Sex has always been a part of the Witcher series, right back to the first game and its rather adolescent collectible cards. For upcoming third entry The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, it's no less important.
The Guardian reports that the game will contain a frankly jaw-dropping 16 hours of sex scene motion capture data. Blimey.
*Minor Spoilers* In fact, the game even opens with a nude scene. According to senior game designer Damien Monhier, all this fantasy bonking isn't just titillation. It plays an important role in the game's world-building and story.
“People might think we’re putting sex into the opening scene for no good reason,” explains Monhier. “No, no, no. We are establishing that your character was intimate with this woman recently in order to plant in your mind that, at very least, he must enjoy her company. Through sex we have shown that this is a person who Geralt would be compelled to chase after if she went missing.”
The woman from the opening scene is Yennefer, a powerful sorceress and former lover of main character Geralt. After the first scene closes we jump forward in time to the main plot of The Witcher 3, which sees Geralt trying to find his lost love.
“Sex is the quickest way in which to establish the relationship and provide a justification for the player to pursue this woman,” says Monhier. “We couldn’t just tell you to go find someone you don’t know or care about. It wouldn’t work.”
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is set for release on May 19. It's worth reading the rest of that Guardian piece, which also touches on the game's writing and its branching quests.
