The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition brought to PlayStation 3 an expanded version of the PC RPG by CD Projekt RED, continuing the story of witcher Geralt of Rivia amid the political intrigue and warfare of the northern kingdoms. The game builds on mature storytelling full of morally ambiguous decisions whose consequences significantly shape the rest of the story, including the pivotal split of the second chapter into two different story branches depending on the choice made, which fundamentally changes which characters and locations the player sees in that passage — so two different players can experience a markedly different second chapter.

The console version adapted the controls of a combat system that combines tactical planning, signs, and alchemy for the gamepad, and added new content, additional quests, and reworked opening tutorial sections that make it easier to enter the complex universe drawn from Andrzej Sapkowski's book series. Visually, it was one of the most striking RPGs of the generation, with a dense, gritty, and believable fantasy aesthetic and distinctive music blending Slavic motifs with an epic orchestral sound, rounding out the harsh, realistic atmosphere of a medieval conflict.

Enhanced Edition proved that a demanding, story-heavy PC RPG could work on console without losing its identity, and opened the door to the world of the Witcher for many players even before the arrival of the third installment. The game was praised for its character writing, moral complexity, and willingness not to give the player easy answers, and along with the rest of the series, it helped build CD Projekt RED's reputation as a studio capable of making world-class RPGs. Even today, Witcher 2 is remembered as an important milestone on the road to the later Witcher 3, and as proof that a European studio can compete with the great Western and Japanese RPG makers.

Why play it: For players who want to know the roots of the Witcher before the third installment, and who'll appreciate the character writing and moral complexity that defined CD Projekt RED's reputation.