I'd say it's busy. There's a lot of shit going on all the time, and it's not very smooth. I find it's a bit difficult to execute my commands to Geralt: A lot of the time I wind up targeting the wrong guy, swinging my sword at empty air while four guys stab me in the ass, whiff a spell, etc.
I found the targeting system to be initially a little loose myself. I would definitely agree that it could be a little more natural to use, like Dark Souls. I found myself fighting with the targeting elements of The Witcher 2 for a long while, and that's definitely not what players should be doing when it's time to fight. You don't want it to be counter intuitive.
Now, that said, it's a long way from bad. I guess I've just been a bit spoiled by Dark Souls and the like (which, let's be fair, is vastly superior on the combat end). And one ought to take into account the fact that it's a PC port that was not planned for in the outset, and those can be a little rough around the edges. I'm just glad to have the opportunity to play the game.
I would totally agree that Dark Souls has the superior control. The game plays very tight. I think I prefer the variety offered to me in The Witcher 2, but there is no denying that the core mechanics of Dark Souls' combat are as refined as a game of its type and pace will ever be.
Because yes, the story is excellent so far. I like how it doesn't hold your hand -- it reminds me of Game of Thrones in that sense. And it's been extremely addictive so far. A few of the quest objectives I've run across have been a bit vague, but otherwise I was telling myself "Just one more" well into the night yesterday.
So yeah. It's not flawless, but is it a great game so far? Yes. Fuck yes.
I'm glad to hear you're enjoying it, at the very least. This is another area where I feel The Witcher 2 succeeds over Dark Souls (since it's been brought up.)
And it's not just in the narrative. It's in the environments. You go into living communities, interact with NPCs, experience the world of the game's politics and social structure as you make your way through the chapters. The World of The Witcher 2 is alive with enough of the strengths and weaknesses of a medieval civilization that you are able to experience more emotional highs and lows as you progress.
RPGs, for me, are about narrative, primarily. I can't play a RPG if the only good thing about it is the combat. Dark Souls has a narrative, but it's bleak and monotonous. It's perfect for what that game's trying to accomplish, but it's also dead and cold. All the characters are soft spoke and morose. The air itself is oppressive and melancholy in Dark Souls. I always feel alone in it. Again, that's the point. But it's also the main reason I can't put it over The Witcher 2 for 2011. It's got one long, icy emotional pitch.
I love walking into taverns in The Witcher 2 and gambling or getting caught up on rumors or getting into fistfights. Even just hearnig the tavern music. It's a dangerous, dark world, but it's also one with life and possibilities and people making what they can out of it. That's what I want to experience, more often than not, when I play a RPG.
