[SkycladGuardian]

Maerd said:

Nah, they're currently making it a cookie cutter disappointment. They've just confirmed that they do it with Batman senses, which means you press one button to solve the problem. So, every time you'll get to the monster's victim you'll have to press an awesome 'X' button to learn everything about the monster. Then you might need to press 'X' a couple more times and all world problems are solved for you automagically. And you'll have around 20-30 quests of pressing the 'X' button. Isn't it exciting? />

TW1 monster hunting was stupid fetching, no need to get back to it, but TW1 atmosphere in general was definitely better than TW2 therefore I like TW1 better than TW2. ›››

We still don't know enough about this specific gameplay element to judge if it is "simplistic" or "dumbed-down". There are many adventure games which feature a key which highlights all hot spots in each location, but you still need to do most of the thinking.

[Dalladrion]

Maerd said:

Nah, they're currently making it a cookie cutter disappointment. They've just confirmed that they do it with Batman senses, which means you press one button to solve the problem. So, every time you'll get to the monster's victim you'll have to press an awesome 'X' button to learn everything about the monster. Then you might need to press 'X' a couple more times and all world problems are solved for you automagically. And you'll have around 20-30 quests of pressing the 'X' button. Isn't it exciting? />

TW1 monster hunting was stupid fetching, no need to get back to it, but TW1 atmosphere in general was definitely better than TW2 therefore I like TW1 better than TW2. ›››

God I hope that there's more to it than that, If it will be just coming to the "crime scene" press the awesome "X" button, okay, you now know everything, go kill that monster now - type of a deal... I'll cry!

But since they were saying they're really putting much effort in the game, I hope they don't neglect these aspects of the game because they've put more effort in some place than other. They should make everything great. But I do have a feeling I'm probably worrying too much...

[Avydia1]

The Witcher 2 was a lot better. Period.

[Eldanon]

Disagree completely. I cannot come up with one single thing that I preferred in TW1 over TW2... literally not one. In my non-humble opinion, TW2 was an improvement on the first game in just about every way I can think of.

[ReptilePZ]

Eldanon said:

Disagree completely. I cannot come up with one single thing that I preferred in TW1 over TW2... literally not one. In my non-humble opinion, TW2 was an improvement on the first game in just about every way I can think of. ›››

I can, but most of those things are very subjective So I can see why you'd like TW2 more - it was objectively a game of higher production quality than the first one. It's just a few things that I personally dislike, mostly connected to overall feel and atmosphere (again, very subjective stuff), that prevent me from saying TW2 is better than TW1 for me.

As it stands, both games are equally good in my eyes.

I'm really hoping that The Witcher 3 will give me a very good reason to make it my favourite game in the series (and in general).

[Maerd]

Eldanon said:

Disagree completely. I cannot come up with one single thing that I preferred in TW1 over TW2... literally not one. In my non-humble opinion, TW2 was an improvement on the first game in just about every way I can think of. ›››

TW2 definitely has better packaging: better graphics, better voice overs, better 3D models, arguably better combat mechanics, more complex quest mechanics. In technical aspects TW1 beats TW2 only in UI. If this is what you like then yeah, TW2 is better, no doubt. TW1 has better substance of the game content itself: better story (I don't like the politics that much), better alchemy, better music, more Slavic feel (I'm biased here, I know), better interaction with Geralt's friends, better atmosphere (crypts are creepy, fields and lake side are beautiful, sewers feel dirtier and more claustrophobic as they should be, Kaer Morhen feels like large empty ruins, forest feels dangerous and so on). For me the better CRPG game doesn't equal better technical quality. Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate 2 are still better games than any Mass Effect games for me and those are over 12 years old, Fallout 1 for me is infinitely better than Fallout 3.

[Emann538]

Graphics doesn't make a game, story and immersion do, and I feel that witcher 1 had a better story. I wasn't digging the whole politics crap in the second one. But its just my opinion dont want to start a war or anything

[Ancient76]

TW2 has better graphics, animations and physics. That's the fact. The rest i don't like.

TW2 is QTEs and wooden dildos! That's my definition.

I also hope that TW3 will be more similar to TW1.

[lubo 1654]

TW 2 has better graphics and even more mature story. Everything else from gameplay and UI to immersion and overall atmosphere was a disappointment. Plain and simple: The Witcher 1 had much more soul in it.

[Eldanon]

Maerd said:

TW2 definitely has better packaging: better graphics, better voice overs, better 3D models, arguably better combat mechanics, more complex quest mechanics. In technical aspects TW1 beats TW2 only in UI. If this is what you like then yeah, TW2 is better, no doubt. TW1 has better substance of the game content itself: better story (I don't like the politics that much), better alchemy, better music, more Slavic feel (I'm biased here, I know), better interaction with Geralt's friends, better atmosphere (crypts are creepy, fields and lake side are beautiful, sewers feel dirtier and more claustrophobic as they should be, Kaer Morhen feels like large empty ruins, forest feels dangerous and so on). For me the better CRPG game doesn't equal better technical quality. Planescape: Torment and Baldur's Gate 2 are still better games than any Mass Effect games for me and those are over 12 years old, Fallout 1 for me is infinitely better than Fallout 3. ›››

But all of the things you mentioned are very subjective. Not only did I like all the "packaging" of TW2 better, I also preferred it's story (I love politics), I preferred TW2's music, overfall feel, interaction with friends, everything.

Perhaps that's because I played TW2 before I played TW1... I *loved* well actually *love* TW2. I picked up TW1 perhaps expecting it to be just as awesome I felt the story wasn't nearly as good, the combat mind-numbingly boring, of course I expected the huge step down in graphics so I didn't hold it against TW1. I literally had to force myself to finish it... while I finished TW2 seven times now. I don't think there's a single other RPG that I ever fully replayed before TW2.

[vonGraudenz]

Both games have their strengths and weaknesses IMHO. What I did like about W1 better was the alchemy, level development, UI, and the atmosphere. I liked both stories equally well, but I think W2 had the much more mature story. Signs were handled better in W2, and the puzzles were good to excellent. There are things about both combat mechanics that I liked and didn't like so that is a wash for me. A good combination of the good parts from both games would suit me just fine.

[AnthonyF1227]

TW1 is over romanticized here and always has been. IMO, Both are great games and there are aspects of TW1 that I think are done better than TW2, but overall TW2 is a better game.

[Ancient76]

I'm big fan of matures stories. But mature story doesn't mean interesting story.

It should be mature, interesting, immersive, mysterious.

TW1 has all of these story elements, but not TW2.