巫师 2：国王刺客 The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings p.454

我们对游戏期望很高，不愿在创造时束手束脚、限制游戏的艺术表现力。从如今热播的电视节目来看，人们对裸露镜头已经见怪不怪，如果裸露镜头是为了剧情服务的话，那就更是如此——既然这样，为什么要把玩家当做小孩儿来看？《巫师 2》的性画面与剧情紧密相关，并不只是为了吸引眼球。

We really created an ambitious game and we didn't want to limit our artistic expression. Nudity is considered normal in the best TV shows nowadays, especially when it serves the story – so why should gamers be treated like children? The sex themes in The Witcher 2 are deeply rooted in the story, and they are not there just to show off.

Maciej Szczesnik
首席战斗设计师

Maciej Szczesnik,
Lead Combat designer

本作抛弃前作的鼠标操作型战斗系统，转而采用第三视角的动作 RPG 战斗系统。三种战斗风格也不复存在，取而代之的是与特定按键绑定的轻、重击操作。杰洛特的主要武器依然是两把长剑——钢剑对付普通敌人，银剑对付超自然敌人，还能使用飞刀（粗糙的远程武器）。

当然，杰洛特能使用的武器五花八门——斧子，锤子，棍棒，长戟，但和前作一样，长剑才是最有效的武器。防御动作包括翻滚与格挡，后者会消耗活力（vigor），而活力也是能否施放法印（猎魔人所使用的法术）的关键。法印的效果与前作相差无几，但昆恩法印^[4] （Quen）是个例外，本作的昆恩法印能为施术者生成吸收伤害的魔法护甲。

剧情是《巫师 2》的一大亮点，在我看来，它比前作设计得更巧妙。其独特之处在于，玩家可以从两种不同的视角体验第二章的剧情。根据玩家在第一章所做出的抉择，第二章的故事场景会发生在一座受到包围的由矮人镇守的要塞城市，或是发起这场围城行动的军营。视角不同，主角所完成的任务、所经历的剧情，所持有的立场也大相径庭。

Combat has been changed from the mouse-driven system of the original game to a more typical Action RPG system with a third-person camera. The three separate fighting stances are gone, with fast and strong attacks instead just mapped to different keys. Geralt still uses two swords – steel against normal and silver against supernatural opponents – but he can now also throw knives for a rudimentary ranged attack.

Other melee weapons, such as axes, hammers, clubs and halberds are available, but, as in the first game, much less effective than swords. Defensive moves include rolling and blocking, the latter consuming vigour, which is also the resource used for casting signs – a kind of witcher magic. Signs work more or less as before, except for Quen, which now creates a magical armour that absorbs damage.

One of the strongest points of The Witcher 2 is the plot, which in my opinion is significantly better than the first game's. What makes it truly unique is the ability to experience the game's second chapter from one of two distinct perspectives. Depending on a choice made in the previous chapter, Geralt will end up either in a besieged dwarven fortress town or in a military camp of the army laying said siege, with both options providing unique quests, storylines and points of view for the unfolding events.

2011 年 5 月，《巫师 2》的特莉丝梅丽葛德成为波兰版《花花公子》的封面女郎。

In May 2011, the Polish version of Playboy featured one of the game's characters, Triss Merigold, on its cover.

双重路线的设定促使玩家在通关后重开游戏，如果二周目时，玩家选择了另一条分支路线，就能换个角度感受剧情，理解某些角色的内心动机。

说实话，如果你希望本作是《巫师》的翻版，那你恐怕会大失所望。这款作品与前作有诸多不同，这些区别也影响着游戏的方方面面。论游戏机制的复杂性，这款游戏也比不上前作。但换个角度，你会发现，《巫师 2》其实是一款很不错的动作 RPG 游戏，画面精美、音乐动人、人物形象丰满，曲折有深度的情节足以与《巫师》媲美，能给玩家带来无限乐趣。

模组：

2013 年，CD Projekt 发布了 REDKit，一款针对《巫师 2》的模组编辑器。可惜，上面的模组少之又少，且大部分是换装模组。但是，有两个模组值得一用：

全面战斗平衡模组 2（Full Combat Rebalance 2）：由 Andrzej Kwiatkowski 开发，如今他已经成为 CD Projekt 的游戏设计师。这款模组很大，调整游戏的平衡性、战斗系统，并增加全新战斗动画。

增强模组合辑（Enhanced Mod Compilation）：这个模组囊括了大量针对游戏的小幅改动，提升玩家的游戏体验，如减少某些物品的重量，增加自动搜刮功能。

This binary choice gives an incentive to replay the game and allows for an additional insight into the story and motivations of certain characters, if the player plays through both of the paths.

In all honesty, if you expect a straight follow-up to The Witcher, you might not like Assassins of Kings. The differences are numerous and affect the game on many levels, and there is no question that the sequel is mechanically more shallow. On the other hand, The Witcher 2 is still a great-looking (and sounding), enjoyable Action RPG with great characters and a deep, complex plot, just like its predecessor. It is simply cut from a different mould.

Mods:

In 2013, CD Projekt released the REDKit, an editor for The Witcher 2. Sadly, few mods were ever finished, most being cosmetic changes, but here are two highlights:

Full Combat Rebalance 2: Mod created by Andrzej Kwiatkowski, now a gameplay designer at CD Projekt.
The mod is huge and includes changes to the game’s balance, tweaks to the combat and new animations.

Enhanced Mod Compilation: A compilation of minor changes that offers quality-of-life improvements, like reducing some items’ weight and adding auto-loot.

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⁴ 译者注：《巫师 1》里昆恩法印可以施放护盾，让主角处于无敌状态，但生效期间无法攻击。《巫师 2》里，昆恩法印生效期间可以攻击对方，但防御效果不是无敌，而是减免一定的伤害。