Got the witcher on saturday and have been playing it for a few hours. So far I think it's a fantastic game with only a few let downs.
Firstly, the big one, the copy protection on the disk. I hate copy protection, I've bought the game, I don't want to be treated like a pirate. That's not the main problem I have with it though. If it worked, I'd put up with it, but it doesn't, every time I want to play the game I have to reset my PC, otherwise the disk isn't recognised. As you can imagine this is highly annoying, I've read on the technical support forum that daemon tools might cause problems, unintstalled that, no change, installed the latest copy protection version, no change, tried a fixed image, doesn't work. I find this inexcusable, it's bad enough when a game doesn't work because the developers are lazy when it comes to programming so it's got all sorts of hardware issues, but it's even worse when the problem is caused by something that gives no benefit at all to either developer and much less the consumer. I have paid good money for this game, but playing it is a right pain in the ass because of this bullshit that treats the customers like criminals.
I'm also having framerate problems. Sometimes it's perfectly fine, but occasionally for no reason it gets really choppy, usually in dialogue sequences. I'm in a tavern, all is fine, nice smooth game, but when I talk to someone it suddenly turns horrible. This is with the latest nVidia drivers as well.
The sound for some reason goes all funny after a random amount of play time, sometimes it's minutes, sometimes hours. It makes everyone sound all echoey and it's incredibly annoying.
The loading and save times are also a major issue, it takes a stupidly long time to load anything, very poor IMO and they need to sort that out, it completely ruins the immersion in the game. I was having loads of fun playing it earlier, I completed a few quests and it was time to get the rewards, but I stopped because I couldn't be bothered with the load times, I'd spent about 2 hours playing, most of that was in load times.
You should have Tim when he read that bit. He snorted so loud that for a moment I though I'd been sucked into a temporal rift and had appeared in a more literal interpretation of Dragons Den.
Of course, then I realised I was being a goon and just needed to work on creating better worded gross exagerations to protray Tims laughter...
Originally Posted by Torwald The first polish game I am proud of :D I think at last World will see that we CAN make good games.
Nice review too, I haven't got a chance to play it yet but it sounds promising.
I'm curious to know, Torwald, is the Polish version of the game less ... prudish than the American version? Cause from what I've seen in the American version, it appears they cut stuff out.
Originally Posted by Sparrowhawk I'm curious to know, Torwald, is the Polish version of the game less ... prudish than the American version? Cause from what I've seen in the American version, it appears they cut stuff out.
The Polish version is just like the euro verison, iirc - the euro version which i have. Boobs / bush aplenty. however, if this is the only reason you're picking up the title, don't.
From those first aggrivating moments in Act I, this title has really gotten incredible. Characters layered, your actions having visible reprecussions every time - and not just "oh hey, you did X, but circumstance Y will still occur, despite your influence". Yes, the plot does pull a Deus-Ex and take different turns at different points, but overall, you have a feeling of immersion, and everything you do and everyone you know will have at least a few more facets to them. Like Carmen. Wait until Chapter III for that one.
Perhaps the biggest part of the game that i find enjoyable is the fact that "evil" is a pallate of grays. For example, another quest with a damsel in distress -
Do you side with monsters to protect her right to a free life, or do you destroy her and the rest because they are monsters, forsaking their rights as beings? For what would seem like simple decisions the game places a lot of weight squarely on your shoulders, but still gives out random moments, such as the VERY satisfying result of clicking "DIE HAG" to Shani's landlord.
I may not be done the game yet, but i'm far enough invested to know who i want Geralt to be - this run. Generally, he's somebody out for numero-uno, refusing to be goarded into schemes and wars. So far, i've split ideals from my own goals, made distinctions that everyone isn't just the same, and pointed out the fact that i'd like just as little to be with psychotic rascists just as much as bigoted, arrogant fools.
They cut down the American version so it could get an M rating, as you probably know, AO means very few shops will sell it.
In the UK it seems the shops don't care what the rating on a game is, because we have laws in place meaning someone below 18 can't legally buy an 18 rated game, it's fine for it to be put on the shelves. If that means we can have games with gritty mature themes without people blowing hot air out of their asses then I'm fine with it, although I hate it when it turns round and just says no-one can play it.
I've just finished chapter 1 for the second time, I got slightly frustrated at how they just put a whole bunch of enemies around me. It would be fine if the combat system worked perfectly but it becomes unresponsive just at the wrong moments, or a group of enemies attacks at just the right intervals meaning you're just sat there not able to attack or move so I knocked it down to easy.
Apart from that, the copy protection problems, the audio problems and the framerate drop during some dialogue sequences I think the game is fantastic.
But the ending, despite the fact that you get it, no matter what, leaves a few questions open: Is the GrandMaster Alvin, if he's passed back through time? The amulet matches, it's just worn. Or maybe, there were other source children, with other amulets. This syncs up too well with alvin - especially what he says to you that mirrors your earlier statements - to be anyone but him.
Who's the mystery assassin? A clone of/temporal iteration of Geralt; a different version of Alvin? (perhaps he managed to produce more of himself via this time issue); or even, a perfected clone? Who knows.
The only problem i really had - and it came down to it, i was forced to choose - rascists or terrorists. Yes, there was the neutral path, but i didn't want EVERYBODY attacking me, FFS.
Comments 26 to 35 of 35
Firstly, the big one, the copy protection on the disk. I hate copy protection, I've bought the game, I don't want to be treated like a pirate. That's not the main problem I have with it though. If it worked, I'd put up with it, but it doesn't, every time I want to play the game I have to reset my PC, otherwise the disk isn't recognised. As you can imagine this is highly annoying, I've read on the technical support forum that daemon tools might cause problems, unintstalled that, no change, installed the latest copy protection version, no change, tried a fixed image, doesn't work. I find this inexcusable, it's bad enough when a game doesn't work because the developers are lazy when it comes to programming so it's got all sorts of hardware issues, but it's even worse when the problem is caused by something that gives no benefit at all to either developer and much less the consumer. I have paid good money for this game, but playing it is a right pain in the ass because of this bullshit that treats the customers like criminals.
I'm also having framerate problems. Sometimes it's perfectly fine, but occasionally for no reason it gets really choppy, usually in dialogue sequences. I'm in a tavern, all is fine, nice smooth game, but when I talk to someone it suddenly turns horrible. This is with the latest nVidia drivers as well.
The sound for some reason goes all funny after a random amount of play time, sometimes it's minutes, sometimes hours. It makes everyone sound all echoey and it's incredibly annoying.
The loading and save times are also a major issue, it takes a stupidly long time to load anything, very poor IMO and they need to sort that out, it completely ruins the immersion in the game. I was having loads of fun playing it earlier, I completed a few quests and it was time to get the rewards, but I stopped because I couldn't be bothered with the load times, I'd spent about 2 hours playing, most of that was in load times.
You're working with a bunch of tits, then?
;)
Of course, then I realised I was being a goon and just needed to work on creating better worded gross exagerations to protray Tims laughter...
I'm curious to know, Torwald, is the Polish version of the game less ... prudish than the American version? Cause from what I've seen in the American version, it appears they cut stuff out.
The Polish version is just like the euro verison, iirc - the euro version which i have. Boobs / bush aplenty. however, if this is the only reason you're picking up the title, don't.
From those first aggrivating moments in Act I, this title has really gotten incredible. Characters layered, your actions having visible reprecussions every time - and not just "oh hey, you did X, but circumstance Y will still occur, despite your influence". Yes, the plot does pull a Deus-Ex and take different turns at different points, but overall, you have a feeling of immersion, and everything you do and everyone you know will have at least a few more facets to them. Like Carmen. Wait until Chapter III for that one.
Perhaps the biggest part of the game that i find enjoyable is the fact that "evil" is a pallate of grays. For example, another quest with a damsel in distress -
Do you side with monsters to protect her right to a free life, or do you destroy her and the rest because they are monsters, forsaking their rights as beings? For what would seem like simple decisions the game places a lot of weight squarely on your shoulders, but still gives out random moments, such as the VERY satisfying result of clicking "DIE HAG" to Shani's landlord.
I may not be done the game yet, but i'm far enough invested to know who i want Geralt to be - this run. Generally, he's somebody out for numero-uno, refusing to be goarded into schemes and wars. So far, i've split ideals from my own goals, made distinctions that everyone isn't just the same, and pointed out the fact that i'd like just as little to be with psychotic rascists just as much as bigoted, arrogant fools.
anyway. Back to it.
In the UK it seems the shops don't care what the rating on a game is, because we have laws in place meaning someone below 18 can't legally buy an 18 rated game, it's fine for it to be put on the shelves. If that means we can have games with gritty mature themes without people blowing hot air out of their asses then I'm fine with it, although I hate it when it turns round and just says no-one can play it.
I've just finished chapter 1 for the second time, I got slightly frustrated at how they just put a whole bunch of enemies around me. It would be fine if the combat system worked perfectly but it becomes unresponsive just at the wrong moments, or a group of enemies attacks at just the right intervals meaning you're just sat there not able to attack or move so I knocked it down to easy.
Apart from that, the copy protection problems, the audio problems and the framerate drop during some dialogue sequences I think the game is fantastic.
But the ending, despite the fact that you get it, no matter what, leaves a few questions open: Is the GrandMaster Alvin, if he's passed back through time? The amulet matches, it's just worn. Or maybe, there were other source children, with other amulets. This syncs up too well with alvin - especially what he says to you that mirrors your earlier statements - to be anyone but him.
Who's the mystery assassin? A clone of/temporal iteration of Geralt; a different version of Alvin? (perhaps he managed to produce more of himself via this time issue); or even, a perfected clone? Who knows.
The only problem i really had - and it came down to it, i was forced to choose - rascists or terrorists. Yes, there was the neutral path, but i didn't want EVERYBODY attacking me, FFS.