The Witcher - Previews @ GameSpot, Worthplaying

A pair of new Witcher previews are on offer today - let's kick off with GameSpot, who got to play a "near final" version:

When you put it all together, combat in The Witcher is pretty tactical for an RPG. There's a fair amount of depth there, as well as a fast pace that will keep you busy. There's also plenty of room to grow as you level up. When you reach a new experience level, you can distribute points across your character but figuring out what to specialize in is going to be tough. You can boost basic attributes, such as strength and intelligence. You can improve your abilities in either the fast, strong, or group combat styles, and because witchers have two swords (a silver one for monsters; a steel one for humans), there are two sets of combat styles that you can upgrade. You can also add talents, which are like little bonus skills or abilities, such as "buzz," which lets Geralt inflict 25 percent more damage when drunk; however, his ability to parry and dodge will take a 50 percent hit. So, yes, The Witcher does feature drunken fighting.

...while Worthplaying saw a presentation:

So instead of telling an epic story of good versus evil as per usual, The Witcher is a more morally ambiguous game that emphasizes making difficult choices and seeing the results play out over a long period of time. Likewise, the setting has an unusually realistic look for a fantasy RPG, with towns and architecture closely resembling their real-world medieval counterparts. There’s a dirty, gritty look to the designs, and the presence of crushing poverty and social injustice is never far away when traveling through urban areas.

Thanks, zc82!