For those not aware, CDprojekt is releasing today (the 17th april 2012) the witcher 2 on X360 in an Enhanced version.
For PC owners, if you already have the game the upgrade to the enhanced version is free.
The game should update automaticly with the launcher.
What it's in it ?
Know this is an incredible 10Gb of content, for free ! We are promised New CG intro and outro, 4 more hours of gameplay (new quests), new cutscenes etc...
CDprojekt I love you.
Here is the list of content:
) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition
New Quests in Chapter 3. Two quests related to the core storyline and representing up to 4 additional hours of gameplay have been added in Chapter 3.
Lilies and Vipers
Brigida Papebrock, a lady-in-waiting at King Foltest’s court, was recruited by Vernon Roche. Her mission - to seduce the two most powerful Temerian nobles and simultaneously keep a an eye on the assassinated monarch’s bastard children. In this capacity, she discovered the mystery behind Boussy's death and thus became an inconvenient witness, a hunted animal. Who sought to get rid of Boussy? Are Count Maravel and Baron Kimbolt involved? The truth about Foltest's last male heir is hidden somewhere within the rich web of schemes and accusations these characters spin.
The Secrets of Loc Muinne
The witcher is reunited with the sorceress Cynthia, who can lead him straight to the laboratory of the mysterious Aep Dearhenna, a mage who allegedly discovered the secret behind the downfall of the ancient Vran civilization. Will the witcher dare to work with the sorceress again, who managed to fool Philippa Eilhart herself, and who has revealed herself to be a young, ambitious Nilfgaardian agent? What does the Nilfgaardian Intelligence Service hope to find in the caverns beneath Loc Muinne? What did Aep Dearhenna actually discover? If they embark on the expedition, the witcher and Cynthia face numerous challenges in the monster infested and booby trapped corridors under the city.
New Transitional Cinematics. These short in-game movies, summarizing each chapter upon its completion, provide a smooth transition into each subsequent chapter and are designed to inform players of their current geographical position in the game world.
Final Boards. These video sequences, composed of procedurally combined short movies, summarize players’ in-game choices. The movies have been crafted from game levels, characters and assets, using a variety of effects and camera shots. A total of 12 movies illustrate alternative states of the game world as determined by player choices. Upon completing the game, players see most of their key in-game decisions reflected in five 30-second movies arrayed variously depending on their individual playthrough. Set to an original composition recorded using a live choir, the ‘Final Boards’ constitute a 2’30” game summary upon completion.
New Movie – ‘Witchers’. Designed for players new to The Witcher franchise, this movie was built using hand-drawn 2D art animated in Flash, in the same style as the ‘Flashbacks’ and ‘Memories’ in The Witcher 2. It describes witchers in some detail.
New Game Intro. This 3.5 minute, pre-rendered cinematic (CG), directed by BAFTA Award winner and Academy Award nominee Tomasz Bagiński, depicts the assassination of King Demavend, a key historical event occurring shortly before the beginning of The Witcher 2.
New Game Outro. This new 1.5 minute, engine-rendered cut scene appears at the end of the game and serves as teaser for what’s to come. An ordinary man witnesses a Nilfgaardian army assembling to march. Requiring extensive post-processing and featuring original environments, lighting and assets, this high quality sequence serves as a cliff hanger, building player anticipation for the next installment in the Witcher series.
New Locations. Fresh locations were produced for the significant new quests now available in Chapter 3. These includes a system of underground chambers beneath Loc Muinne and a temperate coniferous forest with a secret cave passage in the mountains surrounding the ancient city.
Additional Cut Scenes. Eleven new rendered cut scenes have been added at various junctures to enrich in-game events. Created using a new set of motion-captured animations, these additions include 3 engine-rendered cut scenes illustrating the events that transpire in Loc Muinne when Geralt is engaged elsewhere. Each movie is made of 3 fully animated and rendered scenes that required extensive post production.
Dolby* Digital Support. The game is presented in Dolby® Digital surround sound. Connect your PC with Dolby Digital Live technology to a sound system with Dolby Digital decoding using a S/PDIF digital audio cable. Make sure that your PC is configured properly to deliver Dolby Digital audio during gameplay to experience the excitement of surround sound.
Additionally, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition includes all features previously added under Version 2.0.
Arena
‘Arena’ is a new gameplay mode that is separate from the main adventure and narrative of The Witcher 2. In this mode, Geralt of Rivia duels a variety of foes to the death in a gladiatorial arena located in an unnamed town somewhere in the Northern Kingdoms. In addition to winning gold and valuable items, players also receive points for their wins. They can then post their point totals on-line to compare their achievements against those of other blood sport enthusiasts around the world. Geralt can encounter both foes and allies in the arena. He can recruit the latter for a fee to assist him during his most challenging clashes.To post your point totals to the forum, you must be registered and have a forum account! Register and establish your account directly through the game launcher or go to www.thewitcher.com. You can then log in to your account via the launcher. IMPORTANT: Players using mods to alter their character attributes and statistics will not be able to post their point totals from the Arena to the server. This is a necessary precaution to prevent any attempts at distorting competition or misrepresenting player achievements.
Tutorial
The game tutorial takes the form of a brief adventure during which players learn how to use a range of game mechanics and functionalities. Assuming the role of game protagonist Geralt of Rivia, players save a wounded knight named Bolton of Ironford while learning game controls as well as the basics of combat and alchemy. This transpires step by step as the tutorial guides players through a series of minor missions. Upon completion, based on demonstrated abilities, the tutorial recommends the difficulty level which the player should choose in embarking on the main adventure of The Witcher 2.
Dark Difficulty
The ‘Dark’ difficulty setting is the most demanding difficulty level in gameplay terms. Under this setting, each and every foe represents a significant challenge. In addition to raising the difficulty bar, the module includes several new sets of equipment/items that are linked through a dark legend detailed in the Journal. Once all their components have been collected and donned, the Blasphemer’s, Oathbreaker’s and Kinslayer’s outfits provide great advantages in combat. The swords included in the outfits strip opponents of Vitality while supplementing the witcher’s. However, given that they are cursed, the swords provide no benefit and harm Geralt by sapping him of Vitality as long as the outfits to which they belong remain incomplete.
been waiting for it for some time now.
CDProjekt is a studio that is definitely worth supporting for its pro-consumer stance
I'm waiting for Steam to download the update(8 gb jeez) and CDPR is definitely one of the better companies who listen to their consumers. Plus staying on their stance of tracking down and suing people who pirated their games would have been horrible PR.
For PC owners, if you already have the game the upgrade to the enhanced version is free.
The game should update automaticly with the launcher.
What it's in it ?
Know this is an incredible 10Gb of content, for free ! We are promised New CG intro and outro, 4 more hours of gameplay (new quests), new cutscenes etc...
CDprojekt I love you.
Here is the list of content:
) The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition
Additionally, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Enhanced Edition includes all features previously added under Version 2.0.
CDProjekt is a studio that is definitely worth supporting for its pro-consumer stance