Witcher 2.0 detailed, sales promos start today

News by Stephany Nunneley-Jackson Former News Editor

Published on Sept. 22, 2011

CD Projekt revealed extra information regarding The Witcher 2 and version 2.0. during its fall conference today, mainly focusing on the new tutorial system and the Dark settin.

The Arena Mode was touched upon as well.

“We quite modestly called this new update 2.0, but while testing it, we have realized that this update is, actually bigger than Enhanced Edition known from our first game," said Adam Badowski, studio director. "So this is a major update not only for us, but also for all those who want to start their adventure with the game and for those who would like to play it again.

"We promised to support our game after release and also bring new content for free. Version 2.0 is one of the steps to fulfill our promise. Around 1 milion units sold worldwide and solid financial results are the best proof that that we have the right approach. You don’t need draconian DRM to have good sales and you don’t need costly DLC to have good financial results.

"You just need to treat your customers fair, and you get not only financial results, but fans admiration which for us is absolutely priceless."

Version 2.0 enhancements and features include:

New Tutorial System – New, more comprehensive tutorial is designed as a separate part of the game and takes place in the Kingdom of Keadwen. New Tutorial System gradually explains all gameplay mechanics, from very basic to the most sophisticated systems. The Tutorial ensures that start of the game for everyone will be a pleasureable experience without too steep a learning curve.

Special “Dark” difficulty setting - A new, intensely challenging difficulty setting that provides the ultimate challenge for players. On the “Dark” setting, The Witcher 2 is nearly as difficult as “Insane,” but allows players to save the game. It also provides a completely new set of dark-themed gear with very high stats. “Dark” mode also includes other special elements related to the “dark” theme. This setting is yet another reason to play the game again for those seeking new Witcher challenges.

New items in the “Dark” setting: 3 new sets of dark armor (light, medium, and heavy); 6 new dark swords (3 silver, 3 steel); Other “Dark” themes/elements in the game.

Completely new, arcade-style Arena Mode. Infinitely replayable and progressively more challenging, Arena Mode lets you hone your combat style and techniques against all the different opponents from the game as well as a new monster type, the Werewolf. Dispatch wave upon wave of increasingly more difficult enemies, earning awards that you can use to upgrade abilities, weapons and armor, and to test alchemy. Hirelings can also assist you in battle for a price. Combat waves will continue until your character is defeated, when you’ll see a statistical summary of results. Players can share their results with their friends by uploading this summary to the forums or to Facebook.

Arena Mode includes:

New location – forgotten stronghold in the Kingdom of Keadwen.
Dynamic, responsive audience reacting to the events.
A new monster type, Werewolf.
30 different waves of enemies, looped with increasing levels of difficulty.
3 different prizes to choose from in each wave.
3 new characters (mage, knight, and dwarven fighter) that can serve as allies during clashes.
A shopkeeper offering gear and enhancements.
3 new GUI panels designed specifically for the mode.
New dialogue.
New background music.
New Witcher Forum and Facebook integration.