The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Critique (& Story Commentary)

[@FinnPayton]

I use these to fall asleep and I always end up three critiques ahead of where I started in the morning.

[@granite_planet]

Slept for 8 hours, three videos have played in the meantime. #justchrisdavisthings ;)

[@brownie6860]

Lol did that last night, woke up to this clip and read this msg,

[@FinneousPJ1]

If I was the author I would be slightly offended lmao

[@rd2471]

I do this too, wish there were timestamps on this vid

[@brianmatthew2290]

Ha thought I was the only one

[@Henry_Chan]

Witcher 2 was actually my introduction to the whole series, and I genuinely loved it. I think being unfamiliar with the setting and politics has it's advantages because Witcher 2 was unlike anything I had played before visually and stylistically. Witcher 2's big selling point back when it launched (from what I remember) was that it was a mature, adult RPG, and it really is in more ways than just sex and violence. Witcher 2 is a lot bleaker and more cynical than basically any other RPG (including other Witcher games), but it doesn't feel myopic, it's just genuinely dark. I think that was what really invested me so heavily in a game that really didn't care whether or not I was familiar with the setting or characters.

[@Henry_Chan]

I just replayed Witcher 2 recently, and uh, yeah, definitely agree with you. I don't really think any game honestly handles sex very well. I think the one thing I like about the way Witcher 2 handles it is that Geralt's relationship with Triss is pre-existing so you never have to romance her and then get "rewarded" with sex like in so many other games. That's really about it, though.

[@twinmama42]

@GiRayne It's just the way sorceresses are depicted in the witcher books. Though most of them are past 100, they look like early 20ies to 30ies. They wear robes that leave little to imagination. During the Thannedd banquet there are the following description for three different sorceresses. One wears a white chiffon blouse, so transparent one can see her nipples, another one wears a similar black chiffon blouse with some additional embroiderie, that leads the glance even more towards the nipples, the third is wearing a skirt with a slit. Whereas fashion demanded the slit to end up mid thigh, this sorceress had a slit up to the waist. I, as a woman myself, don't mind this, as the sorceresses use their looks to their advantage and are (as some other women like Suleyka Thyssen of Kovir, Meve of Lyria and Rivia, Shani, Cantarella, Milva and Angoulême, i.e. most other important female characters) depicted as very strong, truely emancipated women. I'd prefer to look at a completely naked Geralt instead of one in pants though. But I take, what I can get.

[@Trumplican]

@GiRayne dragon age really??

[@Trumplican]

@GiRayne LOL i love how people are going crazy over Saskia's cleavage when there are games that show so much more. Like anime and those fighting games like dead or alive those are wayyyy worse. In my opinion CDPR does it in style and I'd like someone to mention games with better sex scenes.

[@Trumplican]

@GiRayne sex as a reward? I fail to see how The Witcher uses sex as a reward. In no way does the game reward you if you do decide to romance a woman and it's always optional. And almost everything in life skimps out on male nudity not many people wanna see a penis or a hairy ass that's just the way it is.

[@MrOrdinaryundone]

58:00 If I remember correctly, Foltest and the La Valettes are fighting because they are holding his children ransom: Foltest wants to legitimize Boussy as his heir instead of Adda, because she is either dead or still cursed and married to Radovid; and either way a prince would be a preferable heir. But the La Valette "family" (actually it's a group of once loyal bannermen and nobles who are actually in charge and are now turning on Foltest, like Count Echevarry who Foltest nails with ballista) are seeking "privileges that would weaken the crown", which you are led to believe is just garden-variety greed but is later revealed that they were working with Nilfgaard to attempt to undermine Foltest's power in anticipation of their invasion. So basically the whole conflict was set up by Nilfgaard in the first place.

[@tirodallarufina]

MrOrdinaryundone wow didnt know this! Thanks

[@DarthFennec]

I love replaying this game and noticing all the details pointing to Nilfgaard as being behind everything that happens. I also love splattering Echevarry, I'm glad the game lets you aim the ballista instead of just showing you a cutscene. Much more satisfying when you hit him.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

Regarding the plague thing... 1:58:58 There was SUPPOSED TO be a string of side quests in The Witcher 3 that would focus on curing an outbreak of the plague in Novigrad with Iorveth helping you out... but it was cut. Time constraints and all that.

[@Camelotsmoon]

God damn it, that sucks...instead he just doesn't exist. I was looking forward to seeing him, and I just never got too. Was hoping he would be in a DLC.....nope. It just turned out that the path I took in Witcher 2 just gets entirely ignored, and the main character I rolled with doesn't exist anymore either.

[@evilminded6610]

@@Camelotsmoon wdym, I hear Iorveth everywhere while I'm playing tw3 XD

[@SuperAntichicken]

I'm watching this because I can't wait for Joseph Anderson to finish up

[@zuituit]

lmao me exactly what the hell

[@blasuqar]

same, it's a good warming up, provided that the stories are so complicated that it's better to see them twice in order to understand. Honestly, I found the vid average at best, it's not clear, not very well paced or explained, and 95% of the story content is description, not commentary, but it makes the job in introducing the story, it will be easier to follow and appreciate J.A's vid after that.

[@Venched]

Joe is lazy af

[@NukularPower]

same lol... still waiting

[@sayansengupta5791]

OOOF size: Extra large but same

[@DarthFennec]

"There's a hidden stat system whereby Geralt's ability to do any one of these [persuasion] options depends on how much he's used it ... unfortunately you aren't given any way to keep track of what you've used and how strong that ability is." I'm pretty sure you do. If you go into the Character Abilities menu it should show you the "Axii Sign Hex", "Intimidate", and "Persuasion" abilities, and which level each one is at. I think using one of these options once increases it by one level, and each caps at level 3.

[@3dmaster205]

Huh, I did like the backstory of Letho and Geralt; so much so I let the man live in my main playthrough.

[@collinsorenson2151]

I let him live because i was comming of a long play session and wanted to finish the game before going to bed and just didnt feel like fighting him

[@Mrityugata]

1:37:26 Stennis getting arrested is a result of your choice. You can get his blood if he gets lynched. And you still need to cross the mist to find Triss.

[@Mrityugata]

1:57:32 Geralt has his own motivation to lift the curse -- regaining his memory. Also, the mist is spreading.

[@DirkLarien]

The "Witcher Code" is made up nonsense by Geralt himself. To have excuse for anything really :-) Taking job, not taking a job, whatever he feels like. Very flexible go to BS. It seems like you read the books, so i assume it got lost in translation. Jokes are after all very hard to translate.

[@Exigentable]

Lmfao, that makes me love the character just a little bit more. I wouldnt have picked up on that on my own. Thanks for sharing.

[@deisophiagaming8216]

Chris mentions this right at the end of the video, how the code is just a neither here nor there and made up by Geralt. Timestamp is 1:54:00

[@Irmarinen]

He also invented it after hearing a mention by a vesemir (or sb else, or the Geralt himself came to that conclusion, can't remember it clearly), that it makes him (Geralt) more trustworthy in the eyes of his contractors, bc, the witchers, while abominations/mutant/genetic freaks, still follow some kind of code, just like a knight, or a priest would do, making the withcers a bit more human.

[@chrisrosenkreuz23]

thats so meta

[@SuperAntichicken]

Can't do the dishes, Witcher's code

[@renato898]

You need to clear the mist on Iorveths path because it is slowly expanding and eventually it would reach and consume Vergen.

[@Irmarinen]

Also, Cedric tells him a prophecy about his memory returning after he lifts the curse from that battlefield.

[@sanderwillemse278]

@Chris Davis, I have seen 30 minutes so far and I absolutely love it. I especially like the background information you provide and the extra research you have done. Also the way you criticize something feels more reasonable and in general not nitpicky. Many other popular video game critique youtubers go to far on criticizing the negative side of games and can create a negative vibe in their videos by doing it. However i have one issue with this video. 2 hours of content is really long and most folks would not be able to watch it in one go. The different parts in your videos seem to transitation well into eachother and therefore it could be difficult to make chapters. However, some time stamps could help a lot. Not only for watching parts of the video in multiple sessions but also the rewatch the video and look again at a certain topic (for example to watch your critique on witcher 1 combat vs witcher 2 combat and compare them to eachother without having to search those parts in their video). I don`t think a lot of time stamps are neccesary, if you look at the dark souls 3 critique of joseph anderson there are only 4 time stamps in an one hour video which is great. curious about your thoughts about it.

[@thewayfarer8849]

Really liked your review of the first game so looked forward to this, as the series gets better going on in my opinion.

[@yordaman17]

This is a much, MUCH better critique than Joseph Anderson's. Fewer memes and nitpicks, more substance.

[@dominikbehrendt1934]

I see one good reason why they changed the scene of Triss talking to someone via the megascope. It helps introduce the mage you'll most likely interact with in Act 2. If you sided with Roche earlier, it stands to reason you most likely will again so you'll see Dethmold ahead of your interactions later on (and vice versa with Philippa more heavily featured in the Iorveth storyline).

[@TheBigTunaMunster]

Since I didn't have a gaming pc I remember buying a used Xbox 360 just to play this game and it was worth every penny.

[@thehouseof-l4066]

The funny thing about the Witcher's code is that Geralt states in the book that he made it up to try and sound more respectable to gain more coin. He also found it useful as a way to refuse contracts he didn't want to do.

[@davidwhite8485]

You brought up Triss's secret from the Witcher 1 and how the meaning is unclear. Forgive me from going straight from memory as it's been so long since I played the first game but I believe when you get out of bed in Triss's room you can inspect a nearby window and Geralt will remark on scuffled footprints that indicate someone left in a hurry. In the Witcher 3 when the Witchers bond at Kaer Morhen during the lifting of the Sage's curse, I believe Lambert will bring up a time he spent in Vizima where he has a secret that could hurt a good friend. I believe the secret was that while Geralt was unconscious or otherwise indisposed, Triss and Lambert had a minor affair that they both hid from Geralt. I heard this theory on a couple of Witcher 3 Easter egg videos a while back so I mistakenly thought it was the popular consensus as Triss is definitely portrayed as more sly in the games than in the books. Anyway that's the conclusion I believe and I also agree that it is a poor plot point that goes unused, unresolved and ultimate unimportant

[@Warfolomei]

While questionable, why would another witch care about something like that? Especially if it was a minor fling. Which makes even less sense, if you think about Geralts loss of memory and how little he would have cared about it.

[@Samm815]

I think the idea bout not needing to research monsters is that Geralt is remembering his knowledge of those monsters. Xbox Owner: Yes we did get a physical map and a handy dandy quest book.

[@Danickas0]

One thing you should mention is how the side quest are connected to the world an main story for example in that quest in the haunted mansion, if you go hand over Rupert and his friend to Loredo, you find out that his mother was the girl who made off with all the loot nilfgardians hid and used it to secure position for her son in Flotsam.

[@MrBiizer]

It's a great analysis - I've never heard anyone checking logs to complete their research so it's impressive. I'd advise adding some timestamps in the description or in the comments though - the video is long and the changes between topics are very fluent, but it would make it easier to watch it in parts, not to mention jumping to an interesting part of the analysis. Great job :)

[@Amazatastic]

With dice poker, I never threw the dice I just kind of gently dropped them and still won really often 🤷

[@piotrkarp9562]

Sheela in Flotsam was looking for Letho. In her mind he went rouge after killing Foltest. She wanted to find him.

[@sernoddicusthegallant6986]

Normie plebs: Not saving Ciri because they were busy playing Gwent Me, an intellectual: Not clearing my name because I was busy getting lost in Loc Muinne

[@arisrayden]

me, a philosopher: still stuck in vizima playing dice with thaler and drinking with shani and the boys

[@alexsm3882]

Fun fact: Loc Muinne is constantly changing layout and it is therefore impossible not to get lost.

[@Drewe223]

Absolutely loving this series, you are so underrated.

[@bobbyknockles5815]

I love ur videos, they help me go sleep. Not in a boring insulting way. I always pick up where I left off every night. Just soothing narration and critique about awesome games.

[@Screwball-D2]

Loyal viewer here, reminding my favorite content creator of video game analysis, that we all egarly await the witcher 3 critique. This was the same as waiting for the mass effect 3 critique several months back. I just can't wait to hear your thoughts. Anywho dude, keep it up, your quality is exceptional. :)

[@michalkukla7835]

Maybe it was changed in later patches, but when I first played the game Quen was insanely overpowered. You could easily defeat the dragon at the end (even on the hardest difficulty) just by reflecting damage trough that sing. It took a Long time, but it was quite doable.

[@lrmcatspaw1]

My take on The secret that Triss was not telling is about Ciri rather than Yen, but it was my own interpretation knowing nothing about the books. It may have been left open for the players to fill, which is a good whicher thing to do.

[@sunbro6998]

I played through the witcher 2 twice, and for the life of me cannot remember anything about the combat.

[@Waddehaddeduddedaa]

I think one of the great qualities of Witcher 2 is how it presents you information. If you have not read the books or played the previous games there is a lot of stuff you do not get. However you get enough to be really invested in the story. And then on multiple playthroughs you can piece everything together yourself and that includes the main events and character backgrounds (on of the biggest for me was that Saskia is the dragon, which is only revealed if you side with Iorweth which I didn't during my first go). But you also find out more about Geralt's mysterious backstory with Yennefer and the Wild Hunt. I learned of ALL these things from the memories of Geralt during Witcher 2 which was a phenomenal experience. btw the love this game. I bought it on my 16th birthday first things first and played it at least 4 times.

[@sparhawk4713]

About saskia's side not needing to clear the mist. The mist is expanding and it will eventually cover Vergen if not stopped. That's why they have to clear it.

[@DarthFennec]

"When I say 'risk', the chances of at least one die bouncing off are give or take about 100%, it's insane." Yeah no I just drop them every time. It's random enough if you do, and there's no chance of them leaving the board that way.

[@HansAlRachid]

I think what I am most impressed by with the Witcher games is that they are genuinely something I can respect creatively. Most larger gaming projects might be entertaining, but only in extremely rare cases do they ever seem to have a real, original vision for what they want to be that's not built on focus testing and market efficiency - the Witcher games do. Creative integrity and passion, how often do you see that in gaming? And with a budget, even! Insane.

[@jroaduri]

I loved this more than the 3rd

[@hugopolo-lecoffredugeek8318]

Best video on the witcher i've heard so far. I recently installed the game again, i felt nostalgic about the game. This helped me enjoy even more what's awaiting me (again) :). Thanks for your efforts making this video.

[@BloopityBloop55]

One of my fondest memories of this game was me and my buddy taking turns to try and beat Letho on the hardest difficulty. Took us a good 2 hours to do this. Quen-spam for the win!

[@joematthews6063]

1:59:35 Someone else might have already pointed this out by now, but the real reason Sile came to Flotsam was to find Letho so she could get rid of him. Letho mentions this to Geralt during their final conversation. Anyway, love the videos! Keep it up :)

[@tszyn]

Exactly. After the assassination of Demavend, the Lodge was surprised that Letho also killed Foltest. They thought Letho either went mad or got co-opted by Iorveth. It was perfectly logical to want to eliminate him, as he could point the finger at the Lodge for the killing of Demavend.

[@thewayfarer8849]

I'd like to add I think the Witcher's code is simple and brutal (don't kill other witchers, remain politically neutral, always exact payment for your duty), and Geralt's Code is used either to discourage curiosity and spies ("we can't talk about my work") or to uphold his morals (I will say the Code allows X, so I can do good. I won't leave someone behind because of the Code). His Code would be a political tool and means to force himself to do good. It's something to get past academics and officials, and a shield to hide his hidden nobility.

[@Maharani1991]

+

[@The_Dude99]

Wow seeing this upload has made my night. Can't wait to watch this!

[@FlockOfHawks]

it kind of ruined mine , i hope my boss will understand :o)

[@opinionpaladin6007]

Duuuude. That hit detection explanation makes so much sense. I totally felt that but could never figure out what was up

[@Alucard3362]

Yesterday I finished your The Witcher 1 video (it made me subscribe), so this is a nice surprise!

[@raifthemad]

Sheila being in flotsam is explained as her looking to contact Letho after he killed Foltest, because the sorceresses still thought that he was their ally and just got over enthusiastic. Kayran parts were just a bonus/cover. It definitely got explained somewhere in the game in at least one of the paths, don't remember where though.

[@Greg-iz6nl]

Excellent review! Extremely detailed and informative of both about this game and games mechanics in general. Very easy to listen to. Subbed - you shot up to top game reviewer. Very genuine and unbiased. Big Thanks for making this video!

[@levihenze9297]

Chris, your stuff is great. Thanks, man.

[@Warfolomei]

Instead of a rock creating a wave, I think it's more similar to a lot of small pebbles been thrown into the water. Where Geralt isn't the only one who made a different decision to start the other path.

[@kaptenteo]

TW2 is definitely the part of the series I have the most trouble revisiting. The clunky controls and erratic combat make it a nuisance to play most of the time, but I also think that the writing itself has aged poorly in some parts. Granted, the same could be said about TW1, but that title carries a lot of charm with it, and I absolutely adore the stylized visuals. TW3 is a masterpiece, though, and no matter how many times I replay it, it never gets tiring.

[@Danickas0]

Writing was the best in Witcher 2.

[@HeelPower200]

TW2 writing, character and plot were far superior. TW3 mainstory felt somewhat like a JRPG's..

[@DarthFennec]

Yeah, I'm the opposite. TW2 has by far the best writing and the characters are on par with TW3. TW2 has plenty of charm and great visuals, while TW1 is just plain ugly to me. TW2 has perfectly usable controls and combat, I have no issues with it, however TW1 has terrible controls and combat. TW1 is the one I have the most trouble revisiting, and TW2 is my favorite, but TW3 is also way up there.

[@johnathanera5863]

@@HeelPower200 lol. Nice joke.

[@alexworm1707]

I fucking love all Witcher games, they all offer something unique. I remember even beating the witcher 2 on insane mode. I played through it at least 5 times

[@curseesruc]

The best game in the series imo. I love Witcher 3 but I think it would have benefited greatly from a more linear experience

[@yoloswaggins2161]

In terms of combat I think most of it revolves around working around getting backstabbed, I never really skilled the backstab damage reduction but as you point out the roll distance is vital. When in a dark mode playthrough basically all I do is invoke the spinning attack that you use to finish off the nekker at around 16:57 and then put distance. To do to the spin attack just run towards the left of your opponent then do a fast attack. It'll rapidly apply like 3 attacks which is insanely powerful. I think the signs are some of the weakest upgrades in the game as they're very powerful unenhanced. The alchemy tree is insanely overpowered but each to their own.

[@raresmacovei8382]

"Leveling Up the Backstab damage reduction to 100% on Higher Difficulties feels like a necessity". I don't know If I finished this game too many times that I'm now fluent in all its mechanics and I can plow though even on Dark without the Dark equipment, but I *never* upgraded that skill. The backstab thing is not even such a big deal IMO.

[@ArbiterLibera]

Yes, but that plays into "don't get surrounded" approach. It's not an issue if you don't expose your back to the enemy in the first place.

[@raresmacovei8382]

@Prince of Persia Sure, but he made it sound like a bigger issue than it is. You'd take a lot of damage in "any situation" if you're surrounded

[@anonvideo738]

at 1:11:30 dont you mean famous? 1:39:00 if you investigate the corpse in the crypt after you bought the pliers from the general goods vendor you can find out there are pieces of metal stuck in the claw wounds, indicating it was a metal weapon that killed him, not succubus claws. So yeah, the succubus is not evil. I personally like witcher 2 the best since its the most focussed of the bunch. Also I found the potion system a good middleground since meditating to drink took a lot of time while the W3 potions feel like regular potions. You still have to plan your stuff while being able to pick the right drink on the spot. Like when you plow through the dungeon to get to saskia and you run out of cat halfway. The dark weapon sets are a chore to grind since they are insanely expensive (so you do a bunch of boxing), you get them only at the end of a chapter, and the stat bump from each chapter's gear makes it kinda useless. They do look good though. One thing I missed is that you get perks based on your actions. Usually they are fairly small. But if you turn down triss in the elven baths you gen unenchantable, which is a 10% magic reduction which is probably one of the best of the game. I guess most people didnt see it though since they wanted to get down with triss. Lastly, after you kill the kraken you can go back to find a note in the crashed ship in the boss fight arena. This is a 3 chapter epic quest to get really good armor which gives +1 to your fatigue meter.

[@Makrelacz]

31:20 In all your examples you can't use signs when you have only one vigor point. So I'm guessing that the shown vigor point system is only simplification and there is a posibility that it shows one vigor point even when it's not actually ready yet.

[@e.treacy7724]

You haven't played the Witcher 2 unless you unequipped your boots by mistake and didn't notice Geralt running around barefoot for the last hour.

[@ndb6ndk99]

Great stuff. Just a thought, timestamps might be a nice inclusion for these longer videos, for those of us who can't always get to watching the whole thing at once. I realize there aren't clean sections for this, so maybe it's just not really doable. Just a thought. Keep up the good work!

[@LukeSparrow221]

But the video should just kick off where you left it.

[@FootprintsForTwoTravel]

Crazy how we complain sometimes that a campaign is only going to be 25-30 hours with reply value, when most games nowa days barley make 6 hours.

[@chrisragnar1]

Now days after 5 hours we are usually begging for the game to end. Its unusual to want more :p

[@samuelrs5138]

Like which games? RPGs these days last way longer than 6 hours and generally more than 25-30. I don't think it should be compared to something like the story mode of an FPS since those games inherently have better replay value and are developed around multiplayer rather than single player.

[@valgusAllergik]

comment for the comment algorithm. I love your videos Chris, wish you all the success

[@travisrothschild415]

Great video. On the point about not knowing what happens to the alternate set of characters in each respective playthrough: I think the whole poisoning thing doesn't happen, because Stennis doesn't make it back to Vergen if you side with Roach. Assuming that means the knights, including the brother of the great Seltkirk (the only non-welsh Aedernian), don't stick around. But I can't remember if you see them when you go to Vergen to kill Henselt.

[@GusaElof]

Impressive video, even if it is hard sometimes to hear the weak sides of my favourite game. Keep up the good work!

[@ArbiterLibera]

Problem with everyone talking about reliance on Quen is you then see them rushing headlong into combat and not at all using bombs/throwing daggers to control the battlefield. Due to the cadence of combat you kinda need to shuffle around making attacks at everyone without overly committing. This is compounded further by some absolutely *essential* skills being locked in the Swordsmanship tree; Position, Riposte and Footwork aka skills that will get you out of harm's way without needing to have Quen running 24/7.

[@Mrityugata]

1:59:34 Sheala is in Flotsam to find Letho as well.

[@Danickas0]

Yes, he killed Foltest and went rogue, that wasnt in the lodge plan.

[@Term1nator98]

Yet another incredible critique, fantastic work!

[@Millenium-Mige]

1:52:17 Yes, Xbox 360 version comes with a two-sided map. One side is the map shown here, and the other is a closeup of the Pontar Valley.

[@TokeBoisen]

I find it really interesting you view The Witcher games as good RPGs, as one of the most common complaints towards the games is that you'll always be playing as Geralt, inherently limiting your ability to role-play a character. I've played all three to some extent, and I really look forward to your eventual analysis of the third game. Thank you for all your hard work.

[@dotanuki3371]

Role-playing is not necessarily role-picking. I've never heard people claim genre disqualification from playing JC Denton or The Nameless One.

[@tobe2854]

Great video man. Keep up the good work

[@upscrambled9367]

I love these retrospectives and usually it only takes me like 5 days to finish one. FML.

[@xxxxxrandom]

About thinking you register a hit because batmans fist connects with the enemy... I've never thought this less than in the batman games. I press button to inflict damage and then watch an animation of how that happens to occur.

[@gingerbeargames]

really well put. I never got into the witcher 2, the combat really got to me and just killed my motivation to see it through. Which is strange because I loved the first game and it's way jankier. Looking forward to what you have to say about 3 after all this now.

[@ЕвгенийЛебедев-н7ц8э]

Upgraded bombs and snares (well, bombs mostly) is THE most useful skill you by all means MUST invest in if you are playing on harder difficulties. However, it might not be the case if you're so reliant on the signs like you are, I rocked a swordsmanship-based build, and bombs were indispensable.

[@thelioness8991]

Very insightful and interesting commentary. I just finished my second playthrough of the Witcher 2 so this video came at the perfect time. Please keep it up! I absolutely love these long video essays.

[@Whizzer]

A very reasonable critique. You definitely missed out on the succubus quest. A minor thing: there's no 'A' in Yrden and Shile even pronounces it during the Kayran battle.

[@ThePreciseClimber]

> You definitely missed out on the succubus quest I did, too, due to the confusing layout of Vergen. I had no idea the area with the pond even existed for the longest time.

[@CybFrog]

He probably didn't buy certain tools from the merchant. If I recall correctly, the game never yells at you that you need them in order to get the most out of the victim's corpse.

[@DagothDaddy]

Witcher 2 holds a special place for me and is still my favorite game in the franchise from the cold and pallid art design to the design of the UI and skill trees being like a nervous system or a brain. It was the reason I built my first Gamming PC when I was 16. I had played on PC before but always on stock or professionally built machines.

[@loganross1861]

I agree. Thinking of playing it again with mods. I played Witcher 3 with the “Witcher 3 enhanced edition” mods installed, and it brought it closer to W2, but the story and writing and vibe of W2 is just better imo.

[@stanislasvillard2795]

I finished a third run on this game yesterday (doing the trilogy in one go). Perfect timing !

[@Ubeogesh]

I love act 2/Iorveth's path so much.

[@thatyoutubechannel9953]

I played The Witcher 2 for the first time on XBOX One and honestly, in terms of visuals, it far outdid most of the newer games I had been playing at the time. It also felt much more modern and forward-thinking than any game I can remember playing on XBOX One. As for the lighting issues on the PC version, I remember occasionally noticing a weird orange hue but I don't think it was nearly as bad as the footage in the video showed. I found myself almost never using quen because I realized that I could avoid a lot more damage by trapping with yrden or keeping someone busy with being on fire while I took out their friend.

[@katzenlady3245]

More player choice than Cyberpunk...

[@jimharrison2513]

There isn't much difference in AC Odyssey's endings? Ummmm Yea there is. My first playthrough I kept all my family alive but I was surprised as hell on my second run when Kassandra stabbed my mom in the back when they were hugging. I was so sad that I reloaded and decided to fight Kassandra and not give her the chance to kill my mother. But in that ending she was pissed because I promised earlier that I would save Kassandra and she didn't want anything to do with me. I am actually surprised at how much choice Odyssey had.

[@ecvent0r]

The bombs in The Witcher 2 were actually very good, much better in fact than signs. In particular the fire bomb, I don't remember the name but it dealt huge damage and staggered enemies so it was crucial for croud control with swarming fast enemies like nekkers, humans and harpies. Signs required points invested that you had to take away from the combat or alchemy tree. They were also very hard to make hit what you wanted properly when upgrading them to have AOE effects. For Aard and Igni especially, the enemies that were hit were determined by proximity to the targeted enemy as mechanics wise the Igni and Aard were still single target signs that added a spreading effect after casting. The only sign worth upgrading IMO was Quen, just for the damage it dealt when exploding which staggered enemies as well

[@DarthFennec]

"Insane sounds much like the same as Dark, but with permadeath. That is 100% not my cup of tea, so I immediately wrote that one off." So, this game on Insane difficulty was for me the single most memorable and rewarding experience I've had in any Witcher game. I did three playthroughs (one of which was on Dark) before attempting this, and I knew before going in which route I was going to take, how I was going to spend my skill points, what gear I would use throughout the run, I had everything planned. I ended up dying maybe ten times in the prologue, and three times later in the game. The prologue is by far the hardest part, since you don't have any skills or gear yet, but it's definitely doable as long as you take it slow and careful. Most of the rest of the game is pretty straightforward as long as you don't take risks. The Eternal Battle (when you go into the mist and posses the ghosts of the past) in particular can really trip you up, though. You're very limited in what you can do (no signs, no dodge roll, etc) so it's best to put skill points in the few things that do affect this part before going in, like vigor, riposte, etc. Also there's a section where you're being bombarded by instakill arrow volleys. I'd say this is the only point in Insane that's actually unfair, but if you're careful it's not a problem. The most important thing to remember when playing Insane is to save whenever you can, and reload your last save as soon as things start getting a little out of your control. If you play this way, and don't take risks, and you're patient, it's a VERY doable mode.

[@seancanttalk]

I like the Joseph Anderson reference. Everyone has been waiting on his review.

[@mr.fahrenheit2157]

Will you make a Dragon Age: Origins retrospective?

[@henrycrabs3497]

No

[@Crazozourus]

Awesome video and W2 is my favorite. Especially pre nerfed combat was amazing, shame they changed it though you can play v1.0 if you own the box.

[@WhiteWolf-di2nh]

Omg after so many years I still remember that Kayran - goddd it was scary and it was one of the hardest and most annoying and most time consuming battles for me. Not that it's bad - just being so hard and dying 283@!#@8 times in one boss battle can be kinda demotivational.

[@DarthFennec]

"I am Henselt of Ard Carraigh, the last of the Unicorns. I won't beg for mercy." in the distance, hear the laughter, it's the last unicorn IM ALIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIVE IM ALIIIIIIIIIIVEEEE oh wait no I'm not

[@d3vilman555]

There’s a mod that turns Geralts dodgeroll into a pirouette. It’s pretty neat

[@romulusnuma116]

Can't wait for the 3 hour video on Witcher 3

[@dannycarmack2044]

Silé was in flotsam looking for Letho and the Scoiatael

[@vendasiax666x8]

Alvin: Yes? Geralt: BE GOOD!

[@Mrityugata]

1:34:19 Pretty sure the events you're referring to take place in the south, where Geralt wouldn't be recognized.

[@maikbaumann1250]

iam surprised you didnt mention you can play neutral in witcher 1 and in witcher 2 you have to chose. i guess you didnt know its possible to play neutral in w1? because aloooot of people dont know that and its easy to fail. [edit] oh and its clear the roche side is canon (even while i liked the other side more) just look at witcher3

[@markcarr5142]

Picked up The Witcher 3 a few years ago for $10 on clearance. Just started playing it... And it's daunting, having never played the Witcher series before. I also picked up The Witcher 2 on sale for Xbox for $1.99. I then find out that it's another 60-100 hour game...

[@quantum5226]

Fantastic video! Well done! =)

[@IGreyKnightI]

Geralt's code is his alone. There are examples of witchers like Witcher George who killed dragons. Geralt often uses the code as an official excuse to turn down requests that do not align with his own moral code. Quote from Last Wish: "No not the code. Although I have at times hidden behind a code. People like that. Those who follow a code are often respected. But no one's ever compiled a witcher's code. I invented mine, just like that. And keep to it...

[@keystonelyte]

My thoughts on the, "Witchers don't kill dragons," thing is either that witchers don't kill dragons because they are more often than not sentient, they are just way too dangerous to be hunted alone, or some combination of the two.

[@Jereb343]

*Dragon daddy Joe wants to know your location.

[@henrycrabs3497]

Gay

[@Deepstinkt]

The potion system is an issue, in chapter 2 during the "reliving the battle" part you cannot once drink potions, if youre playing with an alchemy build then youre playing this part "naked" talent-wise which can be be quite tricky on the higher difficulties. Other than that I agree, its not too bad when you know where the fighting starts.

[@vekyyy]

53:55 Ciri is mentioned by a certain innkeeper when you choose a certain optional dialogue (iirc asking him to tell you a story)

[@OhMeGaGS]

I finished Witcher 2 long after it was released. I started both Witcher 1 and 2 without seeing them through to the end till I got Witcher 3, played it to 100% and later replaying the entire trilogy the whole way through with carrying over savefiles. About the second game specifically I remember my last encounter with Letho very fondly. Through the entire game I was sure I'm going to meet and kill him in the end, putting that conflict to the rest, however once I finally had the chance to listen to his side of the story I hesitated. He was still guilty, he was still a murderer and he still made life very complicated for Geralt, but all he's done he's done to preserve the witcher way of life, till he himself realized that he was just a pawn in Nilfgard's game. His death while possibly cathartic would not solve anything - he would just be another corpse on the altar of war he helped ignite. I remember sitting there at this dialogue choice for solid minutes contemplating what should I do, and at the end I decided to let him go. As a dying species to a dying species, desperately grasping at the chance of survival, one last parting gift. I really didn't expect to be making that choice. I'm still upset I couldn't strip the Virgin Queen of one of her titles though.

[@Maharani1991]

lol :D

[@stereoflava2788]

The bit where the ghost forces you to answer questions about the past is like a straight copy from Gothic 2 Expansion, there you have the same situation, you want something from the long-dead ghost and in order for him to give it to you, you have to answer his questions which in order to answer them you needed to pay attention to all the lore. Video for those interested: kzbin.info/www/bejne/iImlhp5sjd-Gq68

[@smeegy1]

I spent so long getting the dark mode specific armor in the first town only to discover it puts this OBNOXIOUS visual filter on your screen and even plays an annoying sound the entire time you have it equipped.

[@gabeperras3711]

I'm 5 minutes in and I've just realized its a 2 hour+ video