Hi, I decided to check this thread and answer some of your questions. I still haven't played the game since I last posted, but I'll see what I can do.
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Originally Posted by Ulfang  "It's as if it's full of sex?" Okkkkk ... well still it's not .. clearly. Personally I find there are too few games with mature content and I don't just mean sexual experiences. |
I guess it all depends upon your definition of mature and what you, as a gamer, expect from that. To me, being mature doesn't necessarily mean full of adult themes like sex, violence, and cuss words. I'm not entertained by TV shows like Jackass and the like, nor am I entertained by games like Grand Theft Auto or, say, X-rated porn games where the goal is to have sex with women. I attribute elements from The Witcher, which is full of phrases such as "dwarf cock," "balls itch," "****/****," etc to shows like Jackass. I attribute the mini-games of trying to bed women to such infamous gems as Lesiure Suit Larry. While I have no problem with adult-oriented themes, I consider Jackass and Leisure Suit Larry to rate up there with Beavis and Butthead in terms of "maturity," and I expect that the same people who enjoy The Witcher are the same people who are responsible for making shows like Jackass popular. Sort of pseudo-maturity, if you will. To me, those elements just come across as quite immature, perhaps popular with the same crowd that I associate with teenage angst and rebellion (hence the joking reference to D&D high school virgins).
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Originally Posted by Ulfang I'm sick of unrealistic games that don't tackle realistic issues. |
Then why don't you play educational games if you want realism? Sorry, but I don't see a world of elves, dwarves, and magic where the protagonist cuts down thousands of foes, sleeps with two dozen women without fear of disease or impregnation, and travels through a world where "dwarf cock" and "balls itch" are common phrases represents realism.
To sum up my views, I wholeheartedly understand why this game is popular. It is definitely different than anything I've seen in recent memory. I think it's popularity is due in large part to the fact that gamers are hungry for something, anything, that's different from the generic/dry strain of RPGs that we have seen lately. However, it has enough weak points for me not to be able to overlook them when forming an opinion about the game. Too often, I think, gamers get placated by a good story. Why can't we have both? Great gameplay should not be sacrified for a great story, and vice versa. Even with the "mature" argument aside, clunky controls, unrecognizable inventory icons, simplistic combat, long loading times, long cutscenes, butchered dialogue, FedEx quests, and a non-interactive world are ALL elements that negatively contribute to many gamer's enjoyment of the game. And these are not just complaints I have - many people have voiced similar opinions.