Guide but something has been lost in translation there as many places and items it mentions are not in the game, they are called other things! For instance, in one quest the guide says you need Beehives (bombs). I spent ages speaking to shopkeepers trying to find the formula for these (yes, you can create weapons, potions and the like) only to discover on forums they do not exist, they are called Grapeshot!
So that is my basic summary of the game.
It is very good to play but some big shortcomings have reduced it to an average overall experience for me.

Pros:
+Good Story
+Mature Content (a nice change)
+Interesting Characters
+Big Campaign
+Very Good Audio

Cons:
-Average Graphics
-Rather Dull Combat
-Poor Quest Recording
-Very Limited Inventory of Weapons & Armour
-Some Dull Backgrounds and Environments
-The Guide Can Be More a Hindrance Than a Help
-Poor Skill Tree

Overall Score. 3/5 (60%) Average

The Witcher 2 is an epic game, full of some of the most impressive dialogue and storytelling that we have ever seen, but then if you have played the PC version you already know that. What you will not know though is how well this game translates to Xbox 360 and just how the promised extras, which are also coming to PC, add to the game. Well you needn’t worry, because The Witcher 2 is just as fantastic on the Xbox 360, in fact this is one title that rivals THE other fantasy RPG, Skyrim, all the way.

From the moment The Witcher 2: Enhanced Edition loads up on your Xbox 360 you realise that you are in for something special. A brand new intro movie greets you with the plot as you watch a king being slain on his very own ship. It’s one of the most dramatic and impressive opening scenes you’ll ever have bared witness to on Microsoft’s console. ‘Stunning’ is the word which came to my mind as I watched it, with my eyes unable to part from the screen for one moment. This level of visual story telling continues throughout the game as you take control of the wrongly accused king killer, the Witcher known as Geralt and try to clear your name.

Before we go on to the main part of the game it’s worth mentioning one of the main enhancements included in the Xbox 360 version is the tutorial mode. This large section allows you to get used to the many aspects of the combat and magic. It’s certainly a well implemented system, with a pop-up box giving you an overview of the important aspects of the controls. This includes the use of quick access menus; your inventory; combat; defensive moves and magic. It’s also important in that it’ll give you useful tips, did you know for instance that you’ll need a silver sword if you want to take care of the more super natural-like creatures quickly and efficiently?

Once you have recovered from the stunning spectacle of the opening movie and the new and extremely useful tutorial mode you will be introduced to Geralt in his current plight. It’s important to mention this, as when you first meet Geralt you’ll find him being interrogated in a jail in the kingdom of Temeria by Vernon Roche. This is basically the prologue to the game, giving you an idea of what the assassinated King Foltest was like and what you’re role was in helping him as Geralt recounts the events leading up to his death.

The prologue is a fantastic introduction to what follows, however once you manage to complete this part of the game, this is where the fun really begins. Throughout each of the following chapters you’ll have the opportunity to take many paths, most of which will shape how your journey plays out. These decisions will also change how you are treated by others within the game, meaning that no two paths are the same and also giving you the perfect excuse to play through more than once.

What’s even more impressive is that developer CD Projekt has managed to squeeze even an additional four hours of gameplay on to the two discs. Without spoiling what’s on offer, this extra content will take you through a new underground system, forests and more, all of which will introduce you to new characters. The most impressive part of this is that it’s perfectly moulded into the story of the main game, therefore it never feels like you are playing in an adventure that has just been tacked on for the sake of it.

For those who have never played before, the gameplay is a solid mix of adventuring and action. Geralt takes on enemies with a mixture of blocking, parrying and special finishing moves. It’s not all button bashing to win the day though. As mentioned, Geralt has two swords to choose from, a steel blade which is good for dealing with human foes and a silver sword that is more effective against the monsters that lurk around the lands darker corners. You must also take into consideration Geralts Vigor bar, which is directly linked to his defence and Sign casting, with each block and special power using a segment. The Signs on offer are a mixture of defensive and offensive moves like the telekinetic push which can stun enemies and also be used on certain environments to unearth hidden walkways; a temporary shield that negates the need to block and a mind control that when successful will cause enemies to stand side by side with you in an attack. The Signs that Geralt uses are identified by an emblem which is selected using the shoulder button, therefore if you know you will need to make use of an offensive spell, then it’s best to get it ready beforehand so that you can use a one button press during battle to cast the spell.

At heart The Witcher 2 is a RPG, which of course means that you’ll be able to spend points gained from experience on abilities under three main paths (not including the training which is compulsory). These paths will allow you to shape your character, whether you want him to be efficient at casting spells, combat or alchemy. Other RPG elements will allow you to enhance weaponry, drink potions and of course, search for treasure and loot from both fallen enemies and in random locations.

With a job that requires being alone in the wilderness for long periods of time Geralt is also able to create and craft (with some assistance) items which can boost stats when taken in his meditation state before a fight, allowing for a slow health recharge or even giving the ability to place oils on his blade, i.e. poison, to give you an added edge in battle.

There is, of course, more to Witcher 2 than combat, improved skills and treasure. To break up the non-stop action, the villages you visit during your quest also offer a variety of mini games to earn extra cash, with pub games like Dice Poker, Arm Wrestling and even Combat Arena fighting all on offer. Mix this in with the incredibly detailed story and the numerous side quests you can partake in if you so wish, and you can see why The Witcher 2 is without a doubt one of the most impressive Fantasy RPG’s to hit Xbox 360 since the console came into existence.

If we were to end the review now, it’d already be pretty obvious that we intent to reward this game full marks, however we haven’t even covered the presentation yet. While perhaps not quite up to Uncharted standards, it has to be said that The Witcher 2 looks simply stunning and instantly pulls you into its amazing world. The graphics set the tone throughout the game, with plenty of colourful environments and impressive cut scenes gracing the screen throughout the entire adventure. There are a few moments when the screens tears, however these are few and far between and are to be expected from a game of Witcher 2′s size and scale.

Complimenting the games presentation is the wonderful voice acting and an equally impressive soundtrack. The music is certainly special, adding to the atmosphere no end and making you glad that these wonderfully crafted sounds are included as standard in enhanced edition of the game, along with a quest book, a beautifully designed map and the game manual.

Quality fantasy RPG’s are hard to come by on current consoles, many have tried and with the exception of Bethedsa and to a lesser extent, 38 Studios, most have failed to live up to expectations. In the Witcher 2, at last we have a challenger for the crown, it may not have Skyrim’s open ended world, but what it does have is a story and action to match. CD Projekt has arrived on consoles in style, if this is just the beginning of that journey then I for one can’t wait for the future.