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GDC 08: The Witcher Receiving Enhanced Edition

By Alex Petraglia on Monday, February 18, 2008 at 12:00 PM EST  

CD Projekt announced today that it will be re-releasing a new and improved version of The Witcher later this spring.

The purpose of this title, according to Michał Kiciński, CEO of CD Projekt, is to “create a game that is devoid of all of the major criticisms levied at the original release.”

Beyond that, an included mod editor called ‘D’jinni’ allows players to create or modify their own adventures.

Also included are two completely new adventures created by the team: “The Price of Neutrality,” tells the story of Geralt coming back to Kaer Morhen and finding a mysterious camp near the stronghold, while the second one focuses on Geralt’s close friend, Dandelion, and his troubles in Vizima City.

The package is brimming with even more goodies, including a video DVD with extended material detailing the making of the game, a music CD with 29 tracks from the game, a music CD with 15 tracks of music inspired by the game, an 80-page instruction booklet, a 112-page official guide written by the game’s developers, and a 50-page short story written by Andrzej Sapkowski.

Kiciński continued:

“The Witcher was received very warmly by both players and the media, but we are well aware that it is not a product without its faults. There was just not enough time to perfect certain elements, while we learned that some things needed to be changed from the players themselves. Now we have the opportunity to introduce changes that will allow The Witcher to provide even more enjoyment. I hope that, as a result, the game will come even closer to the ideal RPG.”

Maciej Szcześnik, Project Manager at CD Projekt RED, had further details:

“Work is being done on two levels: one concerns the removal of technical obstacles that hinder the player from properly using the game and thus gaining enjoyment from it. Some of those elements include the loading times, which will be reduced by 80%, the stability of the game on different PC configurations, as well as an array of smaller fixes that will increase interactivity and precision in combat.

The other level consists of very important changes that are not usually found in patches. First and foremost, the English-language version will, for the most part, be completely re-done. The amount of text in that version was reduced compared to other language versions and that was said to cause a significant decrease in immersion and atmosphere. Now the English version will be as polished and atmospheric as the other language versions. Speaking of other language versions, most of them will be improved in some way. Significant changes will also be made in the German version, where we are planning to re-record the voices for many of the characters. The most important improvements concern those elements of the game that players criticized the most.

For example, over 50 new supporting character models will be added, so that the player won’t run into the same person too often. The inventory panel will be re-designed and improved, and some elements of the main game screen will be polished. However, one of the biggest changes that will greatly increase the player’s immersion in the game world will be improvements concerning dialogue scenes. Both Geralt and non-player characters will get over 100 new animated gestures which will make their body language during conversations much more natural. Additionally, the facial animation and lip-sync system will be re-created, making the faces of the speakers now even more natural, as well.”

CD Projekt is currently negotiating with worldwide publishers for the release. The game is scheduled to ship May 16 in Eastern Europe, and the team hopes to bring the game to retail worldwide on or around that date, as well.

For those who already own The Witcher, the new content will be made available in the form of a downloadable patch. CD Projekt did not state whether or not it will charge for the update.

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