topeira: i think that using a god mode eliminates all satisfaction from the achievement and it's better to seek tips than cheats.

the kayran is really easy. pun Quen and ready Yrden. stand right where the kayran is about to land an attack, absorb the attack, place yrden, run away till vigor is regenerated. then do the same again for the most left tentacle. then to the same to the right tentacle. after bridge falls hide behind the pillar. when u feel like it, go left. that's it.

unlike the fight against Letho, which took many tries and a LOT OF LUCK, i dont think i will be willing to fight him again. i am pretty sure that there isnt a fail proof way to kill him. i didnt find a pattern. i just used Aard to prevent him from using his quen and used heavy attacks. but the kayran? that's a really simple boss. a really simple one. there a simple pattern, know what to do. only difficult is figuring this out and understanding where to stand to get hit by each tentacle, and that's not THAT hard.

silvertemplar: I don't think you quite understand what people are having trouble with. Yes the fight is "simple" , but let me put it this way:

I give you 4 buttons against a wall, you need to press them in a certain sequence. There are no clues. Every time you press the wrong button, you will die instantly .

See the problem yet? Once you know the sequence it's easy to tell everyone "it's a simple puzzle, really simple one" , but that is not the point. Some will get it within 5 tries, others in 30 , but ultimately it comes down to "trial & error" . There's almost ZERO satisfaction in beating a puzzle like that, knowing there's nothing you could've done "better" other than someone telling you the sequence....

flaw: @silvertemplar:

I'm having trouble following you there.
Either you're telling me that people are having trouble with the quicktime event that requires 3 button presses and is identical each and every time, or you are completely oblivious as to how boss fights actually worked in video games before the current age where Wii Sports is considered challenging.

ferpin: For all those who gave up on the game because of the fr*ggin' Kayran, here's a solution:
Go to http://www.witchernexus.com/downloads/file.php?id=40# and download the 'god mod'. Once downloaded, go to your witcher 2 folder and into your 'CookedPC' folder and create an 'abilities' folder, where you should copy your downloaded mod.
This basically makes you invincible, and gives your 'Quen' sign 150 mins, so killing the Kayran should be a piece of cake!
It does take away much of the fighting fun, as you kill most enemies in one blow, but it also removes the gritting frustration that overtoook so many of us.
Hope it helps
P.S.: in order to download the said mod you need to register ;o)

silvertemplar: Humour me, which games are you talking about? Super Mario Brothers? Do you honestly want an "Arcade RPG" here? Kayran is a platformer boss fight, period. There's a reasion why RPG and Arcade is not uttered in the same sentence often.

How did boss fights work in Baldur's Gate,Elder Scrolls,Gothic,NWN,Diablo,etc etc?

I'm not talking about the QTE at the end of the fight, i'm talking about the boss fight as a whole. It's a "hoop jump" the entire fight , i'm better off playing Tombraider and jumping across an endless river of lava .

Tuco: Yeah, it's not a pure RPG, it's a pure action RPG.
Don't bother finding poor esxcuses for your inability to master the game.

silvertemplar: Oh right, so it's the same as Dragon Age 2 . I'm surprised they didn't make a console version of this game.....action RPG indeed.

Tuco: Can't really see anything in common. Especially considering how Dragon Age 2 (on PC9 isn't an action RPG, it's a party based tactical RPG... Just not a very good one.

On the other hand The Witcher 1 was an action RPG too, just not as good as its sequel.

But that's justr arguing about genres... Which is not the point. The pioint is: people here are cheating cause they can't master the game, which is damn sad, especially considering how the Kayran is actually quite easy.

You deserve shitty idiot-proof games like Fable, after all. you know, games that even a blind child without hands can master, using Peter Molyneux words.

topeira: i agree with you, silvertemplar, in the sense the a challenge sould not be frustrating.
very VERY (X5) few games can get challenge without frustrating. the idea is giving the players all the tools to beat the challenge, giving him full control over the enemies moves and how to counter them yet making it harder to accomplish.

i HATE boss fights. i HATE THEM WITH PASSION. they are really rarely use the same fun mechanics that the rest of the game is built on. in TW2 only letho seemed like fun but i hated that fight because it felt cheap. letho had infinite vigor and could kill me in about 30% of the amount of hits i needed to kill him. he was more fun than the other boss fights but still cheap.

the only 2 games i can think of that had FUN boss fights and challenging gameplay that NEVER got frustrating were:
1) batman arkham asylum
2) The first templar

batman had some tough segments. especially on HARD without upgrading your armor at all , like i did. but i NEVER EVER felt like the game was cheating. even after i lost about 15 times in a row i always new that it was my own fault for not doing well. i didntmind trying the same hard parts for literally 90 minutes straight. it was a fun challenge.

the first templar is a low budget game and a game that does only one thing well - combat. boss fights were mirely normal fights again one really tough enemy and a few minions. but these tougher bosses required u to do what u do against any other enemy - know how to block, parry, counter and dodge and manage your zeal (equivalent of vigor of THAT game).
it was never frustrating either. as mediocre as that game is, i still loved it.

i think boss fights are nice for diversity and should give nice set pieces but shouldnt be frustrating either but the idea behind most boss fights is letting the player figure out what to do. in this sense they are more PUZZLES under pressure than a fight. i dont like that but that's how it is. sadly.