April 16 – April 20

Section: 

We saw The Witcher 2 Enhanced Edition on the Xbox 360 at PAX a week and a half ago, and I have to admit that I was really quite surprised to see how much visual horsepower the team was able to push through the old girl. It was far from a perfect recreation of the PC version, and there were little places here and there where you could tell that the engine was working with limited resources, but all that said the gorgeous game that landed on my computer screen is well preserved.

The controls also seemed to handle well in the transfer over to the home console universe, and though it is still fundamentally The Witcher 2, that's hardly a bad thing. If you didn't have the PC to run this beast, then you can do far worse over the next couple of weeks than to spend your sheckles on this outstanding RPG title.

Meanwhile on the PSVita Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention gets a fancy rerelease, and Trials, Evolution makes its way to XBLA. But, for my money, it's hard not to focus on The Witcher 2 making its way to the 360.

PC
- AZMD! Scorepocalypse
- Botanicula (download)
- Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet (download
- MacGuffin's Curse (Steam)
- Super Ski Runner (download)
- Superbrothers: Sword & Sworcery EP (Steam)

Xbox 360
- Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat
- The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition
- Trials Evolution (XBLA)

PS3
- Deadliest Warrior: Ancient Combat
- The House of the Dead 4 (PSN)

PSVita
- Disgaea 3: Absence of Detention
- StarDrone Extreme (PSN)

Nintendo DS
- I Must Run! (DSiWare)

Comments

ccesarano wrote:
shoptroll wrote:

EDIT: Also, is it just me or does the box art look like something ripped from a Michael Bay film?

TheWanderer wrote:

That cover art makes me giggle. It has to be intentionally like Battlefield and Modern Warfare. I want to see the blog post of the 13 year old that gets it for his birthday thinking it's a shooter.

And Wandy even said it twice!! Epic skim!!

garion333 wrote:

And Wandy even said it twice!! Epic skim!! :P

I'm literally batting 1000 in the reading comprehension skill today

shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:

And Wandy even said it twice!! Epic skim!! :P

I'm literally batting 1000 in the reading comprehension skill today :(

That's okay, I've done some epic skimming myself.

ccesarano wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:

And Wandy even said it twice!! Epic skim!! :P

I'm literally batting 1000 in the reading comprehension skill today :(

That's okay, I've done some epic skimming myself.

That's fantastic.

garion333 wrote:
ccesarano wrote:
shoptroll wrote:
garion333 wrote:

And Wandy even said it twice!! Epic skim!! :P

I'm literally batting 1000 in the reading comprehension skill today :(

That's okay, I've done some epic skimming myself.

That's fantastic.

I think the forum achievement writes itself.

And then you re-unlock it five days later with slightly different wording.

Elysium wrote:
So Sean, how's Xenoblade treatin' ya? You're giving it a whirl, right? Right? Seein' what all the fuss is about? Hm?

PAX interrupted the planned pickup, but honestly the Gamestop exclusive thing is a barrier as well. I just never shop there any more.

Also, I like pretty graphics. I've got no shame about that.

I'm not sure how exclusive Xenoblade really is at retail. Two mom and pop game stores I shop at in the Los Angeles area have the game for sale. So maybe you can check up on some of the smaller stores--if you have any in your neighborhood--to see if they have the game for sale.

A lot of M&Ps supposedly ordered straight from Nintendo.com and are selling it.

But you won't find it at Walmart, Target, Best Buy, etc.

ClockworkHouse wrote:

And then you re-unlock it five days later with slightly different wording.

That reminds me of this time I did some serious skimming myself.

ccesarano wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

And then you re-unlock it five days later with slightly different wording.

That reminds me of this time I did some serious skimming myself.

Are we stuck in some sort of Dr. Who-ian time loop?

garion333 wrote:
ccesarano wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

And then you re-unlock it five days later with slightly different wording.

That reminds me of this time I did some serious skimming myself.

Are we stuck in some sort of Dr. Who-ian time loop?

That's fantastic!

ccesarano wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

And then you re-unlock it five days later with slightly different wording.

That reminds me of this time I did some serious skimming myself.

Ah hell, nobody told me this thread was going to be a clip show...i'll skip to the next episode...

wordsmythe wrote:

Just so we're clear: You are not talking about the Brian Jaques character.

Triss Merigold. Not t'other one.

ClockworkHouse wrote:
garion333 wrote:
ccesarano wrote:
ClockworkHouse wrote:

And then you re-unlock it five days later with slightly different wording.

That reminds me of this time I did some serious skimming myself.

Are we stuck in some sort of Dr. Who-ian time loop?

That's fantastic!

I think the forum achievement writes itself.

Redwing wrote:

So I tried to get through the first Witcher a while ago but had trouble getting through it, the combat was just a bit too clunky for my liking and the story never quite sunk it's hooks into me. I'm usually the sort of guy who absolutely has to play games in order, but I may be willing to make an exception for Witcher 2, would I be missing any big plot points? Is there a summary of the plot I could read somewhere?

There are a few minor callbacks to events in the previous game, but you won't miss out by not playing the original. The wiki has any info you may feel you need.

Michael Zenke wrote:

I do say. Can we not agree that Triss is a most interesting character? A well written female character with a unique backstory and indistinct loyalties? Most compelling.

Also, I believe, the most capital of knockers! What what.

Agreed on all counts.

garion333 wrote:
MilkmanDanimal wrote:

I really couldn't get into the combat system of the first Witcher, but it sounds like Witcher 2 has revamped stuff enough that I'll give it another shot. Of course, that's whenever I stop playing ME3 multiplayer, finish Skyrim, get through a few other things, and probably at some point buy Kingdom of Amalamadingong: Reckoning (or whatever it was) I'll probably get it. Assuming the "combat system changed considerably" thing is correct, because I really didn't like the first game's combat at all.

It is a completely different combat system. It's basically a fairly standard action RPG system and not a ... timing button press, hold, press, hold, press system. God I hate the combat in the original Witcher SO much. Terrible design. Terrible.

To confirm, it is entirely different. Although I quite liked the original, the revamped combat is cool and technical, but lacks rhythm.

By the way I can strongly recommend reading "The last wish". It's a fantastic collection of stories that really flesh out the Witcher universe.

The Witcher 2 is sitting on my desk, in the shrink wrap, and looking at me with a pleading gaze...is it five o'clock yet?

AcidCat wrote:

Nice that console folks can experience Witcher 2, easily in the top 5 action RPG's I've ever played.

*shakes head at PC gamer*

You don't know how to do the Internet right. You're supposed to be mad that someone on another platform got to play the game and that it's no longer exclusive.

DSGamer wrote:
AcidCat wrote:

Nice that console folks can experience Witcher 2, easily in the top 5 action RPG's I've ever played.

*shakes head at PC gamer*

You don't know how to do the Internet right. You're supposed to be mad that someone on another platform got to play the game and that it's no longer exclusive.

Remember, iOS people, do this when us Droid-owners get apps you've had for a year or more as well. It will make you look 'savvy' and 'hip'.

Aaron D. wrote:
TheWanderer wrote:

That cover art makes me giggle. It has to be intentionally like Battlefield and Modern Warfare.

Holy crap, you're right!

Now I can't unsee it.

Thanks.

Hahahahahaha.

IMAGE(http://media.giantbomb.com/uploads/2/23286/1100520-x360_cover_art_with_tag_super.jpg)

IMAGE(http://cdn1.spong.com/pack/b/a/battlefiel334026l/_-Battlefield-Bad-Company-2-Xbox-360-_.jpg)

IMAGE(http://cdn2.spong.com/pack/b/a/battlefiel356592l/_-Battlefield-3-Xbox-360-_.jpg)

IMAGE(http://cdn1.spong.com/pack/c/a/callofduty356081l/_-Call-of-Duty-Modern-Warfare-3-Xbox-360-_.jpg)

IMAGE(http://www.gamerswithjobs.com/files/imagecache/article_image/article_images/witcher2.jpeg)

This has become the new "cool guys don't look at explosions".

Michael Zenke wrote:
DSGamer wrote:
AcidCat wrote:

Nice that console folks can experience Witcher 2, easily in the top 5 action RPG's I've ever played.

*shakes head at PC gamer*

You don't know how to do the Internet right. You're supposed to be mad that someone on another platform got to play the game and that it's no longer exclusive.

Remember, iOS people, do this when us Droid-owners get apps you've had for a year or more as well. It will make you look 'savvy' and 'hip'.

That's a good point. AcidCat did the reverse of what I was saying he should do. Instead he gave the console peons a pat on the head and said "ah, that's cute that you guys get to experience that too". *

* He probably didn't mean that, but it's funny and Zenke made me do it.

Insanely Twisted Shadow Planet on PC! Hallelujah!
It uses GFWL, though, which is a bummer.