The worst thing about being a late arriver to the series might be that you may lose the outstanding OST from the first game.

Just to make it clear:

(a) yes, being lost about characters and situations is bad already, but you can somehow change that by advancing through the game and reading the material they throw at you every now and then... you can also see some videos on the net or even better: read the books!

(b) The Witcher 2 OST is superb too, but the original one was masterful, beyond comparison IMO.

Don't worry about the difficulty, the tutorial was by far the hardest part of the game. There are still a few quests you should not be getting into too early in the first chapter but from chapter 2 on it becomes very easy.
The difficulty curve is upside down with this one.
I also didn't bother with potions and traps anymore in chapter 2, there wasn't really any need for them anymore and the interface for using them was just too cumber some. (pc version)

The story is by far the best part of the game. Keep a save just before you make a big decision at the end of chapter 1, that's where the game splits in 2 very different campaigns. Playing both side by side (switching back and forth between the 2 branches) was a very cool experience in this game.

I guess im in the monority here when i say i loved the Witcher 2's controls :(

It took me a while to get use to but it really opens up the gameplay, lets you play the game the way you want to play it. Personally i thought the game was a tad too much on the easy side..especially after the first two chapters. One or two hard boss battles but otherwise nothing too bad. I also found the combat system to be pleasing...i enjoyed combat in the game, the only issue here is that there isnt much combat going on.

Im also not sure why you say the game is open? Its pretty closed off...large levels though that gives the feel of being more open but still pretty closed off.

Can you be more specific on the gameplay, specifically the combat. Is it turn based or what? How are the enemies? Are the attacks fluid? Etc.

Thanks

It's changed from the Witcher 1. Now it's real-time and yes also fluid.
Haven't faced much enemies yet, but there are human enemies and non-human creatures.
You have also some "spells" at your disposal that can either stun the enemy or summon a fire spell or give you the ability to take more damage. Then there are potions that can increase your abilities for some time. Furthermore you have some weaponry that you can throw at your enemy and you can lay traps.

As expected really. The pic probably shows the PC version at max settings @ 1080p while the 360 version is likely to be 720p or less with settings around the PC medium mark. Lower res, lower res textures, console quality blur inducing anti-aliasing method = Blurrier version.

you're always good at being straightforward and honest about gaming experiences. Well done.

Dats cuz the new slogan has become "But can it run W2 ubersampling"!