Witcher 2 'Combat' trailer arrives, console versions likely, after PC release

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings

The May 17 release date for The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings on PC is less than a month away. To further whet our appetites, CD Projekt has released a new developer-narrated gameplay trailer that focuses on some of the ways that swordplay, magic, and alchemy factor into the game's action-based combat system.

Traps, spells, potions, and finishing moves are all touched upon in the video, as well as some of their combined applications.

Speculation about potential console versions of The Witcher 2 has been brewing since the game was first announced, peaking most recently when CD Projekt's Michael Kicinski strongly hinted they were already in the works on Polish TV.

According to a follow-up interview with Eurogamer, CD Projekt's Tomasz Gop has since clarified that console versions of The Witcher 2 have not "officially" entered production, but that the team would begin seriously considering the possibility after the PC version is released. "We definitely know that after finishing the PC version we want to sit down and we want to start working on this," he said. He also clarified that the team wouldn't wait to see how the PC version performed before scheduling and planning begin on the likely console iterations.

"We're definitely not a team that can do multiple projects at the same time," explained Gop. "We're warily not doing it this way because it might compromise the quality of the first PC release. So no, no no no, we are not in full-scale development on the console version of the Witcher 2 right now." He further clarified that "there were tests like a proof of concept, so we at least know that it's doable, possible. But we are not fully producing the game right now. Nuh-uh."

Despite the plans for console versions being completely unofficial at this time, Gop also hinted that the team may be ready to announce something about console versions as early as the May 17 PC launch date.

"I can already promise you that if we're going to do this on consoles it's not going to look like crap, definitely," said Gop. Should versions of The Witcher 2 materialize on other platforms, Gop said that the team is excited about the idea of "potentially adding something new, like some brand new content" into those iterations.