Because I didn't get to play "The Witcher 2" when it was released last year for the PC, I was excited to see the console version (Xbox 360; Warner Bros. Interactive; M, for Mature) arrive so I could revel in the brooding and moral ambiguity the game promised.
Instead of grand, bellwether moments perfectly timed throughout the game, in "Witcher 2" you confront seemingly mundane interactions in which your choices can have drastic outcomes. These keep the story humming along, forcing you to stay attuned to details rather than making arbitrary decisions in a menu queue.
You're here to slay some beasts, and there are plenty of them. Beautifully rendered forests and castle environments lull you into an awed state just before some creature of the undead or a winged bird of prey hastily tries to dismember you. Damage is meted out primarily via your sword, but potions, bombs and other destructive tools are available once you start looting your victims and barter with craftsmen in the villages.
The visuals alone would make the game a rousing success, but like other successful franchises attempting an epic scale, this title goes beyond the basic gaming experience to deliver something memorable.
I put in the game, fire it up. The famous John Williams score blasts through the speakers and I am ready. Arm me with my lightsaber; it's time to take back the galaxy.
Then the gag reflex kicks in.
There is a sickening experience in playing "Kinect Star Wars" (Xbox 360; Microsoft; T, for Teen). The game was probably built for players two decades my junior.
The action and combat are sluggish, as if happening in a dream and almost comically opposite of the punishment we all know a Jedi knight can dish out. "Kinect" is slow to pick up your arm movements. Other modes like the pod races are just as frustrating.
The death spiral culminates in the dance portion of the game (yes, you read that correctly). When Han Solo appears and starts to disco his way around the carbonite pit, my only happiness was that my wife was not present to mock me. I'm certain that younger gamers who do not share an unyielding love for the "Star Wars" franchise will gladly boogie their hearts out, but I truly wished lightsabers were real and I could just gouge out my eyes.
-- Chris Campbell, Scripps Howard News Service
First Published: May 3, 2012, 4:00 a.m.
Updated: May 3, 2012, 4:16 a.m.
