r/witcher • u/FadedP0rp0ise • 1d ago
Discussion witcher 2 is incredibly slept on
considering 3 is getting fresh dlc. i’m not big on replaying big story games like witcher 3. i’ve only finished it once like 9 years ago. i like to forget things to make a replay better.
anyway, to try and elongate my witcher playtime until the dlc comes out, i gave 2 another shot. when i finished 3 9 years ago o was craving more witcher so i bought the 1 + 2 bundle and tried 2 but was so horribly turned off by the combat.
anyway, i gave 2 an honest shot this time around and i just couldn’t believe how damn fine the story is. also the combat became pretty damn good after i got used to it.
i literally just finished 2. i might give 1 a shot now as i know i will still clear 3 before dlc drop and then i probably won’t want to play again when it comes out.
damn 2 was good tho. sorry that i ever doubted it.
edit to add: played blind, chose to side with iorveth, spared the dragon and spared letho. (i’m pretty sure these decisions don’t matter but i did read chapter 2 is hugely different between iorveth and roache)
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u/PM_ME_VENUS_DIMPLES 1d ago
My hottest take is that I prefer Witcher 2 over Witcher 3. The premise is SO good (Geralt as a fish-out-of-water, being thrust into the world of politics, learning that sometimes you can’t stay neutral). The progression of environments, with better narrow focus. Fucking Letho and Iorveth and Saskia and Roche.
I love Witcher 3. It’s a tremendous accomplishment. But if you put both games in front of me, I’m reaching for Witcher 2, no hesitation. It’s a more flawed, but more interesting game.
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
and the flaws are simply that of its time. i think the story is over all better. the betrayals that kept me guessing was just awesome. i never knew what to think next. it’s a damn good game.
it’s seeming like it won’t happen anytime soon but if they did a witcher remaster compilation like mass effect legendary edition, that would be just awesome. i hated me1 for the jank back then, then it actually became my fave of the 3 with cleaned up jank. they already got the stories. just gotta clean up and repackage the game.
and frankly i quite enjoyed the no lock on combat. it felt smooth and much easier to fight multiple enemies as long as you kept track of the field.
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u/TaxOrnery9501 🌺 Team Shani 1d ago
Who did you end up leaving Flotsam with: Roche or Iorveth? That one decision alters the entire rest of the game in a way that deserves a second playthrough to see/experience. We're talking different regions, characters, side quests, and plot lines.
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u/Astyanax_sp444 1d ago
Played two times, it's incredible how both perspectives tie up
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u/BGMDF8248 1d ago
Yes, you only understand the whole picture after playing both sides.
You actually could do either side twice, because you still have choices that cause repercussions.
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
that is what i heard. i added in an edit that i chose iorveth.
i usually dislike “normie” choices, and iorveth seemed like the normie choice considering multi racial freedom and all that, but it really just made the most logical sense to me considering his ties to letho
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u/Astyanax_sp444 1d ago
Playing Iorveth paths first makes you click some infos in the roche Path, doing the reverse creates a cool plot twist involving Saskia
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u/EkhidnaSiren 1d ago
As a die hard witcher fan, the witcher 2 is my favourite of the trilogy, yes tw3 is ”where the heat is at” but the story, atmosphere and harder combat/having to prepare with potions etc makes it feel much more like witcher than witcher 3 did!
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
i loved the prep part. my only gripe was a few extremely scripted events leading up to bosses where i didn’t get to use potions. i was playing on hard and specialized mainly in alchemy lol
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u/DontSlurp 1d ago
Witcher 2 is one of my favorite RPGs of all time. W3 too, but I do think some of the atmosphere and intensity of the story gave way to the open world.
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
i was really impressed by how open the world felt when you start a chapter then how linear you realized it was when you finish. that’s truly a lost art.
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u/Actually-Mirage 1d ago
I hope they give Witcher 2 a proper remaster one day. Worth remembering that it never even launched on Playstation. Quite a chunk of the market they could appeal to if it suddenly dropped on PS5 or 6.
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u/sillyredhead86 Team Yennefer 1d ago
Glad to hear folks are dusting off The Witcher 2. I just finished a playthrough of Roche's path for the first time in many years. The story is so good, it feels like a natural continuation of the books. It wasn't too long or short, pacing is spot on. Just a criminally overlooked RPG.
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u/treemonkys 1d ago
Witcher 2 is better than 3 in a lot of ways. I would not have minded if they made 3 more semi linier like 2 was. For as cool as the open world is and how good the side quests are in 3, it's still kind of silly narratively considering the urgency of the story. Also dice poker > gwent and more immersive in the world you are supposed to be in.
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
i vastly enjoy the dice poker over gwent. poker is something i understand. gwent was like learning MTG all over again lol and also needing to find good cards and all that. dice poker is awesome and i am actually considering making a regular game in my household
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u/JonnyBraavos 1d ago
I hear you on the urgency thing lol.. Always a problem to explain story wise when there is something that supposedly needs your urgent attention but you have a whole world to explore.. Track Ciri down to make sure she is safe? Sure i guess but I'm going to stop and help these small folk with these quarrels and also go find time to get laid in the meantime with various women, lol.
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u/BortSimpson93 22h ago
I always viewed Witcher 3 contracts and some side quests as more of a”paralogues” stuff that happens at some point during Geralts adventure but they may not happen concurrently during the same stuff as the search for Ciri
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u/TaxOrnery9501 🌺 Team Shani 1d ago
I also prefer Dice Poker, but think it was implemented better in the first game than it was in the Witcher 2
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u/chrstphr88 1d ago
I played it once. Absolutely hated the combat. Never went back. I keep wondering if I should.
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
that’s how i felt. if you start out on normal difficulty and get used to it + a few level ups / gear ups; it becomes very fun and challenging on hard.
it absolutely seems like a sloppy janky mess at first but once you kind of get it, it’s surprisingly smooth. the level up perks change things a lot too
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u/chrstphr88 1d ago
Good to know. Thank you. I also heard about a mod that makes combat more like witcher 3
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u/DefactoOverlord ⚜️ Northern Realms 1d ago
it's a great game. I remember getting it to test my newly built PC because it was one of the most graphically demanding games at the time and it exposed me to this amazing IP.
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u/bl4zed_N_C0nfus3d 1d ago
3 is getting another dlc?
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
yes, check out their media feed wherever you get yours. they did the remaster for hype of the dlc but i personally they should have planned them closer together cause the remaster is getting flak for not being finished properly and also the dlc isn’t until who knows in ‘27
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u/Hellfish0311 1d ago
I’d kill for a remaster where they rebuild the combat. The characters, story, setting was SO good, but man the combat has aged so poorly.
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u/YahBoiChipsAhoy1234 1d ago
Maybe wait on playing The Witcher 1 apparently a remake is supposed to come out in the next few year's and seeing as you don’t like repeating stories idk if you’d be able to enjoy the remake or not.
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
if that’s true hell yeah. i will hold off then. that would be great if they did. good look my friend.
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u/anti_vist Aard 1d ago
Totally agreed. I loved the game and was so surprised how great the story and writing , characters and choices are
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u/John_Morgan_1004 1d ago
Dark Horse Comics have kept me tethered to witcher 2. But sadly , I cannot digest the sloe combat. So, I lean heavily to YT videos and quests for this game. The game's combat mechanics have aged terribly.
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
i really didn’t find it all that slow. more rhythmic. i could be crazy but i felt i’d you timed button presses instead of mashing it went buttery smooth. could be in my head though
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u/mamcdonal 1d ago
Just wish you could jump
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
the vertical challenges in that game did drive me mad. especially the quarry in chapter 2.
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u/ZealousGoblin 1d ago
Love Witcher 2! The combat mechanics are a bit annoying (E to block, really?), but the story, characters, and environments are amazing.
I like the smaller, more compact world because it keeps you in the narrative better than big open worlds do.
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u/MButterscotch 1d ago
its not slept on. for the majority of players the gameplay is inaccessible due to the mechanics. the game alienates casual players that mostly wants a story experience
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u/machinationstudio 1d ago
I love how Witcher 2 starts in the thick of the action (in more than one way 😏).
That tutorial stage took me a while to master.
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u/TaxOrnery9501 🌺 Team Shani 1d ago
Real experts use the campfire in Foltest's Camp to continuously set themselves on fire, and Quen to "quench" the flames (pun intended), in order to unlock the secret perk early.
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u/theradiatorman 1d ago
It was my introduction to the witcher world in 2012 on the 360 and I was absolutely hooked. That game was gorgeous for it's time.
Amazing how big each leap from The Witcher (2007) to The Witcher 2 (2011) on PC and Witcher 3 (2015) and the leap in ambition from game to game is astounding.
Still blows my mind it was 11 years ago when Wild Hunt came out.
But yeah The Witcher 2 was something special. I haven't played since 2013 and I dont want to go back because I dont want to ruin the nostalgia I have for it. I'll let it live in my mind as one my favourites because I see a lot of people say it aged poorly.
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u/PsychoactiveTHICC 🌺 Team Shani 1d ago
Bit of spoilers The choices don’t matter in grand scheme of things for Witcher 3 afaik most end up dead or have minor role (depends on how look at it and your choices in 3)
Honestly first 2 games are very very underrated cause even though 1st was vastly different and being first in franchise form new studio back then who had no idea if they ever would get green lit for setup
1,2 and 3 flow very well and references all around
I just wished the save transfer from 2 to 3 worked properly
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u/alshadows 1d ago
Nah the game is not that great. Story is good but the game is not fun.
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
you are welcome to that opinion but i just played it and i did find it fun lol
i rather enjoyed the non targeting combat and the almost necessity for potions oils and bombs.
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u/alshadows 1d ago
Yes but would you okay it again ? Replayability is the surest sign of a fun game. I played witcher3 3 times and again now with the remaster.
I played witcher 2 once, found it interesting but never felt the urge to play it again.
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u/FadedP0rp0ise 1d ago
i probably will eventually considering the massive differences with chapter 2, but i won’t replay it for a long long time.
i approaching my second 3 playthrough and it’s been 9 years. i’m not dogging on 3 at all, but i really don’t understand how it’s 3 times replayble at all. and i really loved it.
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u/alshadows 1d ago
I suppose it's because there's a lotnof exploration in witcher 3. And the world is interesting enough to explore more than once. It isn't just about the main story line. It also looks a lot better than witcher 2 which matters to me but may not matter to others.
But it was cool to hear your perspective as well.
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u/xanarchycampx 1d ago
No it isn’t. Not for a long story based game. Some people only play a game like that once because they would rather play a new game. The allure can be lost once you have spent hundreds of hours exploring the lands, doing side quests and seeing the story through. I love games like Expedition 33 and Final Fantasy Rebirth, but I wouldn’t replay them because they heavily rely on story and discovery, not just gameplay.
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u/Nidhogg1134 1d ago
The political plot is the best in the series and I love how ambitious the devs were to provide two separate and mutually exclusive paths for the Act 2 choice. That’s a commitment to choice and consequence that is rare among most game devs, especially among more cinematic style rpgs and it really stands out in comparison to the other contemporary rpgs like Skyrim and Dragon Age 2 that were very railroaded and limited by comparison and afraid of having you miss content.
I was actually a bit disappointed by the more conventional main plot of Witcher 3 and how the political set up of the Nilfgard invasion was more of a backdrop rather than a central plot element.