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E3 2007: The Witcher will win you over
Tiff07.18.08 - 6:12 AM 25 comments

E3 2007: The Witcher will win you over screenshot
The final game I was shown while meeting with Atari turned out to be a wonderfully pleasant surprise to round off my afternoon. Polish publishing company CD Projekt's upcoming fantasy RPG for the PC, The Witcher, attempts to redefine the generic RPG into a complexly involved gaming experience unlike any RPG before it. The narrative, a continuation to a series of popular Polish fantasy novels by author Andrzej Sapkowski, places you in the shoes of a mutant assassin named Geralt and follows his journey of morality choices to unfold a fully unique experience each time you play.

To see what this beautiful gem of a game is all about, and to observe the first time I've virtually drooled all over an RPG since I first discovered the Final Fantasy series, hit the jump.

It seems as though the anti-hero has taken a firm stand in modern video games as demigods slay the big-time gods while other folks summon the darkness to get revenge on mob members. Geralt would qualify as one of these characters; a mutant human with supernatural powers and an assassin by trade who stands on the edge of what is good and what is evil throughout his journey.

In Geralt's fantastical world, humans, elves, and dwarves pit racism against each other forcing Geralt to decide whom he must support and whom he distrusts. Because of The Witcher's unique narrative, players encounter choices who's consequences can only be detected hours later in the game. This prevents any hypothetical indecisive wimps who would save before a choice is made in hopes of having full control of the story. When a significant moment in your path is a clear result of an earlier decision, a short illustrated cut-scene reminds you of your past actions, giving relevance to the present. All in all, this gives the game remarkable re-playability with a total of three entirely different endings to anticipate.

Not only will you put more thought into your game in regards to the story, but The Witcher's unique battle system allows the player to become more conscious of their fighting technique. Utilizing two different swords, a steel sword most effective on humans and a silver sword specialized for monsters, players must choose which weapon best suits the battle situation while additionally switching between strong, fast, and group fighting styles. Furthermore, because of Geralt's mutant make-up, typical potions cure him while simultaneously depositing poisonous toxins in his body which in the long run will cause damage. This prevents players from going potion crazy to cure themselves and alternatively forces them to plan how they intend to care for Geralt in the long run. That's right folks, you have to be responsible for the guy. Geralt refuses to be disposable and really despises the after burn of phoenix downs.  

The lush and beautifully rendered graphics create a uniquely tense environment that is significantly more grim than the typical fantasy landscape and refreshing at that. With a modern dialogue that doesn't attempt to be Shakespearian and social mini games such as pub drinking to manipulate your allies, The Witcher looks to be a fresh take on the typical RPG and by far one of the more interesting games that I got a chance to see at E3.



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Nex's Avatar
Nex at 07/18/2007 06:22

I've had a hard-on for this game since I first heard about it nigh-on 2 years back. I'm just hoping it's released before I turn to dust...
Nyteshade's Avatar
Nyteshade at 07/18/2007 06:25

Been watching Witcher for awhile. The screens CD Projekt's been releasing have been hot, good to hear it's coming along well. Hopefully it'll do something to shake up the current RPG market, tried and true is great, but games like Oblivion leave you wanting more.

For sure I'll be picking this one up.
yairagat's Avatar
yairagat at 07/18/2007 06:27

(My first post!)
I truly hope this thing isn't a huge disappointment like every previous game that came out of eastern Europe. They have some good ideas but execution is usually poor.
Tron Knotts's Avatar
Tron Knotts at 07/18/2007 06:49

Argh! Not again!
bluemeep's Avatar
bluemeep at 07/18/2007 06:55

When I think about this game, I get happy.

When I realize that it has a snowball's chance of running on my system, I get sad.
GuitarAtomik's Avatar
GuitarAtomik at 07/18/2007 07:05

I wish this was coming to 360 since I have doubts on whether or not I can run it on PC. It sounds pretty awesome though.
AngelsDontBurn's Avatar
AngelsDontBurn at 07/18/2007 07:26

That actually looks very nice!
Altair78's Avatar
Altair78 at 07/18/2007 07:31

This game looks hot. I think it's my first time hearing about it, but after reading .tiff's words, I'm going to get it. .tiff can make me do anything.

<flees to work>
Mabec's Avatar
Mabec at 07/18/2007 08:13

Iam gonna be a big bobbed lady who smack small children.

Insta-win!
RJG's Avatar
RJG at 07/18/2007 08:33

You missed the most important part of th article. Who is the redhead with the big gams? I must know! Can I take her as my Witching Wife and spawn redheaded devil children?
xtofuconsumerx's Avatar
xtofuconsumerx at 07/18/2007 08:42

I hate learning about games like this because I want it to be out now! Its like Darkfall, yeah its awesome but give us a damn realistic release date.
GuitarAtomik's Avatar
GuitarAtomik at 07/18/2007 09:03

Not to be a broken record or anything Tiff, but did they mention anything about porting this to consoles. I'm reeeeaaallly interested in checking it out.
Tiff's Avatar
Tiff at 07/18/2007 09:10

Unfortunately they did not. It looked absolutely stunning on the PC and it was totally disheartening to find out that they hadn't made any plans for moving it to any other systems.

If this game does as well as I hope it does, maybe they'll make the transition. Only time will tell at this point I suppose :/
RoyRP216's Avatar
RoyRP216 at 07/18/2007 09:34

how does one witch?
ShawnKelfonne's Avatar
ShawnKelfonne at 07/18/2007 09:59

I've been following this for a while actually, been waiting for it to finally come out.
rdaneel72's Avatar
rdaneel72 at 07/18/2007 11:18

RJG- "Who is the redhead with the big gams?"

Gams are slang for legs!

But, no mention of the nudie-girl trading cards you can collect?
EvolveTom's Avatar
EvolveTom at 07/18/2007 11:39

If the game sells well, the likelihood of a console port increases. The team still has a few months to iron things out, so hopefully the next time you guys take a look at the game, it'll be even better :)
demon_beast82's Avatar
demon_beast82 at 07/18/2007 12:02

This game is one of a few RPGs I'm looking forward to, I've seen some cool videos showing multiple way of accomplishing quest which looked cool and one of the developers said he hated oblivion (which is a plus in my book).
RJG's Avatar
RJG at 07/18/2007 12:34

Gams are...legs?

Oh, well I like her legs too.
Demmonpigeon's Avatar
Demmonpigeon at 07/18/2007 14:26

Jus a little info for everyone interested - the team making the game were fans of Neverwinter Nights 1 and amazingly are used the Aurora engine to make this game; f**k knows how theyve managed to push it this far! Bioware helped them out and now Atari has stepped in as publisher. This game is going to be awesome - i can feel it in my mutant bones. Wheres my drink?!Ive got friends that need manipulating...
Knyte's Avatar
Knyte at 07/18/2007 18:05

I am never looking forward to another RPG again.

I yerned and pulled my hair out waiting 3 years for Neverwinter Nights 2, and was horribly disapointed at that steaming pile.

I did the same thing with Two Worlds.

And, ever MMO since Everquest.

Never again. I will make a mental note of the game, and then file it away until it's released. And, then I can go, "Oh, hey yeah, I remember reading something about this game. I wonder if it's any good? I'll go online and check out the reviews.
Azereki's Avatar
Azereki at 07/18/2007 20:31

I am going to be forced to build a new computer by the end of the year. I can already tell. :/

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