The Witcher is an RPG for PC that was released in October 2007 and has received positive reviews from many sources. This game was quite exciting for me from its opening movie to the end, and it has a lot to offer; Soon in the game you will realize that this is not your average everyday Joe RPG. The old “talk to everyone you know” rule still remains, but these standard elements of any game in this genre are overshadowed by the overall unique world feel the game presents. The battle system relies heavily on combos and a small selection of upgradeable spells. Your choices when interacting with characters in the world will determine your destiny as you progress, and you may find yourself split in two more than once. These options are the reasons this game received an “adult” ESRB rating. Let’s dive a little deeper into this dark world.
The story is absolutely immersive from the beginning. Since you (Geralt) have amnesia and can’t remember anything when the game starts, everyone is a stranger and it’s up to you to rebuild the past. Unlike other games of this genre, you cannot choose the character of your class; focuses on the witcher and his spells and swords. Probably the most fascinating part of this story is your ability to choose sides. As you gather information from the townspeople, you will begin to form your own opinion about certain characters you meet, which will likely influence your decisions later in the game. This gives the game a treacherous and realistic feel that will make you wonder what is right, what is wrong, or if it exists. The voice acting satisfied me for the most part, although some of it was a bit amateurish, and the character models are overused. You will inevitably form your own opinions on the allies you make in the game, but they are definitely memorable.
The graphics are nothing to scoff at and while I didn’t pull off the resource hogging elements of games like Elder Scrolls, I was definitely immersed. You have 3 different perspectives to see the world, all in the third person but from different distances, giving you the ability to feel the heat of battle up close or to quickly assess the situation on the battlefield from afar. In addition to being overused, the character models are realistic enough, including facial expressions. To see all of this in full detail, you might want a moderately fast PC and video card, but you can always tone them down using the graphics options. These are the system requirements:
[http://www.thewitcher.com/community/en/game/system_requirements.html]
Whores, verbal curses, alcohol, drugs, and nudity abound in this version of an RPG. This is really a maturity-oriented game, but it reflects the reality of what medieval times might have been like. It’s tempting to sleep with every temptress you come across, although I did notice a point or two in history where the decision to do so may have had negative consequences. Yes, there are prostitutes walking the streets that you can get away with.
Now let’s move on to my favorite part, which is the game. As a warlock, Geralt uses two main weapons: a steel sword for human flesh and a silver sword for monsters. Throughout the adventure, you will also learn five different spells that have particular uses. All of these can be upgraded with bronze, silver and gold medallions that are awarded when you advance to each new level. This gives you the ability to customize your strengths and where you would like to shine in battle. Most of the tougher battles will require you to use potions, and in fact, you won’t end the game without them. Because of this, you won’t have to upgrade your weapons very frequently, and if you do, it will cost you a hefty sum of orens (the in-game currency). You can also carry two secondary weapons, although I never found a real use for them as they were clunky compared to my swords. You won’t be carrying a lot of junk as enemy weapons to sell in the store as you can only carry what you are wielding. Much of what happens in the game will be based on the missions you encounter, and not all of them are necessary to finish the game, which gives this an open-ended feel. Unfortunately some of the missions have some bugs.
The combat system of this game could make you laugh or cry. When fighting with swords, the audible signals in combat tell you when to make your next blow; the only problem with this is that you must have the mouse over the monster. You will inevitably move during battle, which turned out to be a disadvantage for me when my enemy disappeared behind another enemy, a bush, or other environmental object. Despite the sometimes offensive camera, the combat is just a lot of fun, considering the different fighting modes (there are 3 stances Geralt can take: one for slow and heavy monsters, agile monsters, and one for groups) and spells at your disposal. . Over time, you will learn how to best combine sword and magic to keep the enemy at bay. Go ahead, drive the hilt of your silver sword into the heart of that beast, you know what you want.
This was one of the least disappointing RPGs I’ve ever played, and it kept me busy for at least 60-70 hours (yes, the game is SO great). The solid story and mystery that intertwine is what kept me wanting to find out more about myself and the characters. Again, this game really gets its “M” rating, so if you’re easily offended, leave this one alone. From a graphical perspective, the game does its job, although this will not be the reason why you will play it until the end, it is the story and the game. These elements combined create a dark, medieval world where trust is hard to find. A fresh take on the RPG genre, fans shouldn’t miss this one.