The Witcher

Speak Softly and Carry a Silver Sword

HIGH The inexplicably detailed and believable dwarven city of Vergen.

LOW Killing a family of friendly trolls and feeling really bad about it.

WTF "King, command your vulture to shut his beak before I thrust his cockerel up his ass and twist so hard he'll crow until noon reverts to morning."

A Witcher's Work is Never Done

HIGH The moment when the combat clicks and Geralt slices through five or more attackers with ease.

LOW Twenty minutes of pure exposition before the game's final moments. Very clunky.

WTF Being tossed into the story with no clue who any of these people are if you didn't play the first game.

Over the last few days, there's been a lot of heat directed at Bobby Hunter, the reviewer who covered Witcher 2 for Gamer Limit. In any event, the reason I bring this up is not because I agree with the criticisms, but to express a little surprise at how many people in the review sphere seemed eager to take Mr. Hunter to task for any number of reasons.

Crowned Heads Will Roll

HIGH: The death of an NPC I'd wanted to kill since the moment I met him.

LOW: The boss checkpoint that didn't give me a chance to use any potions when I died and respawned.

WTF: The absolute orgy of exposition at the end of the game.

Foiled By A Fence

HIGH Seeing the consequences of a choice I made much earlier in the game.

LOW Having to keep re-entering conversation trees that I haven't fully explored yet.

WTF Buying stuff from the same fat guy with the same bell around his neck a bazillion times.