The first Witcher game was somewhat of a breath of fresh air when it hit the PC a few years ago- all RPGs offer fantasy settings, and promise choices with impact and consequence, and quite a few modern ones promise to deliver ‘mature’ experiences. And just as The Elder Scrolls games are the embodiment of the spirit of high fantasy that epitomizes Tolkien’s masterpieces, CD Projekt Red’s The Witcher 2 is the video games equivalent of George RR Martin’s visceral fantasy series, complete with political intrigue, morally dubious decisions, and self motivated characters, all willing to further their own interests at the expense of others. The best comparison I’ve ever heard regarding The Witcher went like this: if you consider The Elder Scrolls games to be analogous to The Lord of the Rings, then The Witcher games are gaming’s very own Game of Thrones.
