Witcher anyone?

I don't think anybody has but did anybody pick up Witcher 2 when it came out for the PC? If so what did they think of it. Me, I'm getting the 360 version in April and decided to invest £20 extra pounds to get the 'Dark Edition'. You get the game, an artbook, a questbook, the soundtrack on CD, a metal Witcher pendant, some stickers and a couple of other bits. Even better as I've pre-ordered I get a free t-shirt! I call that a win... That said, they had me at albinomutantwarriormagewhohangsaroundwithelves

Never heard of it, but I didn't play many PC games as it is. Sounds good!

I don't think I've ever got any of the deluxe edition games. On Play.com they're usually a tenner more or so but I never bought one. I bought Saint's Row 3 special edition but all that meant is you get the first portion of DLC unlocked and free, and the WWE '12 special Rock download edition but that's it. Usually, when I've played a game to completion it goes on the shelf never to be played again, so I don't bother with the shiny metal box or T shirt or trading card or something.

I sometimes buy special editions when they have extra in-game content (for example the Forza 4 special edition) but I tend now not to buy the ones with the extra books and cards and stuff. The guff just lies around the house cluttering up the place.

I usually limit myself to in-game stuff, such as swords, amulets, guns, etc. But I'm always tempted by some of the books and bits although I usually decided against it.

This one was just so good an offer, for the extra £20 (and, to be fair, I fell for the pendant straight away!) that I had to get it. The t-shirt was an added sweetner - it has simple metallic wolf head in profile, the sort of one I'd buy anyway!

I've pre-ordered Mass Effect 3 and that has some in-game stuff as a bonus.

I must admit, the Mass Effect 3 CGI trailer is awesome. I might download the demo.

However, while I enjoyed ME2 and Dragon Age, I didn't much enjoy ME1 and I really got burned with Skyrim, so I'm very cautious about ME3.

I love Skyrim but I can see it's not for everybody. As we're getting ME3 if you ever fancy it in the future then you'll be more than welcome to a loan, DS.

Didn't you like Skyrim Dave? You must be the first person I know that didn't like it. I was considering giving it a look but I'd be interested to hear your thoughts on it first.

Well, Myron is the better person to take a review from as he's played a lot more of the game than I have, but I just couldn't get into it. It just seemed TOO open works and TOO random. I found myself wandering around an empty landscape a hell of a lot of the time, not doing very much except coming across the occasional wolf of bear.

Some parts of it were good, and the game as a whole is very well presented, but what I liked about ME2 and DA2 was that I always knew where the story was going - there was a sense that I was at least being guided in some way. As I don't play a lot of RPGs, that was handy for me. But I get that that may be what RPG fans DONT want. They want the complete freedom and the random nature of events.

One bit really soured me on the whole game. I'd spent ages wandering around a village and then trekking up a mountain, endlessly wandering down snow covered paths where no sod was. They suddenly some yeti thing attacks me and kills me. OK, fair enough, I know he's there now...

...but the game starts me back at the point I first entered the village. I'd have to do that WHOLE bit again.

And frankly, I just realised I couldn't be bothered.

It looks excellent, its well presented, and I get the feeling it epic in scale, but for someone who was never much of a RPG fan in the first place, its just not for me. Its not been in the 360 since the middle of January, and I can't see it making a return.

However, as I say, I'm not the person to take a review from. Mr Fox can I am sure give you a thousand reasons why its the greatest thing since the last greatest thing.

...Alternatively, you could go watch a Youtube video. You'd know everything then.

That's one of the main differences between Dragon Age/Mass Effect and Elder Scrolls (Skyrim)/Fallout. The former have the edge, for me, on the bigger story and on the characters. You invest more in your companions, like Alistair or Garrus because they have been with you from the beginning. They develop and you're more of a team. What that does mean, however, is that while you have lots of scope to wander around, the story is still more linear when compared to Skyrim.

The Skyrim/Fall Out games offer you scope and freedom. Personally, I think Skyrim edges it for me, out of those games I mentioned. But I like to really get into the world. I the one that is collecting every in-game book just so I can read the fluff. My character has a wardrobe of clothes - they do nothing (unless you magic them up) for you but I like the idea of my character wandering around in clothes, rather than armour, in town. Most players don't, I will add! You can even spend the evening catching butterflies and fishing if you want!

But I can totally understand DS reasons for not liking it (the magic words, though, are save, save and save again if you want to avoid big jumps back!). That scope isn't for everybody. I'd just say that if you love epic RPGs you can't beat Skyrim. It's the best of it's kind out there. If you have any love for Oblivion or Fallout then you'll love it.

(I should also probably confess that I've even given my character a backstory...all in my head and occassionally explained to my long suffering girlfriend while she nods and says 'that's nice dear...')

I'm a little biased in that, as you all know, I love all things fantasy and sci-fi. From the old point and click days of 'Eye of the Beholder' to Skyrim I've bought them all. Looking at Witcher 2 I'm guessing it'll be closer to DA/DA2. Scope to do things in the order you want but with a closer set of characters (like Hawke in DA2, you have a set character here - Geralt - the albino lead character from the 'Blood of Elves'/Witcher (Hexer) book series).