Witcher Enhanced Edition: Running with Scissors

Having temporarily lost access to the PS4, I decided to try the Witcher Enhanced Edition once more. I had left it in Chapter I because of repeated fails at vanquishing main boss The Beast. I couldn’t remember much else about the game so I decided to start over and quickly realized what the problem was. Once you get used to games with a lot of freedom of movement, it isn’t easy to return to restricted movement. Because Geralt can’t jump over fences and take short cuts through the map, he is reduced to running in endless circles. Chapter I’s tedium probably led me to rush through it and I wasn’t really prepared to face the end battle. This time I made sure to do everything possible before I even went to the cave. I tried to knock the Beast down and take him out but failing at that I sent Geralt to that safe space behind a house and dealt with all those Barghests from there.

Soon I was on Chapter II which offers a couple of more interesting areas to explore. The swamp has the same sort of circular path but if you can deal with the ever spawning swamp creatures you can at least take short cuts and there is a very limited form of fast travel. I tried to focus my efforts but the main investigation quest gets a little confusing and Geralt continued to run around and back and forth a lot. He tried to stay neutral in this chapter but on progressing to Chapter III he seems to be leaning towards the Elves even though I like Flaming Rose Knight, Siegfried.

I really wish I hadn’t abandoned the game now. I am already reconsidering some of the choices I have made in Witcher 3 and I will definitely replay Witcher 2.