The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings Preview

Hooked Gamers has cranked out a preview of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings, rounding up much of what we knew about the RPG sequel already and packing into a single source. The usual snippet:
In the original game, mutagens were something you acquired from the bodies of mutants and used in mutagenic potions. In Witcher 2, they will allow the player to alter the effects on certain skills. For example, you can enhance your spells to deal out more damage or deal damage across multiple enemies.

Other features to look forward to include the ability to upgrade each part of the armor separately, such as gloves, jackets, belts, etc. Everything will more flexible as well as Geralt will now be able to carry around an unlimited number of items. It is also possible to create your own items with the improved crafting mechanics.

One thing worth mentioning is that there is a new engine being used. It is said that it should feel different compared to the first engine which was an altered version of Bioware's Aurora Engine. The new engine was made completely from scratch. Certainly the faces of the character models have improved in quality and texture compared to the first one. Everything should also run smoother since the game uses background loading to make sure that environments are loaded in before you arrive to a new "area" or a cut scene is triggered.