However, the events of the first The Witcher has left Geralt with a serious case of amnesia. To make matters worse, the warrior finds himself caught in the middle of a deadly political conflict that lands him tied up and being tortured as a prisoner to the crown after allegedly assassinating the King of the North. Geralt manages to escape his confinement, but life doesn't get much easier for the assassin, as enemies seem to come in greater force than does friends for the loner. The story is very similar to the original version of the game, but there are new quests, characters and other content added to sweeten an already amazing storyline. Combat in the game is like few other RPGs before it. Geralt will have to use cunning and technique in addition to power to be successful in battle. This means while swordplay is the primary means of dealing damage and killing your enemies, you will also have to use magic, potions, traps, evasiveness and other strategic maneuvers if you hope to live to see another fight. You'll gain experience through combat, and you will be allowed to level up and customize Geralt through a set of skill trees focused on particular traits such as alchemy.
There is an abundance of side quests and fun mini games scattered throughout the game as well. When you get tired of hunting monsters and progressing through the game's main storyline, you can let off some steam in fist fights with local townsfolk which is essentially an extended real time event that earns you some extra incentives. Of course, you can also relieve some built up tension by visiting the local brothel and making a new lady friend. This is only the tip of what can be experienced in the game that already features nearly 40 hours of compelling gameplay that eventually pays off with a great ending. Even the game's presentation is fantastic, although the Xbox 360's graphics look slightly blemished when compared to the PC version.
You'll notice the occasional framerate drops and graphical glitches, and the colors in some areas aren't quite as vivid as in its PC counterpart, but The Witcher 2 is an amazing sight to behold still. The game's excellent graphics are only topped by the superb voiceover and the enthralling soundtrack, and the game's controls have been expertly instituted into the Xbox 360 version, so you're always in complete control of Geralt. You'll be sucked right into this dreary world, and you won't want to leave until you've settled its problems. If you've never played the original The Witcher the game provides an in-game directory of the game's characters and events to remind you of the world's history, and there is an extensive prologue that will get you caught up in the beginning of the game. There really is no reason not to own The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition if you're a fan of RPGs or entertaining games in general. And with all of the extra bonus content offered in the enhanced version and its new availability on two platforms, there has never been a better time to get into the series than now.
Game Features
Developer: CD Projekt RED
Publisher: Warner Bros Interactive
Rating: M for Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Nudity, Strong Language, Strong Sexual Content, Use of Drugs
Platforms: Xbox 360 (reviewed) & PC
Release Date: April 17, 2012
Score: 9 out of 10