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Geralt is facing the Dragon

The fight starts right after the tumultuous conclusion of the meeting of the Sorceress’ Conclave. Commanded by the sorceress Síle de Tansarville, the dragon better known as Saskia transforms during a diplomatic meeting and rains down fire on all assembled at the city amphitheatre. Geralt will have to move fast to reach Síle and her dragon minion before all hell breaks loose on Loc Muinne.

However, despite the pressing nature of the dragon’s attack, there is still time to drink some protection potions. Especially on higher difficulty levels, make sure you make a brief stop to meditate before charging after your fiery foe. If you’re planning on taking the dragon down with your blade, then a potion like Rook can increase your overall sword damage, or, if you’re feeling gutsy, you might even go for a Thunderbolt potion to give you a greater physical edge. If you’ve invested in Signs over physical brawn, then a Tawny Owl potion for vigor regeneration will prove useful, as will potions which increase magical damage or critical chance, like Petri’s Philtre or Wolf. Protection potions like Golden Oriole will help protect Geralt from the dragon’s firebreath, and the regenerative properties of Swallow will help greatly during the second half of the fight, when the dragon switches between firebreathing and massively damaging physical attacks.

No matter which potions you choose, remember to make liberal use of weapon oils like Falka’s Blood or Whirl to increase your sword damage, or Brown Oil to increase your chance of making a bleeding sword attack.

Phase one begins ...

Once Geralt is sufficiently bolstered by potions and oils, head north out of the auditorium and make for Síle’s tower to begin phase one of the dragon fight. This phase is both a struggle for survival and a race against time, as Geralt makes his way up the tower steps to reach Síle’s laboratory at the top. As Geralt begins his climb, Síle will warn him that his interference in the Sorceress’ plans may be fatal, and she makes good on her threat by casting a powerful elemental spell which rocks the tower from base to pinnacle, crumbling stone walls and shattering the staircase. Geralt will have to race to the top before Síle brings the whole tower down around him.

Keep Geralt moving forward at all times during this phase. If you’ve invested in the improved dodge ability in the Swordsmanship skill tree, then a few somersaults up the stairs may give you a few seconds to spare. At varying intervals throughout this phase, Síle will cast another spell, causing more masonry to fall down the stairs, possibly crushing Geralt if he’s not moving fast enough.

To make matters worse, the dragon will fly around the tower’s exterior, and at each crumbling wall she will stop and blast firebreath across Geralt’s path. Performing a rolling dodge move across the flames will help to spare Geralt the worst of the attack, as will casting Quen before moving forward. However you choose to proceed, keep moving, as the slightest hesitation could be deadly.

Once you reach the top of the tower, you can confront Síle directly for her role in staging the coup in Loc Muinne and in poisoning Saskia’s mind. Síle will attempt to teleport away from the battle, but a damaged teleportation crystal has corrupted her spell, leaving her paralyzed within the teleporter. Geralt can remove the crystal to spare Síle, or do nothing and watch her die.

Once Síle is dealt with, phase two of the fight begins, as the dragon breaks her way into the tower, attacking with both firebreath and powerful bite attacks. In the cramped quarters of Síle’s chamber, it may be hard to evade the firebreath, so cast Quen as often as you can and make extensive use of the dodge ability, keeping an eye on Geralt’s health bar. The dragon is vulnerable to strong style sword strikes, particularly along the neck and jawline. Avoid attacking the dragon head-on as you come back into melee range to protect Geralt from the worst of her attacks, and it should be easy to adopt a pattern of strike-strike-dodge during the fight.

Make your wise decision

As the dragon’s health fails, her powerful buffets against the tower will tear away the walls of the chamber. After a quick cutscene, Geralt will climb out of Síle’s laboratory and make his way to the tower roof to begin phase three.

This phase is less time-sensitive than the mad tower climb you’ve just finished. The dragon will attack with her claws and teeth, and will also roar and swipe with her powerful tail, sending Geralt flying across the tower if you’re not prepared for the onslaught. As the fight goes on, the dragon may circle around the tower to attack from a different angle

The dragon’s attacks are relatively slow, however, and Geralt can evade her more powerful blows by dodging from one side of the roof to the other. From her precarious perch on the side of the tower, the dragon won’t be able to reach you if you roll to the tower’s far edge. Magic users can make use of Quen to cushion the dragon’s more powerful blows, or Aard to deal a bit of magical damage during this phase. Alchemists may also have luck throwing bombs at the dragon, especially Grapeshot and Dancing Star.

Like the battle with the Draug in Chapter II, fighting the dragon is in many ways a battle of endurance, with Geralt slipping into melee range to land a few well-placed attacks before dodging out of danger. But regardless of your skill set, the fight will be much easier if you fill Geralt’s adrenaline bar and unlock his adrenaline-activated ability, like the time-delaying effect of the Heliotrope Sign or Berserker.

Once you’ve drained the dragon’s health bar, you’ll unlock a quick cutscene wherein Geralt leaps on top of the dragon as it flies off. Wounded by the attack, the dragon will fly into a stand of trees, impaling herself on a broken trunk.

If you sided with Iorveth and freed Phillipa Eilhart during Chapter III, then you can cure Saskia of the sorceress’ mind domination. Otherwise, Geralt will be given the choice to spare the dragon or kill her, knowing that either decision may factor heavily in the future events of the Witcher saga.

The Witcher 2 follows close on the heels of the original game. Geralt is a witcher – a mutant warrior charged with hunting down dangerous monsters and keeping innocents safe from harm. But Geralt can perhaps be called the witcher’s witcher, for not only is he one of the last of a dying breed – the witchers were hunted to the edge of extinction during events of the original game – he is also one of the best in the world. As The Witcher 2 unfolds, we learn that Geralt’s fame and prowess have made him the particular target of the rich and powerful, of humans, elves and monsters alike. To make matters even more challenging, Geralt is recovering from amnesia and most of The Witcher 2 is spent trying to piece together his past and come to terms with his memories. His unusual predicament makes Geralt one of the more interesting heroes among the RPGs released this year, and the twists and turns of Assassins of Kings will keep both game veterans and newcomers to the series on their toes.

A mysterious Elf sitting on a tree

Visually, the game is gorgeous, and it’s clear that CD Projekt RED took their goal of making one of the most beautiful RPGs in gaming history seriously. Characters, costumes, architecture and weather effects are all brilliantly detailed, from the twinkle in Geralt’s eye as he casts a mind control spell, to the subtle changes in lighting and shadow when Triss Merigold casts magic spells in the rain, to the runed hallways of the dwarven miners or the shattered but beautiful remains of elven cities.

Character interaction is more robust than in the original game, with more dialogue with Geralt’s friends and allies. With a large cast of interesting characters, paired with a beautiful musical soundtrack, I often found myself wandering the various towns or natural wonders Geralt visits during his quests, just taking in the sights and sounds.

This is the first time we’ve gotten the chance to visit the neighboring kingdoms in the north. Geralt’s quest to find the kingslayers takes him to Aedirn, and to the dwarven stronghold of Vergen. The architecture in the later parts of the game is unlike anything we’ve seen in the previous Witcher, and lends a sense of intrigue to Geralt’s quests, along with a rare chance to see the dwarves in their native element. And with Geralt still suffering from the lapses of memory which gripped him in the first game, traveling outside of Temeria really felt like an adventure, and a chance to play the tourist in a new location.

New monsters help freshen up the gameplay as well. There are plenty of old enemies to fight, like drowners, nekkers and ghouls, but The Witcher 2 also offers new challenges in the form of powerful insectoids, trolls, new undead monstrosities and powerful boss monsters like the cthulian Kayran, a vast monster capable of leveling entire buildings with a single swipe of its tentacles, and requiring a combination of magic, steel and quick thinking to defeat.

Yes! There are Dragons!

Dynamic side quests offer far more intrigue and adventure than they did in the original game. Even Geralt’s Witcher contracts require a bit of strategy – instead of wandering the wilds and slaying every nekker, endrega or rotfiend that comes your way, completing contracts requires destroying the monster nests scattered throughout the quest area. And for that, Geralt needs the right kind of tools.

Still more interesting were the return of Geralt’s “detective quests,” where the outcome of the quest line is determined by his success in investigating clues and interrogating the locals, often using the game’s new stealth mechanic. Failure to find the right evidence, or worse, being captured by town guards or jailers, leads to a completely different quest outcome. To make matters even more challenging, some quests are time sensitive, but there is little indication in the game’s quest log as to when these quests will expire. Upon turning in part of a quest chain I assumed to be little more than a basic check-in, the game’s plot line jumped ahead, catapulting Geralt further into the events surrounding the fight for the throne, but canceling a few side quests I didn’t realize had gone stale.

Questing has been streamlined thanks to interactive quest tracking and real-time quest markers on the game map. However, quest markers are not “level sensitive,” meaning that a few times I couldn’t tell if an important NPC or quest item was on the same level Geralt was, or if they were hidden in the attic of a nearby house, or deep in a dungeon beneath the earth. The addition of a magic tracking ability using Geralt’s witcher amulet helps compensate for this – activating the amulet reveals all nearby magical items, herbs, and quest objects.

Unlike the previous game, in Assassins of Kings it’s impossible not to get caught up in the politics and infighting that exist between the various factions vying to fill the power vacuum in the Northern Kingdoms. By the end of Chapter 1, I had to make a decision whether to support the Temerian royal forces or the Scoia’tael, and my decision to support one earned me the fierce enmity of the other. Despite Geralt’s own wishes and those of some of his partners like Triss Merigold, the life of a Witcher is no longer the simple, relatively carefree path we knew in the original game.

Somebody lost his head ...

Even more interesting are the “political interludes” scattered throughout the game – breaks in the narrative which actually give the player control of a supporting NPC like Triss or the heir to the Aedirnian throne, and ask them to make strategic decisions about political tactics, or trade barbs with foreign nobles. These interludes strike home the point that whatever is happening throughout Geralt’s quest through the northern kingdoms is a far bigger puzzle than mere monster slaying. As the plot thickens, both Geralt and the player are forced to choose sides in a number of conflicts ranging from local political struggles to backing a contender for the throne. The situation brewing in the Northern Kingdoms is dire, and Geralt is forced to bribe, threaten, blackmail and mind control his way through the political quagmire. Knowing that things could turn out very differently should I choose to support a different faction adds to the replay value of the game.

Leveling up also presents a number of choices and options. Geralt can choose between swordplay, magic and alchemy skills to give him the edge in combat or exploration, but he cannot specialize in every available skill in a single game. During my first playthrough, I focused on fleshing out Geralt’s magic skills, giving him bonuses to Signs and spell effects. But there looked to be interesting options in both other skill trees, which could be explored during subsequent playthroughs. Taking one skill tree to its highest level unlocks the ability to gain adrenaline during combat. Each hit with a spell or special ability will charge Geralt’s adrenaline bar, and a fully-charged bar allows the player to slow down combat and improve Geralt’s reaction time. Adrenaline is a very fun addition to the game, and offers new tactical options during otherwise impossible battles.

Unlike the previous Witcher, where Geralt could choose Signs or swordplay almost exclusively and still reach the endgame content, The Witcher 2 demands flexibility, even on the game’s easy levels. I used potions in nearly every single dungeon, and while I made full use of every Sign in my arsenal, I also invested in better swords and magical blade enchantments to give Geralt a much-needed edge in melee combat.

Geralt has more options for enhancing his armor and equipment: not only are there numerous common, magical and epic armor sets scattered throughout the game, Geralt can hire craftsmen to forge powerful steel and silver swords or armor upgrades offering protection from magic, poison, bleeding or incineration, or granting bonuses to strength, power and vitality. Rare materials harvested from powerful monsters also make good armor and for a modest sum, Geralt can turn the skins, teeth and bones of the monsters he fights into useful equipment.

Combat is very challenging in Witcher 2

In the long run, however, not much has really changed between The Witcher and The Witcher 2. Apart from a beautiful graphics upgrade, and some UI improvements to crafting, meditating and leveling up, Assassins of Kings seems like a variation on a theme, instead of a bold departure. Which is fine – this next chapter of the Witcher series offers an interesting adventure, coupled with several new insights into Geralt’s past history and many references to the Witcher novels by Andrzej Sapkowski. It may not bring as many new players into the fold, but the game has a lot to offer, though some of its rougher edges require some getting used to.

Inventory management is still painfully time-consuming, with limited options for sorting through the piles of monster parts, raw materials, books, letters and random odds and ends Geralt inevitably collects throughout his journey. The game’s alchemy skill is both versatile and useful, but with a myriad of alchemical recipes for potions, oils, traps and bombs, I found it hard to keep track of all the required ingredients and even harder to find the few bomb recipes required to destroy the monster nests required for Geralt’s witcher contracts. Carrying around dozens and sometimes hundreds of raw materials for crafting also posed a challenge, especially in long dungeons when Geralt became overburdened, and I had to choose between discarding a potentially lucrative item in favor of a rare ingredient or crafting item. Some ingredients seemed a dime a dozen, while others were sometimes mercilessly difficult to find. An herb tracker would have been a welcome addition to the game map, and would have cut down on time I spent scouring the local forests and hills in search of a rare blossom, leaf or root.

But what was in many ways most challenging about the game was its uneven pacing. While the basics of combat, questing and monster tracking should feel familiar to anyone who played the original Witcher, newcomers to The Witcher 2 may find the game’s learning curve to be a bit steep. Geralt is forced to hit the ground sprinting during the game’s prologue, which introduces the basic concepts of swordplay, Signs and Quick Time Events in a “trial by fire” mode. The in-game tutorial glosses over the finer points of combat, alchemy and leveling up, and despite their prevalence, the new Quick Time Events – context sensitive timed actions like freeing a prisoner, loading a catapult, or fistfighting a guard, happen so suddenly and sometimes with so little explanation that a small hesitation or misstep can be deadly. I found myself pausing often at critical junctures in combat to hunt through the manual and figure out what to do next, or wing it and button mash, often with less than successful results.

The visuals are stunning ... Probably best looking RPG ever?

Strangely, the “survival of the fittest” pace which had been set during the prologue relaxed so much during the game’s next chapter than I found myself wishing I could have switched them around. Chapter I is filled with the same features we’re forced to learn during the frenetic prologue, from QTEs to casting spells to hacking and slashing through waves of monsters to save frightened townsfolk or rescue damsels and wastrels in distress, but the overall feel is one of relaxation. Add in old friends like Triss, Dandelion and Zoltan Chivay, and Geralt’s sojourn in the village of Flotsam felt almost like a vacation compared to the death, fireballs and wild struggle to save my skin I experienced during the prologue.

The game’s second chapter moves quickly, and while the pace isn’t quite as breakneck as the prologue, I still found myself scurrying to keep up with the imminent danger and mercurial politicians of Aedirn and Kaedwen. Chapter II is beautiful and offers many new and familiar faces with great voice acting, solid writing and beautiful graphics to introduce players to the Aedirnian city of Vergen. But if Chapter I was a stroll through the woods, Chapter II was a rough ride on a fast horse, and I felt as if I never quite got my bearings on how to navigate the multiple parallel plot lines Geralt is forced to deal with upon his departure from Temeria.

The pace only quickens during the brief and action-packed Chapter III, which offers little to no down-time. Combat gets more challenging and more interesting during the game’s denouement, and the constant threat of new monsters and powerful human warriors, kings and assassins kept me constantly switching back and forth between traps, spells, and my steel and silver blades. Despite the game’s climax and the lengthy speeches by Geralt’s enemies before each battle began, however, I finished The Witcher 2 with far more questions than answers. It’s clear that CD Projekt RED are setting us up for a third installment in Geralt’s story, but while I look forward to finding out what happens next in the Witcher 3, it would have been nice to have a bit more to chew on during the game’s epilogue.

Nevertheless, Assassins of Kings is a strong successor to the original Witcher, and with a plethora of different plot twists and different possibilities for alliances, enmities and a substantial helping of life-or-death choices to be made at the end of the game, there’s a lot of potential for replay and further exploration. I look forward to revisiting Temeria and the other Northern Kingdoms in future games, and Geralt’s future in the Witcher 3.

Final Score: 4/5

Eleusimae, known in real life as Amelia Overbay-Day, is a geek, gamer and ferret enthusiast. She divides her time between killing dragons, demons and darkspawn, and catering to the whims of her fuzzy ferret overlords. You can follow her on Twitter @magentablade.

Despite all of the hullaballoo about making a Kayran trap and getting the Ostmurk herb to withstand the creature’s poison, Geralt can win the battle just as easily without fancy frills, provided you know what you’re doing. If you’ve completed the witcher contracts to kill the nekkers and endregas which threaten Flotsam, chances are you’ve already run into the ingredients necessary to make a Mongoose potion. You’ll only need one for the battle, so while the Ostmurk quest provides a bit more experience and treasure, you can skip it if you’re short on time. As for the Kayran traps, they are a poor substitute for the Yrden Sign, as they require both an expensive recipe (sold by Cedric the elf) and rare ingredients (including successfully stealing an iron frame from a cache of merchants’ supplies in Loredo’s personal stores). You can save yourself money and time by just making a Mongoose potion and perhaps a few more defensive elixirs, like the Sparrow or Tawny Owl potions.

Geralt is fighting the Kayran in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

Before you kill the Kayran, make sure you milk the townsfolk for your service. A merchant in Flotsam will pay you if you kill the beast, and as town leader, Loredo will pledge his personal support if you save Flotsam from its nemesis, though how benevolent Loredo turns out to be will depend on your personal relationship with Loredo and Iorveth. There are “feeder quests” which should walk you through the necessary preparation for killing the Kayran: at a bare minimum, make sure you’ve gotten the Mongoose potion recipe from Triss before heading into battle.

When you’re ready, head to the upstairs rooms at the inn, and notify Sìle de Tansarville. She will accompany you to the bridge overlooking the Kayran’s lair and tell you her plan: Sìle will cast spells to lure the creature out of the water, at which point it’ll be Geralt’s job to kill it. Say goodbye to Sìle and head down the path to the Kayran’s lair. But before you reach the bottommost outcropping of rock, be sure to stop and meditate. Drink the Mongoose potion, and anything else you’ve brought with you. The Kayran is immune to poisons and bleeding, so focus on defensive potions. Then approach the beast’s lair and get ready.

The first phase of the fight is fairly straightforward. Your goal is to trap the Kayran’s tentacles and cut them off, and the easiest way to do that is with Yrden and a strong sword arm. Scan the battlefield for two glimmering golden trap icons positioned half way across the field, on either side of the monster. Doing your best to avoid the wildly swiping tentacles, make your way to the trap icon on the left side of the battlefield and cast Yrden. Then stand near enough to your Sign that the Kayran will attempt an attack. If you’re careful, you should be able to dodge the tentacle as it lands. If not, Geralt will be knocked down, though hopefully you’ll have trapped the tentacle as well.

Killing the Kayran is by far the most difficult fight you'll encounter in the first few quests

The moment you’ve trapped a tentacle, begin attacking the bulbous end of it. After a bit of hacking and slashing, Geralt will sever the tentacle in a quick cutscene. The moment the cutscene ends, turn and run to the far corner of the battlefield near where you started the fight, to avoid the Kayran’s massive rage attack.

If you’re worried about sustaining damage and you’ve got some vigor to spare, you may choose to cast Quen before heading back into battle. Otherwise, make your way back to the left side of the battlefield and repeat your attack: cast Yrden, let the Kayran line up its attack and dodge. Once again, when you’ve hacked off a tentacle, take shelter on the far side of the battlefield.

As you fight, you’ll notice the bridge above the Kayran starting to give way. The battlefield will slowly become littered with shards of masonry, making it harder to wend your way across the clearing. Be careful, too, of the sticky slime along the sides of the Kayran’s lair – if Geralt gets too close to the edge of the battlefield, he may become trapped, triggering a Quick Time Event. Spam your right mouse button as quickly as possible to command Geralt to cut his way out of the muck.

With two tentacles down, make your way to the right side of the battlefield, next to the other golden trap icon. Cast Yrden again, and hack your way through a third tentacle. The moment you have done so, start moving back across the battlefield to the left-hand side. You may hear Sìle shouting that the Kayran is getting ready to break free.

Avoiding the tentacles is not an easy task

Once you’ve severed three tentacles, the Kayran will trigger another QTE, this time scooping Geralt off the ground on one of its spiny arms. Spam your left mouse button to command Geralt to cut himself free of the creature’s grasp.

The moment the QTE concludes, rush to the left side of the battlefield and make your way to broken bridge piece that fell during the fight, being sure to hide behind the larger pieces of masonry as you go. The Kayran will start flinging pieces of fallen masonry all over the battlefield, and Geralt will be overwhelmed unless you find shelter. If your health is low at this point, you may consider casting Quen to deflect the worst of the attack.

Move Geralt to the base of the fallen bridge and start climbing toward the Kayran, being sure to avoid the tentacles as you go. While this phase isn’t as physically demanding as the rest of the fight, it will require precision timing. Geralt makes very slow progress climbing the bridge, and a single swipe of a tentacle will send him tumbling back down the rubble again. The good news is, he is completely shielded from the Kayran’s throw attacks, so if you have a potion like Sparrow active, you can actually regain health during this phase, if needed. Take a moment to orientate yourself to the timing of the tentacles, and keep climbing. Whenever possible, re-cast Quen to give yourself a bit of a cushion against the tentacle attacks.

Once you reach the top, the game will switch back to a cutscene. Sit back and enjoy as Geralt lands the killing blow, before heading back to town to collect your reward.

Eleusimae, known in real life as Amelia Overbay-Day, is a geek, gamer and ferret enthusiast. She divides her time between killing dragons, demons and darkspawn, and catering to the whims of her fuzzy ferret overlords. You can follow her on Twitter @magentablade.

If you own the GOG version of the game, then you’ll want to download this version of the patch.

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The full list of all changes will be available upon the release of the patch. If you have experienced any issues that are not on the list above, please don’t worry. We have already started working on the next patch, which will address other difficulties and bugs, including those related to specific hardware setups; e.g.. Logitech g35. You may expect this second patch to be ready next week.

Patch 1.1 will be available for all the versions of the game, both retail and digital, except for Russian. However, we would like to assure our Russian fans that we are aware of the problems with the your version of the game (thanks for your reports!) and we are talking with 1C about possible solutions.

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Backed against a corner? Fighting too many opponents at once? Use Geralt’s Aard Sign to retake control of the battlefield by knocking enemies back or stunning dangerous opponents. Aard is quick to cast and affects most monsters and humanoids , making it a great “go-to” spell to use when adventuring. Upgrading Aard by investing skill points in Geralt’s Magic skill tree can augment the spell’s potency or increase its range, making it even more effective against groups of opponents.

Geralt blasts an enemy with Aard, while another guardsman is trapped by Yrden

Out of combat, Aard is extremely useful for breaking down barriers, including barricades, rubble and weaker stone walls. When exploring dungeons, pay close attention to your area map for clues about sealed-off rooms which can be breached using the Aard Sign.

Igni is great at burning away enemy health or distracting foes. Few creatures are immune to fire, so Igni is a great all-purpose Sign to use against monsters and humanoids alike. Upgrading Igni bestows a chance to incinerate opponents, granting a more powerful flame debuff and often causing enemies to panic while on fire. While Igni won’t always knock creatures back like Aard, some monsters will collapse in pain once incinerated, giving Geralt time to make a killing blow.

As a magical trap Sign, Yrden requires a bit more planning than other Signs, but is extremely effective when luring creatures into an ambush. Use Yrden to hold choke points and force the enemy to attack you one at a time. Yrden can also buy you some time when investigating an area – enemies who wander into the trap will be held immobile and unable to attack for a few seconds while you plan your next move. Casting Yrden in the middle of combat is usually asking for trouble however: the Sign takes a bit longer to affect its targets, so you may want to switch to a fast-cast Sign like Aard or Igni to keep your enemies at bay. In later levels, Geralt can learn a Sign upgrade which laces Yrden traps together, making it harder for enemies to avoid them.

Quen, the magical shield Sign, is one of Geralt’s best defensive abilities, providing a strong barrier against all incoming damage for the duration of the spell. Quen is a great Sign to activate in group combat: it can absorb enemy backstabs and arrow attacks, leaving Geralt free to take down his opponents in safety. However, Quen is less effective when fighting bosses or hard-hitting monsters. Pay attention to the Sign’s timer to take evasive action if the fight goes south. And remember: while Quen is active, Geralt’s vigor will not regenerate. If you’re planning on casting a lot of Signs in a row, you may wish to make Quen the last Sign in your rotation, to minimize the effects of vigor dampening. Upgrading this Sign can increase its damage absorption or grant Geralt the ability to reflect damage back on his attackers while Quen is active.

If your enemies are resistant to force or fire damage, or you want a different way to use your opponents’ strengths against them, try casting Axii to mind-control your enemies into fighting on your side. Compared to the other Signs in Geralt’s arsenal, Axii is perhaps the most difficult to use, requiring both a “charge up” phase to build Sign power, and a success check against the enemy Geralt is trying to charm. Undead like drowners and ghouls are resistant if not completely immune to the Sign. For best results, hold down your Sign button (Q on PC) until the Sign finishes casting. And bear in mind that Geralt won’t gain experience from any targets killed by the charmed enemy. However, should Axii be successful, then Geralt may be able to distract other enemies into attacking the charmed monster, giving him time to ready a powerful killing blow, or even slip away from battle if his health is low. Upgrading Axii can grant charmed targets increased health and strength for the duration of the spell, or allow Geralt to charm multiple targets at once.

Axii is also used out of combat to coerce or charm NPCs into giving Geralt information or assistance. As in the combat version of the Sign, characters will make a resistance check to shrug off the spell’s effect. The stronger Geralt’s Axii Sign is, the more successful he will be at charming the local townsfolk.

Tips for using Signs in combat:

When the Wolf Howls: When exploring the wilderness, pay special attention to your Witcher amulet. Activating the amulet near sources of magic may reveal Places of Power, which can augment Sign strength or provide other combat buffs.

Budget Your Vigor: If you’re planning on making Geralt a hybrid spellcaster, then especially early on in the game you may not have many points to put into vigor. Geralt can only cast one Sign per point of vigor, and vigor takes time to regenerate during combat. Keep an eye on your vigor pool, to make sure you have enough energy to cast a Sign when you need it most.

Move Your Feet! Nothing is harder than trying to cast a Sign in the middle of a melee. Whenever possible, pivot, dodge and roll away from enemy attacks before using Signs.

Plan Ahead: While exploring out in the open, you’ll usually be able to see enemies approaching long before they get into range. Use this time to your advantage to set up some magical traps with Yrden, or bolster Geralt’s defenses with Quen. Casting a few spells before the enemy has closed range can give Geralt the upper hand against powerful opponents.

If you played the original Witcher, you’ll probably remember the upheaval that shattered Temeria’s capital during the final act of the game. A clash between the Scoia’tael and the Order of the Flaming Rose set the city ablaze as Vizima’s nobles and peasantry alike fought for their lives. Geralt put a stop to the chaos by killing the corrupt leader of the Flaming Rose, but the peace that followed was short-lived. A mysterious assassin bearing the mutations of a witcher made a strike against King Foltest, and only Geralt’s swift intervention saved the king’s life. Now, Temeria’s future is anything but certain and Geralt will have to work fast to save the kingdom.

The witcher’s task may be harder than ever, as new players join the fight for the throne. Perhaps most significant of all is the arrival of a certain diplomat who hails from the Nilfgaardian Empire, just when Temeria has fallen to a blood feud between those loyal to King Foltest and the rebel supporters of the Baroness La Valette. Despite his supposed role as a humble Nilfgaardian diplomat, Shilard Fitz-Oesterlen seems to have some sinister role in the events surrounding the La Valette rebellion. He argues with Foltest, openly challenging the king’s tactics in breaking the siege and leaving Foltest suspicious of his motives.

While Foltest is assassinated before he can follow up his suspicions, Geralt may get a chance to learn more about Shilard’s plans during the aftermath of the siege. If the Baroness’ son Aryan is killed during the rebellion, Shilard appears again in the La Valette dungeons. He may lure Geralt into a back room conversation to witness the Baroness La Valette swear her allegiance to the Nilfgaard Empire, if it means Temeria can be safe again. Or he may, at the Baroness’ request, agree to free Geralt, tacitly hinting at some formal arrangement between the La Valettes and Nilfgaard.

Nilfgaard has a long and bloody history with the northern kingdoms, culminating in the battle of Thanedd Island, when the mages and nobles of Redania, Kaedwen, Aedirn and Temeria faced off against Scoia’tael agents hired by Nilfgaard to overthrow the independent kingdoms. As the mightiest empire in the world, Nilfgaard has never played fair when politics are concerned, and Foltest is clearly worried that Nilfgaard is once again working to undermine Temeria’s sovereignty.

If Nilgaard takes even some small measure of control over Temeria, the empire will gain a foothold north of the Amell mountains, threatening to bring back the old days of slavery and carnage. But with Foltest dead, the fate of free Temeria is tenuous at best. The Baroness’ children are too young to rule, whether the La Valette claim to the throne is legitimate or not. The political battle in Temeria may come down to a duel between those who can unite against Nilfgaard’s threat despite their differences, and whoever’s unscrupulous enough to trade their country for their own personal gain.

But Shilard doesn’t appear to be alone in his desire to shake things up in Temeria. Foltest’s killer, known only as Kingslayer, is an assassin with the eyes of a witcher. With the witchers all but destroyed during the siege of Kaer Morhen during the first game, Kingslayer’s appearance may signal the rise of a rebel sect of witchers, one unafraid of overstepping the traditional political neutrality the witchers have maintained in favor of making a political coup. As Geralt and Triss follow the king’s agent Vernon Roche toward the village of Flotsam, it is revealed that Kingslayer was hired by Iorveth, a merciless Scoia’tael and Roche’s sworn enemy.

It is uncertain whether the Squirrels would follow the Nilfgaardians – they did so once before during the Thanedd Coup. But Iorveth has said the Scoia’tael will serve no one else, despite Geralt’s suspicions that they’re following the orders of a power hungry noble or guild.

Within Vizima at least, the political landscape changes drastically after the La Valette siege. The mages are cast from their usual role as court advisors, leaving sorceresses like Triss literally homeless and on the run. But without an objective party to weigh the state of affairs in the capital, and to check the unseemly ambitions of the nobles, Vizima’s courts will fall to the infighting of the petty and the cruel.

Outside the capital, political upheaval seems to weigh heavily on the peasantry. In Flotsam, the local constabulary resort to martial law and public executions to keep order over a populace that holds them in increasingly poor regard. As is often the case in backwater towns, the citizens seem divided when it comes to a witcher’s sudden appearance. Some welcome Geralt as a possible arbiter of justice, a slayer of more than just the local monsters, while others fear or revile him for his strangeness.

Meanwhile Geralt and his friends Triss, Dandelion and Zoltan enjoy a happy reunion, though their respite is short-lived. Monsters abound in Flotsam, along with the unexpected arrival of a sorceress from the north. It’s finally time for Geralt to draw his silver blade and do what he does best: monster hunting.

Have a prediction or speculation about all the political intrigue facing Temeria? Tell us in the comments!

Know Your Enemy: Opponents come in all shapes and sizes in The Witcher 2, and Geralt has a number of different options for fighting the baddies of Temeria. Before you head into battle, make sure you’re ready to handle the number and types of enemies you’ll be facing. Monsters (anything not a human, elf or dwarf) are best handled using the silver witcher’s sword, while humanoids fall fastest when Geralt wields iron or steel.

Once you’ve chosen your weapon, take an appraisal of the enemy’s reinforcements to determine which fighting stance will be most effective in winning the battle. Drowners, thieves and other lightly armored foes will fall quickly to Geralt’s fast fighting style (left mouse button on PC), while they may evade the slower, heavier blows of the strong style (right mouse button on PC). Conversely, opponents dressed in mail or plate armor, or stronger, slower monsters will be all but impervious to fast style attacks, while Geralt’s strong style can easily cut through their armor.

Many melee opponents will carry shields, forcing you to roll or dodge around them, or use an offensive Sign like Aard or Igni to break through their defenses. Some enemies also boast resistances to Geralt’s various witcher Signs. If a Sign seems less effective than it should be, switch it out and try a different type of magical damage – some monsters are especially vulnerable to certain types of damage like fire or force.

Be on the lookout for enemy archers – while rarely deadly on their own, these ranged fighters can chip away at Geralt’s health, making it easier for melee opponents to land a killing blow. Advancing Geralt’s combat abilities can grant him the ability to deflect arrows, which may prove a boon when fighting multiple opponents.

Getting Around Game Lag: Like it or not, combat hasn’t changed all that much from the original Witcher. While the new options for switching Signs, weapons or combat styles on the fly are nice, the fact remains that Geralt isn’t the fastest fighter in Temeria and unless you’re careful, he’ll get overwhelmed when facing multiple opponents. Everything from casting Signs to choosing a new target to blocking an enemy attack takes time and often leaves Geralt vulnerable to backstabs, arrows and sideswipes. Whether due to game mechanics or my own computer, in the worst case scenarios I had to make the same command multiple times, as incoming damage or Geralt’s own sometimes ponderous pace in battle aborted my efforts to cast Signs or change fighting stances.

There are a few things you can do to get around the game’s occasionally unforgiving combat lag. First, roll early and roll often. Rolling allows Geralt to slip under powerful enemy attacks or get behind enemies. The roll command can also be used to gain ground on the battlefield, or to close the distance to ranged opponents. Best of all, rolling seems to be faster than parrying, and at least on my computer had a higher success rate for avoiding incoming damage. Remember that the are two ways to issue a roll command. On the PC, you can hit the spacebar for a standard forward roll, or tap a directional key twice to have Geralt roll in the direction of your choice.

Next, Quen is your friend. The shield Sign blocks all incoming damage for up to 40 seconds at a time, allowing health regeneration and the opportunity to take out dangerous opponents free of injury. Especially in early levels, when Geralt’s health and armor are relatively low and his other Signs are fairly weak, I found myself casting Quen before every encounter. The only downside is that Geralt’s endurance won’t regenerate while Quen is active, meaning that you’ll have to pick the most effective time to activate the Sign, depending on the numbers and strength of your opponents.

Signs and Interrupts: Casting a Sign in the middle of melee combat is asking for a punch in the face. Geralt lets his guard down when casting, leaving him vulnerable to more damage, or to losing his focus entirely and aborting the Sign. Whenever possible, roll away from melee opponents before attempting to cast, or try to knock enemies back with a quick-casting Sign like Aard before casting a Sign with a longer cast time or delayed effect like Quen or Axii.

Fighting Through the Prologue: While the in-game tutorials explain the basics of melee combat and using Signs, there were a few sections of the prologue which were a bit hairier for me than others. Below, I’ve compiled a few pointers which may help fill in the gaps in the tutorial.

City Guards: The city guards and La Valette rebels are all fairly heavily armored, but none are dexterous enough to avoid Geralt’s strong combat style. When in doubt, target the nearest rebel guard and give them a taste of your all-powerful right mouse button. Guards almost always bring a friend or two along to help, however; when fighting multiple opponents try using Aard to knock an enemy backward while you focus on their reinforcements. Igni can also serve as a nice distraction – many humanoids panic when they catch fire.

Don’t Stand in the Fire! Fighting your way through the hoardings on the castle walls can be a dangerous pastime. The dragon will fly around the battlefield, charring random sections of the wall. And the fires already blazing throughout the hoardings can also burn away Geralt’s health if you’re not careful.

Aiming the Ballista: The ballista in the inner courtyard of Foltest’s castle requires a Quick Time Event to load, aim and shoot. Give Geralt enough time to fight the La Valette guards before turning your attention to the siege engine. Once the coast is clear, spam your left mouse button as fast as you possibly can to activate the QTE. The ballista will require three phases to set up and fire. Once each phase concludes, more soldiers will stream into the courtyard, bringing at least a couple archers with them, so be on your guard.

Can’t get past the dragon on the bridge? Whether due to game lag or confusing camera angles, a number of players have reported difficulty with this encounter. Run backwards (S on the PC) as fast as you can, and spam the right mouse button whenever the dragon gets into range to command Geralt to take cover from the firebreath. Above all, never stop moving!

Fistfighting Out of Prison: Hand to hand combat is a Quick Time Event, requiring players to quickly match the directional keys (ASDW) which appear on screen before Geralt’s health falls. Combat hints appear in tiny circles near Geralt’s face and upper torso, but you’ll have only a second to hit the appropriate directional key and make your attack. Some fistfights give you the option of linking multiple keyboard commands together into combo moves for extra damage, but be careful – Geralt’s health can plummet dangerously fast if you fail a combo.

To Stealth or Not to Stealth: Sneaking out of prison may sound easy, but you’ll have to be diligent if you want to get out of the La Valette dungeons without cracking a few skulls. Keep an eye out for torches (most corridors have two), and don’t hesitate to backtrack or skulk behind barrels or doorways to avoid wandering guards. Guards carry their own torches and have fairly good peripheral vision, so Geralt will have to be directly behind them to make a knockout blow (right mouse button on PC). If the worst occurs and Geralt’s cover is blown, use the Quen sign to compensate for your lack of armor before beating the guards.

Have a combat tip or trick to share? Tell us in the comments! Join us next time for Day Three of our ongoing coverage of The Witcher 2!

The Story: Like Dragon Age 2 which released earlier this year, The Witcher 2 kicks off with a bit of framed narrative. Geralt starts the game in prison, and it’s his own responses to being interrogated which direct the story and allow the player to chose the order of events during the prologue. Geralt’s interrogator, Vernon Roche, is determined to figure out Geralt’s part in the chaotic events surrounding the blood feud in Temeria, and has threatened the witcher with death should his answers be displeasing. With Geralt as his own narrator the story kicks off, and between dragons, sorceresses, political intrigue and a chance encounter with the Scoia’tael, it looks like there’s a lot to do to make the kingdom safe again.

Combat: Fans of the the original game will notice that the basics of combat haven’t changed much for the Witcher 2. Combat is still a real-time hack-and-slash, though Geralt can slow down game time to choose between various magical Signs or to use bombs when the going gets rough. Unfortunately, this means that newcomers to the franchise may find combat to be a bit unwieldy, and even former veterans of the witcher’s trade may need a refresher course on the basics. Geralt is a melee fighter, with a silver sword for fighting monsters and an iron sword for fighting humans, elves or dwarves. Switching between blades is easy and can be done at any time. But besides using different swords, Geralt also has different tactical skills at his disposal, depending on the type of enemies he fights. As in the original game, Geralt can use the fast fighting style to dispatch more dexterous opponents, or the strong style when fighting armored foes. There is no separate “group style” like there was in the original game, but switching between left and right mouse buttons allows you to change your combat on the fly to take out varied opponents. And investing in melee combat upgrades can unlock special finishing moves, some of which can dispatch multiple opponents at once.

Witcher Abilities: Being a witcher is about more than just hacking monsters into pieces, though. Geralt starts the game with a full compliment of magical Signs – powerful wards or destructive spells which can be cast in or out of combat to take down enemies or manipulate the world around him. Casting Signs in the heat of battle is a bit slower than it was in original game, and sometimes leaves you vulnerable to attacks. But all of the Signs featured in the original game are here, and many boast interesting new improvements. Quen the magical shield Sign, for example, now has a timer which counts down the amount of time Geralt’s shield remains active. And Signs can also be used in interactions with various game NPCs to manipulate, intimidate or cajole characters into giving up information or backing down from a fight. Potions and bombs appear to be a major part of The Witcher 2, though I haven’t had a chance to use them yet during my brief foray in Temeria. But perhaps one of the best changes to Geralt’s witcher abilities this time around is the freedom to meditate anywhere in the game, without the need to track down a fireplace or bribe a friend to stay the night. The change is a necessary one as well: Geralt can only imbibe potions while meditating, making a quick rest a critical part of preparing for any tough battle or long dungeon trek.

Mechanics and Gameplay: There are a few new tricks in the bag in The Witcher 2. For players who are new to the game or need a refresher course, the game offers a comprehensive tutorial system which explains the basics of melee combat, using Signs, manipulating objects and machines found throughout the game world, and upgrading armor and equipment. The game’s new Quick Time Events – timed, context-sensitive interactions which allow Geralt to manipulate equipment or siege weapons add another “minigame” to the table, while demanding quick reflexes from players. And for a bit of a laugh, in-game journal entries provide interesting and often amusing plot commentary on all quests, even those you fail or do not accept.

Pros: The team at CD Projekt RED have shown a deep and abiding love for the story and world of Andrzej Sapkowski’s Witcher saga. From the moment I started Geralt off on his first quest, I was immersed in a richly-detailed world filled with beautifully crafted buildings, meticulously rendered siege engines and bloody, satisfying combat. The game’s awesome music adds texture to combat and plot sequences alike, while detailed ambient sound effects cover everything from whistling arrows to crashing catapults to roaring dragons and hissing spells. I look forward to spending more time in Temeria, and I’ll enjoy putting Geralt through his paces in this next installment in his story.

Cons: Players who thought the original Witcher was a bit on the “clunky” side may feel a bit let down by The Witcher 2. While the game is beautiful, visceral and has clearly been refined in many ways from its original, I found combat to be unwieldy, especially when switching between opponents, dodging incoming attacks, or switching between melee attacks and using Signs. Exploring dungeons or talking to NPCs was just as difficult and mousing over certain objects like ladders, chests or levers required a steady hand, a bit of patience and a lot of repetition.

At the End of the Day: If you liked the Witcher, this game has plenty to love. If you’re new to the series, you may find the storyline a bit hard to follow (take a look at the Witcher wiki for help), and combat may be a bit unwieldy. But get past those barriers, and The Witcher 2 looks like a lot of fun.

Want to learn more about The Witcher 2? Join us next time for Day Two of our on-going game coverage!