The insane asylum in TW2 was far creepier than anything in TW1 IMO. Also, the cat potion was required to travel through the mines in Vergen.

I agree about needing Cat in the mines. Sure, there are those hanging kettles you can light but there are a few stretches that are completely black. I was using the Z key alot but I was afraid I'd miss something. As it was, Geralt literally stumbled over that dead dwarf on who's body had a key.

There just not many places that require Cat potion in TW2, i roughly used 3 Cat potions in TW2 compared to like 20+ times in TW1.

I have to admit TW1's night time atmosphere is done creepier or so than TW2, especially when it rains in the swamp area. Come to think of it i hardly seen rain in TW2 and the moon is always so damn bright lol. TW1 has lots of jungle areas too + i dunno if you guys realize, the Crypt/Dungeons in TW1 is done better than TW2, TW2's Crypts/Dungeons are all exact copy paste it becomes too obvious. At least TW1 has different designs to differentiate Crypts from Dungeons and from Caves.

And lastly TW2's Cat potion is "different", unlike in TW1 where the Cat potion makes your field of view even scarier, TW2's Cat potion "reveals" everything to you, no surprises...

What jungle areas in TW1? Did you mean the swamp and swamp cemetary? I disagree with your statement about the caves/crypts, they were all very similar in the first game. TW1 even reuses the swamp cave for three different quests.

constructive criticism !

Yea the swamp areas and cemetery. TW2's jungle areas are pretty, "bare", no low lying trees etc, its not that "thick".

TW1 did reuse the caves and crypts but they are "extended" versions in others so it feels bigger and different. Its hard to explain but TW2 Crypts, Caves, Dungeons are more or less clones. At least in TW1, a Crypt looks different from a Cave or from a dungeon. TW2 didnt have as much of those caves/crypts/dungeons exploring as compared to TW1. Its mostly outdoors or in buildings. Just my personal observations though...

Me and you will have to agree to disagree, because I felt that the caves and crypts looked nothing alike in TW2. I really wish I could take some screens to prove my point, but I haven't made it to Act 2 yet (I'm on my 2nd playthrough).

What is missing is atmosphere from the first game.

Medieval atmosphere to be more specific.

Huh? I really don't think you're being specific enough :P...it isn't like TW2 is in the future or anything.

Anyways, I'm bored and decided to load up my first playthrough and found took some screencaps of the crypt and the waterfall cave in chapter 1. There are clear differences between the two, the crypts are designed and the caves are naturally created.