The Witcher (PC)

Usually the alchemy formula is gained from books, scrolls or in the rare case certain conversations can lead to a new formula or two. Once you have them they're stored in your journal and they pop up in the alchemical menu allowing you to easily mix potions and so on. There are potions that you can use to give you an edge, Cat potions allow you to see very well in the dark, Blizzard potions slow down time and allow you to act quickly in combat.

Some potions have a toxicity and too many of them can result in a quick demise for Geralt.

There are also oils, these can be applied to weapons and have different effects. Some might increase the damage done by a certain amount and some might make a wounded opponent bleed to death. The effects aren't wimpy either, neither are the timers, some of these things last for several days.

If you find a Blacksmith you can bring them ore, red and blue, usually three of a kind is required and they'll reforge a sword for you with special abilities, these can range from extra damage to causing pain or excess bleeding depending on the ore combination. You can also bring them runes to enhance your silver blade.

In addition to the expansive side-quests and main core story there are several mini-games in the Witcher, these are not your usual tacked on additional content either. You can gain some pretty good prizes by competing in all three. First up there's the fist fighting tournaments that allow you to lay the meaty-fist smackdown on your trash-talking opponents in order to finish a quest line as well as let off some steam. If you beat a particular opponent you'll get some kind of reward. The fight system is the same as the sword combat so you can buy Geralt a talent or two in that area, allowing you to dominate the combats and unlock a whole range of brawling attacks.

Then there's my favourite, Dice Poker, I've never been a gambling man myself but after I got to grips with Dice Poker I have to admit that I can't stop playing this little side diversion and I'm getting pretty good at it too.

Finally there's the drinking game, where you take turns to quaff all kinds of alcohol until one of you falls over. You can use this game to get vital information from someone who refuses to cooperate or just challenge the locals at it. You can also win various prizes such as an amusingly named hangover cure formula.

With all these elements there's probably something I've forgotten but I'll repeat once more that none of these things feel tacked on, they're all part of the Witcher's world and they fit it like a glove - none of them are particularly taxing either, the balance is perfect.

So with all this gameplay goodness, where does the Witcher fall in terms of graphics and so on? Well that's an interesting question. I'll say it again, for a game that's running on a modded version of the Aurora Engine from Bioware there's a reason the company recommended the Witcher. The developers have done wonders with this old workhorse and they've given it a complete overhaul, revamp, rework, spit and shine polish so I didn't really recognise it.

The dark world of the Witcher is brought to life in the game extremely well, there's a significant feeling of time as the game hours pass and the atmosphere changes with the NPCs and environment reacting to adverse weather. It has a full day/night cycle that makes use of the new skyboxes and effects. A storm in the game is truly spectacular and sometimes you can catch a glimpse of the jagged bolts of lightning as they tear through the sky.

It uses top-notch shading, lighting and texture effects to make the environments stand out from one another. The Outskirts of Vizima are different to the various quarters of the city for instance. This isn't just reflected in the excellent texturing and design but in every level of the process, the modelling and the architectural layout of the various places brings to life a slummy medieval city or a fetid swamp, plague ridden outlands feel like desperate and desolate pockmarks on a pristine rolling plain.

It's not just in the static features either, there's a plethora of wildlife and small effects that you'll miss if you're not looking around for them. Fireflies at night, dust in the light of lamps and windows, frogs by the river and lakeside. Flocks of birds take flight when disturbed and wild geese, chickens and so on wander around the dirty village lanes.

It's this attention to detail that elevates the game from something that's just been slapped together, it feels as though it belongs and every object/crate and box has been placed with care to make sure it matches the environment you're exploring at the time. Every location has a specific motif to it and one of my favourites so far is the ruined Witcher fortress: Kaer Morhen.