30-40 hours double to triple for non linearity was a quote from the developers

The most commonly mentioned number out there is 40-50h without sidequests. Since there are lengthy dialogues if one skips them and the cinematics, and speeds through... maybe they'll get under 30, but I ask: what for? The dialogues and cutscenes are GREAT! The expressions on character's faces make me think I'm watching a pre-rendered thing!

Did they improve that since the latest previews? Because I thought the lip sync was very bad, TW1 was better. But the rest of the faces are good.

Ok good...40-50 wihout sidequests is excellent.

Thank you.

I have heard in interviews that it's the same length, if not a bit shorter than the Witcher 1, but has at least a dozen branching paths for replayability.

The lips are probably animated for the Polish language version - here they are top notch I'd say!

As for branching that's really amazing how they improved on TW1. TW1 had lot's of Important Decisions that led to Key Points, but you basically arrived at them the same way. It was A to B, and then either C or D based on the choice at A.

Here I'm at the end of the Prologue and I ALREADY want to restart the game to play again! There are so many little decisions that change little things, but make the journey from A to B totally different, and it's hard to tell the Big Ones from Just Flavour!

I've always put pen-and-paper RPGs above cRPGs, but even I have to admit - the way the story is structured and told is unique and amazingly believable. And I repeat - all this from just a few hours of adventuring!

I am so looking forward to it. 40+ hours just sounds great.

Im sure Triss would know.

Yep ill be happy at 40+ and i always spend loads of time looking everywhere and doing random shit,my clear times are always 10+ more hrs than most people.

Sorry, I was not clear. I didn't mean that the sync was not in sync, but that the movements look awful. I can't even describe it properly, it's just... it looks like a hole falls open, instead of a mouth talking.
One thing I noticed over and over is that the hardest thing to do in facial expressions is a genuine smile (actually it uses a lot more muscles than a frown). Even BW, who are kings of face animation (if not much else anymore), merely manage a smirk. ;)

But... on topic: I don't even know how I'm gonna decide how to start the game, with 4 possibilities right there. But the speed I am playing and making decisions, letting myself distracted by the pretty flowers I can pick, I know I'll be spending a lot of time on my first playthrough. :)

BW are NOT the kings of facial animation. VALVe is, and the first new face you see in Half-Life 2 gives the most convincing smile I've ever seen. It's really not too difficult, but you need to devote teams to making software which will work properly.

Admittedly, I'm a casual gamer with not much time to spare, and I'm also always a few years behind the industry. This is why I hang out at GOG as well. So I don't have a good frame of reference... maybe it's the voiceacting that's so suggestive, I don't know. But body movement is really well done, each major character has their unique body language so far. Yeah it's not Avatar, but I prefer a story with a plot and characters to even the best rendered smurfs in space any day.

Well the face anim on LA NOIRE is gonna take some beating that i can tell ya.Amazing looks like a real persons face moving.

I saw the trailers and I was all *squeeeeee!!!* but then it turned out it's not hitting the PC market and I went *aaaaaw* :-(