After years of the marketplace being dominated by first-person shooters, it finally seems that fans of RPGs have a lot to look forward to. The upcoming sequel from CD Projekt Red, The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings certainly looks like a game to keep an eye on in the coming months. The development team has already spoken at length at how they will be taking player choice and impact to a new level with the game, but now we can see how the combat, environment, and brand new game engine will work together in the recently released mission walkthrough.

The video comes from a recent European game conference, tasking the player with escaping from a dungeon, and interacting with fellow prisoners along the way. The section of gameplay has already been glimpsed before, as well as the different results that can be achieved by completely the mission in different ways.

To get an idea of just how the game will look and feel when it's released next year, enjoy this developer-guided walkthrough. Be warned, the videos do contain some violence and nudity:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-QURcotdjEQ

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cLnxOOFudYs

The game will definitely feel familiar to fans of Dragon Age: Origins, but with a much darker tone and look. The Witcher 2's gritty feel may be what sets it aside from other fantasy-RPGs coming out next year, including Dragon Age 2, but that may be enough for the hardcore to stay loyal to CD Projekt Red's series. In our interview with the developers, it certainly seems like they will be heading into new territory, while still keeping some important aspects of The Witcher, which is probably the best way to keep the fans happy while inviting newcomers.

The game has already shown itself to be one to look forward to in 2011, and hopefully the extra time the team is taking to polish the finished result will be worth the wait. With each new glimpse into either the narrative or programming of the game, it's becoming clear that a series with a cult following has a serious chance of breaking into the mainstream with the follow-up title.

If the videos were enough to convince you that this game is worth playing, the bad news is that you'll have to wait a bit longer. The good news? You can watch those videos as many times as you like.

The Witcher 2: Assassins of Kings is scheduled for a release on May 17, 2011, for the Windows PC.

Source: Joystiq