Witcher 4

[Dave_W]

I've no particular attachment to the series but Ciri looked very cool in the trailer. Baffled by the online discourse saying she has DEI chin or whatever. People will find any reason to be angry or offended these days.

They’ve never actually seen or interacted with a real woman before.

The response to Naughty Dog's Intergalactic was even worse. I guess they're wanting waifus to be in every game.

I've never played the Witcher games before, but I always meant to give Witcher 3 a go.

 

[chrisstbh]

The response to Naughty Dog's Intergalactic was even worse. I guess they're wanting waifus to be in every game.

Indeed. I’m not a fan of the character design in that game, it’s a bit lacking, but the actress they have is really good.

That trailer was terrible though, did nothing for me and nobody else seemed to care either during it until Naughty Dog popped up - from the streams I watched anyway.

 

[Dave_W]

Indeed. I’m not a fan of the character design in that game, it’s a bit lacking, but the actress they have is really good.

That trailer was terrible though, did nothing for me and nobody else seemed to care either during it until Naughty Dog popped up - from the streams I watched anyway.

I love the look of it. The 80s vibe. Her design is ripped straight from Akira. The product placement was ridiculous though! It definitely peaked my interest.

 

[Akiratang]

I got Alien vibes from that ND game but it seems interesting. Its ND end of the day, made some of the best game franchises of all time. I hope they can deliver , nobody wants a bad game. Long ways away to improve it before we get it in hand.

 

[Dave_W]

BTW, did you all like the Steel Hunters trailer?

 

[chrisstbh]

I love the look of it. The 80s vibe. Her design is ripped straight from Akira. The product placement was ridiculous though! It definitely peaked my interest.

I can’t wait for the game to be delisted 5 years after launch because the Porsche and Adidas partnerships expired.

 

[Uravgcollector]

I've no particular attachment to the series but Ciri looked very cool in the trailer. Baffled by the online discourse saying she has DEI chin or whatever. People will find any reason to be angry or offended these days.

Can we keep this BS out of this thread/forum please? Sick and tired of hearing about culture war everywhere. You have the "chuds" on one side that scream bloody murder, and the other side sticking their head in the sand and pretending nothing is wrong. Reality, as always, is far more complicated and nuanced and the internet is the last place I'd expect people to have any kind of in-depth, bona fide discussion.

This is the one place I hope not to hear about this crap.

 

[R_R_X]

Can we keep this BS out of this thread/forum please? Sick and tired of hearing about culture war everywhere. You have the "chuds" on one side that scream bloody murder, and the other side sticking their head in the sand and pretending nothing is wrong. Reality, as always, is far more complicated and nuanced and the internet is the last place I'd expect people to have any kind of in-depth, bona fide discussion.

This is the one place I hope not to hear about this crap.

What is wrong with the trailer though? I get the concerns regarding Ciri seemingly losing her powers and getting the mutations and all that but a lot of the discourse surrounding this trailer is just: "They replaced Geralt with a woman!" "Ciri looks like a man!" "Of course the white men are the real monsters!" "They will kill Geralt like Naughty Dog killed Joel!" "The trailer reeks of woke!" and so on...

The people saying those things clearly don't care about the franchise or these characters, and likely never even finished a single Witcher game. Most are just grifters thriving off the culture war nonsense and it's just tiring at this point. They bring nothing of value or nuance to the discussion, so obviously the people that do care about the franchise, including those with legitimate concerns regarding lore changes and so on, are going to react negatively when these frauds infiltrate discussions about the trailer with their blind vitriol, parroting the opinions of their favorite grifter.

 

[JorjeCroft]

Everyone saying she lost her elder blood powers, while she controls water and attacks monster with electrified water in the trailer lol Witchers don't have that kind of power. Watch she'll be more powerful than Geralt. She was trained by Yen in magic. She just didn't use teleport in the teaser, I'm sure everything will be explained in the game and I'm just happy we got Ciri instead of some brand new character. This means we gonna see all the beloved characters in the game. Also as I saw this is beginning of the new trilogy.
We are getting Witcher 1 remake with Geralt and it probably gonna have same kind of gameplay and graphics as Witcher 4. I'm sure they'll remake Witcher 2 as well. So White Wolf lives!

Bring on figures dammit!

P.S. As CDPR said Geralt is in Witcher 4 but they are keeping his role as a surprise, if it was just a cinematic cameo they would just say that. I think he'll be a playable character, like Ciri is in Witcher 3. I'm very optimistic and hopeful.

Crazy that we got Ciri with a braid before Lara Croft with a braid. Absolutely love her new design and ppl who call her ''ugly'' need to look in the mirror.

 

[Luisenigma1]

What is wrong with the trailer though? I get the concerns regarding Ciri seemingly losing her powers and getting the mutations and all that but a lot of the discourse surrounding this trailer is just: "They replaced Geralt with a woman!" "Ciri looks like a man!" "Of course the white men are the real monsters!" "They will kill Geralt like Naughty Dog killed Joel!" "The trailer reeks of woke!" and so on...

The people saying those things clearly don't care about the franchise or these characters, and likely never even finished a single Witcher game. Most are just grifters thriving off the culture war nonsense and it's just tiring at this point. They bring nothing of value or nuance to the discussion, so obviously the people that do care about the franchise, including those with legitimate concerns regarding lore changes and so on, are going to react negatively when these frauds infiltrate discussions about the trailer with their blind vitriol, parroting the opinions of their favorite grifter.

I think the issue is how the games and film now are leaning towards that woke bs, and so anything that has a female character regardless if it makes sense or is good will get dragged through the mud. Witcher 4 although announced years ago is being shown at the point when "strong female characters" are no longer appieling to people. I feel those who complain and see it that way are ruining it for themselves because this is hopefully not one of those cases. Ciri isn't a random strong female character she's been there from the start we've seen her grow and struggle, It's just the story is now her POV. I feel this game is getting the same traction as the Furiosa movie did. It was a good movie but people assumed it was another girl boss movie and woke when it actually wasn't though I understand in that situation people just wanted Mad Max and didn't care for her character as much. This though makes sense as it's a character we know well and have played as before. Hopefully gameplay and story stay good and people chill out once it's done.

 

[Luisenigma1]

Absolutely love her new design and ppl who call her ''ugly'' need to look in the mirror.

I honestly don't get what people are crying about. I didn't look at her as ugly or Hot more so felt like Geralt seeing your baby girl all grown up. She's older and that made me feel proud because she's come into her own and is experienced now.

 

[chrisstbh]

Everyone saying she lost her elder blood powers, while she controls water and attacks monster with electrified water in the trailer lol Witchers don't have that kind of power. Watch she'll be more powerful than Geralt. She was trained by Yen in magic. She just didn't use teleport in the teaser, I'm sure everything will be explained in the game and I'm just happy we got Ciri instead of some brand new character. This means we gonna see all the beloved characters in the game. Also as I saw this is beginning of the new trilogy.
We are getting Witcher 1 remake with Geralt and it probably gonna have same kind of gameplay and graphics as Witcher 4. I'm sure they'll remake Witcher 2 as well. So White Wolf lives!

Bring on figures dammit!

P.S. As CDPR said Geralt is in Witcher 4 but they are keeping his role as a surprise, if it was just a cinematic cameo they would just say that. I think he'll be a playable character, like Ciri is in Witcher 3. I'm very optimistic and hopeful.

Crazy that we got Ciri with a braid before Lara Croft with a braid. Absolutely love her new design and ppl who call her ''ugly'' need to look in the mirror.

Well I doubt she lost her powers, but they’re probably not the same as they used to be.

I doubt she’s got god-like powers anymore.

 

[𝘨⃨𝘭⃨𝘪⃨𝘵⃨𝘤⃨𝘩⃨10ᔦᔦ]

Not sure what all the fuss is about her looks. She's easy enough on the eyes while making her look like not only can she take care of herself, but also chop off a few monsters heads here an there while she's at it.
I'm digging the new look. Will be interesting to see what kind of figures pop up.

 

[Uravgcollector]

I think the issue is how the games and film now are leaning towards that woke bs, and so anything that has a female character regardless if it makes sense or is good will get dragged through the mud. Witcher 4 although announced years ago is being shown at the point when "strong female characters" are no longer appieling to people. I feel those who complain and see it that way are ruining it for themselves because this is hopefully not one of those cases. Ciri isn't a random strong female character she's been there from the start we've seen her grow and struggle, It's just the story is now her POV. I feel this game is getting the same traction as the Furiosa movie did. It was a good movie but people assumed it was another girl boss movie and woke when it actually wasn't though I understand in that situation people just wanted Mad Max and didn't care for her character as much. This though makes sense as it's a character we know well and have played as before. Hopefully gameplay and story stay good and people chill out once it's done.

Grifters are parasites that thrive on the cesspool that is online video-game discourse, and as perfectly described by @R_R_X, they bring nothing of value to the discussion except vitriol.

That said, I understand the "woke" concerns people have about (western AAA) gaming, in general. Though as always, people love to blow everything out of proportion. And while I hate to hijack this thread, I think people deserve full context behind the negative sentiments towards CDPR recently. Bear in mind, I do not condone the behaviour of these grifters and anti-woke r*tards.

Games have definitely becoming more and more left-leaning. Companies like CDPR have embraced DEI/ESG practices, formally adopting the ESG reporting system in 2022. A lot of what their report says is quite good - charity support, anti-discrimination, improving employee benefit etc. There's a bunch more stuff that I can't remember, but the report clearly touches on a lot of popular left-wing socio-political aspects. At a glance, nothing out of the ordinary.

But I can understand the skepticism; I've worked in companies that follow similar initiatives, and seen how companies who follow these initiatives act. I've had experiences in the past where people (whom I knew, who would fit under the modern day DEI demographic), managed to secure job positions which were insanely competitive (where even some of my brightest, hard-working friends, whom I can say are far more skilled than me couldn't make it).

So, the report talking about "improving gender balance in governing bodies" doesn't, personally, fill me with confidence. Especially when the joint-CEO tweeted against DEI hiring practices, claiming to hire "based on talent and merit alone"... but does that same rationale extend to hiring/promotion of people in leadership positions? Because their report clearly indicates otherwise.

The CEO also said (as part of his tweet) that the studio had the highest retention in the past few years... yet failed to mention how many of the key developers behind Witcher 3 had left the studio (he mentions the director but there are many more), including the studio head, game director, cinematic director, creative director, art director, senior producer etc. I don't remember the number but I think at least 50% of the original devs are gone.

Not to mention, CDPR hired an Insomniac's narrative director as a senior writer, who literally says the game industry must "pull every lever" to promote LGBTQ content in video-games. This same person defended consultant companies like Sweet Baby Inc. (calling them "best in the business"). And SBI literally exists to insert DEI sensitivities into video-games primarily through "assisting" studios with dialogue, story and character design. Also, on their webpage where CDPR discusses its three core pillars of sustainability, it is written under the "social" pillar that an area for them to focus on is "strengthening the DEI culture at CD PROJEKT by, among others, fostering inclusive leadership".
Don't forget CDPR has signed the "Diversity Charter" which means they are committed to promoting diversity in their studio. So, how can the CEO say they hire solely based on merits and talent, if it ends up creating outcomes that end up going against the program (like, say the developer population ends up being 80% Polish dudes or something, which is what it was like for Witcher 3).

Furthermore, only a few months ago, CDPR had a mentorship/scholarship program for high school girls only that did not include men (not surprising, I see this in other business too). But if you're all for equality and "hiring based on merit", why not provide such a program to everyone regardless of gender and race? I'm sure many high school males would also love to be able to learn about game development and bring their unique ideas to fruition.

And speaking of anti-discrimination, whilst unrelated to CDPR, I remember a few weeks ago how the the art director at Obsidian Studios, tweeted how he would always give priority to black artists and there are too many "crusty white dudes" in the field who he could "help replace". A person in a senior position, openly tweeted discriminatory hiring practice like this. Idk what kind of confidence that is meant to inspire in the audience and people who are interested in your product.

The CEO also talked about the shift to UE5 for efficiency and remaining "cutting edge" in the industry; it's odd because Cyberpunk still looks ridiculously good and I personally would not have minded if Witcher 4 had the same leve of fidelity as that. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 director said on a podcast, that he had talked to CDPR employee this year (and heard rumours) on how UE5 has been difficult for them to use and get working.
So why the change in engine? Just so you could do another tech showcase (like raytracing in Cyberpunk and hairworks in Witcher 3) which requires TOTL graphics card and runs like sh*t at launch? How exactly is it more efficient than the RED engine if the devs find it difficult to work with? Wouldn't sticking to your in-house engine be easier since the devs already have extensive knowledge of it? Or is it because majority of the senior devs have left the studio and made it harder to work with the old engine?

Some more miscellaneous things:

• CDPR has own DEI director. (Agnieszka Szamałek-Michalska, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion Director)
• They have discussed ESG several times and won DEI awards in a contest organized by 30% Club, where the most interesting initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion were awarded (won for their menstrual leave initiative.)
• They have deep dive videos about ESG on their official YouTube channel.
• They have hired Mary Kenney (the Insomniac narrative director I talked about).
• They get paid big investment money for including DEI initiatives in their company and games, because EU heavily promotes companies to hit DEI quotas (referring to the charter CDPR signed).

Let's not forget all these programs/projects take time, money and resources to setup and run. The question at the end of the day, is whether all of this is at the cost of the artistic integrity, narrative and the quality of the game.

That is something that remains to be seen, but having said all this, it's one thing for chuds and incels to act like basement-dwelling goblins (which they do), but its another to say all this isn't politically driven, and to that extent, I can understand the skepticism some people have for CDPR.

As for Ciri's trailer looks, it's the chuds having another freakout as usual. I think she looks fine; there's obviously a difference in the overall design but that is irrelevant to me.



I'm more concerned with the power scaling surrounding her and how her story will unfold. Ciri being the protagonist is the logical choice, but idk how to feel about her being a Witcher. Most likely CDPR will use the fact that Ciri has the Elder Blood to circumvent the lore behind the Trials; (or some other macguffin) considering it had 100% mortality rate for adults (and no records of female ever having survived). On one hand, I get it, you can't have a Witcher game without a Witcher, but on the other, I'm not entirely sure about the decision. Considering she can f**king teleport to between dimensions and access/affinity for magic far beyond simple Witcher signs and; there's very little to justify her becoming a Witcher, especially if it robs her of the abilities granted by her blood. It makes no sense to have her keep both her powers from the Elder Blood and as a Witcher - that would completely break the game, and it would be incredibly difficult to create stakes and situations of danger and peril.

Moreover, correct me if I'm wrong, as it's been sometime since I have read the novels or played the game, Ciri was the "Child of Destiny" since her story was about her transcending and going beyond the traditional paths laid for her. I always thought her destiny was to live a life far beyond that of the scope of a Witcher, to break cycles, forge new paths, and make real change. As a Witcher, she can help hundreds, as an Empress, she could help millions. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I think the Empress ending is the best one for her (subject to debate ofc), while the Witcher ending is the popular one.

From a game design perspective, one could argue the Empress ending was (if not the best) the "true" ending, since you need to max out her confidence to get it. And it's a hard choice for her - doing something she does not find personally satisfying, but something that could potentially shape the trajectory of the entire Continent , becoming the ruler that the Continent needs. She could truly make a difference to heal the world, rather than being a Witcher, where she would be subject to the harsh realities of humans and monsters like Geralt was, but know that there was nothing she could do to shape that reality to be something different. And it just makes sense to me, that the player spends all this time to build and strengthen Geralt and Ciri's relationship, and to build her confidence so much, that she can follow the hard path, knowing Geralt would be there for her.

But I have waffled on for long enough. While I think CDPR could have continued along the Empress ending and still incorporated Witchers into the game's central storyline, I'm still interested to see how the game will turn out.

 

[Kebron]

Oh the irony.

 

[chrisstbh]

The Yapper 4

 

[Luisenigma1]

Grifters are parasites that thrive on the cesspool that is online video-game discourse, and as perfectly described by @R_R_X, they bring nothing of value to the discussion except vitriol.

That said, I understand the "woke" concerns people have about (western AAA) gaming, in general. Though as always, people love to blow everything out of proportion. And while I hate to hijack this thread, I think people deserve full context behind the negative sentiments towards CDPR recently. Bear in mind, I do not condone the behaviour of these grifters and anti-woke r*tards.

Games have definitely becoming more and more left-leaning. Companies like CDPR have embraced DEI/ESG practices, formally adopting the ESG reporting system in 2022. A lot of what their report says is quite good - charity support, anti-discrimination, improving employee benefit etc. There's a bunch more stuff that I can't remember, but the report clearly touches on a lot of popular left-wing socio-political aspects. At a glance, nothing out of the ordinary.

But I can understand the skepticism; I've worked in companies that follow similar initiatives, and seen how companies who follow these initiatives act. I've had experiences in the past where people (whom I knew, who would fit under the modern day DEI demographic), managed to secure job positions which were insanely competitive (where even some of my brightest, hard-working friends, whom I can say are far more skilled than me couldn't make it).

So, the report talking about "improving gender balance in governing bodies" doesn't, personally, fill me with confidence. Especially when the joint-CEO tweeted against DEI hiring practices, claiming to hire "based on talent and merit alone"... but does that same rationale extend to hiring/promotion of people in leadership positions? Because their report clearly indicates otherwise.

The CEO also said (as part of his tweet) that the studio had the highest retention in the past few years... yet failed to mention how many of the key developers behind Witcher 3 had left the studio (he mentions the director but there are many more), including the studio head, game director, cinematic director, creative director, art director, senior producer etc. I don't remember the number but I think at least 50% of the original devs are gone.

Not to mention, CDPR hired an Insomniac's narrative director as a senior writer, who literally says the game industry must "pull every lever" to promote LGBTQ content in video-games. This same person defended consultant companies like Sweet Baby Inc. (calling them "best in the business"). And SBI literally exists to insert DEI sensitivities into video-games primarily through "assisting" studios with dialogue, story and character design. Also, on their webpage where CDPR discusses its three core pillars of sustainability, it is written under the "social" pillar that an area for them to focus on is "strengthening the DEI culture at CD PROJEKT by, among others, fostering inclusive leadership".
Don't forget CDPR has signed the "Diversity Charter" which means they are committed to promoting diversity in their studio. So, how can the CEO say they hire solely based on merits and talent, if it ends up creating outcomes that end up going against the program (like, say the developer population ends up being 80% Polish dudes or something, which is what it was like for Witcher 3).

Furthermore, only a few months ago, CDPR had a mentorship/scholarship program for high school girls only that did not include men (not surprising, I see this in other business too). But if you're all for equality and "hiring based on merit", why not provide such a program to everyone regardless of gender and race? I'm sure many high school males would also love to be able to learn about game development and bring their unique ideas to fruition.

And speaking of anti-discrimination, whilst unrelated to CDPR, I remember a few weeks ago how the the art director at Obsidian Studios, tweeted how he would always give priority to black artists and there are too many "crusty white dudes" in the field who he could "help replace". A person in a senior position, openly tweeted discriminatory hiring practice like this. Idk what kind of confidence that is meant to inspire in the audience and people who are interested in your product.

The CEO also talked about the shift to UE5 for efficiency and remaining "cutting edge" in the industry; it's odd because Cyberpunk still looks ridiculously good and I personally would not have minded if Witcher 4 had the same leve of fidelity as that. Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 director said on a podcast, that he had talked to CDPR employee this year (and heard rumours) on how UE5 has been difficult for them to use and get working.
So why the change in engine? Just so you could do another tech showcase (like raytracing in Cyberpunk and hairworks in Witcher 3) which requires TOTL graphics card and runs like sh*t at launch? How exactly is it more efficient than the RED engine if the devs find it difficult to work with? Wouldn't sticking to your in-house engine be easier since the devs already have extensive knowledge of it? Or is it because majority of the senior devs have left the studio and made it harder to work with the old engine?

Some more miscellaneous things:

• CDPR has own DEI director. (Agnieszka Szamałek-Michalska, Culture, Diversity & Inclusion Director)
• They have discussed ESG several times and won DEI awards in a contest organized by 30% Club, where the most interesting initiatives promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion were awarded (won for their menstrual leave initiative.)
• They have deep dive videos about ESG on their official YouTube channel.
• They have hired Mary Kenney (the Insomniac narrative director I talked about).
• They get paid big investment money for including DEI initiatives in their company and games, because EU heavily promotes companies to hit DEI quotas (referring to the charter CDPR signed).

Let's not forget all these programs/projects take time, money and resources to setup and run. The question at the end of the day, is whether all of this is at the cost of the artistic integrity, narrative and the quality of the game.

That is something that remains to be seen, but having said all this, it's one thing for chuds and incels to act like basement-dwelling goblins (which they do), but its another to say all this isn't politically driven, and to that extent, I can understand the skepticism some people have for CDPR.

As for Ciri's trailer looks, it's the chuds having another freakout as usual. I think she looks fine; there's obviously a difference in the overall design but that is irrelevant to me.

View attachment 743957View attachment 743958

I'm more concerned with the power scaling surrounding her and how her story will unfold. Ciri being the protagonist is the logical choice, but idk how to feel about her being a Witcher. Most likely CDPR will use the fact that Ciri has the Elder Blood to circumvent the lore behind the Trials; (or some other macguffin) considering it had 100% mortality rate for adults (and no records of female ever having survived). On one hand, I get it, you can't have a Witcher game without a Witcher, but on the other, I'm not entirely sure about the decision. Considering she can f**king teleport to between dimensions and access/affinity for magic far beyond simple Witcher signs and; there's very little to justify her becoming a Witcher, especially if it robs her of the abilities granted by her blood. It makes no sense to have her keep both her powers from the Elder Blood and as a Witcher - that would completely break the game, and it would be incredibly difficult to create stakes and situations of danger and peril.

Moreover, correct me if I'm wrong, as it's been sometime since I have read the novels or played the game, Ciri was the "Child of Destiny" since her story was about her transcending and going beyond the traditional paths laid for her. I always thought her destiny was to live a life far beyond that of the scope of a Witcher, to break cycles, forge new paths, and make real change. As a Witcher, she can help hundreds, as an Empress, she could help millions. This is probably an unpopular opinion, but I think the Empress ending is the best one for her (subject to debate ofc), while the Witcher ending is the popular one.

From a game design perspective, one could argue the Empress ending was (if not the best) the "true" ending, since you need to max out her confidence to get it. And it's a hard choice for her - doing something she does not find personally satisfying, but something that could potentially shape the trajectory of the entire Continent , becoming the ruler that the Continent needs. She could truly make a difference to heal the world, rather than being a Witcher, where she would be subject to the harsh realities of humans and monsters like Geralt was, but know that there was nothing she could do to shape that reality to be something different. And it just makes sense to me, that the player spends all this time to build and strengthen Geralt and Ciri's relationship, and to build her confidence so much, that she can follow the hard path, knowing Geralt would be there for her.

But I have waffled on for long enough. While I think CDPR could have continued along the Empress ending and still incorporated Witchers into the game's central storyline, I'm still interested to see how the game will turn out.

Thanks for posting. You gave an idea behind the scenes and how these game devs nowadays don't know what they are doing or just have their own intentions using an existing IP rather then make their own game. Don't get me wrong everyone has good intentions so it's not important but with how many of them have released recently it's put sour tastes in peoples mouths. I do agree though when there is constant hate for no reason then just to cause mayhem it's the most stupid thing. You can definitely take things with a grain of salt until release. If something doesn't interests someone then they don't have to bother with it, and can move on. You brought up an interesting point about people complaining on how Ciri looks, as I stated before why the need to be critical of how she looks is dumb mainly because you and I see it as her being older there is nothing wrong with that. But it's the need these trolls have to bitch about something like that. I do hope this game turns out great and in honesty DEI is a plague on games because politics shouldn't belong in entertainment in general. Games are something that gives us a chance to immerse ourselves in a world so we can for a day or few hours forget about the harsh world we live in today. Also I agree the empress ending made more sense for her as that means she can help the world in better way and has the most power she is in the end royalty.

 

[chrisstbh]

Thanks for posting. You gave an idea behind the scenes and how these game devs nowadays don't know what they are doing or just have their own intentions using an existing IP rather then make their own game. Don't get me wrong everyone has good intentions so it's not important but with how many of them have released recently it's put sour tastes in peoples mouths. I do agree though when there is constant hate for no reason then just to cause mayhem it's the most stupid thing. You can definitely take things with a grain of salt until release. If something doesn't interests someone then they don't have to bother with it, and can move on. You brought up an interesting point about people complaining on how Ciri looks, as I stated before why the need to be critical of how she looks is dumb mainly because you and I see it as her being older there is nothing wrong with that. But it's the need these trolls have to bitch about something like that. I do hope this game turns out great and in honesty DEI is a plague on games because politics shouldn't belong in entertainment in general. Games are something that gives us a chance to immerse ourselves in a world so we can for a day or few hours forget about the harsh world we live in today. Also I agree the empress ending made more sense for her as that means she can help the world in better way and has the most power she is in the end royalty.

Politics has always been a part of entertainment. Did people think Star Wars was apolitical?

Creators will almost always put part of themselves and their beliefs into whatever they create. Nobody can ever be truly unbiased.

I swear this was never an issue before like 2020. People are even calling GTA6 “woke”, as if Rockstar games haven’t always been “woke”.

I’m pretty much on the verge if purging all social media at this point because it’s all becoming so exhausting.

Can’t wait to play this game and enjoy it and ignore all of the idiots online like I do with every other piece of media they try to cancel.

 

[Luisenigma1]

Politics has always been a part of entertainment. Did people think Star Wars was apolitical?

Creators will almost always put part of themselves and their beliefs into whatever they create. Nobody can ever be truly unbiased.

I swear this was never an issue before like 2020. People are even calling GTA6 “woke”, as if Rockstar games haven’t always been “woke”.

I’m pretty much on the verge if purging all social media at this point because it’s all becoming so exhausting.

Can’t wait to play this game and enjoy it and ignore all of the idiots online like I do with every other piece of media they try to cancel.

That's really all one can do nowadays it's almost impossible to just like something without people getting upset that you do or have to take it apart and find something wrong with it. I'm not a fan of the majority of modern AAA games but there are good games like Black Myth Wukong but it got hate for no reason from the very DEI woke games Journalists because it didn't meet their standards. It's just stupid both sides can't stop. I do agree, nowadays people want to put their own take on something sometimes out of pure ego rather then doing it because they want to tell a story. I might definitely follow your lead also I feel it's best to see something when it's out before even bothering with it and stick to what I know I like. Rather not deal with the headaches

 

[Uravgcollector]

Politics has always been a part of entertainment. Did people think Star Wars was apolitical?

Creators will almost always put part of themselves and their beliefs into whatever they create. Nobody can ever be truly unbiased.

I swear this was never an issue before like 2020. People are even calling GTA6 “woke”, as if Rockstar games haven’t always been “woke”.

I’m pretty much on the verge if purging all social media at this point because it’s all becoming so exhausting.

Can’t wait to play this game and enjoy it and ignore all of the idiots online like I do with every other piece of media they try to cancel.

Correct. But this statement is used like a blunt instrument to remove any nuance from discussions.

It's about intent of the artist and interpretation of the audience, which is highly subjective. Art is about the human experience, politics are just one aspect of it. And yes, art does not exist in a vacuum and often reflect the socio-political environment of the time it was made in, or of the creator. The fact that an art comes from a cultural moment doesn’t always translate to a belief that the artist had a political intention or that its purpose was ideological.

Recognising artistic intent and being open to multiple interpretations is something severely lacking on both sides (wokes/anti-wokes).

There has certainly been a leftward shift in culture and the socio-political environment overall. That's the thing with "DEI" in general, many people perceive that as conscientious inclusion of left wing politics into entertainment. I already pointed out the several initiatives and programs that companies like CDPR have setup to that end and even the government/investor groups funds them. People interpret that as a deliberate insertion of politics, not as a natural byproduct of the time we live in.

That's really all one can do nowadays it's almost impossible to just like something without people getting upset that you do or have to take it apart and find something wrong with it. I'm not a fan of the majority of modern AAA games but there are good games like Black Myth Wukong but it got hate for no reason from the very DEI woke games Journalists because it didn't meet their standards. It's just stupid both sides can't stop. I do agree, nowadays people want to put their own take on something sometimes out of pure ego rather then doing it because they want to tell a story. I might definitely follow your lead also I feel it's best to see something when it's out before even bothering with it and stick to what I know I like. Rather not deal with the headaches

Keep in mind, the online population is a small subset of the larger population. If a game can stand on its own merits, the silent majority will let it be known, and the game will sell like hotcakes. And on that note, there is no reason why The Witcher 4 cannot succeed.