The Witcher Preview

PAX 2007 Preview

Atari has downscaled its release schedule somewhat, taking a path that Activision tread several years ago – namely less releases with more concentration on the quality of the games released. The Witcher is one of those titles that is indicative of that idea.

On display at the Penny Arcade Expo in the Washington State Convention Center in Seattle, The Witcher is a game of choice, with the ones made resulting in how the game plays out over the course of the roughly 60 hours of gameplay.

The game turns some conventions on its ears. For example, elves and dwarves are persecuted in the game, and are being shepherded into camps. However, not all of them are going quietly; some are freedom fighters and battling back. During the course of his adventure, the Witcher will likely encounter some and not all of them will be friendly.

Most of the creatures are based on Slavic mythology and the game also has a dynamic day and night cycle, which creatures may take advantage of.

The combat is timing based, but it is not a button masher by any means. You can swing too fast and not trigger the combos. There are three basic stances in the game and two sword types, which lead to six unique animation sets. Players will make choices that will result not only armor and weapons you can gain, but the NPC that may join you in the journey. As players level, there are points gained that can be applied to trees that cover 15 areas. There is a possible 250 nodes on the trees, but players will only fill something like 170 of the nodes, meaning that customization is important and replay value kicks in by choosing different skill traits.

“We want you to roleplay and make development decision,” said Lawrence Liberty, the game’s senior producer. “ Choices must be made and replay allows you to play a game completely different with different tree skills.”

A key element in the game is the crafting/alchemy aspect. As players adventure, they can collect the ingredients that will allow them to craft potions for a variety of uses. But potions (including health potions) come with a toxicity level, so players have to use them strategically and not just pop them like candy. Some of the potion components can be gathered from the dead bodies of the monsters you kill.

The interface is very user friendly and deep, with sorting functionality.

There are several ways to view the game. Not only is there the more classic isometric view, but there is also an over-the-shoulder vantage point. Players can choose between the point-and-click interface and the WASD-keyboard movement. Double-tapping the keys will allow the Witcher to perform evasive moves. For example, a double tap on the forward key will have him flip forward, over an enemy.

The animations are tight and it is apparent that a lot of attention has gone into the details of the game. This is a massive game world. To run straight across it would take several hours.

Some tweaks remain before the game is ready for release at the end of October or early November, but The Witcher is shaping up to be a very solid game that should delight RPG fans.