The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Enhanced Edition

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings - Enhanced Edition brought one of the most mature fantasy RPGs of its time to the Xbox 360, in an expanded form with additional scenes, a longer opening and ending, and reworked tutorials. Geralt of Rivia, a witcher, is accused of murdering a king, and the search for the real culprit draws him into the political chessboard of the northern kingdoms, where no one's hands are clean. The game consistently refuses a simple good-versus-evil divide: the player chooses between options that both carry unpleasant consequences, and one decision at the end of the first chapter splits the entire second half of the game into two nearly separate variants with different locations and characters.

Combat is fast and merciless. Geralt uses two swords, signs that function as simple magic, traps, and above all preparation before a fight, since potions can only be drunk outside of combat and every kind of monster calls for a different blade oil. Anyone who tries to play it as an ordinary action game dies often, which was in fact one of the most common complaints in reviews. Technically it was an extraordinary achievement, since an engine originally designed for powerful PCs was adapted by the team to a console with substantially less memory, while still keeping richly detailed environments, expressive faces, and impressive weather. Resolution and smoothness are of course lower, but the visual design carries it without trouble. The music draws on folk instruments and Slavic motifs, giving the world an identity other fantasy games of the time didn't have.

The Xbox 360 version was very well received, and for many players it was their first encounter with a series that became a global phenomenon three years later. The title's influence shows in how seriously big RPGs today approach branching stories and writing side characters. Today it's still an excellent, densely told game whose decisions carry weight even after the credits roll.