I’m playing the Witcher 3. It is probably, without putting too fine a point on it, the best single player rpg I have ever played, and I’ve been playing them since about 1986. It is everything that Skyrim promised yet failed to deliver. But more than that, it has given the giant middle finger to the social justice warriors who crave conformism under the banner of ‘equality.’
There have been rumblings on reddit and twitter about the fact that there are no black characters in the Witcher 3. One poor writer at Forbes berates himself for having missed this terrible fact, which he missed obviously because of his white privilege. It seems to have escaped these people that the game is set in a feudal Slavic country, (the game designers are unabashedly Polish). I expect next that they will take to task a faithful recreation of a game set in Samurai Japan for not having enough Black warriors to play, or wymens for that matter.
The reaction from the game designers? A frosty silence while they point at their sales figures.
But for me the real revelation was during the opening zone of the game, (spoiler alert coming). In one of the quests, you the witcher are tasked with finding a hunter who lives alone at the edge of the woods. He has some information that you require. He is a sad and cautious man having been driven from the village due to him being a ‘freak’. You as the witcher suspect lycanthropy and offer to cure him. It turns out that he was found in the hay barn with the local lord’s son doing the naughty. The son killed himself, the lord fell into a depression and his lands collapsed and the villagers ran the hunter out of town.
And here we have the first realistic approach to homosexuality in a fantasy feudal setting in a game in a very long time. Because it makes sense in the context of the world. Anything else, such as the ridiculous gay marriage in Elder Scrolls Online, merely rubs your face in their activism. This was dealt with in a mature, respectful, and realistic manner. I could have jumped for joy. In fact, I must admit to a couple of real life fist pumps from behind my computer.
If a game was set in contemporary America, Northern Europe or Australia, and had the exact same turn of events then I would be upset. Because it would likewise not be realistic for the game world in which it was set. And it would not only cause me to scratch my head and wonder if as a player I had mistaken the setting in which I was playing, it would also yank me out of any immersion that I was enjoying.
Of course, the SJWs are crowing on this subject that anyone who approves of this scene in The Witcher 3 is a homophobe etc etc rinse and repeat. And that is because they are avoiders of truth. They have their agenda, they have hoisted their colours to its flag, and so by God they must continue with the charade notwithstanding any uncomfortable realities or logical arguments that happen across their path. Logical absurdities are fine of course.
So all praise The Witcher 3. The game designers have given us a great game and given the middle finger in no uncertain terms to the SJW brigade. And they’re making gobs of money. But then again, the SJWs hate capitilism too.
June 14, 2015 at 12:28 pm
I would say it’s a great game as well – brilliant storytelling and world building aspects but then I would also go on to say it’s brilliant precisely because it is, if I can use the term… social justicing (it’s really just good world building). It has strong female characters (ciri is amazingly done as are characters like yennifer, triss and Keira) whose relationship, in all aspects is explored maturely. The have interests, goals of their own and a personality beyond the fucktoy. There’s a variety of racial and political tones expressed and explored. Sexuality and the spectrum. Varying body types large, young old and whatever. Even Geralt is extremely well done and not just the regular meat head I’ve come to expect.
It explores both he highs and lows of characters and an inherently flawed world while also providing some strong positive examples that break from the usual stereotypes. It is these elements that create a more believable world, something not like the other superficial experiences. Sure not every game is perfect and yeh, the polish/ slavic whatever elements are a basis for the lore but there are also dragons and mythical creatures roaming about – they could include black characters if they wanted to. But yeh – pretty damn great game
June 29, 2015 at 5:28 pm
A gay dude made you pump your fist? You’re disgusting.
February 2, 2016 at 12:27 am
this is a fantasy world, not a feudalistic europe, even if it mimics certain conditions. being said that, the writer of the original story and these game stories is/are feudalistics. I dont mind that Geralt is a set personality who is straight, and all the gorgeous women you… I mean he can f**k in the game (it’s a good selling point for 70% of nerd geeks) but still handling the topic from more perspective wouldn’t have hurt the game.
just see GoT – which obviously has a lot of influence on this game. shame the wide point of view is missing…
btw on one of the hills near some wyvern nest there are two guys laying dead, hand in hand… this might be a reference for some medieval gay finding in GB if I recall the news correctly? – an easter egg perhaps?
and also there’s the transvestite elf selling masks and clothes in Novigrad…
so it seems they wanted some “daring” I heard even marketing the game like this – well they didn’t succeed.
all in all – I think the game has bigger issues than this, despite everyone claims it game of the year. for me it’s one of the best, but not ‘the’ best…
p.s. still much better than one of the books I read, so… 🙂
May 27, 2016 at 5:25 am
So griffins, magic, and a plethora of undead cool but openly gay characters too much for suspended reality….got it.
August 6, 2016 at 4:53 am
For the record, I’m a gay man myself, and it was wonderful to read this. Very well put, unapologetic in its approach which was also refreshing because there was no need to mince your words here.
I fully agree with you. I thought homosexuality was approached very maturely in this game. It seems subtlety is something that people can’t seem to tolerate much anymore.
One of the biggest let downs in Fallout 4, for me, was the romance options in the game. It completely killed immersion for me considering the main character was avenging his/her dead spouse and looking for their son. It was just ridiculous. Nothing like New Vegas (Arcade Gannon being my favourite representation of a homosexual male in any game I’ve ever played).
I really enjoyed playing Geralt – a straight man in an alternate reality 13th Century Europe. I enjoyed the cleverly written racial issues, culture clashes, the war torn landscapes, the moral ambiguity of your choices where even the supposed “good guy” options had immediate to far-reaching consequences that you wouldn’t typically expect (the road to hell is paved by good intentions, as it is said).
Not that it’s worth much salt, but I do not see your post as homophobic in the slightest. Well done.
August 6, 2016 at 5:27 am
Thanks, Strix. You bring up many interesting points. I feel sorry for the gay community that you have allowed yourselves to be so comprehensively hijacked by the SJW brigade to further their progressive agenda. I know many gay men and the vast majority are aghast at what is occurring. You are another good example of what the intolerance brigade cannot abide. The ultimate example, of course, is Milo.