PC | The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings QA - Early Details

Though details are scarce, project lead Adam Badowski shares some information on the upcoming sequel to the award-winning 2007 role-playing game.

2007's The Witcher was a pleasant surprise for all fans of traditional "Western" role-playing games because it was a great game in its own right, but also because it went in many new directions not previously seen in such games. The original game was based on the fantasy fiction of author Andrzej Sapkowski, whose novels star the Witcher--a cynical monster-hunter with supernatural powers making his way in a dark fantasy world where brutality and bigotry are common. Recently, a preproduction video for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings somehow made its way onto the Internet, prompting a lot of speculation about the sequel. Though it's still a bit too early to go in-depth, CD Projekt's project lead Adam Badowski did give us some information about what we can expect.

A screen-capture from the mysteriously leaked Witcher 2 video.

GameSpot: Details of the sequel to The Witcher have finally started popping up here and there. What kind of general overview of the game can you give us?

Adam Badowski: The Witcher 2 is the sequel to our first game, The Witcher, which won lots of awards and sold more than 1.3 million copies on the PC. The leaked video, which wasn't intended for public viewing, caused a lot of confusion and generated misinformation based largely on speculation within the gaming community. The reason for speculation was very simple--the movie mostly presented the improvements we've made in [certain] aspects of the game without providing a general overview. It didn't really convey what The Witcher 2 is at its heart, which is an RPG with a strong focus on an intriguing and expanded story. It's important that we make this as clear as possible because, in our opinion, that will be one of the game's strongest points.

GS: CD Projekt RED seems to believe very strongly in improving its game products. For instance, the Enhanced Edition of the original game added numerous improvements to the base game. What are some additional areas that you're looking to improve in the upcoming sequel?

AB:We believe that we can always improve our products, bringing them closer to the best we can achieve. Even though we have released improvements like the Enhanced Edition, we will still be aiming to make The Witcher 2 as good as possible at release. That's why we've decided to use completely new technology and to redesign many of the game's features.

We cannot talk about many of the new features yet because it's still much too early, but I can say that the new technology will really stand out. We've built a brand new engine for The Witcher 2, with lots of amazing new visual effects--improved day and night cycles, a new dynamic camera, and much more--to present even more impressive graphics. We are also improving a number of gameplay elements, making combat even more exciting and helping players become even more immersed in the gameworld.

GS: What can you tell us about the story in The Witcher 2? Will Geralt still be the main character throughout the entire game or will there be other new characters taking the lead as well?

AB: Geralt will certainly be in the game, as we've all seen. I must admit we plan to build the story of The Witcher 2 around Geralt, but it's too early to reveal any more details.

GS: There were some very interesting and very adult story themes in the original game--betrayal, sexuality, and bigotry. Will these themes be expanded in the sequel? What other themes with the sequel explore?

AB: We want The Witcher 2 to be even more mature, so we'll be placing a lot of focus on the design of the story. Gamers will face a very real and brutal world. The way in which we explore sexuality will be greatly improved, and we'll be putting a lot of work into showing the erotic dimension of life in a more natural way, rather than as a sort of minigame. We'll be using cinematic means to flesh out characters, who will differ from each other as they would in real life. These differences will come through in their behavior, their attitude toward Geralt, and how they react to the world.

Once again, the game won't offer any choices between good and evil. Rather, it will force you to decide what is important to you and whom can you trust. Many times you'll be left with real doubts about the choices you've made because the consequences of your decisions will be unpredictable.

GS: Many fans enjoyed the unusual three-style combat system from The Witcher. Will this system return in the sequel? What changes and improvements will be added?

AB:We're perfectly aware of all the strengths and weaknesses of the combat system we created for [the first game]. Our goal is to eliminate all the glitches and to develop solutions that will make combat more dynamic and bloody, extending players' control over Geralt's moves in battle.

GS: We recall that in the original game, alchemy was a significant part of gameplay and Geralt could craft powerful potions, but failed potion brews could actually poison him. Will alchemy return in The Witcher 2? How will it be different and better?

AB: Our approach to alchemy will be very similar to what we aim to do with the combat system. We're intent on improving and redesigning any features that players found less "usable." In general, usability will be our main concern as we develop the alchemy system for The Witcher 2.

GS: The original Witcher was built on BioWare's Aurora engine, and you mentioned that you will not be returning to this technology for the sequel. Can you elaborate on the tech that will power The Witcher 2?

AB: The Witcher 2 will not be built on the Aurora engine. We've developed our own cutting-edge technology, designed and created specifically for RPGs. We decided to do that because we wanted to implement all our ideas without facing all the obstacles we might encounter if we built the game on an existing technology. The leaked movie merely shows some of the improvements we'll be introducing, but there'll be many more in the future. Remember, the video is six months old! The comments we've received from fans are very positive, but we still have so much to surprise you with!

GS: Finally, is there anything else you'd like to add about The Witcher 2?

AB:Given the enormous amount of feedback we got from fans and the media after the leak, we realized just how big the expectations are and how many people have been waiting for this game to be announced. We're going through and summarizing all the comments that have been posted about the video on various Web sites, and we'll be comparing them against all the ideas we have for the game. As always, we're taking our fans' opinions to heart, and I can say we already know some of them will affect the game's development. I can assure everyone that we'll be putting every effort into making this game a truly outstanding RPG experience. People can keep up on game announcements at our official Web site.

I'd like to add one more important thing: We are planning to release The Witcher 2 for consoles; however, more detailed information will become available after the game is officially announced.

GS: Interesting. Thanks, Adam.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

---

"PC | The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Q&A - Early Details" was posted by Staff on Thu, 01 Oct 2009 16:14:21 -0700

Xbox 360 | Super Street Fighter IV Impressions - First Look

Capcom gives us a sneak peek at the next installment in the Street Fighter series.

Now that Street Fighter IV has successfully revived the Street Fighter franchise, Capcom is looking to keep the series going with a new expansion. The new game, Super Street Fighter IV, aims to build on the foundation laid by this year's SFIV by adding new content that includes more playable characters, improved online features, and rebalanced characters. We got a demonstration of the work-in-progress Xbox 360 version from producer Yoshinori Ono and have much to report.

[ Watch Video ]

Before we dive in, we should explain what Super Street Fighter IV is, and more importantly, what it isn't. This is not a downloadable add-on for Street Fighter IV. You may be wondering, as we did, why Capcom didn't simply release Super Street Fighter IV's additions as downloadable content in the same way that Fallout and Grand Theft Auto IV received massive updates by way of DLC. However, Capcom has decided that the new game will come on a separate disc. Ono explained that when Street Fighter IV was originally being developed, certain aspects of the game code weren't laid out in such a way as to support the features that are being added in Super Street Fighter IV. While Capcom had initially considered making SSFIV's content a download pack of some kind, it became clear that just tacking the new content onto the old game wasn't going to be possible. As a result, SSFIV will be released as a stand-alone disc that won't be sold at full price. But, the producer explained, before you get rid of your SFIV disc, be advised that SSFIV will offer current SFIV owners a bonus that Capcom isn't revealing at this time.

T. Hawk and his mighty typhoon grapples return in Super Street Fighter IV.

This is what you can expect from the new game: Super Street Fighter IV will offer a mix of content that's directly related to the Street Fighter community's feedback about Street Fighter IV, as well as content the team had originally planned to add in a future installment after wrapping up SFIV. The topic of new characters was an area where fans and the development team were both in sync. As a result, the game's original roster of 25 characters is being bumped up by roughly eight new playable characters. Our demo showed off two of them: a brand-new, original female character named Juri; and the returning character T. Hawk, who originally debuted in Super Street Fighter II. The remaining additions to the roster are still up in the air, and Ono stated that although the team is currently planning for eight additional characters, that number may change based on the course of development, as well as fan feedback now that word on the game is out. The current plan is to pull in more classic characters, as well as toss some new ones into the mix. From the sound of it, exactly how many classic characters versus how many new characters make it in still hasn't been finalized and may change, depending on fan feedback--so it'll be interesting to see the final lineup. It's also safe to assume that there will be new background stages for the new characters as well, although we didn't see any in our demo.

As ever, T. Hawk is ready to rise to any occasion with his trusty tomahawk buster.

Based on what we did see in action, fans should be pleased. T.Hawk has undergone the same update that the classic characters did in SFIV. His 3D model is faithful to the look of his old 2D sprite, and his moves have also been carefully translated to 3D. His super and ultra combos have gotten a spectacular, special-effects-laden face-lift that make his typhoon grapples look painful (and satisfying) to see in action. But whereas T.Hawk is the same powerhouse we all know and love, Juri appears to offer an alternative for players looking for speed and finesse. Juri is a Korean fighter, a first for the series, who uses tae kwon do and relies on an extensive array of kicks that reminds us a bit of Kim Kaphwan from SNK's King of Fighters and Fatal Fury games. The amazingly flexible and sensibly dressed vixen is fast and appears to use a variation of the soul energy Bison and Rose use. In addition to the expected array of kicks, Juri uses the energy for projectiles and an enhanced radial kick that looks to be pretty handy at dealing with enemies in the ground or air. Her supers are painful to watch; one starts with her breaking her opponent's back with a mighty slam and then lifting him up to taunt him before finishing the move.

SSFIV will also make another less-flashy-but-key addition in the form of a comprehensive tuning to each of the existing fighters. The work will include balance tweaks the team members wanted to include based on their own experiences, as well as feedback from fans. Returning fighters will get new ultra combos in addition to those seen in Street Fighter IV, which will require players to refine their fighting strategies. This work will be key to SSFIV's online matches, which are getting some serious work done to them. While Ono wouldn't go into specific details--mostly saying that SSFIV will feature an online experience that is considerably enhanced over the one in SFIV--he dropped a pretty big hint that some form of a lobby system may be added. The only downside to all this is that SSFIV won't be compatible with SFIV online because of all the upcoming changes.

The visuals in the game haven't undergone a tremendous change from SFIV. The returning characters and stages we saw looked pretty much the same. Juri and T.Hawk are done in the same art style as the rest of the roster and fit right into the game. Even though the demo we were being shown on the Xbox 360 was a work in progress, the game was already humming along at full speed.

Juri is a new femme fatale with fast feet.

Based on this early look, Super Street Fighter IV is shaping up to be a smart evolution of the groundwork laid by Street Fighter IV's revival. The new content and gameplay tweaks seem like meaty additions that will offer fans a lot to tear into and master. While the incompatibility with SFIV is a downer, we're happy to hear that Capcom won't be selling SSFIV at full price (although our happiness will be directly tied to exactly how much it sells for). Super Street Fighter IV is slated to ship in spring of 2010 for the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Look for more on the game in the coming months.

Read and Post Comments | Get the full article at GameSpot

---

"Xbox 360 | Super Street Fighter IV Impressions - First Look" was posted by Ricardo Torres on Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:00:28 -0700