The Witcher 2: 15 Reasons It's A Hidden Masterpiece You've Ignored
15. It Earns Its Mature Rating
When a video game is rated mature, it usually only means mature in the sense that it contains a lot of violent and/or sexual content. Of course, this does not mean that a game is actually mature in the genuine sense of the word. No, a truly mature video game is one that contains violence and sex but treats it with the appropriate level of respect for what it really is. Unfortunately, the sad reality of the video game industry is that such games rarely get made. This is where The Witcher 2 shines. Violence is portrayed as an unpleasant aspect of reality that hurts people, innocent or not. Often you have to make Geralt choose between two different but equally awful decisions; decisions of which change the narrative in a substantial way. At no point does the player ever get the sense that they are supposed to be enjoying the violence on screen. The game is brutal and dark because it is telling a brutal and dark story. Sex is just as abundant as the violence, but it is treated so matter of fact that it doesnt call attention to itself. Sexuality is an integral part of life, and it is to the characters of The Witcher 2. On a surface level it can appear just as gratuitous as every other video game. However, more often than not, the sex is in service to the story and its characters, giving the player a glimpse into a character's sexuality, and thus giving us a means of learning more about them. This makes the characters more realistic and relatable. The Witcher 2 is a truly mature video game because it uses violence and sex to make its fiction feel real, to explore the motivations of its characters and extrapolate on the story and its themes. Amongst all the competition, The Witcher 2 stands as a fine example of a title that understands the fundamentals of what makes a video game mature.
