Sweet game, but let's not ignore the flaws!

[Chavinchi]

Just beaten it, and I had a lot of strong emotions about it and thoughts spinning around my head, and was curious what others were saying. At one point I went on metacritic and looked at the 'most helpful' reviews, the scores go: 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10, 5...[www.metacritic.com]

10 means perfect, without flaw. Funnily enough some of the reviews say exactly that: flawless. There are lots of little flaws in this game, objectively. Any responsible person would mention them.

Are these people young/have not played many games and don't have much to compare it to? Or are they just more forgiving than I am? Or do people just think in black and white and everything has to be a 10 or a 0? Or are they hardcore gamers that confuse being obtuse with being challenging? Or are the scores being manipulated, since all those 10's rose to the top? I don't know which I like less, the conspiracy theory or the fanboy/hater dichotomy.

I kept falling in and out of love with this game. It's great, but so damn flaky. It will blow me away on various occasions but the pleasure is always undercut by all the ♥♥♥♥les (I said ni-g-g-les, why is this censored?) and lack of polish. And given there's been an 'enhanced edition' where these things still weren't fixed, there's less excuse. Here are some:

1. Repeating conversations each time you walk within range to trigger them. I've been assaulted by certain dialog 20 times or more. Thanks for breaking my immersion.

2. Can't interact with doors or ledges until Geralt is perfectly still. Have to wait for him to settle to a stop and see if the context-sensitive action becomes available.

3. NPC's slam doors in your face, and you can't go through yourself until the door is fully closed.

4. Passing through an empty doorway actually has an animation for it, pointlessly slowing you down.

5. NPC's sometimes won't walk if you get too far ahead of them. Sometimes their script won't trigger until you walk back and forth. Sometimes it seems like they should be running instead of walking and vice versa, like the conditions are inverted.

6. Loot can't be picked up until battle is over, and the game can take several seconds after all enemies have fallen to decide it's ok to loot and stops the battle music.

7. Loot bizarrely requires you to aim the camera at it to pick it up.

8. Some containers shown as lootable with the medallion, but are unlootable. Some are too far away but others you can get right next to and it still won't let you select the container. It's like they didn't test it.

9. If you don't aim at the loot properly, Geralt will swing his sword since it's bound to the same button.

10. You can't rebind the keys or see the keybindings from inside the game. You'd better not blink when the tooltips appear.

11. Selection of dialog and menu options sometimes gets stuck and is not always the thing under the mouse cursor. If you click, you get the hilighted option and not the one under the cursor. You could select a dialog option you didn't intend.

12. Have to wait for an item description to scroll down to see the components for crafting off of a diagram, which can be really slow depending on the length of the description.

13. You can't skip between different screens, like between inventory and character. You have to back out to the main screen to choose another, and changing between screens feels sluggish, especially with meditating.

14. The performance is not great. I have a gtx 780. When I meditate why does the framerate fall by a half?

15. When the performance is less than 60 fps, the the mouse movement lags.

16. The interface feels unresponsive, I sometimes find myself tapping keys multiple times or holding them down to make sure something registers.

17. The more savefiles I accumulate, the longer it takes to display the load menu, sometimes taking 5 seconds or more (reading off of an SSD).

Some of these quirks one finds ways to compensate for, but they make the game wear on my nerves and be less of a joy to play than it could be. To play a Witcher 2 with slick movement and interface would be a game I'd feel much more positive about returning to (and I do intend to at some point, to complete Iorveth's path).

Now here's a few of my more subjective complaints:

1. Too many names to remember, and characters not receiving a proper introduction. It seems like a deliberate design choice and it has its appeal as well as its disadvantages. I was able to keep pace with the story--barely-- by reading the character profiles. Still, there was the odd occasion where I went 'who?'

Probably the biggest offender was the ♥♥♥♥♥ elf-girl who was discussed in about two sentences a few hours of gameplay earlier, dialog that is easily forgotten. Another was Triss suddenly talking about 'Philippa' with Dethmold-- did they even mention her at all before then? That's not even a failure of mine to keep up with the brisk storytelling, it's expecting me to be clairvoyant. Not everyone played the last game or read the books.

2. Is Geralt his own character or an agent the player? It seems like the developers can't decide. Since he's already a character in literature with established lore that seems to present a dilemma. Many of the 'choices' are nothing more than the order you choose to ask questions (and he says a bunch of stuff I didn't know he was going to say and/or wouldn't have said), reinforcing that he's his own person. Othertimes, it provides you with the freedom to act in all sorts of ways, including what I'd consider completely out-of-character.

3. The game isn't balanced. Too hard at the start when you're learning the ropes, and gets easier and easier after that. I spent the last third of the game with 11 unspent skills, since no battle made me feel the need to become any stronger, until I encountered that one 'super boss'.

4. Everything could be tackled by the same rinse-repeat strategy (roll and backstab). I felt like the game provided me with tons of options but rarely incentivised me to use them. Good game design would press me to vary my strategy, seek solutions and consider all my tools, which only happened a few times (more often in the early game). I actually went through almost the entire game not using parry at all. I think I drank one potion and never applied any oils. I never applied an armour enhancement until late chapter 2, since the application is irreversible and I didn't know if I'd find something better. Ssame with bombs: I didn't use them for ages because I thought I'd hang onto them for when they'd be really useful, but it turned out I needn't have bothered.

I feel these mechanics belong in a longer, more varied game. Having temporary enhancements, permanent enhancements, potion buffs, magic, status effects, parrying, rolling, riposte, knife throwing, bombs, traps, it seems overdone. The game moves at too brisk of a pace for these mechanics to find their place in the encounters, and I feel if I used most of this stuff I'd just be forcing myself to.

5. If an enemy can't block and he has no friends, he's screwed (take Loredo as an example), you can stunlock them until death. The only form of challenge is the ability of an enemy to block, or being outnumbered, which always require the same solutions.

6. The attacks are awkward and like everything else, you get 'locked in' to certain uninterruptable, slow animations. Geralt will happily slash air multiple times if you don't reposition him, which looks really silly. Othertimes he'll solve the problem for you, correct his course and leap toward an enemy with a stab, but it's unpredictable. Sometimes I'll get yanked into the middle of a group and get backstabbed.

It's not that I didn't find ways to avoid this happening, but I felt like I was compensating for the game's willful behaviour. That sums up a lot of my experience of the game: adapting, compensating, circumventing. It doesn't work with you, it works against you, and you find little 'tricks' to make it do what you want rather than what it wants.

7. Constantly having to use the medallion every few strides to see what is lootable.

8. Dropping to an excruciating walk when encumbered.

What redeems the game for me is the story (not so much the writing but its presentation) and the amazing art direction. Re-enacting historical events in Chapter 2 was my favourite part. After actually reading notes and hearing gossip, it was a treat to see it play out for real, I thought it was very cleverly done. But why do people ignore the very blatant flaws?

My greatest hope is that they'll revisit the Witcher 2 yet another time (an 'enhanced enhanced edition') and maybe it'll inherit some of the Witcher 3's improvements. But sadly, given that almost everyone has played this game now and it goes for so little when on sale, they probably won't see the profitability in doing so...

[Kaneko]

I agree with you in many of your points, at the same time I take this as a game to play slow, in a way I think it's meant to be that way... Opposite for example to a game like Torchlight/Diablo were you kill/loot on the go, not the same kind of game I know, just to illustrate my point.

The only two things that really bothers me are the way you have to be perfectly positioned on the doors and how the game takes time to exit "battle mode" to make loot shown as loot(I don't mind to loot after the battle)

[Lorska]

I'll take the time to go over these points:
1. yes that's a problem, though hard to make a huge variation of dialogue for each minor character
2. not true but more difficult to pull off
3.&4. yes that was annoying
5. had no big issues with that, npc pathing in general is a nightmare for developers it seems
6. good to counter loot&escape abuses but the waiting time is a bit long
7. same thing like in TES, I never saw that as a flaw in any game so far
8. most of those are lootable, those that aren't are more often in tricky locations, I don't think they thought about letting someone check all lootable containers (urgh I wouldn't have done it)
9. doesn't take much time and no issue if you can aim, no biggie for me
10. really? can't you do that at the menu? not that I needed to rebind them as they felt appropriate
11. true, I used mouse and keys to ensure conversation (and keyboard selection tends to be smoother in games in general)
12. never noticed, slow pc?
13. was okay with that, never limited me in any way and I like clearly seperated menus
14. there are a lot of issues with certain cards, that's really their fault for not testing enough
15. no idea, never happened to me
16. not really, it felt very responsive to me, I guess you had other issues limiting that
17. yeah that's dumb, you always have to delete saves (I do so in every game but here it is even harder to delete stuff, long loading times or manually via save directory...)

1. that was never an issue for me, all characters felt distinct so I had no problems recognizing them. btw it is meant that you only get parts of some dialogue because the story is more like a big puzzle that only gets completed with lethos help, filling the gaps, like triss talking to the mirror while you have no idea what's going on was intended.

2. both, you play a story character in your own way, so they tried to let him keep his character, but define his path by your choices

3. true, but also depends on difficulty, if you play on dark this gets a whole lot more dangerous, still a veteran can easily abuse the system to get what he wants (*cough*)

4. partly true, also depends on difficulty, bombs are pretty nice on higher diffs

5. true, you are 1vs1 based after all

6. partly true, every animation is coded to your movement, you won't jump attack from within a hitting combo (how dumb would that be), so it all depends on you, the way it should be imo, though they should have exanded on that some more

7. not really, you get a feel for what is lootable and what not, alchemical ingredients are over-abundant anyway

8. some people prefer inventory space, I don't. not that you will be encumbered at any point after reaching flotsam anyway...

let's at least hope witcher 3 will be the badass combat system game everyone wants with a lot of rpg elements and with a story on the same level as TW2 or better

[MasteR]

1- u cant loot when battle is on... i wont to see u looting corpses when few ennemies around and trying to kill u.

2- u have to look on object to pick it up..... not always true... on second thouth, when u pick something in real life do u look at it? or not ( i know i know its just a game.... but i am just saying)

3 -Gerald doesnt remember anithing, he has an amnesia, and u get this information in the begining of the game .... he (you) makes desisions based on things around him... and collects peaces of his past identety from his closest friends ..... and if u played and payed attension to conversations sometimes his friends say that he wouldt do or would do something back then...

p.s.

u miss chalange... play on INSANE MODE

[Lorska]

Originally posted by MasteR:

p.s.

u miss chalange... play on INSANE MODE

dumb advice: play dark then and don't use the sets, insane is just a test of discipline, nothing else and easier than dark (it's only at hard level)

[Chavinchi]

I actually gave dark mode a quick try and his sword seems to be dealing 3x the stated damage and is 1 and 2 hit killing everyone in the prologue. Is it bugged or something?

[Lorska]

that's what you get from using mods and not cleaning your files, that was a problem that was discussed some time ago

apart from that you are more likely to use heavy hits now, thus you seem to do more damage ;)

most new players spam light hits on weaker enemies

[Chavinchi]

Originally posted by Lorska:

that's what you get from using mods and not cleaning your files, that was a problem that was discussed some time ago

What, so all mods are off the cards if I want to use dark mode?

[Lorska]

no but one of those changed game data (possibly)... you could try to find out which one, or some of your data got corruptet in general, the problems comes from either changed values due to the mod or problems after deleting them
(I think the guy had that problem with some flora mod changing some other stuff as well?)

the game works with mods but who the hell knows if all mods work correctly...

just check your game data and before even doing that check if that really is a problem with the game or if you just got better (look at how much damage you receive, most things can kill you without much effort in dark, the drowners in the well are a good way to check this)
or see if the same issue persists on other difficulties

[Chavinchi]

I have the flora mod, that migh be the answer. Will look into it.

[MasteR]

Originally posted by Lorska:

Originally posted by MasteR:

p.s.

u miss chalange... play on INSANE MODE

dumb advice: play dark then and don't use the sets, insane is just a test of discipline, nothing else and easier than dark (it's only at hard level)

in dark mode u can save and load as u wish on insane 1 mistake and u should start all over again... so..... its much harder then dark.... and makes u think twice what weapon/oils/potions to use.....
in dark mode use shi@$##est armor with crit mutagens and wuala no aponent can touch u... and even if some mob kills u .... reload and hit the road again.... very chelenging mode.... and i am saying this becouse i passed this game in blue stripes armor... its not challenging at all when u can repeat over and over.... plus as i said crit mutagens in total with special abilities 100% crit 1 hit 1 kill..... and no worry to die becouse u can reload.... very challenging

[Lorska]

no it's not, enemies do less damage (you can actually get hit by most stuff)
on dark 1 mistake and you die
on insane 1 mistake doesn't matter, some in a row do but you can just load before you die
I'd say I did die more on dark then I would have died on insane even with my best dark run

dark was introduced after insane (EE) to add another difficulty and there is a reason that dark comes after insane

[MasteR]

Originally posted by Lorska:

no it's not, enemies do less damage (you can actually get hit by most stuff)
on dark 1 mistake and you die
on insane 1 mistake doesn't matter, some in a row do but you can just load before you die
I'd say I did die more on dark then I would have died on insane even with my best dark run

dark was introduced after insane (EE) to add another difficulty and there is a reason that dark comes after insane

dark is easy as cake... never mind what spec u take :
signs->> all mutagens into armor->>> all boses kill themselfs on hiting u
sword->>all mutagens into crit->>> one hit evrything around u dies
alchemy->> crit/armor doesnt mater bombs+ traps will *&^%# all around

and if u make mistake and die..... no problem reload and try again

ON INSANE MODE PLAY 5-15 HOURS AND DIE BY MISTAKE and start ALL OVER AGAIN

p.s.
on insane u died less than on dark..... interesting why????? becouse maybe u was more concentrated on the game becouse u knew that one mistake will make u to start over again.

I died on DARK so many times i cant remember.... but on insane only 4 and i remember each and every one... and with each death ON INSANE mode made me think and plan every move without rushing into battle with closed eyes.

As someone who passed this game on hard mode and insane... i can say with 100% insane harder then dark, just becouse u cant reload after u died.... and when u played for more then 10 hours and died becouse of some drowner, which owned u from behind or boss or wrong botton.... that what makes it difficult and challenging

[Lorska]

you seem to think I don't know much about this game, I assure you that insane is easy as pie (I rate cakes higher than pies) if you know what you are doing.
because you just don't die when you make mistakes on insane. on dark you do, on isane you get hit for 30-50% at best, hit esc and reload. apart from that there are like 2-3 encounters that can possibly kill you (speed run) on insane, on dark there are a lot more.
I'd like to say I don't make mistakes but I do. they killed me on dark, but not on insane (unless I did some seriously dumb stuff for quite some time and didn't follow my rules, but that would have killed me on dark waaaaay earlier).
It really is nothing more than a test of discipline, you may rush the game, but don't rush the fights.

ps: no, that makes it tedious, not challenging. on insane I did everything I did on dark while skipping some things and faster. only dragon can kill you, all other bosses are a joke (and even he is a joke with bigger wings).

I died in the prologue once spamming attack (so I don't usually count this)
and once due to NOT loading at 50% and getting multiple backstabs in a row due to being dumb
what did I learn: do speed runs because you 1-2 shot everything anyway and it takes less time

not much of a challenge... just tedious

[MasteR]

Originally posted by Lorska:

you seem to think I don't know much about this game, I assure you that insane is easy as pie (I rate cakes higher than pies) if you know what you are doing.
because you just don't die when you make mistakes on insane. on dark you do, on isane you get hit for 30-50% at best, hit esc and reload. apart from that there are like 2-3 encounters that can possibly kill you (speed run) on insane, on dark there are a lot more.
I'd like to say I don't make mistakes but I do. they killed me on dark, but not on insane (unless I did some seriously dumb stuff for quite some time and didn't follow my rules, but that would have killed me on dark waaaaay earlier).
It really is nothing more than a test of discipline, you may rush the game, but don't rush the fights.

Did i ever say that u dont know what are u talking about? I have passed TW2 in blue stripes armor.... that was the main reasone for most of my deaths... discipline or not.... 0.4% of all players passed this game on insane it's mean something like 4 out of 1000 why? becouse its harder and makes think and react faster, and most give up after few trys.

oh.... and yes u must know what u r doing.... basicly nothing is hard when u know what to do..

P.S.
Never mind HARD or INSANE

mutagens make game easy on hard all in crit(100%) and where is challenge? they cant even touch u, and if they do u reload , even dragon dies in seconds whit sword crit build.... i am not talking about that ... but ...uhhh ...... u call it discepline... and i call it chellenging.

[Lorska]

uhm you can't really read a statistic that way because:
1) you don't have a comparison to dark
2) only 14.2% finished this game at least once
3) most people (me included) don't try a hardcore(=permadeath) difficulty for the first time because it would be just dumb without knowing anything about the game
4) due to that you would need to look at people who finished this game at least twice (more like thrice because the game encourages 2 playthroughs due to the branching paths)
5) a small percentage even tries insane because it seems more difficult than it is (permadeath is always fear inducing) and because a lot of people are satisfied with having finished the game as insane doesn't offer anything new

pls don't use statistics the way mass media does, it makes me cry everytime I see it :(