The RPGs of 2005, Part One

RPGDot is offering up a new feature in which they take a look at the role-playing games that are slated for release in 2005. The first installment includes profiles for such titles as Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich, Dungeon Siege II, The Witcher, and more. A snip about the latter:
When The Witcher was announced, the stunning graphics showing off brooding fantasy landscapes were all the more fascinating because CD Projekt was using BioWare's aging Aurora engine (NWN), albeit with a completely rewritten renderer. The Witcher is based on the stories of Polish author, Andrzej Sapkowski and offers a dark storyline coupled with action-oriented combat with combo moves, motion-captured animation and the Karma physics engine. Staying true to Sapkowski's writings, the main character is cast as a male swordsman and it will be interesting to see if CD Projekt can build a satisfying character development system around this limitation.