Thirith on 21/11/2016 at 09:00
Yeah, I'm looking forward to them, though only after a bit of a break.
I also got a bit miffed during the "It Takes Three to Tango" quest; I wish the game had given me the option to nope out of it. I like that the game seems to [spoiler]go one way (:cheeky:) and then goes another (:eek: :( ), and that my actions have consequences, though not of the world-shattering kind, but giving Geralt the option to say this is a bad idea but not to follow through made me feel boxed in, in a game that's usually good at avoiding this impression. Just because I couldn't make up my mind earlier doesn't mean that I want to get it on with both Triss and Yenefer at the same time. Okay, I'm sure Little Geralt wouldn't mind...[/spoiler]
PigLick on 21/11/2016 at 09:27
I avoided pretty much all the sex scenes because they made me feel uncomfortable
bukary on 21/11/2016 at 10:38
"It Takes Three to Tango"
The title of this quest is an allusion to some Polish song... :)
Speaking of which, it is amazing that you might not be aware of hundreds of references to Polish culture and literature that are buried in The Witcher's plot, and in spite of that you are enjoying the game. The Witcher 3 is probably the most postmodern game when it comes to intertextuality. Obviously, many of these intertextual threads lead to very universal themes, myths, archetypes (e.g. vampyre stories, fairytales, Don Quixote in Blood and Wine). But huge part of them is grounded in Polish lore and culture. It is the same with original Andrzej Sapkowski's books.
For example, Hearts of Stone is not only based on widespread myth of Faustus (so popular thanks to Marlowe and Goethe). The story of Olgierd is also established by few literary works that are very famous in Poland: Adam Mickiewicz's ballad "Mrs. Twardowska" (and the legend about (
https://lamusdworski.wordpress.com/2016/03/12/twardowski/) Mr. Twardowski), the history of Kmicic, interesting protagonist of Henryk Sienkiewicz's novel (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Deluge_(novel)) "The Dulge", and (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Chryzostom_Pasek) Jan Chryzostom Pasek's memoirs. Olgier (with his temper, costume, weapons, customs) is basically a Polish nobleman that represents Baroque (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sarmatism) sarmatian culture. And if you liked the whole wedding sequence in this expansion pack, you should know that it was one huge reference to an incredible Polish drama (
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Wedding_(1901_play)) "The Wedding" by Stanisław Wyspiański. The costumes, the dialogues, the quests in Bronowitz - it's all taken from this play and Polish folklore. By the way, Bronowitz is the name of Polish village (Bronowice) near Cracow where the real wedding took place.
Do these pictures ring a bell?
Inline Image:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/71/Wesele_Tetmajera.jpgInline Image:
http://www.pinakoteka.zascianek.pl/Tetmajer/Images/Obejscie_w_Bronowicach.jpgInline Image:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/15/Stanislaw_Antoni_Szczuka_%281652_1654-1710%29.jpg/800px-Stanislaw_Antoni_Szczuka_%281652_1654-1710%29.jpgIf it comes to literary references in The Witcher 3, I could go on and on... It's an amazing game.
Thirith, definitely try the expansions packs. And play them in order: Hearts of Stone - Blood and Wine, because
after-credits-ending of the latter feels like a real ending to the game. And if you are closing the story of the basic game, try to be a real father to Ciri. Support her (also with your company in various places when she needs it), make her laugh, and let your daughter go her own way (which means:
visit the Imperor) and make her own decisions. That's how you'll get the best (IMHO) bittersweet ending and the opportunity to admire White Orchard
in the winter.
Thirith on 21/11/2016 at 10:58
Quote Posted by bukary
"It Takes Three to Tango"
The title of this quest is an allusion to some Polish song... :)
(
ptychographic) Not sure if you're serious, though you do sound a bit (
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IC6W8J0j8Co) like Pavel Chekov. (I can imagine the original title alludes to a Polish song, mind you.)
References themselves don't make
The Witcher 3 postmodern yet; T.S. Eliot's writings are filled with references, but they're decidedly not postmodern. What is postmodern in
The Witcher 3 is how it filters these traditional tales through a decidedly contemporary lens, which it sometimes does more, sometimes less. Talking of postmodern references: I liked the reveal that Ge'els' painting looks [spoiler]decidedly like a Picasso[/spoiler].
Quote:
Thirith, definitely try the expansions packs.
Oh, I'll definitely try them; I bought them a fair while ago, so it's more about needing a break after
The Wild Hunt. It's a great game (and funnily enough the first
Witcher game that I enjoyed without major caveats), but it is almost overwhelmingly rich in terms of content.
bukary on 21/11/2016 at 11:09
Quote Posted by Thirith
What is postmodern in
The Witcher 3 is how it filters these traditional tales through a decidedly contemporary lens, which it sometimes does more, sometimes less.
I agree. That is exactly what I meant.
Quote:
Not sure if you're serious, though you do sound a bit like Pavel Chekov.
Not sure what you mean.
Quote:
(I can imagine the original title alludes to a Polish song, mind you.)
That is what I meant.
:joke::joke::joke:
Thirith on 21/11/2016 at 11:16
Just briefly: since your "the title is an allusion to a Polish song" came right after the English title of the quest, which is a reference to an American song, it sounded to me like Star Trek's Pavel Chekov and his insistence that any- and everything good was invented in Russia. :D
bukary on 21/11/2016 at 11:19
Quote Posted by Thirith
Just briefly: since your "the title is an allusion to a Polish song" came right after the English title of the quest, which is a reference to an American song, it sounded to me like
Star Trek's Pavel Chekov and his insistence that any- and everything good was invented in Russia. :D
I get it now. All this is quite funny, because The Witcher 3 is based mostly on Polish culture, yet it was written in English first, and then translated into Polish. :)
Thirith on 21/11/2016 at 11:28
Ah, I was wondering about that. :) The English never sounded like a translation to me, so I thought it was either a very good translation or the English version came first.
bukary on 21/11/2016 at 11:39
I am not entitled to evaluate English version, but Polish "translation" is wonderful. All in all, the writers are Poles. The texts are well written, interesting and - if one can say so - rich in many literary qualities:
[video=youtube;vy7whkQI5HU]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vy7whkQI5HU&index=1&list=RDvy7whkQI5HU[/video]
One thing I am sure of: the swearing is better in Polish. :joke:
And it's nice to see that everyone can enjoy The Witcher 3 in well-done language versions.
