5/5 ★ – hcolesmith's review of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings.

I've personally always preferred Assassins of Kings over Wild Hunt for a few reasons. Doesn't mean Wild Hunt doesn't rule, but I think Assassins of Kings is a bit more true to an immersive experience based on world and witcher lore. Namely: Witcher 2 is hard as hell and requires a bunch of strategy. I loved loved loved having to plan out my tactics ahead of time and actually get my combat skill up to snuff before being able to take on monsters. But I think it brings up a really interesting point into the debate of length versus artistic merit. Both Witcher 2 and 3 are extremely well designed games, yes? But the intended experience is drastically different. Witcher 3 feels like it wants to be open world, first and foremost. The game design of the series is sometimes altered completely to reflect that. And although it does a stellar job at making those adjustments feel well nestled into the experience of being a Witcher, it does at times feel as though that weight has been dampened slightly (see: the differences in how potions work between the first two entries and three). Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings doesn't care about being an open world game. Instead, it presents a hub-based world akin to Deus Ex and then brings out difficulty from there. The sword you pull from your hilt matters. The potions you've brewed matter and they (although longer lasting than in 3) can only be consumed in advance. The ointments you put on your sword make all the difference in the world. And in order to make that weight felt by the player, the game is shorter and more focused. There are significantly fewer hunts and quests, but they're all significant and feel very memorable. Witcher 2 sits in a very special place for me because it feels like the first time immersion really hit in a game. It started a trend towards challenging games that would later be reflected in my affinity for Souls-like games. Looking back on it, it's sexist and probably hasn't aged well, but I think of it fondly. But I also played it when I was fifteen, so maybe I just have my head up my own ass. I'll let you decide.