Post by sevach on Jul 29, 2014 19:00:21 GMT -5
I just finished reading this Twenty Sided post, which sum up my feelings perfectly.
When I play an RPG, I prefer to control every aspect of my character, such his gender, race, personality, class, and appearance. To me, that's half of the fun of playing an RPG. Being forced to play a one particular, especially a character I don't like, is usually an insurmountable barrier to enjoyment.
The reason I dislike Geralt is not only because he's cliche, but because he feels like an awful relic from a mid-nineties comic book. Beyond that, he feels like a character designed specifically to appeal to teenage males:
- He's male, ruggedly handsome, and unambiguously heterosexual, because the worst possible thing for a teenage male is to be accused of being gay. (Geralt always reminds me of the American rock band KISS who, despite borrowing the aesthetics of glam rock, such as makeup and flamboyant outfits, but were fiercely heterosexual, so that no one could accuse you of being gay for listening to them)
- He's an outcast, hated and despised for being "different." But he's not hated because of what he does, but because the people around him are fearful, ignorant, and stupid. It feels calculated to appeal to the egocentric teenage mindset..."No one likes me! No one understands me! It's all their fault that they don't like me!"
- He speaks in a low, guttural, gravelly voice, largely devoid of any emotional inflection, and is facial expression is a near-perpetual po-faced grimace. Why? Because Men Don't Show Feelings. Showing feelings makes you whiny, effeminate, or worst of all...gay! (*gasp!*)
- And despite being a hated outcast, women are just oh-so-eager to hop into bed with him, to the point where the first game encouraged you to collect sexual partners as if they were Pokemon. In other words, he gets all the "benefits" of being an outcast ("I'm special! I'm so badass ordinary people can't stand to be around me!"), with none of the downsides (that women might find him repulsive).
- Witchers are both sterile and immune to disease. So not only can he have copious amounts of sex with women, he'll never have to worry about siring bastard sons or catching some unpleasant STD. In other words, he gets to have lots of sex without any consequences whatsoever! This is what I mean I say he feels like some teenager's power fantasy.
I can see the benefits of putting "yourself" into a game, making your own character, but i think you got Geralt all wrong honestly.
He's very far from an anti hero, Geralt is in complete control of his temper, doesn't have rage issues, is comfortable on his own skin and doesn't care about looking cool, for the most part he's just trying to make a living and steer clear of problems... but shit happens.
Reluctant hero would've been more appropriate.
Geralt is a badass (which i should say appeals to males all ages, not just teenagers), but then most games have you controlling someone "special" (straight messianic at times, "you are the only one that can save the world"), The Witcher actually goes easy in comparison even though he is a powerfull extremely capable mutant, Geralt is still one person and not in control of everything.
Granted i prefer badasses over "cry babies", but that's a personal thing.
In spite of the hate directed at him, Geralt remains cool and collected, he's not looking to get back at the bigots and show them off, he pays them no mind...
Which is very far from the teenage power fantasy, it's actually one of the most mature ways to deal with stupidity.