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It’s going to be difficult to avoid drawing comparisons between games in the increasingly-crowded dark fantasy RPG space. The genre is perhaps more popular than ever thanks to recent outstanding blockbuster efforts like BioWare’s Dragon Age and Bethesda’s Elder Scrolls series, prompting developers of all walks to try their hand at crafting the next big epic to capture the hearts and wallets of the rapidly-expanding user base. Results have been predictably mixed, from the good (Dark Souls) to the bad (Two Worlds), and everything in between (Kingdoms of Amalur). It would be easy enough for developers to play it safe and fall victim to the familiar conventions that characterize many of these titles, however CD Projekt RED decided to follow its own path with The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, and has earned the right to carve out its own place alongside the industry's trend-setters in the process. The RPG epic that had PC gamers humming with delight last year has finally made the jump over to the console realm, and the transition has been made even smoother than we could have hoped.

Unlike many other modern role-playing experiences that allow players to customize their main character, the protagonist in The Witcher 2 is clearly defined: you are Geralt of Rivia, a powerful witcher (professional monster slayers with supernatural abilities) who, at the outset of the game, is accused of assassinating the king who trusted him as his personal bodyguard. To further his plight, Geralt has no recollection of key moments of his previous life, in which he was believed to be killed. Determined to absolve himself of the dubious allegations and to uncover the truth regarding his past, Geralt embarks on a relentless pursuit of the true kingslayer. While Geralt’s predicaments ground the over-arching plotline, it is fleshed out throughout the journey with a rather complex web of political intrigue. In fact, it can become a bit overwhelming at times trying to keep track of all the important people, places, and events that are moulding the background of this immense world, so if you plan on keeping tabs on every occurrence in this volatile domain, you would do well to pay attention and heed every word in each conversation and cut-scene.

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