Witcher 2 Adapted For 360 in 2011

[aubergine]

Already mentioned in PC gaming thread but who looks there?

I was disappointed we never got the first game as expected.

http://i.joystiq.com/2011/06/02/the-witcher-2-casting-spells-on-xbox-360/

[Natrak]

I bet "adapted for 360" means they'll be getting rid of all the nudity and sex scenes. Even so, I'll likely buy it, I've loved what I've played of the game so far on PC (up to Chapter 2) and it'd be nice to be able to play it on something that isn't repeatedly crashing and overheating.

[Vindik8or]

It's already adapted for consoles.

[Blackwater]

Supposedly the developer saw what the studio had done with the console version of The Witcher, realised it was shit and shut it down.

My end of year game shopping list is packed as is, *sigh* i guess another won't hurt

[Vindik8or]

If no one buys the console version then hopefully we'll get a PC edition of The Witcher 2 and they won't bother consolifying the third.

[Dunkurtin]

**** off vin. Not the developers fault you're bad at games.

[Vindik8or]

Yes, I'm bad at games because navigating an ever-increasing, unorganisable list of inventory items for the things that I can sell or that weigh too much is tedious. Or that to go from the inventory to the journal I first have to skip through to the game screen. And no there's no helpful set of icons to click on, I have to know the hotkeys.

[Vindik8or]

I'll bet Aran enjoys you blowing him so hard too, Dunk. Try having a thought of your own next time.

[AranchineD]

Oh Vin

I already said this, you're in the minority here. Stop hating on hard working battlers like Dunk.

[Vindik8or]

Yes, I'm in the minority here. Not the absolute minority however.

[AranchineD]

Oh, well in that case, I'm sure you'll be more than happy to go around and find me 200001 players of the game who think the same as you (and hey, I'm giving you a break here, that's just going by the GoG numbers)

[Spazzola]

Anyone got a picture of just how bad the inventory can get?

[Vindik8or]

Oh, well in that case, I'm sure you'll be more than happy to go around and find me 200001 players of the game who think the same as you (and hey, I'm giving you a break here, that's just going by the GoG numbers)

Curious you should mention GoG...

[Blackwater]

Want more PC exclusives!? Don't want console games?

Tell your pirate buddies to lay off.

[Vindik8or]

That's a pretty funny joke.

[Xanafalgue]

Yes, I'm in the minority here. Not the absolute minority however.

http://www.hyper.com.au/forums/image.php?u=309&dateline=1272724793

[Dunkurtin]

I'll bet Aran enjoys you blowing him so hard too, Dunk. Try having a thought of your own next time.

WTF? This is your defense to someone pointing out your complaints are probably due to your own ineptitude? I expected better. The games fine, you obviously just suck at it.

[Blackwater]

No seriously guys, I think it's time for us console folks to back off. I suggest that we write letters to every PC dev and ask them not to make console games.. because we want them to go bankrupt and not exist anymore.

[aubergine]

Yes, I'm in the minority here. Not the absolute minority however.

You're part of an elite majority?

[Dunkurtin]

No seriously guys, I think it's time for us console folks to back off. I suggest that we write letters to every PC dev and ask them not to make console games.. because we want them to go bankrupt and not exist anymore.

Wtf are you on about? Just shut up no one cares.

[Spazzola]

You're part of an elite majority?

Vin is an Aryan?

[Vindik8or]

WTF? This is your defense to someone pointing out your complaints are probably due to your own ineptitude? I expected better. The games fine, you obviously just suck at it.

I hear what you're saying and it sounds like, "I can't read, I can only copy and paste". Because not only have you clearly not read my issues with it just now, but you can only ape Aran's posts. Try again, and tell me that the entire interface isn't already designed for an Xboc. Try and keep a straight face.

[Dunkurtin]

My opinion has nothing to do with Aran. Your 'dur copying aran herp derp' defense is pathetic. I've told you previously that I think your whining about the controls and interface is probably just you and that the majority of other people playing it think it's fine. I disagree with you because you're insinuating that having a design that may work for console doesn't work well for pc. Now **** off and play something more your pace, I hear theres a medieval sims now.

[Vindik8or]

Interface, Dunk. My point was that the interface was designed for consoles. You're adding the rest in there (so curiously reminiscent of Aran's obnoxious lines about pace, ineptitude and being bad at games, none of which have anything to do with an interface and that it can be only concluded you can't form any thoughts of your own).

List based interfaces, especially inventories, with no root menus are console interface design. Slowly scrolling description fields are console interface design. And not PC. Why? Because for a PC interface you can have tooltips that pop-up on mouse hover, you can drag and drop items to re-arrange them, and you can access other interface items from whichever you're currently in (like going inventory to journal). You know, all of the things you could do in the interface of the first game. Those are all standards of PC user interface design (http://standards.ieee.org/findstds/standard/1295-1993.html). Those are facts that you cannot dismiss as opinion. Just because you personally lack any sense of discernment doesn't make it any less so. The very idea that because something is great, enjoyable or even fine makes it beyond criticism is so ridiculous that it's only worth pointing out to shine a light on your pathetic ignorance.

[AranchineD]

Meanwhile us true gamers focus more on the important things, like gameplay and narrative.

[Vindik8or]

You heard it here first guys: when you're using the interface, you're not playing the game!

[AranchineD]

Poor Vin, judging a game's quality based on its interface. Planescape: Torment and Arcanum must be two of your most hated games.

[aubergine]

I actually understand vind8's complaint much better after post #24 there. I thought he meant something more like a Deus Ex/ Invisible War comparison before. Eg IW was clearly designed down to Xbox controls / market so the games control depth was very reduced over the original game. IW simply wasn't as good a game either, although for unrelated reasons.

However, if IW had been as engaging story and gameplay-wise as Deus Ex, the "consolification" haters would be long forgotten. From what I've gathered about Witcher 2's overall quality, vind8's posts come across the bitter rants of a crazy old man in a chair facing a wall. Interface disapointments are irritating, but the game is still engaging and fun, isn't it?

[Vindik8or]

Poor Vin, judging a game's quality based on its interface. Planescape: Torment and Arcanum must be two of your most hated games.

So according to Aran, you don't judge a game's quality on its qualities, but on its Aran Approved Supports My Hollow Argument Qualities. BTW, both of those games have interfaces designed for a keyboard and a mouse, even if they're not necessarily designed well, they've not stuck their fingers in a hypothetical pie while pissing in someone else's pocket.

I actually understand vind8's complaint much better after post #24 there. I thought he meant something more like a Deus Ex/ Invisible War comparison before. Eg IW was clearly designed down to Xbox controls / market so the games control depth was very reduced over the original game. IW simply wasn't as good a game either, although for unrelated reasons.

However, if IW had been as engaging story and gameplay-wise as Deus Ex, the "consolification" haters would be long forgotten. From what I've gathered about Witcher 2's overall quality, vind8's posts come across the bitter rants of a crazy old man in a chair facing a wall. Interface disapointments are irritating, but the game is still engaging and fun, isn't it?

Everyone's reading value judgement into my assessment. I haven't anywhere said, "don't get this f***en game", "whatever dunk is going on about". I've said that the game is already designed for console. Which it is, this cannot be refuted. That inevitably leads to the point that it has not been designed for the PC platform which has all kinds of implications that can never be discounted by the arguments "Well you still play it HURRRRR" or, "But it's still enjoyable DURRRR"

It is exactly that kind of thinking that has lead to the worst excesses of neo-conservative, bush-era, you're-either-with-us-or-against-us social malaise.

[Dunkurtin]

So according to Aran, you don't judge a game's quality on its qualities, but on its Aran Approved Supports My Hollow Argument Qualities. BTW, both of those games have interfaces designed for a keyboard and a mouse, even if they're not necessarily designed well, they've not stuck their fingers in a hypothetical pie while pissing in someone else's pocket.



It's more don't let minor inconveniences colour your entire judgement of the game. And the interface is not broken so any problems you may find with it does not outweigh the other aspects of the game.

And all you have done since the game first came out is whinge and bitch. Despite knowing you bothered to finish it (think it was you) I have not seen one opinion from you that suggests you enjoying any part of the game.

[Vindik8or]

It's more don't let minor inconveniences colour your entire judgement of the game. And the interface is not broken so any problems you may find with it does not outweigh the other aspects of the game.

And all you have done since the game first came out is whinge and bitch. Despite knowing you bothered to finish it (think it was you) I have not seen one opinion from you that suggests you enjoying any part of the game.

So you've tried to sell some junk in the game? I doubt you've even played to the first merchant. I'm not here to fulfill your idea of how I should talk about a f***en game. How full of yourself are you that you think I should need to temper my own thoughts on a game to match your own quota and definition of 'positive' and 'negative' comments? Maybe instead of not reading anyone's posts, aping Aran's comments, and dictating the terms of other people's posting you try forming your own goddamn thoughts on a topic and posting them?

[Kotche]

http://i246.photobucket.com/albums/gg105/SCSone/Untitled-25.png

[AranchineD]

they're not necessarily designed well


both of those games have interfaces designed for a keyboard and a mouse

Ah, I see, so your distaste isn't based on any real legitimate complaint, but simply blind fanboyism between gaming platforms. No, not even. Gaming platform peripherals.

[Vindik8or]

I haven't played either of them for years, neither interface stuck out to me as particularly unwieldy. The 'not necessarily designed well' comment was being diplomatic towards your suggestion that they're not, in hindsight I should have realised that such a gesture would make no sense to you.

Though, once again, this just in. Aran would be okay with the next Battlefield game being Kinect only.

[AranchineD]

Why do you keep trying to make reference to other games? We're talking about The Witcher 2 here.

[Vindik8or]

I believe that between all of your posts and all of mine only one game has ever been mentioned: and that game is the X-Box 360.

[aubergine]

Anyway, I'm looking forward to this coming out.

I was pretty disappointed that the first game was never adapted for console. I actually own the Witcher for PC but it's been in a drawer for years, waiting for me to someday buy a better computer. The same thing happened with Half-Life 2 and it wound up being released in The Orange Box first.

I'm mainly interested in story, art design and gameplay and except in instances where the controls are simply shit to use, interface changes don't really bother. I do wish the Xbox had a better 8-way pad on it though, because getting it to register the correct direction for hotkeys is pretty damn frustrating at times.

[9warbane]

Why not play The Witcher 2 in the best way possible, on PC is beyond me.

[pezhead015]

I don't have a pc. I might try this on 360.

[Slippery]

I was pretty disappointed that the first game was never adapted for console. I actually own the Witcher for PC but it's been in a drawer for years, waiting for me to someday buy a better computer. The same thing happened with Half-Life 2 and it wound up being released in The Orange Box first.

Why would you not just buy them cheaper later when you actually got the pc?

[aubergine]

Because I don't need to buy the PC for any other reason as yet, so will probably never ever prioritise it over the hundred other things I need to buy or pay for.

It's a shame that console manufacturers are unlikely to ever allow mouse n keyboard, purely because they make too much money from licensed controllers. A box with console ease of use but mouse n keyboard would be perfect for me.

Not for people who like to spend up on new hardware or fiddle around with OS's but it would be a happy medium for many. Not having Wow on Xbox is simply ridiculous I think.

[Vindik8or]

It should be pretty good on console, but I think that the level loading might be quite debilitating. It was mostly seamless for me but I've got a very high end system (in fact it could do with some optimisation to load more things into memory), but on systems, say, 3 years old you often hit loading screens just running around in open areas.

[Slippery]

Because I don't need to buy the PC for any other reason as yet, so will probably never ever prioritise it over the hundred other things I need to buy or pay for.


You've misunderstood me. Why buy games now, when you can't play them till later if at all? Especially when games, generally, decrease in price over time.

[aubergine]

Because I bought the collectors edition for $20.

[Silverwolf]

It's only $10 now.

What a waaaaaaaaaaaste

[aubergine]

So this is out in less than a month. Good thing Mass Effect 3 was so awful, I already have the trade credit for (what everyone tells me) is a real role-playing game.

[Vindik8or]

Real role-playing games are on PC only.

[HiredMan]

It's a shame that console manufacturers are unlikely to ever allow mouse n keyboard, purely because they make too much money from licensed controllers. A box with console ease of use but mouse n keyboard would be perfect for me.

Pretty sure PS3 allows mouse and keyboard.

[aubergine]

Do any games use it though? Given the general performance of PS3 for multiplatform games, I'd never get one for that purpose (sticking with it's exclusives.)

I'm finding myself tempted to get Game of Thrones on Blu Ray, despite having no Blu Ray player. ****ing sense has won out so far but I find I keep looking at it. If I didn't hate Blu Ray packaging so much I might have caved already.

[HiredMan]

The only one I can think of was one of the Unreal Tournament games.

[Pai Mel]

I'm finding myself tempted to get Game of Thrones on Blu Ray, despite having no Blu Ray player. ****ing sense has won out so far but I find I keep looking at it. If I didn't hate Blu Ray packaging so much I might have caved already.


The packaging for Game of Thrones Blu-ray is similar to the LOTR Collectors Edition DVDs.

[aubergine]

I wound up getting it. Whether I'll get time to go over to blu-Ray player owning house to watch it, I really need my own to wallow in DVD extras (BRD extras?) which is what I actually wanted it for, as well as to pitch some $$ towards HBO after watching bootlegged copies of the show about 6 times.

[Pai Mel]

I rewatched the entire season on Blu-ray last week. We've just got a cheap $99 Blu-ray player. Our TV is not Full HD though. It's only 1366 x 768 @ 40" so it probably only looked a bit better than bootleg HD mkvs, specially with my short-sightedness.

Mine came with pre-order bonus "Creating the Visuals" disc.

Season 2 kicks off tomorrow in the US, or is it the 2nd there right now?

[9warbane]

It's when it's the 2nd here.

[aubergine]

Eurogamer gave Witcher 2 360 a 9/10. Graphically struggling compared to the PC version but good enough for those who don't have it on PC (me) and otherwise a ****ing awesome game.

My trade credit from Mass Effect 3 is days from becoming a role-playing game.

[Tonez]

This was meant to come out today and it didn't.

Disappointed :(

[Tonez]

Got it from JB

[aubergine]

EB selling it now.

First ever instance of shops breaking a date to sell it on the advertised date?

Given they've all had it out the back since at least Monday, it's ****ing retarded they ever tried to have it change to Wednesday.

[Natrak]

We have just had official word from the supplier of Witcher 2 that due to their internal reasons they have pushed back the release date of this title to the 19/04/12. This is only 2 days after the original release date but we wanted to let you know so you are aware that you will be receiving the game on this day instead.

This situation has affected all retailers in Australia and we will all be selling the title on the new release day. We apologise for any inconvenience this has caused.


Kind Regards,
Brody Walker
Customer Relations Officer
GAMEAn e-mail I received last week, ftr.

Pretty funny that it just wound up being sold on the original release day anyway. Oh, except for the fact that I have to wait until Thursday for it to be delivered! Grumble.

[Vindik8or]

Playing it right now

[Natrak]

I could play it right now on PC if I really wanted.

[Vindik8or]

It's much better

[Natrak]

I'd be playing it with a 360 controller anyway.

[aubergine]

The PC config for the controller is different though. Reviews recommend playing on a 360 (with controller) is superior.

Superior.

SUPERIOR.

[Vindik8or]

Yes, but I think we can all identify the bias present in reviews from MODERN WARFARE XBOX PRO FRAT HOUSE DOT COM

[aubergine]

It may have been Eurogamer and/or Destructoid. I tend to glance at 5 sites (Destructoid, Joystiq, Kotaku, CVG then Eurogamer) and when times are desperate, IGN.

[aubergine]

I had a go at this when a better plan would have been going to bed. I barely comprehended the tutorial and immediatly died. It recommended I choose "Easy" but I set it to Normal, figuring I'd get better. I'm not so sure.

The menus and options are pretty convoluted. Having two different swords with a clumsy means to shift between them is pretty ****ing awkward.

[Vindik8or]

If it doesn't have two swords it's not The Witcher.

Berks. Pearls before swine.

[Dunkurtin]

What's awkward about swapping swords?

[AranchineD]

It's not clumsy on a keyboard

[Dunkurtin]

I dunno. Sometimes i forget if silver is 1 or 2...

[Xanafalgue]

This game is great!

[Natrak]

CD Projekt Red have done a bangup job of this port.

[Sweating Bullets]

Just started playing this and I must admit it is pretty fun.

I do suck at combat however - is it possible to block or do I need to keep jumping like a moron?

[Vindik8or]

Yes it's possible to block, but I'd only recommend it when you've got parry. It still allows damage through. It's much better to abuse Quen sign and roll.

[Natrak]

Urgh, are the soldiers supposed to be infinitely spawning and immediately hostile in Loc Muinne (Iorveth's path)? Just spent an age mowing down a big infinitely respawning mob of them before getting sick of it. I was just trying to hunt Gargoyles. Guess this is what I get for siding with a goddamn squirrel.

[Vindik8or]

Yes. Go through the cave to get into Loc Muinne, don't go to the Temerian Quarter (you killed their king you Monster).

[Natrak]

Lies! 'twas another witcher you bleeding ****.

Yeah, I did that, I was at the point where you're given a break to pursue sidequests. I couldn't figure out how to find the third lot of seals without cutting through the Temerian Quarter (which is impossible for me with all of those respawning soldiers) so decided to see if their hostility might change after completing the next part of the story and wound up finishing the game.

[Vindik8or]

You don't have to go through their camp umm... at all.

[Natrak]

Like I said, I couldn't find any other way to the only part of the map I hadn't checked for a seal room. I guess I could have tried the sewers, maybe. Loc Muinne is a bit of a headache to navigate, particularly with the added doors breaking up areas in the 360 version.

[Vindik8or]

There's like a big front gate room with three doors coming off it. The left and right doors lead to areas with Gargoyles in them, the middle one leads to the Temerian quarter. The third group of Gargoyles is near where the circus folk are hanging out. Assuming they haven't changed everything because xbocks is bad.

[ElPresidente]

The menus and options are pretty convoluted. Having two different swords with a clumsy means to shift between them is pretty ****ing awkward.

Just press left or right on the d-pad, no need to go into the radial menu.

At least that's how it was playing with a gamepad on PC.

[Vindik8or]

At least that's how it was playing with a gamepad on PC.

Why would you even do that?

[ElPresidente]

Because I find the game controls better, particularly in combat, on a gamepad.

There's a distinct sensation the game was optimised for pad control, not mouse and keyboard.

[aubergine]

So basically it's Deus Ex Invisible War.

I think I just tried starting it when I was too tired. Most of the tutorial went in one ear an out the other.

[ElPresidente]

Yeah, I never felt that with IW. So from my perspective 'no'. :P

[Vindik8or]

Because I find the game controls better, particularly in combat, on a gamepad.

There's a distinct sensation the game was optimised for pad control, not mouse and keyboard.

Well it's pretty obvious in every single part of the game that we somehow got a port even though it came to PC first.

[ElPresidente]

Not a port but a game certainly designed with the intention of an easy transfer to console.

But definitely not a port (that engine is written for PCs no matter how you slice it).

[Vindik8or]

Oh okay, we're mincing words then

[ElPresidente]

Not really. Port has a pretty specific meaning, a meaning which often goes a long way to explain the technical problems ports often have.

[Natrak]

So anyway, I went back and managed to find my way to the set of doors you can use to bypass the Temerian Quarter. Took care of the couple of Loc Muinne sidequests I had remaining, the quest that I understand they added to the Enhanced Edition was neat (Secrets of Loc Muinne on Iorveth's path).

There's a distinct sensation the game was optimised for pad control

For sure, the combat is definitely more suited to a pad - which is one of the reasons I stopped playing the PC version in the second act and decided to wait for the 360 release. Since it was pretty obvious the gameplay wasn't going to find the pad a detriment in the 360 port I decided I'd rather hold out and play it through on the couch on a system that isn't constantly threatening to explode. :P

(That's not a "PC can't be played on the couch!1!" comment, by the way, rather that I just don't have that setup.)

[Vindik8or]

I'm not talking about technical engine problems (although the lack of hardware mouse support is telling). The menu and inventory design, the bound camera, and the presence of quicktime events in particular scream console biased design. 'Port' may have a specific meaning in your mind, but the mystical power of analogy allows the accusation to stand. The jarring transition from PC-arse PC game in the original to 'optimised for pad control' in the sequel supports it a bit.

[ElPresidente]

I agree on those points. Was clarifying it wasn't porting that was the issue but a deliberate decision made by the developers.

That said, I still love the hell out of the game and the best experience of it is still on PC, even if that PC needs a gamepad plugged in. :P