There was a
time when witchers were everywhere, battling the monsters that vexed the races
of the land. But that time is past. The witchers disappeared, and with their
parting went the White Wolf, the most famed of the profession, a man otherwise
known as Geralt.
The Great War
spread across the land, pitting humans against non-humans. Fear was everywhere
and so was corruption and evil. With evil comes the monstrosities, the
hell-spawn and other creatures that ride the nightmares of the races.
Meanwhile, in a
far-off valley, stumbling through the marshes, is a man with no memory. He
falters and falls, slipping into unconsciousness. There is one tracking him and
with care, the latter takes the unconscious figure onto a wagon and transports
him to Kaer Morhen, the ruins that are the last home of the remaining handful of
witchers.
Could this be
Geralt, the White Wolf? The short answer is yes. Presumed to have died, and
maybe he did, Geralt is back and searching for the memories of what happened to
him, but there is another quest. An evil and powerful sorcerer has invaded the
home of the witchers and taken mutagens, potions that give witchers supernatural
abilities. Those mutagens, in the wrong hands, could prove a curse upon the
world. The remaining witchers, and Triss – a sorceress (and Geralt’s love, it
would appear) – go in search of the mutagens, a quest that will lead them across
the land of Temeria.
Players take on
the role of Geralt in this title from Atari and CD Projekt, a story based on the
renowned works of Polish author Andrzej Sapkowski. This is an adult-themed game,
not only in the combat, but as Geralt, you will have the opportunity to bed the
winsome lasses you meet, beginning with a tryst with Triss. Geralt, should you
play him that way, will have the opportunity to go to bed with other women. This
is a point driven home right at the beginning when dialogue choices allow you to
bed Triss. There will be other women and Geralt can be a bit randy, if you play
him that way. In addition to the sexual innuendo (you don’t actually see
anything), there is also a fair amount of adult language in the game’s dialogue.
The game is
very progressive in many regards. As you fight and kill, you unlock new
abilities that must be activated in the skill trees, but these skills will lead
to the ability to make more potions and gather better ingredients. Part of the
alchemic element of the game requires you to meditate at a campfire. There you
can access the potions table and mix potions, you can also skill up and manage
your inventory.
One bit of
advice, though, save often. If you fail, you restart from the last save point
and that can take you back a fair ways unless you rely on the autosave feature.
But spending time at a campfire, organizing, only to have that effort go by the
wayside when you die seems to be a bit of trouble that can be avoided easily.
The Witcher is
a deep role-playing experience, with plenty of opportunities to switch
directions as you play the game. There are moments when you are presented with a
choice and depending on the choice you make, you could alter the direction of
the game. And it is important to note that sometimes evil can be masked by a
pleasing face and gentle voice.
For example, in
Chapter 1 you are on the outskirts of Vizima, helping the villagers with a
problem involving a hellhound (the Beast), which has come because of their
wickedness. You have the opportunity, first to bed Abigail, a witch that seems
to be vexing the town. They accuse her of summoning the Beast. Defend Abigail
and she will fight by your side against the Beast. Hand her over to the
townsfolk, who will kill her and they will help you in the fight against the
Beast. But you can turn the tables later and kill the principle townspeople who
are, at the core, evil.
Such is the
duplicity of the game. Gamers are allowed to forge their own path through and
play as they see fit.
The combat is
compelling and does not require much to get a handle on, though there are three
difficulty settings that do come into play in terms of the game’s challenge. The
game has two ways of moving and controlling your character – there is a straight
mouse option and a keyboard-mouse combination. In the latter, you move using the
WASD keys and can strafe in combat. To enter combat, you simply left click on a
target. When engaged in combat, when the sword icon looks like it is on fire,
you left click to unleash a combo. But that is only part of the witcher’s
abilities. He also has mage abilities, and you will unlock them as you
adventure. The first one you get is Aard, which is a telekinetic push. The signs
are attached to the number keys. You key in the one you wish to use and then
right click to use that skill. With Aard, you can knock down opponents and
perform a finishing move, rather than engage in a prolonged combat with them.
Also, different opponents require different combat styles. There are two main
ones – strong attack and quick attacks. You simply pause the game (using the
space bar) and then select which attack you will utilize.
There are three
methods of viewing the game, and these can be switched back and forth at your
discretion. There is the high and low isometric views and over-the-shoulder view
as well. It is important to note that the game does have a targeting system, of
sorts. You have to face the way you are fighting or casting, and if you use a
spell, you have to click on the target of that spell in order to hit it.
The game does
have some issues, though, including a few crashing problems. It crashed once
after zoning (and prepare for zone/load times when you enter and exit buildings)
and once when exiting the game.
Some of the
other smaller issues with the game include the repetitiveness in the
conversations and how – sometimes – the conversations seem to make little sense.
Also, when you get to the first boss battle, you may not succeed initially, and
failing means having to repeat the cut scene that precedes the battle. This is a
bit of a pain.
The sound of
the game is very solid. The voice acting is a little understated at times, but
the music and ambient sounds are on the mark. Graphically, the game shines.
There are some minor clipping issues with the preview code, and you will have a
time working the movement in the over-the-shoulder mode as what you perceive to
be straight ahead may be off on a bit of an angle. The lighting effects and
spell effects are well done. The environmental textures are also nicely
rendered. There are some invisible barriers that will prevent you from
traversing the world freely, though. For example, you can’t wade or swim across
water and if the quest lies on the other side, chances are there is a way
around.
The game has
five chapters and three possible endings. It did seem, at times, to advance one
quest you needed to achieve success in others. You can save at any juncture and
this is wise. Die and the game will reset to the last checkpoint, which may be
on the other side of a cut scene.
This is truly a
refreshing game that may plague your conscience through choices you might make
as your journey through the game. Focus on one goal, though, and being the fact
that Geralt is a mercenary, a killer for hire that judges right and wrong from
his own standpoint. Those that want to see him dead are in the wrong. Those who
don’t may not be right. The only one who is right is Geralt. The Witcher offers
no easy choices. This is a game that thrives on challenging players to think,
not just wander through the world in a hack ‘n slash escapade.
In that regard,
The Witcher is a benchmark RPG. It does not belong in the hands of the younger
set, if for no other reason than its adult themes. But it is precisely the
latter aspect that makes this game so compelling. It feels alive. And even when
you’ve made a choice and see the results as they work out in the cut scenes and
environments, you begin to realize that what CD Projekt has created is a living,
breathing world.
The Witcher is
not without some problems, but it is a terrific RPG experience.
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Gameplay: 8.8
Save and then
explore the different paths through the game. Some paths may make you
immediately regret decisions, while others can give you a helpless feel. Early
in the game Geralt can challenge the notion of destiny and fate. As this is a
game designed by a development team, that is sort of an oxymoronic moment.
Still, the game does offer several different endings, giving players a strong
voice in determining how they play the game.
Graphics: 8.4
The combat is great
and the way the game makes you face your target (and yes, you can accidentally
hit an ally, who will no longer be an ally) is well done. Shadows and lighting
effects can be spotty. Geralt will move through a shaft of light and it won’t
affect him, though it does affect the environment. On the downside, though, the
game does have a number of NPC clones running about.
Sound: 8.3
The musical score is
solid and the actors voicing the characters do a nice job, though sometimes the
dialogue seems to be out of context.
Difficulty: Medium/Hard
Concept: 8.8
This is a game that
has several elements seemingly gleaned from other sources. The ability to pause
the combat, drink potions, set up attacks and select weapons or spells is akin
to RPGs like Neverwinter Nights or other Wizards of the Coast fare, while the
enemies and the manner in which you fight the various waves is reminiscent of
titles like Diablo II. Still, give the dev team a lot of credit for the way they
have melded the elements together and used the Witcher stories to forge a solid
gaming environment.
Overall: 8.8
Not without a few
problems, The Witcher is still an important adult-themed RPG. The game is
immersive and while you can pause it, consider choices and the like, this is a
game that will ask you to think and make choices, not just hack ‘n slash your
way to glory. The leveling system and alchemy elements are very nicely done. RPG
gamers should have a good time with this title.
