The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings starts off after the first Witcher game ends. The player also gets to play again in the shoes of Geralt of Rivia, this time he starts out under the hire of King Foltest of Temeria. While CD Project maintained their works with keeping the decision making up to the player as far as how to story progresses with the choice/consequence style of gameplay and the world has stayed the same, that’s as far as the similarities go if you compare The Witcher 2 to its predecessor.

CD Project did a total revamp of gameplay and mechanics and even graphics got an overhaul. The inventory system became much more fluid and gave much more space to work with than the annoying limited space that was available in the first Witcher’s inventory system. Controls got much smoother and instead of clicking on the enemy to attack it with timed combos, the combat system got more intelligent. The graphics moved from being OK for its time to pretty fantastic for its time as the world became more colorful and detailed than before.

The leveling system gives you three different paths to follow: Swordsmanship, Alchemy, and Signs. Each path has its own branches and bonuses that come with its branches. Swordsmanship means you’re not afraid to come out swinging and are often a fearsome opponent in close quarters combat. With Alchemy it means you are a patient hunter that prepares traps for the various monsters you have to deal with throughout the game. Signs gives you the power of magic to play with and the more you train with it the more powerful your Signs become.

The storyline follows a prologue and three acts with defining moments in each act that could change the outcome of the entire game. Much like with BioWare’s Mass Effect series you may import the save file from your previous games into the new one’s and continue your Geralt’s story, I did not do this because somehow by some amazing occurrence my first play through of the Witcher 1 I played cannon exactly.

The Witcher 2 is very replayable as there are multiple endings you may have with several variations based on choices made earlier in the game.

Some issues people may have with the game are the fact that CD Project changed the gameplay style enough that getting used to the different controls from the first Witcher is a little awkard. Another problem I noticed people had was that when it cam to drinking potions, you could not do it on the fly, but the only argument I have against that statement, and it’s weak, is if you’ve seen the videos for the Witcher you see Geralt drinking his potions before he enters combat because a Witcher is always prepared with everything he needs for combat before it happens.

Overall, I highly recommend the Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings to any person who finds great enjoyment in dark fantasy worlds, role playing, fantasy-style combat, or just a plain good story.

The Witcher 2: Assassins Of Kings Enhanced Edition

Vane and Havoc

After I told her that her father had been killed, Leah went into a bit of a catatonic state. I knew the feeling, my own father had been murdered, but fortunately she was spared the sight of it unlike myself. We left Freeport and traveled north a ways before turning west towards Lourghn. I made sure our tracks were covered, but if the assassins had magic at their hands they might be able to find us anyways. If they have magic they’d have hunted us down already and you’d be fighting them every night all night. True.

I wanted to tell her that everything would be alright, but she has an uncanny ability to tell if somebody is lying to her, probably part of her ability as a Weaver, because it’s harder to lie to most of them. Yes, and you know why. I know that it’s because of the natural power and knowledge of magic that they contain. That wisdom is given to them at an early age, but their true power doesn’t manifest until puberty hits them, and she’s maybe a couple years away. If that. I promised I’d protect her, my heir, and that I will do. Yes, I know and while I don’t agree with you on that promise, I will support it.

Whenever I spoke with her the next few days she didn’t respond. The poor girl had lost so much so soon; she didn’t even get a chance to finish her painting. I wanted to tell her about her power. I wanted to tell her that she will eventually become on of the most powerful people in these realms. Weavers are magic, they contain it and live and breath it. Weavers have the knowledge of a specific type of magic and the power to use it to perfection, with some training. A disciplined Weaver is a force to be reckoned with, not even I have the power to defeat one with just my own skill. Yes, but with me you’re even more powerful. Shut up. You can’t deny the responsibility you gained when you earned my power, you know that some day you will have to use it again. Not today, not until the Apocalypse is freed, or when the Balance needs resetting.

We arrived at Lourghn, my first home, the great city that it now is was only a small town when I was born in it. In the center of it stands the statue of Aridios “Ironblade” Airstrider, my best friend, may he rest in peace. He’s honored as the greatest human hero to have been born ever, and he was even if they embellished his history a bit. If it wasn’t for his bravery and kindness and his ability to unite people under a belief, most of the places that exist now would never have existed.

“Vane, you’re crying,” these were the first words I had heard come out of Leah’s mouth since we left Freeport. You’re getting nostalgic.

I smiled. “These are good tears. Tears of remembrance and homecoming.”

She looked around the city’s grounds. “This is your home?”

“I was born here. My best friend lived and died for this town.”

Leah looked me in the eye. “Will we be safe here?”

I bowed my head. “Only for a couple days, then we need to move on. You remember the rules I told you right?”

She nodded. “Don’t talk to strangers. Don’t tell anyone where I’m from. If I have to talk to someone only let them know my first name. And keep in sight of you.”

“Good memory.”

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

Kingdoms of Amalur is a fantasy role playing game published by EA and developed by 38 Studios and Big Huge Games. Perhaps one of the best games released by EA this year. The people involved with its development are well-known for their works of story-writing and game development, names such as R. A. Salvatore, and Ken Rolston. This is one of the best games I’ve played this year, but it still has its problems too.

First, I’ll give you the good news. The story of this game is well written. Your character can be built from 4 playable races, 3 class trees that you can pick and choose from, and various “destinies” that you can unlock as you progress. At the start you are introduced to a world at war and the contenders are mortals on one side and the winter fae on the other. Your character starts out dead, and you are revived via a thing called “The Well of Souls”. However, because you have been brought back to life, you have broken free of your fate and now can manifest and change fate through your actions.

The game gives the player an excellent tutorial starting with movement and picking things up. Then it moves into the various parts of combat: melee, ranged, sneak attacks, and magic. The tutorial ends with you learning one last mechanic on a boss type creature, finishers. You get easily readable messages on the screen telling you which button does what, and that makes it very easy to quickly learn the game’s controls.

The game’s visually very appealing. Characters look good. The environment looks good. Your armor changes as you get new stuff, but certain combinations while they may be the best you have doesn’t always look good together. I have a Wizard that has a light grey-blue robe with green gloves, golden boots, and dark grey pants, but they’re the best pieces of equipment he has, but hey at least his staff looks cool. You also can have the option to hide your character’s helm or head-piece because not everyone likes how they look.

The voice acting for NPCs (non-player characters) is done very well. Voices for each character fits very well, and you can even pick up some feeling in the voice. Sadly, your character remains silent throughout the entirety of the game. Which brings me to the first bad point of the game. After playing several role playing games where your character responds through talking it felt somewhat foreign and intrusive having a character that has conversation choices in-game without actually speaking.

Combat is the majority of the game, so in that case it’s not much different from Dungeon Siege. However, the combat system is very smooth with no noticeable bugs, and enemies have resistances and weaknesses that make sense. There is a dark side to this too, except for bosses and sometimes not even then, combat is easy even if you’re playing the game on “Hard”. My wizard can one or two-shot most everything at his level and getting hit is no problem. I tried a rogue and fighter style of characters and even then combat was a cake walk.

Overall, I do recommend trying this game because it is fun and the story is interesting to follow. I also give it a 7.5/10.

Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning

The Three Realms

This is a follow up to the new page I made: The Three Realms. I figured I’d tell you a bit about each place. Also each one is clearly separated by a river.

First, there is Valaya (pronounced vah-lie-yah) in the west. Valaya is an empire that once ruled the entire world, but eventually its territories rebelled and it lost touch with everywhere except its neighbors Reneva (ren-eh-vah) and Dragia (dray-gee-ah).

To the west of Valaya is the Wall, a landmark built by the last territory to cut off all connection with its one-time ruler. The Wall towers into the clouds and projects attempted to scale it or go around it either way have failed. The Blood Plains were once the most fertile grounds in the three realms, but after a savage war fought after the rebellions the land became toxic to most plant life except the blood red grass that grows their now. The Darksang Woods produce a sap with an incurable poison and are protected by mysterious energies, only the most skilled or powerful can enter and survive and not for long. The Belt is a strip of wasteland filled with derelict buildings and dangerous predators, many a brave expedition have been sent there only to never return. The Ivory Sands are just that, a desert that has ivory white sand, and this sand is used to construct many of the buildings in Valaya.

Ivorand (pronounced as it is spelled) is the capitol of Valaya and the seat of the emperor and his advisers. It is built on a cliff with two massive trade ports to the east and west edges of the city. Anarcand (an-R-canned) is the city that was founded by the only successful archaeologist group ever sent to the Belt, and they only survive on the fringes of it, which is the safest part. Anarcand is also at the thinnest part of the Belt, therefor being the rest point for any trade caravans going through to the Oasis. The Oasis is the city that gathers the sand for building projects as well as gathering artifacts found occasionally in the sand. The Oasis is also the only plant-safe place in Valaya thus being the major agricultural city for Valaya.

The mountains along the western river are the home of dwarves and gnomes.

The eastern most realm is Reneva. Reneva is a republic run by the Ministry of the People. It was once a part of Dragia, but the people led by Dragian Airstrider broke free from the monarchy and created their Ministry. To the east of Reneva is the Great Divide, this is a tear in the world that was created by the first time the Apocalypse happened, separating Reneva from their neighbors on the other side of the tear. All attempts to reconnect with their neighbors have failed creating the assumption that there is nothing on the other side. Most of the landscape of Reneva is fertile plain lands. The Elvenwood is home to the elves and they have agreed to be a part of the Ministry.

Valius is the capitol of Reneva and the home of several heroes that have had a major part in protecting Reneva and even saving the world. Lourghn (lore-hn) is the home of Dragian Airstrider and his family line. Ravenshold is the elves capitol city within the trees of the Elvenwood. Freeport is a bustling business port with merchants, tourists, nobles, and other people from the other realms, it is from here many trade ships bring their quarry to Reneva.

Dragia is a monarchy with a regency backing and is smack dab in between Reneva and Valaya. They have been long-time allies with Reneva and try their hardest to maintain the truce with Valaya, because neither side really wants to start a war.

The Lilac Plains are named for the lilacs that grow in sporadic locations throughout the plains. Haven Forest is one of the safest forests for those that wish to get away from the laws of Dragia or Valaya, because the forest is owned by the city Haven, with is a home for anyone that wishes to escape or hide from everything. The Titan Desert is a training ground for the hardiest of the Dragian military, which is the most disciplined and tactically powerful military in the three realms.

Lilac City is the capitol of Dragia and home to the most secure and decorative castle in the three realms. Riverforde is a large town responsible to making sure ships make it safely with their cargo up and down river. Southport is the busiest port town in Dragia and a hub for people from various parts of the world. Haven is a safe place for criminals, hunted people, rejects, and other people that wish to be free of Dragia or Valaya. Haven has its own code of law and is the home of the Guardians, an organization created to help protect those that cannot protect themselves. Sunstone Tower is one of the two only remaining schools for those that wish to learn magic. Sunstone Tower has the strictest code and rules for its students and produces some of the greatest and most skilled wizards, but they often are not creative as they follow the rules that were hammered into their minds as soon as the enrolled. Dragonshold is the other great school for wizards, mostly designed to help students educate themselves in the art of magic safely. Dragonshold is led by the Circle of Mages who are skilled wizards that provide the order and rules for safe and free learning.

The Uncharted Territories are places that were once known, but the maps were destroyed many centuries ago. Now they are unknown and the few that dare to explore them rarely ever return. It is not known if anything has come from the Territories into the three realms.

Vane and Havoc

Another person dead by my hand. Sometimes I wish that I hadn’t earned this curse. You know better than to think that. This other personality - Havoc! - haunts me, controls me even. Makes me live longer than any human should. It’s a gift, one that you earned. One I sometimes wish I didn’t. Death hounds me. You are death, in a way. Silence, you do not comfort me. I’m not here to comfort you, only to be a guide as you serve the Balance. Yes, power for service, father always did tell me that power needs responsibility to be wisely used.

I sheathed the black crystalline long sword that is the second Apocalypse Crystal and closed the eyes of the dead assassin before me. “May Saint Shadow accept you into his cold embrace bold assassin.”

I then looked at the two guards that had watched me slay the contracted assassin. Such a shame that skilled men such as this assassin have to sign blood contracts to accept a job. Shut up. “Clean up the body, and the blood. Leah can not be allowed into this room until that is done. Do you understand?”

The guards nodded and began to gather others to assist in the disposal of the assassin’s body and cleaning of the room. I left the room and began the short search for Leah, the little girl that I was hired to guard until her father returned to protect her himself. I still don’t understand why you wish to keep her safe, she’s unimportant to the Balance. She’s the last in my bloodline and she will be a very powerful Weaver, why do you think I want to protect her? I know that, I still don’t understand the point, if you wish to create a new bloodline you can. That’s right, Havoc, you can’t understand.

When I found Leah, she was in her other play room curled up in a corner, crying. As I approached her, she sobbed. “Why do people want to hurt me? What do the evil people want from me?” Evil is relative, sweetheart. Shut up.

“Leah, I wish I could tell you why, but your father told me not to, but I will ask him to tell you when he gets back.”

“But I want to know now.” Tell her, you’re wasting your time and her life if she doesn’t know. So now you’re offering advice on this? Make up your mind, you support my choice to protect her or you don’t. If you’re not going to change your mind on this then I suppose I have no choice to support you. There’s always a choice, but I appreciate your decision.

I smiled. “Let me make you a promise. If your father doesn’t tell you when he gets back, then I will come back in one year to tell you everything you need to know. You’ll be fourteen by then, and old enough to know.”

She wiped her face off and nodded. “OK.”

You intend to keep that promise? My word is my bond, you know this. A foolish bond. “Let me get you that painting you were working on.”

She grabbed my hand. “No, stay. I can paint later. You remind me of Daddy and I feel safe with him around.”

I smiled. “OK.”

There was a knocking at the door and I turned to see a courier standing there with a letter in his hand. “Come in,” I gestured to myself.

He scurried in. “Message for you, sir,” he then turned around and left quickly.

Something about this is off. I opened the envelope and pulled out a letter.

Dear Vane,

I will not be able to return home, ever. I had learned that the guild that hired an assassin to kill my daughter, also sent an assassin after me. I managed to kill him, but not after I was poisoned by him. I can feel myself fading as I write this. Tell Leah I’m sorry, and keep her safe. Do not tell her of her ability until she begins to manifest it. There will be other assassins coming after her, so the best thing for you to do is take her with you on your travels. You will have access to all the funds of this family as payment, there is my broach in the envelope, with it you will be able to access the currency. Please accept this last job from me and once she turns sixteen you may be free of this job.

Thank you.

This is not what I expected. Finally, something we can agree on. “Leah… I have something to tell you. You need to listen to me, and do as I tell you afterwards.”

The Last Job

Damn it! I had to get shot on a job. By the Saints this arrow is agonizing. Damn it, a contract is a contract. I only wish now that I hadn’t agreed to it, because now this blasted job is going to be the end of me. I’ve got to keep moving. They’ll have begun moving the target if they’re intelligent. I just got to quickly snap this part of the arrow and take it out. By the Saints this hurts, but at least it went cleanly through… I hope. I hate these magical contracts. This job was supposed to be quick and easy, but he had to be here.

That cursed Vane had to be here. How could they manage to hire him? Him and his freakish senses, I swear he’s magical too. Now I’ve got to find the target and kill him before I get killed. Curses this leg hurts. Why didn’t I follow my instincts and say “no” to this job? Right… the money, I need it. Saints, I don’t want to die. Why do I have that gambling addiction? I swear if I get out of this alive, I’m taking the money and never gambling again.

I’ve never seen a royal house like this with so many guards. There’s no way they’d be guarding just one kid. There has got to be something else here. I think I’ll try to find it. First I’ve got to tourniquet this wound. Ugh, not used to seeing so much of my blood. Never mind about finding that thing, I’ve a job I need to finish before I get killed and the longer I’m here the more likely I’m going to die. This just means I need to find the kid and do the job and get out… if I can.

I dodged by some guards and dove into an empty room. How fortunate I found that secret door earlier or Vane would definitely have killed me. He’s better at swordplay than I am. I hope this luck keeps on going.

I dashed through a door in the room into one with two guards facing the door. Before they can react I pierce their lungs simultaneously with my curved long blades and carefully rest them to the ground. “May Saint Shadow embrace your souls in the afterlife.” Two more families would lose a loved one each by my hand. As I stood up again, my injured leg gave out, and I fell to the ground nearly letting out a yell of pain. It took me a moment to regain my breath and focus, and by then another guard checked the room from the hallway to see me with his dead comrades. I threw one of my blades at him and it hit the door, shoddy work. He scrambled into the hallway yelling for assistance.

I’ve got no time. I lunged to the door, yanked my blade from the door, and stumbled into the hallway praying that no one was near by. Behind me I saw two more guards charging at me with the run away with them. My heart skipped a beat as I stumbled gracelessly away from them. May the Saints grant me some mercy. I took the next door on my right to get a better position, hopefully. This room was clearly a massive child’s play room, and on the other side of it a young girl sat staring at bloody me with an easel in front of her, a simple half-finished painting rested on the easel.

She had long blonde hair and piercing green eyes. She couldn’t have been older than twelve, and she wore an elegant violet dress. Violet, my favorite color. This was the target, but I paused. She had an innocence about her that I couldn’t bring myself to end. She reminded me of the daughter I lost, the daughter I wished I could have saved.

It was then I saw a black flutter to my right and I reflexively dove forward as Vane lunged at me with his black, crystalline long sword. I turned to face him and searing pain brought me to a knee. My collapsing saved my life though, because as he finished his first attack he twisted and swung at my head. He missed and gave me a very clean shave. Taking advantage of my position and his failed attack, I lunged at him and swung with my left blade at his stomach, but he leaped back and I only gave his tailor another hole to fix.

I struggled to stand and again fell. A devilish grin came across the redheaded Vane’s face, because he knew I was dead and I knew it too. I dropped my blades and let myself fall to both knees. “End it, I can’t kill her, but I have to. End it so she can live.”

Vane’s expression changed to one of understanding. “Olivia, leave, please.” His commanding tone got her to quickly sprint past the both of us and the guards standing at the door watching the fight. I closed my eyes. Sweet freedom. Hello, my daughter.

Karrigan Rhougal: Night Watch

Night, it’s the worst time of the day, and here I am stuck with a guard shift at night. Who would’ve known that the academy’s best swordsman would end up as a night shift guard in some out of the way village with a name I can’t remember. The teacher said something about “attitude problem” I don’t have an attitude problem; he just had a problem with me because I beat him while training one day. Attitude problem…

I worked myself nearly to death some days training to get as good as I am, and then they waste my talents here. Maybe it’s because I’m a common-blood freak? That’s what the blue-bloods called me anyways, pricks. Sometimes they just made my blood boil, even now; thinking of those jerks makes me want to hit something. No, I’m a soldier now, I have discipline, and there is no need for me to hit anything except some bandit raid.

I should be out there fighting in some battle against any enemy we might end up coming across, but it’s not like that’s going to happen. Dragia has been at peace with its neighbors far too long now, but even then we’re still famous for our superior military. How can we know if it’s superior if there’s no one to test it out on? Valaya used to be our enemy, but after the war twenty years ago they’ve still yet to recover, and Reneva have been allies of ours since the beginning of time for all I know.

It’s not like I can pick a fight with just anyone either; I’ll just get discharged then, and I don’t want that. Maybe if I provoke someone into fighting me? Then I can beat him up without getting into trouble. That’s not likely to happen; I’m too easily provoked to do any decent provoking myself. For all I know I’ll end up provoking myself into beating the poor bugger up.

Nothing fun happens at night. Here I stand, me, Karrigan Rhougal, the best swordsman in the history of Lilac City Academy, and I have a job watching some stupid peasants. No, they aren’t stupid. By the Saints, why would I think such a thing? I am a bloody peasant. These people are my kin in a way. They earned their position just like I earned my guard position: bad luck. Nothing fun happens at night.

I’ve been here for two months with two other guards. I think their names are Philip and Hans, or maybe it’s Perry and Jan. I don’t know. They get the day shift, and I get the stinking night. I can’t imagine they have much fun either, but at least they have someone to talk with. I just get my thoughts and steadily lose my sanity.

Maybe I should just leave? I don’t deserve this position. I can find myself something else to do. I could become a mercenary; they get some fun don’t they? I can’t stand wasting my life here. Maybe I’ll think on it after I get some sleep. By the Saints! I can’t stand thinking anymore! I need action, no more thinking! I’m leaving tonight and that’s final. The other two can figure out what to do about shifts. I’m going to be somebody, not some stupid guard in a remote village that nobody cares about.

With that I got up from the uncomfortable wooden stool that was lent to me by the only villager that took pity on my position. Thomas I think his name was, yeah that’s right. I’ll leave it at his front door before I get my stuff. As I finished, I looked at myself. Sword, check. Armor, check. Food and water, something I’ll pick up before leaving. Horse, at the stables. I’m fine enough, I just need to pick up food and drink and I’m good.

The trip through the village to where the guards were house was uneventful. I think I scared a cat up a house, that’s it, and I’m not surprised in the least because I am a big man and I know it. The house we’re living in is no different than any of the other houses; simply put we’re peasants in a soldier’s outfit. I’m top dog here and I’m still worth less than dirt. I’m going to change that.

As I grab a bag and begin filling it up with travel rations and snatch a water skin, Hans or Jan woke up. Great, I just wanted to get in and get out without any trouble and he’s going to be curious about why I’m gathering so many supplies.

“Kar,” Hans mumbled as he stood up. I hated that nickname and he knew it. “What are you doing?”

I looked him square in the face. “I’m getting some food. I’m hungry.”

He squinted at the bag as I put one last day’s worth of rations into my bag. “Hungry for several days of rations? Why?”

I grinned at that, maybe I could get away with this. “I’m a big guy; you of all people should know I eat a lot.”

He shook his head. “Sure, yeah, whatever” and then he sat back in his bed and rubbed this eyes. “Can’t believe I got up for that.”

As I left the building and closed the door behind me, I began to move towards the stable. Part way there I heard a sound behind me and turned around to see an alert Hans staring at me ten paces away with his sword drawn. I knew I couldn’t have gotten away with this without trouble.

“Where’s Perry?” I glanced over his shoulder. “Didn’t wake him up?”

“It’s Philip, and there’s no need, I can arrest you no problem. I thought something was wrong, and then I realized no one eats that much, not even you.”

I grinned. “Now aren’t you a clever one. Forget you ever saw me. I’m not wasting my life at a post I didn’t deserve.”

He took a step closer. “No, you’re coming with me to the cell.”

I put my bag down. “Not that cage. I am not going in there. You’ll have to try to kill me before you even get me close to that stinking thing.”

“Fine” and with that, he lunged at me. It was pathetic how easy it was to break his guard, disarm him, and then snap his neck. I didn’t even need to draw my sword that’s how easy it was. All I needed to do was deflect his sword with my bracer and the rest was a cake walk. It’s odd how they said in the academy it was hard to take a life for the first time. This was nothing but exhilarating, and I was sad it was over so quickly and in such a less than dramatic fashion.

Good bye hell hole, welcome adventure. Good bye night watch.