The Witcher 2 - Audio Interview @ The Cynical Brit

The issue, as I see it, isn't whether or not bare breasts are appropriate. The issue is the context of the scene. If the scene is of a mother being rescued from her torturers and was facing potential sexual assault, then she should be portrayed as such, not some Carmen Electra clone with accompanying silicone, alabaster globes glistening and heaving in the moonlight, ready to bed her rescuer at the drop of a gauntlet.
A woman and mother in that context would be undergoing a harrowing experience and be at least somewhat traumatized. Granted, The Witcher is set in a fantasy world, but there still needs to be some semblance of reality to sell the conflicts, emotions, and motivations in the story. Otherwise, it's just a Popeye cartoon with swords and magic.
 
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Playing through the Witcher 1 right now for the first time. The sex is juvenile and feels tacked-on for its own sake. Through the vast majority of the dialog, the Geralt character isn't nearly as amoral as the marketing/hype would lead you to believe. He's depicted as a pretty straight arrow and a fairly moral person. In fact, it's pointed out that as a Witcher, he's sort of removed from the ways of humanity.

Then once one of the pretty female clones comes into the story, he suddenly becomes a horny slut. It comes out of nowhere, at least the way it's written into the game. This is my main problem with it, and why it feels juvenile. It's as if the writers and developers were developing the main story and quests about Salamandra and kept getting interrupted by emails from the marketing department reminding them to add in sex scenes.

I have no problem with the idea of sex in games, I just don't think the Witcher did a good job with it. Just because it's there, doesn't mean it's any good. It's artlessly shoehorned in and that's why it seems juvenile to me.
 
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@Zephyr - I agree with your take - it's about accurately conveying the grittiness. Torture is a nasty business - it is very unlikely that anyone would be that collected - or look that good - after being on the rack, or having other bits of (undoubtedly bloody) harm inflicted upon their (alabaster etc etc) flesh. They can keep the boobs - but that should fit the part, not be gratuitous.
As for the Witcher's attitude - I've read two of the books and don't recall him being an "uber horn dog" ;-) Sure, he wasn't a saint, but his sexual escapades were not something that seemed notable.
 
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Most ridiculous complaint of a rated mature video game that I've seen in a while.
What? You think jailers like that would pass on a chance with a good looking female prisoner? Yeah, right... and tell me, why would the jailer want to make of mess of those?! silly boys..
 
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Most ridiculous complaint of a rated mature video game that I've seen in a while.
What? You think jailers like that would pass on a chance with a good looking female prisoner? Yeah, right… and tell me, why would the jailer want to make of mess of those?! silly boys..

The problem isn't the torturers but the scene direction when Geralt releases her. As Zephyr pointed out, the victim is presumably traumatised after a harrowing experience. That isn't conveyed.

Were you touched? Did you well up with emotion? I bet not. I bet you felt nothing, as I didn't.

It doesn't overly bother me but if they want to convey emotional gravitas - which I would think is a good thing for most game stories - they need to do better.
 
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Here's the problem. Is it a game or a movie or both? I'd rather they focus their resources on making interesting gameplay instead of touching cinematics...
 
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Dhruin- Exactly.

Hell, probably 3/4 of the immersive impact of the Witcher for me is the dialog and the cut scenes. The sex included. Why not do a good job indeed?

I'm really, really enjoying the Witcher Enhanced directors cut. Best game I've played in a while. But it has issues. Here's hoping the Witcher 2 gets past some of those issues.
 
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That's not the problem. The cinematic is already there - why not do a good job?

Because the resources polishing the cinematics could be spent making more interesting game play elements. Can't really state more simply than that. There's a fixed NOT infinite amount of resources to allocate. Fairly basic concept.

Secondly, If I want to watch a movie, I'd rather go to a theater for the best experience, not play the Witcher 2.
 
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Who says they don't have the time and resources to do both? Dhruin hit the nail on the head.


Yes, everyone who plays the Witcher or 2 needs to know that it is all about handling boobies. ;)

Exactly my point. Some of the people who complain about those parts sound as if that's all there is to the game.
 
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Great reply to boost your argument as usual Thrasher. :roll:

Considering the accolades they received, most people would agree they did pretty good with the first one.
 
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Because the resources polishing the cinematics could be spent making more interesting game play elements. Can't really state more simply than that. There's a fixed NOT infinite amount of resources to allocate. Fairly basic concept.

Secondly, If I want to watch a movie, I'd rather go to a theater for the best experience, not play the Witcher 2.

Then you'd better tell CDPR they're making the wrong game. From their recent Gamasutra interview:

With that in mind, what are your main objectives in developing The Witcher 2?

[...]This is the main goal: telling a story. We're trying to have story, plot, characters, cinematic sequences, and all of that. That was the main reason to rewrite the engine and to make The Witcher 2.

If you're going to have a good story, then you need to create emotional connections with the player.

I personally wouldn't mind if they skipped cinematic sequences altogether (I'm happy playing games like Avernum 6, KotC) but if they do have cinematic sequences (and they do), a sequence with a tit hanging out will generate chuckles, not empathy.
 
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@JDR

Are you kidding? So you think when it first came out the English dialog was pretty good? Accolades? It was atrocious by most people.

heck when I played the demo, the dialog was filled with WTF moments…

Really, JDR, I wonder where you get your ideas…
 
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@Dhruin

Yeah, that's why I'm not excited, at all, about the Witcher 2… And it's also why I have not played any of the Mass Effects…

Not really into interactive movies…
 
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