By Alec Meer on June 3rd, 2009 at 5:21 pm.
And the award for Most Prosaic-Ever RPS Headline goes to…
All’s been a bit quiet around well-received, dodgily-translated blood’n'boobs’n'moral deliberation RPG The Witcher for a while, with its fans hoping E3 might offer news of a follow-up. No such luck, unfortunately, but there is more Witcher inbound – the 1.5 patch, which promises two rather exciting changes. Also, CD Projekt RED’s cavalier mention of a “Director’s Cut” will doubtless fuel a speculatory fire.
Witcher 1.5, to the great delight of techno-fearful men the world over, removes all DRM from the game – including even the disc check. Obviously less exciting for owners of the Steam version, but disc-jockeys will be pleased.
As well as that, it includes five new adventures – apparently made by the fans. Not sure as yet if those are already available from the internet wilderness, or if they’re brand new. Nice for a freebie either way, certainly.
Then there’s this whole Director’s Cut business. CD Projekt are being incredibly cheeky there, giving no details bar the name – which, specifically, will be the remarkably cumbersome “The Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director’s Cut.” ‘North American gamers’ are mentioned specifically, which may mean half of gamingdom is set to explode in fury at some point, but we’ll see. So what does this mean? How does one enhance an Enhanced Edition? There’s still perhaps room for better English voicework, while an option to deactivate those infamous smutty cards would please those who found them tawdry and jarring. What else, fellows?
Anyway – that 1.5 patch is tagged ‘coming soon’, and apparently will be applied to all versions of the game. More details as and when.
03/06/2009 at 17:30 bansama says:
The continuing work that CDProjekt RED do on this game coupled with this are why I like these guys.
03/06/2009 at 17:35 Fumarole says:
One of these days I’ll get around to picking up The Witcher. More and more content coming out seems to be making that day sooner rather than later.
03/06/2009 at 17:42 ilves says:
hmm… maybe i’ll play it for the second time with the patch, make some different choices than last time
03/06/2009 at 17:42 rigley says:
I planned to get the boxed version of The Witcher: EE, but with these seemingly perpetual updates I may just get it off Steam to save me from the hassle of large patches.
I wonder if the Director’s Cut will be a free update, too?
03/06/2009 at 17:48 Pavel says:
With the latest hotfix (the one fixing EAX and blurry cutscenes) the DRM is already removed – at least it works on my PC without dvd in drive.And I have retail EE.
03/06/2009 at 17:50 Vinraith says:
The post release support for this game has been superb, it’s all but guaranteed I’d buy any follow-up on that basis alone.
03/06/2009 at 17:52 Heliocentric says:
Witcher: Enhanceder
03/06/2009 at 17:55 Dominic White says:
I find the complaint about the ‘tawdry and jarring’ cards to be amusing, given that you only ever seen them if you choose (yes, CHOOSE) to play Geralt as a shameless man-slut/sex pest.
Contrary to popular internet belief, you do not have to bed them all. He’s not nearly as tacky in the books, either.
As for wishes for better voice acting, just use the Polish audio (one feature of the Enhanced Edition update). The original Geralt is a far, *far* more emotive character than his English counterpart.
03/06/2009 at 17:59 Optimaximal says:
Hopefully this patch will alleviate the crashing I’m experiencing towards the end of the game which is probably caused by the No CD crack I’m using as I the EE is too nice to risk disc scratching!
03/06/2009 at 18:01 meeper says:
I found those tawdry and smutty cards made the title feel more mature. Silly perhaps, but there we have it.
03/06/2009 at 18:02 damien says:
“sex-pest”.
fantastic!
03/06/2009 at 18:05 Rinox says:
bansama says:
The continuing work that CDProjekt RED do on this game coupled with this are why I like these guys.
That, and them being responsible for the awesome gog.com!
03/06/2009 at 18:16 Hümmelgümpf says:
Wasn’t the US version censored? Director’s Cut could be a version that restores the boobs.
03/06/2009 at 18:23 Tworak says:
I still can’t buy this online. Nice.
03/06/2009 at 18:24 Clovis says:
It doesn’t sound like the patch deals with the existing technical issues. My rig plays all kinds of games flawlessly, but the Witcher crashes almost every thirty minutes, and for extra fun it will crash DURING A SAVE, and force me to replay about 30 minutes. I hate replaying anything, with a passion. I’ve given up on the game because of this. Otherwise it was a lot of fun. I loved being a homicidal, sex crazed mutant who collects flowers all day.
@Hummelgumpf: I got the game on Steam awhile ago. When I got to the Dryad the first time she was covered in branches and stuff. At some point Steam did an update and I was presently surprised to see the totally nude Dryad walking around the forest. Since nothing was announced in-game, it was just like she decided to stop wearing twigs one night.
03/06/2009 at 18:45 bansama says:
Wasn’t the US version censored?
Yup, but someone from the community set up an automated system to uncensor the game — full details are somewhere on the Witcher forums.
03/06/2009 at 18:59 Brother None says:
You’d think they’d be more focused in development right now, considering they’re all but out of business.
A shame, too, I was hoping they’d announce TW2 right about now. Worrisome that they haven’t yet.
03/06/2009 at 19:07 jsutcliffe says:
Hmm, but will they streamline the install process for the update? Updating a first edition with the EE content is a gigantic pain in the arse.
03/06/2009 at 19:15 Wirbelwind says:
Sounds alright. Didn’t play the extra adventures from the EE patch, maybe these adventures are worth something.
If so I’ll definitely give them a shot sometime.
03/06/2009 at 19:24 MrBejeebus says:
Brother None if you look at their website theres a recent entry stating that 90% of their team is currently working on a different project.
03/06/2009 at 19:31 Endloop says:
Awesome, The Witcher made even more Witcherer!
03/06/2009 at 19:33 The Dude says:
Having updated my non enhanced version to enhanced, I don’t need the cd anymore in the drive, I did have to register my copy.
This allowed me to play it on win 7, otherwise the drm driver is judged “incompatible” and shut down at start. Would that mean win 7 is anti-DRM? ;-)
03/06/2009 at 19:43 RLacey says:
I’ve just started playing this game. Should I put it away again and wait for the next mass update? :D
03/06/2009 at 20:06 Big Daddy says:
How does one enhance an Enhanced Edition?
By making it Unhanced, thats how.
03/06/2009 at 20:09 Po0py says:
I suspect the specific reference regarding the American version is about the fact that Americans aren’t allowed to see the boobies where as us Europeans are. Directors cut will probably carry a Mature Content sticker of some sort and show the boobies. Mind you, the game should already have such a sticker no matter what region it’s in boobies or no.
I love saying that word.
Boobies.
03/06/2009 at 20:11 cHeal says:
Nah, it’s perfectly fine to play as is, except for a few bugs but it doesn’t sound like they are doing anything with that. It’s a fantastic game, and I hope that they aren’t going out of business :(
03/06/2009 at 20:21 Clovis says:
If a “Director’s Cut” box was sold in the States and it features full boobies then it won’t just get a sticker. It would get an ESRB rate of AO (Adult Only). And if it gets an AO you won’t see it on any shelves (at least not at Walmart, Best Buy, GameStop, or any other major retailer). It doesn’t matter that a movie featuring even more nudity would only get rate R and be available everywhere. Or, better yet, they release an “unrated” version of the movie with tons of boobies and horrorshow violence. This will still be stocked at major retailers. There’s pretty much no such thing as an “unrated” game though.
Still, the US is much better than Germany and Australia as far as this nonsense goes.
Somehow, regardless of this, the Steam version does feature boobies.
Boobies.
03/06/2009 at 20:30 Serondal says:
I’ve been trying to decide if I wanna get this game or not for a while now. This might just convince me to do it. I remember playing the demo and it lagging horrible like but I’ve upgarded my ram and graphics card since then so maybe another stab at the demo is in order.
I’ll have to see if I can redirect funding from the ministry of silly walks to the ministry of buying slutty games ;)
03/06/2009 at 20:57 Anonononomous says:
Actually, Clovis, there already is a Witcher: Enhanced Edition Director’s Cut rated by the ESRB and it is rated M. But hey, continue to make stuff up if you like.
03/06/2009 at 20:58 Ravenger says:
This is one of my all-time favourite games. I’ve bought it twice – the original, then the enhanced edition.
It’s typical they’ve released a patch to remove the CD check now that I’ve uninstalled the game. I was always planning to play the extra adventures, but it’s a pain having to keep the CD in the drive all the time.
03/06/2009 at 21:02 Ian says:
I really need to get around to this game…
03/06/2009 at 21:03 Sebmojo says:
It’s not super demanding – my old athlon 3500 and a geforce 9800GT could play it fine.
As to the boobies – sheesh, how is it any more tawdry than the slow mo decapitations and eviscerations you find in half the games on the market? Or the neocon warporn of CoD 4 (which I’ve just got round to playing, hence the ref)?
03/06/2009 at 21:05 Nick says:
Don’t get started on the US violence/nudity thing…
03/06/2009 at 21:41 Mike says:
I will echo the hope that this alleviates the crash bug I’m having (entering the now warring Vizima).
03/06/2009 at 21:52 Clovis says:
@Anonononomous: Sorry, I should have researched a bit. The nudity is rather limited and this isn’t the kind of game to get complained about on Fox News. GTAIV and the expansions are getting away with a little nudity too. However, they really got lucky getting by the ESRB. Nudity is a quick way to get an AO rating and be banned from store shelves. This is still true and annoying. GTA:SA got stuck with an AO for awhile b/c of Hot Coffee.
According to esrb.com it got an M and included “These sex scenes depict blurry bodies and cards with still images of nude or semi-nude women in provocative poses.” Hmm… what about that totally nude and animated Dryad walking around. ::shrug::
@Nick: Ya, I shouldn’t have brought it up, haha.
03/06/2009 at 21:54 Smurfy says:
*Something about Valve making a sequel in a year and CD Projekt can’t even make one in two*
03/06/2009 at 22:03 Anonononomous says:
San Andreas was AO because of the interactive sex, just like the Director’s Cut of Indigo Prophecy. It was also a big deal because it was content that was not disclosed to the ESRB. Plenty of games have nudity and get M ratings, such as all the God of War games.
03/06/2009 at 22:09 Heliocentric says:
When sex isn’t interactive, its rape! I’m serious every game with a sex scene should have a button to stop if it doesn’t feel right.
03/06/2009 at 23:04 Clovis says:
GTA:SA was just because of the hysteria. “Nudity” isn’t even listed in the ESRB’s definition of rated M games. Rated M does include “Non-explicit depictions of sexual behavior, possibly including partial nudity.” I believe boobies are considered partial. Rated AO contains “nudity” and that is defined as “Graphic or prolonged depictions of nudity.” That is from the ESRB’s website. No interaction is necessary to get an AO. Actually showing sex will get it, and showing “too much” nudity would get it. Apparently the director’s cut makes the rated M…. er… cut.
So, I stand by my assertion that nudity (try a penis for example) can easily get you an AO, and your game will never sell at retail in the US.
@Heliocentric: Mass Effect touched me “down there” and it made me feel icky.
03/06/2009 at 23:14 Joel says:
@clovis: You said, “If a “Director’s Cut” box was sold in the States and it features full boobies then it won’t just get a sticker. It would get an ESRB rate of AO (Adult Only).”.
03/06/2009 at 23:16 Joel says:
Do you think the Witcher demo is a good representation of the game? I have been meaning to try the game and I am looking for the demo now.
03/06/2009 at 23:25 Serondal says:
I don’t get how I can walk down the ilse in Kroger and see the magazine with 99% nude women on the cover but I can’t buy a game with virtual nudity at all O.o Whoever is drawing this thin line has some sort of shaking disorder.
(When I say at all I mean of course in a store.) I was kinda shocked to see Sims 3 had warnings of sexual content and violence lol
Is it possible as mentioned above to listen to the game in Polish and have English subtitles? That’d actually be kinda cool.
03/06/2009 at 23:41 Dominic White says:
Serondal: Yes, that’s one of the things they added in the Enhanced Edition. The EE download page has the audio files for all regions.
They skimped a bit on the english script even in the EE though, so often the Polish dialogue will continue on for a bit past where the english script ends, but it’s nowhere near as bad as it was at launch, where the publisher apparently was only willing to bankroll a certain length of recording time on the dubbing, so they had to hack huge chunks out of the text to cram it in.
03/06/2009 at 23:43 qrter says:
I wonder if removing all DRM might also mean that the game will finally become available on Steam in Europe (mainland non-Polish Europe, that is).
03/06/2009 at 23:54 Serondal says:
that sounds like it would be an extremly interesting experience. I love watching foreign movies with subtitles.
Do you speak Polish and English? Is the translation that IS there faithful to the origonal content or has it been edited to convey the meaning more so than the exact translation?
I don’t think that is as big a deal between Polish/English as it is between Chinese/English. Not sure I’m not a language buff but I think Polish and English share enough of a common background that the meaning shouldn’t be lost in translation compared to something that is said in Chinese can simply can’t be translated to English directly and retain its meaning.
04/06/2009 at 00:34 gulag says:
boobies
04/06/2009 at 02:02 Stabby says:
MORE boobies
04/06/2009 at 02:02 Stabby says:
MORE boobies.
And apparently, this will be a digital download only version, seeing as it won’t make the rating cut to be sold in stores.
04/06/2009 at 02:43 sebmojo says:
Joel, the demo is pretty thorough – if you don’t like it at all then you slmost certainly won’t enjoy the full version.
04/06/2009 at 03:26 DSX says:
Last I read (couple months ago?) a bunch of guys got fired and others transplanted off of DLC work to begin Witcher 2. My guess is that these expanda-patches are the remains of that work rolled up into a friendly “please keep us in mind” type of update during the long wait for v2.
04/06/2009 at 03:53 NegativeZero says:
@Clovis: since you name-dropped Australia I must point out that the game was released here with the smut cards uncensored. It’s got an MA15+ rating (the highest possible in Australia) with content descriptors of “Strong violence, sex scene and drug references”.
04/06/2009 at 07:03 Guhndahb says:
I can’t say that’s a terribly exciting announcement, really, but I love the gang at CD Project Red so I’m still happy. I hope they keep doing what they do best!
04/06/2009 at 07:53 James T says:
It’s kind of a ‘muted’ preview — at most stages of the game, you have more maps to visit, they’re somewhat busier, and you’ll be fighting better due to the accrued level-up unlocks and new swords/armour. Plus you’ll be starting to see the fallout from your decisions kicking in. But it shows the basic mechanics pretty representatively.
Strictly speaking, probably all the cards are optional, but you have to play a very particular variety of creep not to get some of the story-related ones (ie Triss and Shani, and… hang on, is there any way of skipping Adda?), so, whether you get them or not, they’re an aspect you have to contend with, an embarrassing one that The Witcher would be better off without; that said, I’d probably put it second only to Deus Ex as my game of the decade (oo, 6 months to go though), so I’m not saying anyone shouldn’t play it.
edit: Oh, I see they’ve put ‘Rise of the White Wolf’ on hold. Couldn’t give a shit about the game itself — haven’t got a console — but I want these guys making money off their good work, so that’s a shame.
…Although that news report does also tell me that “Rise of the White Wolf” was NOT their as-yet-unrevealed ‘secret project’, so… hooray!
04/06/2009 at 14:45 Anonononomous says:
Clovis: The first GTA IV DLC has a penis. It’s rated M.
04/06/2009 at 16:36 James T says:
And I could swear I’ve seen the Alghouls’ tiny David-esque cash-and-prizes dangling about after I’ve sent them sprawling…
(I read somewhere that the Ancient Greeks aesthetically prized having a smaller unit; that’d certainly scythe a lot of nonsense out of male intrasexual politics!)
05/06/2009 at 06:03 Serondal says:
I broke down and got it. I Have to say it’s F@#$@# awesome dunno why I put it off so long, this is exactly what I’ve been looking for.
05/06/2009 at 20:32 TeeJay says:
On play.com the original version sells for £9.99 and the enhanced edition for £29.99. Can anyone give me some advice about how hard it is to upgrade the original game up to the Enhanced Edition and what else I might be missing out on ifI go for the cheap version?
£9.99 version
http://www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/3358122/The-Witcher/Product.html
£29.99 version
http://www.play.com/Games/PC/4-/6408632/The-Witcher-Enhanced-Edition/Product.html
05/06/2009 at 23:13 Nick says:
Its a fairly large couple of downloads that you need to register for, but nothing too tricky. Other than that you miss out on bits and bobs that come with the game, not missing anything actually in the game.
06/06/2009 at 05:46 James T says:
TeeJay — buy the normal one and you’ll have to d/l the Enhanced Edition and associated bonus material yourself — quite big, but free. The difference between Enhanced Edition retail is that you get the (very nice) soundtrack, the (half-good-half-terrible) Sapkowski tribute album and the making-of docos in CD/DVD form rather than mp3/wmv form, and the book-y stuff (some game-guide material) in print form rather than PDF form; oh, and I think the retail version might come with some maps (ornamental, we’re not talkin’ GTA here) that you just get as big JPGs with the patch version. So you’re paying 20 quid to get the extra stuff in solid form; personally I didn’t feel the need, so d/led it (I was tempted to buy the retail EE out of sheer CDPR-philia, buuuut I’m just too frugal.)