Episode 14: Swords ‘n’ Stuff

So we’re vaccinated now and you know what that means? It means we spent time together without the expectation of having it recorded because it turns out we’re actually friends and have been for a long time. But now that we’re on separate coasts again, it’s time to get back to the podcast, baby! It’s a bit rough and rocky at the start, but we got back into the rhythm of things. It’s good to be back, and hope you enjoy the new one.

Geralt kneels by a campfire at night. The title card is overlaid with the game name "The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt"
Geralt being moody and camping on the title screen.

For a couple of indoor kids, neither of us has been a very big gamer. Sure, we had access to Super Nintendos, Playstations, and GameBoys, but it was never something we really got into. Cut to 2020 when we were all stuck inside because, y’know. As more people started getting into Animal Crossing as a replacement for real world socializing, it was a reminder that video games are the perfect way to keep our butts indoors. Pay asked her brother for a recommendation, and he suggested The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a game that is apparently loved by everyone who’s played it.

One of the Ciri vignettes that plays as the game loads.

Most of our past video game experience was on the lighter side, more along the lines of racing games, simple side-scroller adventures, and Rock Band. This sort of combat-heavy, open world game was really new to both of us. Even though we both play on the easiest mode available, we have found the game to be hella challenging. Definitely had to look up a few things before getting past some of the game’s hurdles.

Nithral, a skull-faced rider of the Wild Hunt in The Witcher 3
Nithral *shakes fist*

That being said, the story is intriguing and we’ve both put in several hours into the thing, so safe to say The Witcher 3 is fun and worth the effort. We both plan to see the game through. There are little things that bring us unexpected joys, like doing some of the menial in-game stuff that more experienced players asked why we bothered with it, or the odd glitch here and there.

Screenshot of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt where you can see through Roach the horse's head
Just Roach, the definitely-intentional-and-not-at-all-a-glitch see-through horse. That eyeball over Geralt’s shoulder is haunting.

We don’t go into much in the episode, but it really is a great looking game and one that isn’t bad to watch someone else play, if you’re not one for playing it yourself. This next set of screenshots were from when Adri’s partner played, and frankly it was kind of nice to have that visual in the background while reading or doing other things.

  • A man, Geralt, with long white hair pulled back, sits on a unicorn. A rainbow crosses the sky with mountains in the background. From The Witcher 3 video game.
  • A close up of Geralt as he looks down. From The Witcher 3 video game.
  • A close up of Geralt, a man with long white hair pulled back, as he sits by a lake in the woods. From The Witcher 3 video game.
  • Geralt from The Witcher 3 looks at a town, mountains in the background
  • A town's port, with ships in the water, at sunset
  • Geralt, a man with long white hair, with his arm around Yennefer, a woman with long dark hair, as they look over a misty mountain landscape

All-in-all, we play this game in a way that makes it fun for us, which is what matters. But it would still be nice if we could pet the animals or feed Roach some apples.

A chibi Geralt figure holding a sword and a gold plastic dinosaur planter on a windowsill, facing each other as if in battle
Not entirely sure how Geralt would handle a dinosaur in the wild.

Episode Highlights

  • What tips do we have for not getting murdered?
  • What reality competition shows do we wish we could be on but know we’d be terrible at?
  • What menial video game task do we both find fun/useful when in a dark room?
  • Is there any strategy to our combat style?
  • Did either of us have Geralt engage in any romance?

Further Watching/Playing