The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf Preview

VideoGamer.com has whipped up a quick preview of CD Projekt’s upcoming console offering, The Witcher: Rise of the White Wolf.

Indeed, the original The Witcher is widely regarded as one of the finest PC RPGs of the past few years – so console-owning fans of the genre can now celebrate the fact that they too will be getting a slice of the pie. Rise of the White Wolf is no simple port, but rather a full-blooded remake that retains the core story and quest structure while completely rebuilding things like the game’s combat system and interface. It’s a bold move on the part of the Polish developers, CD Projekt Red – but if it works, they’ll have brought their adventure to a whole new audience.

What certainly won’t be changing is the game’s story. The Witcher is based upon the works of Andrzej Sapkowski, an author who subtly blends contemporary themes into his fantasy novels, alongside many references to Slavic mythology. The Witchers themselves are professional monster hunters, warriors who receive battle-training from an early age – alongside several mutating processes that alter their genetic make-up. As a result of these changes the Witchers are stronger, faster and more agile than normal humans; they are also completely sterile, so their numbers are comparatively limited.

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…the game will take around 40 hours to complete – with another 40 hours on top to see everything on offer. That sounds like a pretty tall claim to us, but it certainly looks like there’s going to be a lot to do. Perhaps the most important thing to note is that you won’t be able to upgrade your Geralt into a “do-anything” Witcher. There are six different fighting styles that can be used in Rise of the White Wolf, each with it’s own skills and moves to unlock, and a choice of weapons that includes both steel and silver blades (the latter being used to kill monsters). There are also several magical “signs” that can be used to supplement your attacks with special finishing moves and the like, and there are magic potions to give you the upper hand when facing a difficult foe.