The Witcher review

The game's structure is a series of chapters, with some quests spanning and evolving across a number of acts, and of course a fair number of side-quests that require you to go somewhere and slice up a specified number of monsters and bring back evidence of the massacre to secure a reward.

In this area, perhaps there is little that is startlingly original, but that doesn't detract from the essential fun of visiting new areas, slaying new monsters or meeting new characters. Yes it can get repetitive going from one area of the city to another to complete a mission, but then so was Grand Theft Auto, and so was Oblivion. As with these games, the world of The Witcher is one you always feel a part of and that alone compels you to explore every corner.

Much has been made of the game's combat system, which allows you to chain together attacks, so long as you time your mouse-clicks correctly. In fact, at higher experience levels you can link together enough leaps and devastating blows to secure an honorary degree from the Jedi Academy. In practise, whilst the combat isn't quite as dumb as your usual action-based RPG, it's no Street Fighter II. But the combat is an enjoyable diversion from the main course of weaving your way through 40-plus hours of cracking storyline.