The Wargamer

This time of year I naturally enjoy playing games that are a little darker and a more foreboding than the usual military or historical themed games I usually go for (although those include a lot of darkness of their own). For example, last fall I tried out Cthulhu: Dark Corners of the Earth. The year before that, I played F.E.A.R. And so on, back to the days of my childhood. This year I happily chose The Witcher [Enhanced Edition].

For players who don’t know, you do not have to purchase a copy of The Witcher: Enhanced Edition to get all the benefits of this newly revamped release. The upgrade can be downloaded in multiple stages from the game’s official website, definitely a welcome option for RPG fans with less than a big bag of loot to spend. And although I had some initial problems making the patch work, a quick perusal of the forums was eventually all I needed to get the game going. And once I did, I forgot about the rough install.

I missed out on The Witcher when it was first released, and I haven’t played an RPG at all in the last year and half. I chose to buy The Witcher because before I even began playing, I was drawn to the world based on Andrzej Sapkowski’s book The Last Wish. The tone and mood of the game world drew me in. It is dark fantasy but not overly so; it is bloody and macabre and it does include a host of monstrous creatures, but Sapkowski’s writing and CD Projekt’s production give the settings a solid feeling of semi-reality. From the crowded, dilapidated cities, to the damp tombs, brimming swamps, and altogether foreboding countryside, the world of The Witcher opens up for the player like a tantalizingly dark sarcophagus, full of foreboding and seasonally grim treats.

Uh oh!

The Witcher is broken into five chapters as well as a Prologue (read: tutorial) and an Epilogue. There are also additional downloadable quests available. At this moment I am about 1/3 of the way through the entire game (with an Editor well into Chapter 4 for more insight), finished with the Prologue and Chapters 1 and 2. There is one overarching plot line that the player is concerned with throughout the game, as well as dozens of other side-quests, some of which are the typical ‘run here, do that’ type of missions, while some are more involved. Combat has three styles (group, fast, and strong) and varies with what weapon the player has equipped. It can occasionally get rather clumsy and is not the game’s strong suit, but I ultimately got used to it and, for the most part, the game flowed.

Thank the gods for Igni.

There is also an almost infinite amount of potions and elements that the player can create from liquids and herbs found in-game, which can have a host of untold effects upon the player [HINT: do NOT drink any ‘unknown’ potions…I learned that the hard way]. To be fully effective in-game, players can also master a group of elemental magic signs (spells) that have different effects on the game environment, enemy monsters, and other characters. These aren’t required and if the player wants to smash his way through the game, he can certainly do that. However, proper use of the right spell at the right time can turn a nasty melee into a near cakewalk, so gamers are well advised to keep that in mind.  In-game lore can also be learned from hundreds of available books, and if you’re into the setting as I am, these tomes can be a great bonus. They help in immersing the player in the game and can offer a great sense of place.

The elves' secret fishing spot.

The Witcher also offers up a lot of in-game freedom as is possible in an RPG while at the same time providing some solid meat in the form of plot and subplot for players to chew on. It’s one thing to offer up a sandbox, open-ended game. Without the plot and the mood found in The Witcher, I have to say it would be a rather bland experience. CD Projekt balanced freedom of action and an engaging story very well. And while The Witcher is not as free-form as some recent releases, it doesn’t have to be because the quests are engaging, the legends exciting. It is a fine balance, but the The Witcher pulls it off well.  

Nice sunset.

All of the in-game alchemy, the books, and the culture that the player learns about is where The Witcher really takes off. It’s definitely a bonus that the load times are a fraction of what they used to be, the blood effects are eye-catching, and the game is highly stable. On top of all that the Enhanced Edition offers though, I daresay that The Witcher is a must-get game this time of year simply because of the storytelling and the mood the game possesses. Lighting and sound effects, music, architecture, folklore…everything comes together in The Witcher to coalesce in a fantastic but believable world. Occasionally the dialogue can be a little anachronistic and even jarring, but that won’t keep players from relishing the opportunity to role-play as Geralt.  Perhaps even more impressive is what the developers have done with the game engine.  The Aurora engine was first developed for the first Neverwinter Nights.  Considering its age, the graphics of The Witcher are phenomenal, and there are times when watching the sunset can be mesmerizing. 

Get involved or not?

And Geralt really is the star of the game. There are some other memorable characters, but none can compare with our protagonist. That said, although Geralt is interesting and I wanted to learn more about him as the game went on, if the player is into really heavy duty character building, The Witcher may not satisfy. The game world, when taken as a whole, is the real main attraction here, and the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. As I spelunked the dark depths, I felt like a little kid, brimming with anticipation. I couldn’t wait to see what was down the next well, around the next corner of a filthy alley, inside a decrepit old mansion or buried within a dank tomb. As exhausted as I was from long days of work and family time, for the last month or so The Witcher has been able to draw me back for at least an hour per night. I don’t know of a better way to recommend a title than that.     

I'm getting too old for this.