The Witcher 1 sometimes managed to capture that creepy feeling, especially in chapter 1.

I was hoping the Witcher2 would expand on that, but so far it hasn't

Part of it is because night is as bright as day, but there is something missing I can't put my finger on.

Except for the too bright nights everything was done better than w1 but it just isn't creepy

or maybe you can keep playing instead of judging the game on finishing the prologue

TW1 did have more of a creepyness factor...I think it may be because it was darker, you couldn't meditate everywhere, and there were more monsters and some creepy ones at that. The endregas coming down from trees and drowners in TW2 did creep me out though. But not like those green evil barghests and the firey beast in TW1 lol or the bruxae and howling nightwraiths/noonwraiths. I miss those wide open fields with creepy cave entrances leading to super dark caves filled with creepies. Or the swamp where its always raining and monsters everywhere and old women screaching about curses etc :D

I think I know what you're talking about, but holy shit did I almost crap myself when 20 nekkers popped out of the ground at once. Too bad it only happens in once spot.

PS-Sounds like you may want to adjust your brightness, I didnt have mine adjusted(an in-game setting) the first playthrough and never once needed to use Cat.

I wish night time REQUIRED a cat potion or torch to see. Same with caves/dungeons.

Many things required these things in TW1, it was great.

agree with this, would make lighting torches useful

*shrug* Should help friendlies, anyway, even if your own mutations include improved vision.

Does lighting a torch ignite Dragon's Dream? :P

it may simply be that TW1 setting was more "gothic" and populated by scary creatures from traditional fairy tales (spectres, vampires...) than TW2. Think Hellboy 1 versus Hellboy 2, the first movie was much more "dark" than the second one.

well the real problem for me (its not really a problem more of a quirk missing from the last game) is darkness. it justt does not feel like putting torches out does anything, and its too dman bright out in CAVES where there is no light at all.

funny thing is there is an incredibly creepy part right in the prologue.

it's at the part where you're inside the monastery and all the people are worshiping some demonic looking thing on an obelisk. before following foltest and roche, go back a few paces and you can go down into a "storage" area. open empty place with the creepy background music playing. some nice loot though.

The Ruined Hospital/Asylum quest also isn't in the most healthy of environs.

I felt too the lack of torch. And I totally hate the cat option "predator" effect.

On the other hand, the mission in the caves with total utter dark was one of my best gaming moments in ages. Using flares, the handheld lanterns and few firepots... that really is how the night should be.

It's not a problem of something missing, but something being too prevalent.

In the first game you would go into dark areas where you truly felt alone, and you really got the sense that no one could hear you scream (just a phrase). In Witcher 2, there are so many people wandering about that you never really get that. In the forests of Flotsam you find a friendly troll, Roche's men are wandering about, and there's a village right outside. When you finally get to a point where you're a fair distance away from people (chapter 2), the worst thing that can happen is you get attacked by a bunch of pansy harpies. Chapter 3 is pretty claustrophobic, so even in the sewers you never feel too far from anything.

I don't mind the lack of creepiness, but a little more would have been to the game's benefit, for sure.

The night in other games is usually a bluish day, TW1 did it right. The caves were really dark. CDP did drop the ball on this one for TW2.

I thought the sewers in the Prologue (on the way to the Temple) with the downers were pretty dark and creepy . That was the only place I had to use a cat pot. so far, but I am still in Act 1.

Re gamma / brightness settings
The game has wonderful colours and textures but you miss most of them cos the default gamma / brightness is so low. Before 1.2 I found an ideal gamma / brightness combo that had the game looking lovely. The patch reset everything, and now I cannot find that sweet spot again. I think 1.2 messed with the contrast ratios...