A Lesson in Why Women Love Power, Leaders and Control

Some say you can't learn anything from a video game world that is filled with fantasy, but the Witcher 3's writing had a lot more on life lessons then few thought.  My favorite scene from the Witcher 3 was when the Emperor asked Geralt the status of the one task he gave him to complete. Geralt's answered sarcastically that no he hadn't gotten to it. The Emperor said Geralt's assignment was important, but he had real problems like ruling a nation, waging war, and controlling the economy/trade to manage.  

The scene that followed was Geralt asking Yennifer, his kindred, why didn't she stand up for him since she had the Emperor's ear as his sorceress.  Yennifer replied "I won't indulge your pride for the price of insulting a rich and powerful man". The Emperor is kind and merciful b/c he wants to be liked by his people, but he doesn't have to be either kind or merciful.  Yennifer knows the Emperor is being kind to Geralt out of respect to her. Yennifer struggles to keep Geralt in the royal court because Geralt doesn't know the etiquette of the political world nor understands the ramifications of conflicting with powerful people.  Geralt is a wild man with rare powers that citizens find useful, but he doesn't understand society or social structure.  With one word from the Emperor, Geralt's life and career can be ended.  Yennifer's conflicting interest in both men leave her in a difficult position.

Geralt sees that Yennifer views the Emperor's power and value higher than him, and treats the two men in her life very differently as a result. Yennifer's perspective on the importance for both men is not about wealth and class, it's solely about maturity. Geralt is hot-headed, runs his mouth when insulted, and overall immature and lacks respect for authority.  The Emperor is educated on socializing, articulate his ideas without causing arguments in a debate, mature and respectful b/c Yennifer views Geralt's magical skills as valuable to her objectives. She is using both men, but both men use her as well for their objectives. It's a powerful story. Geralt sees that Yennifer knows the Emperor controls a lot of the world and is influential to the events that will transpire by his orders and leadership of the new world after the war. As a journeyman, Geralt understands that he can only control and influence himself.  For the first time in Geralt's 200+ years on Earth, he learns his place. 

Geralt is aware that Yennifer is trying navigate through society and put herself in a better position to have a better life.  Yennifer spent the first centuries of her life in the woods as an outcast, now she wants to be in the royal court as an respected lady of the court.  Yennifer cares about the way people view her, and she wants to use her connections to gain power and leverage.  She cares about Geralt as a friend and values his friendship, but at the same time she doesn't want to let Geralt's lack of maturity and refinement be the reasons she is held back in society.  

  

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt Patch 1.07

The game that has over 200 playable hours of content now received a patch to fix the bugs and add requested additional content to improve performance.  Here is what you can expect from the 8GB update for the game:

• A new movement mechanic to address the complaints of Geralt's movement restraints and an includes a few additional new finishing moves
• Roach is more useful and spawns in appropriate areas. 
• New loot stashes for items across the map. The new loot stashes appear as a green chest on the map. 
• Tabs have been included for books, so you can sort them in your inventory.  The literature that you have read will be gray.
• Alchemy materials now have zero weight for your inventory.
• Additional generic sorting options like rarity, durability, and price for your item inventory.  

Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, Mature Content Review

"Don't stare, I haven't grown horns. Take it as a token my good faith"

Baron 

If you came for perverted stuff, then you were fooled by the misreading the title. The Witcher series are one of the few games that you have to be over a certain age to purchase because of its mature content. This time of around, the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is less tongue and cheek and more adventure and mystery.  In the the Witcher 3, you won't see a hero with a series of events telling his path to good deeds and instant fame.  Instead, you see a story of a man that makes right and wrong choices and has to live with the consequences and losses.

Story has always been one of the Witcher series strong point.  In this latest installment to the series,the Witcher 3 doesn't disappoint. You are introduced to Geralt's closest relationships and past stories recapped.  The tone of the story is mature and grounded.  In this installment story is driven by finding your lost love instead of saving the world.

Most of the story is revolves around a world infested with monsters and your duty as witcher to rid the villages intelligent monsters like a succubus saying it acted out of self defense or a greedy demon posing as a God not killing but swindling dumb villagers out of wares.  You must choose wisely and plan your choices because often you may find your good deeds carrying a deep unexpected bad consequence.  This sense of choice and consequence carries into the quest design making each quest feel meaningful.  Simple tasks have many great stories and adventures for you to experience.

There is a strange emphasis on the sense of discovery.  Many quest only become available as you explore the world and encounter random strangers in danger or in need.  To facilitate all this exploration, Geralt has become more mobile than in any previous witcher games.  Climbing rock world, sailing a boat, traveling the countryside by horseback, swimming through underwater caves over a more tangible sense of connection to the enormous world.  Controls during some travel sequences become buggy like horse racing and deep sea diving, so thank God for the fast travel option.

Combat is challenging.  You have to adapt to the enemy.  You must observe and wait for a chance to attack an enemy or create you own opening with a parry or essential dodge.  You have five magical signs to use for combat in addition to your swordplay.  Using Aard to push enemies back or using trap signs to paralyze enemies is key to defeating an enemy.

New ultimate forms like using shield to regain heath or continuous stream of fire will aid you in overcoming challenges.  You have the usual tool such as bombs and potions to aid you as well. There is an element of preparation that will make you the more effective in combat.  You can study the monsters weaknesses in the beastology, craft better weapons and armor in order to enhance your chances of victory or mere survival.

A new addition introduced in the Witcher 3 is hunting monsters thru investigative sequences.  Adding a Sherlock Holmes element of deductive reasoning by explaining clues, studying blood trails, and using signs to allow you piece together events that lead you to the answer of what happened to a victim or where a monster is lurking. The is another playable character named Ciri that has her own set of abilities and storyline that add to the mystery of Witcher's 3 world.

Yes there are brothels and steaming S&M full frontal nude sex scenes if you play for that, but there is more to the game than that. The Witcher 3 has over 100+ hours of gameplay, themes of personal character presenting the player with choices and consequences that aren't trying to make the character a hero but a human that learns from his choices and action.  It's one of those games that make you think and wonder "what if". Being one that loves to have my brain teased I give the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt a 9.5/10