‘The Witcher 2’ Is Not an Open World Game & Here’s Why

Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt was an amazing game, and the game the majority of players started with when it comes to the Witcher franchise. Although great games, Witcher 1 and 2 weren’t as played as the third installment. Now, while we’re waiting for the future installments and the remake of the first installment many people are looking to start playing Witcher 2. Just one of the many questions that players have when it comes to Witcher 2 is whether it is an open world and whether it allows for the same measure of freedom as the third installment.

How open world is Witcher 2: The Assassins of Kings?

Compared to both Witcher 1 and Witcher 3, Witcher 2 is the least “open-world game” in the series. Instead of being able to roam through the world, you are guided through kingdoms, and the quest that you’re currently on dictates what area you will be able to explore. The game is divided into 4 chapters (including the prologue) and each chapter leads you to a new kingdom to explore. You can explore the kingdom as you like but upon completion of each chapter, you are not able to return to that specific kingdom anymore.

You have moderate freedom when it comes to exploring a specific kingdom, you can move freely between sublocations on the map but that’s pretty much it. You’re not able to go back on forth like in Witcher 3, Elder Scrolls games, or pretty much any other open-world sandbox game.
Even though it’s not technically an open-world game, Witcher 2 still managed to transfer a sense of adventure to the game, as the maps are detailed, and crafted with precision and exploration in mind. There are lots of places of interest to uncover and the zones are large enough so you don’t get a feeling that you’re missing something.

How many locations are there in the Witcher 2?

There are 4 major locations in the Witcher 2. Each location belongs to a specific chapter or “Act”. The locations are as follows: La Valette Castle, Flotsam, Vergen, and Loc Muinne. Each major location has a set sub-locations you can visit, you cannot return once you leave the area and finish a chapter so make sure to explore everything to the fullest.

Here’s a short recap of all major locations in The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings:

1. La Valette Castle

La Valette Castle is situated in Temeria it houses the House of La Valette, one of the royal houses with close ties to the throne of Temeria. The zone itself consists of 3 other subzones: dungeons, monastery, and solar. This is the northernmost zone in the Witcher 2 and the first zone you will visit overall.

2. Flotsam

The beginning of Chapter 1 is marked by Geralt’s journey south to Flotsam, a medium-sized town on the border of Temeria and Aerdin. Flotsam is the first trade center you will encounter in the game so it’s a good idea to browse the goods while you’re in the region. Flotsam zone consists of several small sub-zones: Flotsam inn, Flotsam Brothel, Loredo’s residence, Prison barge, and Flotsam forests.

3. Vergen

Chapter 2 leads Geralt even further south, until he ventures into the dwarven town of Vergen. Vergen like all dwarven towns is marked by unique metal and stone architecture that marks the long history of the race’s mastery over the hardest elements in nature. This is the largest zone that you will travel to and consists of several significant places of interest that you will have to travel to such as Environs and Kaedweni camp. Each location visited is divided into even small sub-locations.

4. Loc Muinne

The last stop in the game is Loc Muinne a city built on Lake Muine, the city changed ownership and ruling many times over the ages. It doesn’t come as a surprise that you will meet numerous factions in the general area. The Loc Muinne regions consist of several minor and major subregions: Redanian Quarter, Temerian Quarter, Nilfgaardian Quarter, Camp of the Order of the Flaming Rose, Ruined library, Loc Muinne amphitheater, Loc Muinne sewers, Philippa Eilhart’s house

The map of The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is vibrant, and no location shares the same visual identity and architecture. Even though the freedom to explore somewhat lessened when compared to The Witcher 1 it’s still an incredibly immersive storytelling experience.

Is Witcher 2 free roam?

Witcher 2 is not a game that allows free roam. This is something we’ve seen so far only in The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt, and even in that game, there are several limitations meaning that you can only reach certain regions via interacting with the map. Witcher 2 on the other hand doesn’t allow you to return to the zones through which you’ve already passed.

Once you’ve completed the chapter there’s no going back so make sure to settle your affairs accordingly. You do have a modicum of freedom while you’re exploring a general area however as you can freely travel between subregions of a specific region.
When it comes to an “open world map” Witcher 2 is more similar to Witcher 1 than it is to the third installment. Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt is by far the most open in the series.

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