The Witcher – PC – Preview 2

E3 2007 Preview

If I were to tell you that The
Witcher was an RPG that features action-oriented gameplay, you’d instantly
think, "Oh, it’s an action/RPG." Ninety-nine percent of the time you would be
right. But this is not your average RPG, your average action game, or average in
any other way that a game can be. Designed as a structured (but open-ended)
adventure, the player controls a dark, potentially villainous character that can
do pretty much anything he wants. The interesting twist is that, rather than
have his actions cause a positive or a negative effect on the main character,
his choices determine what will happen to those around him.

Story details and exact scenarios
are sketchy at best, but the general idea was this: if there’s a dead man lying
on the floor, you may have somehow been involved with his death. Something you
did — maybe you were distracted, fought someone else, or maybe you were the one
who actually killed him — caused the man to die. But get this: it doesn’t
really matter if he doesn’t die because someone else will. There are apparent
certainties in the game that will always take place, no matter how hard you
fight against them. The presumable goal, for this portion of the game, is to do
what you believe is the lesser of two evils. Or, if you have a mean streak, the
more lethal of two evils.

Because of the game’s medieval
setting, the developers wanted The Witcher to have a minor drinking element. It
might sound like it’s more for kicks than anything else, but in addition to
getting your own character drunk (which causes the screen to grow progressively
blurry with each glass), you will also be able to use alcohol as a means of
gaining information. People are more easily fooled when they’re wasted, making
them more susceptible to player persuasion.

And when they’re not getting others
drunk or weighing the odds against two difficult decisions, players can engage
in an old-fashioned fist fight to win money from local thugs at the bar. One
brief fight was shown, and the results were pretty comical. The opponent was
stronger and more experienced at fighting, so he ultimately came out the victor.
The man who wagered the bet tells you to come back the next day and lose more
money. Had the player gained enough experience before the battle (you have to
learn how to block and perform other moves over time — they do not come
automatically with the press of a button), he would’ve had a better shot.

The most striking thing about The
Witcher is its camera usage. There is a lot of talk in this industry about
camera angles, especially when a game does something new and cinematic. But you
don’t usually hear people talk about the camera itself. In The Witcher, combat
can be accessed from a far off, isometric-style view, or from a close and highly
intense view. It doesn’t sound like anything major — other games have offered
two camera views. But you wouldn’t believe the level of intensity that comes
with the close view. As you run toward enemies, the world — which is very large
in scope and is very lively — seems to fly by at a much more impressive rate
than in other action games. Yes, action games.

Combat, though still very much a
part of the role-playing world, is more varied and contains several moves that
looked like they were inspired by God of War. Our anti-hero will strike, slice,
and slaughter with a high level of style, but not so much that he comes off as a
dancer or Dante (of Devil May Cry fame) wannabe. But like Capcom’s beloved
action title, you can earn points, which are earned through level experience, to
unlock new moves and attributes.

Coming out at the start of the
Christmas gaming season (September), The Witcher looks to bring a new era to PC
RPGs, one that could further bridge the gap between its polar opposite — the
action game.

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Previews