The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings
Trivia
Added Game Modes/Settings (Patch v2.0)
- Arena
This is a new gameplay mode that is separate from the main adventure and narrative of The Witcher 2. In this mode, Geralt of Rivia duels a variety of foes to the death in a gladiatorial arena located in an unnamed town somewhere in the Northern Kingdoms. In addition to winning gold and valuable items, players also receive points for their wins. They can then post their point totals on-line to compare their achievements against those of other blood sport enthusiasts around the world. Geralt can encounter both foes and allies in the arena. He can recruit the latter for a fee to assist him during his most challenging clashes. To post your point totals to the forum, you must be registered and have a forum account! Register and establish your account directly through the game launcher or go to www.thewitcher.com. You can then log in to your account via the launcher.
IMPORTANT: Players using mods to alter their character attributes and statistics will not be able to post their point totals from the Arena to the server. This is a necessary precaution to prevent any attempts at distorting competition or misrepresenting player achievements.
* Tutorial
The game tutorial takes the form of a brief adventure during which players learn how to use a range of game mechanics and functionalities. Assuming the role of game protagonist Geralt of Rivia, players save a wounded knight named Bolton of Ironford while learning game controls as well as the basics of combat and alchemy. This transpires step by step as the tutorial guides players through a series of minor missions. Upon completion, based on demonstrated abilities, the tutorial recommends the difficulty level which the player should choose in embarking on the main adventure of The Witcher 2.
* Dark Difficulty
The âDarkâ difficulty setting is the most demanding difficulty level in gameplay terms. Under this setting, each and every foe represents a significant challenge. In addition to raising the difficulty bar, the module includes several new sets of equipment/items that are linked through a dark legend detailed in the Journal. Once all their components have been collected and donned, the Blasphemerâs, Oathbreakerâs and Kinslayerâs outfits provide great advantages in combat. The swords included in the outfits strip opponents of Vitality while supplementing the witcherâs. However, given that they are cursed, the swords provide no benefit and harm Geralt by sapping him of Vitality as long as the outfits to which they belong remain incomplete.
Amendments to the Game Manual (English)
- Page 9, Map panel â the map can also be scrolled using the mouse (LMB + mouse move) or the keyboard cursor keys.
- Page 10, Key binding - you can also custom bind keys using the configuration tool built into the game launcher.
- Page 27, Bombs â the âBeehiveâ bomb should be labeled the âGrapeshotâ bomb as this is the name used for the weapon in the game.
- Page 31, Quick casting Signs - Signs can also be quick cast by pressing the following: 5 for Aard, 6 for Yrden, 7 for Igni, 8 for Quen, 9 for Axii.
DLC Content (included in patches)
Equipment (available in inventory at the beginning of the game): * Blue Stripes Combat Jacket * Ultimate Alchemist's Outfit * Ultimate Mage's Outfit * Ultimate Swordsman's Outfit
Scenarios/Quests:* âFinisher Packâ â bonus finishers available from the beginning of the game * âMysterious Merchantâ - character who can first be encountered in the harbor in Chapter 1 of the game and then in all other game chapters * âTroll Troubleâ - start this quest by finding the relevant notice on the notice board in Chapter 1 of the game. Look for the troll just outside of Flotsam, by the ruined bridge in the forest. * âBarbers and Coiffeusesâ - for a small fee, Geralt can get some merchants to change his hairstyle. Search the notice boards. * "A Sackful of Fluff" is an additional quest in Chapter 2 of the game. To start the quest, visit the eccentric Elthon, who inhabits a solitary hut near the quarry outside Vergen.
Legal
After CD Projekt RED announced that THQ would distribute The Witcher 2 on the Xbox 360, Namco Bandai filed a lawsuit against the developer (announced on July 7, 2011). Namco Bandai also alleged in the suit that CD Projekt RED had breached their contract when it removed DRM protection without their knowledge.
In response to the lawsuit Adam Kicinski, CEO of CD Projekt RED, said:
"As with most cases, we first tried to end the dispute peacefully. Attempts failed and because of this, we hoped that our partner would send the case to the court. The agreement that we signed last year, concerned only the distribution of âThe Witcher 2? for the PC. The records were carefully clarified to avoid any ambiguity.
Namco Bandai have options when choosing the priority of our distributorâs version of the Xbox 360. It could use, but not taken advantage of certain preferences. In this situation, we chose the offer that THQ made us.
Our financial situation is very good at the moment and the lack of a few million does not have any impact on current activities. Withholding of payments means only that after some time, our partner will have to give us the money.
I hope that the whole thing will end with a pre-litigation settlement. If it doesnât, I am sure that we will win the case and then the loser will pay for our lawyers."
Dec 8, 2011: The ruling was in favor of Namco Bandai as the European distributor for the Xbox360 port due out in 2012.
Awards
- GameSpy
- 2011 â PC Exclusive of the Year
- GameStar (Germany)
- 2011 - #2 RPG of the Year (Readers' Vote)
- PC Games (Germany)
- Issue 01/2012 - #2 Best RPG in 2011 (Readers' Choice)
- Issue 01/2012 - #3 Best Collector's Edition in 2011 (Readers' Choice)
- Issue 01/2012 - #5 Best Game in 2011 (Readers' Choice)
Trivia contributed by Jeanne, Patrick Bregger.