Emotional Hooks in TW2

[seekerpat]

Emotional Hooks in TW2

I've finished the game a few times and am now taking a break for rest and reflection-actually I'm playing DX:HR until 2.0 drops But I've been thinking about the many hours spent with TW2 and why I enjoyed it so much. One of the main reasons is the story and how it reached me on an emotional level. I thought it'd be interesting to start a discussion about those emotional hooks and how they effected us or enhanced the game or whatever. Here's a few of mine to start, granted they had more emotional impact on the first playthroughs:

Foltest's assassination in the Prolog. Pretty much where the story part of the game first hooked me. I barely had a handle on the gameplay, kept getting distracted by the graphics(in a good way), liked hanging with the King and then he's violently killed in front of me! Right then I didn't care that the game was forcing the story on me, I just wanted to get the bastard that killed Foltest.

The first time I sat down with Dandelion and Zoltan at the Inn in Chapt 1. It was like seeing old friends again after years away...which is true in a sense. Really settled into the game then.

Cedric's death. Maybe I was tired or had low blood sugar or something, but his death got to me(even though it was a bit over the top). I liked the character, he was kinda broken, kinda lost, kinda tragic-I know people like this. But he had some depth to him, it was sad to see him die. Right after that I was faced with the choice of either Ivoreth or Roche's path. I took Ivoreth's partly because of how I felt about Cedric dying.

Saskia's speech at the Battle of Vergen. The fight on the walls could have been just another click and dodge fest, but because of that speech it felt like I was fighting for something greater than loot and xp. Of course the speech was a bit cliched but most of those kind are since this one.

Henselt's assault of Ves and the murder of the Blue Stripes. When I saw what he'd done, a voice in my head whispered coldly, "somehow, somewhere, he dies for this"

There were more but I don't want to seem like I'm rambling on here

 

[Zanderat]

Henselt's assault of Triss and the murder of the Blue Stripes. When I saw what he'd done, a voice in my head whispered coldly, "somehow, somewhere, he dies for this"

There were more but I don't want to seem like I'm rambling on here

Heneslt assaulted Triss? Did I miss this? I thought that he assaulted Ves?

 

[seekerpat]

Heneslt assaulted Triss? Did I miss this? I thought that he assaulted Ves?

You're right, I meant Vess...got all emotional there, fixed it.

 

[username_3497665]

Nice topic! This is definitely the most emotionally engaging and exciting game I've ever played, so it's hard to single out particular moments, there are many. But apart from those you mentioned I'd say:

- The whole story of Moril and how Ves took care of her. What I felt was a mixture of sadness and fury and if Loredo hadn't already been dead I'd have killed him again. And again. And again.

- When I learned that Phillipa used Saskia. It was like a slap in the face because a) it's inexcusable to manipulate and cynically use such a pure being as Saskia. And b ) I thought Philippa was cool. Well, I still think she is, but I hoped she'd be an outright likeable character on our side. So that really caused my indignation.

- Philippa getting blinded. Obviously disturbing because of the violence, but also because I wasn't entirely sure what to think about it. Nobody deserves such forms of cruelty, which additionally served no purpose apart from Radovid's self-empowering. But on the other hand, I can't help but notice Philippa had worked hard for it throughout her life and she earned it.

- Stennis's issue. It's all happening fast, you have to be quick collecting information. And whichever decision I make, I feel bad about it when I know the consequences. This must be one of the toughest choices in the whole game.
And generally I consider learning about the impact of our decisions one of the biggest emotional assets. It's quite common that what feels right for me at that moment (when I literally internally resist choosing the alternative) brings worse aftermath, like when I gave Iorveth his sword.

- This is only for my first playthrough ever, when I went with Iorveth and wanted to break the spell put on Saskia. The first seconds when her chest gets pierced I was devastated because I didn't want her to die and didn't want my actions go in vain. So obviously it was huge relief and surprise when she actually recovered. I liked that twist because I don't think anyone (whichever decion you made) expected the dragon to survive that.

These were just particular situations and scene. Then there are all the lighthearted and humorous moments, like the succubus quest.

And generally the whole construction of the plot, twists, surprises, hidden agendas and learning the truth behind. It's always interesting, at least for people like me, who've never had any contact with the world of The Witcher before.


So yeah, I just need to say it's everything that hooks me, be it characters and their motivations or funny chat in the background of Flotsam or Vergen.
In terms of emotional engagement (and pretty much nearly everything else) this game beat Planescape Torment in my ranking.

 

[Garrison72]

Cedric was the most effective emotional hook for me despit the fact he was underused.

 

[Aditya]

hope there are more cutscenes/atleast a cgi with cedric in the upcoming upgrade
the recent trailers showed CDPR's capacity for great cgi I hope much more is implemented

although Cedric is a favourite of many he is still much underrated, he was a very strong character in the game whose hided in the shadow

 

[Thothistox]

The first thing that really hooked me was the riot of Flotsam and how Geralt had the option of pacifying the angered humans with the Axii sign. There are disturbing historical associations there.

The second was when I finally understood Letho, and it was then that my outlook on the prolgue changed a lot too.

Henselt's defensive speech was also quite interesting. Even though I hated him I had to agree with him.

I've finished the game a few times and am now taking a break for rest and reflection-actually I'm playing DX:HR until 2.0 drops But I've been thinking about the many hours spent with TW2 and why I enjoyed it so much. One of the main reasons is the story and how it reached me on an emotional level. I thought it'd be interesting to start a discussion about those emotional hooks and how they effected us or enhanced the game or whatever. Here's a few of mine to start, granted they had more emotional impact on the first playthroughs:

Foltest's assassination in the Prolog. Pretty much where the story part of the game first hooked me. I barely had a handle on the gameplay, kept getting distracted by the graphics(in a good way), liked hanging with the King and then he's violently killed in front of me! Right then I didn't care that the game was forcing the story on me, I just wanted to get the bastard that killed Foltest.

The first time I sat down with Dandelion and Zoltan at the Inn in Chapt 1. It was like seeing old friends again after years away...which is true in a sense. Really settled into the game then.

Cedric's death. Maybe I was tired or had low blood sugar or something, but his death got to me(even though it was a bit over the top). I liked the character, he was kinda broken, kinda lost, kinda tragic-I know people like this. But he had some depth to him, it was sad to see him die. Right after that I was faced with the choice of either Ivoreth or Roche's path. I took Ivoreth's partly because of how I felt about Cedric dying.

Saskia's speech at the Battle of Vergen. The fight on the walls could have been just another click and dodge fest, but because of that speech it felt like I was fighting for something greater than loot and xp. Of course the speech was a bit cliched but most of those kind are since this one.

Henselt's assault of Ves and the murder of the Blue Stripes. When I saw what he'd done, a voice in my head whispered coldly, "somehow, somewhere, he dies for this"

There were more but I don't want to seem like I'm rambling on here

 

[username_3497665]

Yeah, and the biggest shame about Cedric being underrated and underused is the fact he's listed among secondary characters. I mean, Cedric together with some count Etcheverry you kill at the beginning and Ylona, the elven woman with a beard? That's a disgrace.

 

[songlian]

Cedric was the most effective emotional hook for me despit the fact he was underused.

Oh yes. I cried like a baby.

 

[Anarki_Hunter]

Geralt and the lady bug....

 

[Kindo.824]

There are too many emotionally charged moments throughout this game, that I can't possibly list them all. One of my favourites is a short moment, not more than two or three seconds long, at the beginning of the Epilogue. After the fight with the dragon, Geralt climbs atop one of the walls around Loc Muinne to get back into the city. Depending on with whom Geralt allied himself with for Chapter 2, and what choice he made in Chapter 3, the person he decided to aid will help him up the last couple of steps.

Now, for my canon playthrough, this is Triss (Neutral path) and she will give you a wonderful hug, which is also a great moment; but if Geralt went with Iorveth or Roche to carry through with either of their respective plans, it becomes the culmination of a true, slowly growing bromance, when they help Geralt up. They smile for the first time ever, and give Geralt a nice pat on the arm to show their love in an as manly way as possible. Haha! It's amazing, though... I love that moment.

In relation to this, Geralt has a specific speech after this, and if he ended up killing the dragon and he was on Roche's path in Chapter 2, he is the most open-hearted I have ever seen him. My memory is too scattered to even paraphrase this, but he expresses how incredibly exhausted he is with the state of the world, and how he always seems to be dragged right into things with which he wants nothing to do with. The writing is excellent, and the voice actor does an incredible job at conveying these feelings. I shed a tear, that's how surprising and powerful it was to hear him say this.

EDIT: Again, related to Chapter 3/Epilogue (train of thought here of small yet great moments that happen in this part of the game). If Geralt helps Iorveth to find a way to break the curse on Saskia, and after Philippa unsurprisingly betrays them and flies off - and after the fight with the fire elemental - the two of them convene to discuss what to do next. At this point, it is clear that Geralt might succeed in breaking the curse, but that it is a very risky task, and that Saskia probably won't understand that he's trying to help her - that he might be forced to fight her. Iorveth then says: "You're probably right, but please, don't kill her. Unless you must do so to save your own life..."

That was a very unexpected response from him. Saskia, the person whom Iorveth has idolized from the beginning; the person he feels is the one to finally bring some sort of free state in the Northern Kingdoms; he is ready to sacrifice even her, if it means saving the life of his friend.

EDIT: Sigh. You can't filter out Cedric. One of the best "secondary" characters ever to feature in a game.

 

[dmcaldw]

One of the hooks that got me was when Geralt asked Foltest to leave and take Triss with him . It was at that point Geralt's softer side showed . His love for Triss and his friendship with Foltest showed with this conversation and I think this is where when Foltest is assassinated developed the anger that drove me to kill Letho the first play through.
The troll quest also " brain pain" . It made me feel sorry for the troll .

Cedric's death the music and the conversation .

All in all the game shows Geralt's humanity whether it is forced by the situation or his own choice . This leads me to believe Geralt is outside the normal for a Witcher especially when alot of the choices you make show an emotional side to Geralt and draw you in deeper .The epilog touched me when Geralt moves the lady bug the simple act of compassion.

 

[Rovlad]

"I wish my lawn was emo so it would cut itself." (c)

 

[Vermeer]

The ladybug moment at the end was very powerful to me, specially when letting Letho alive; it felt like an ephimeral instant of peace in the midst of a turmoil.

Stennis's issue. It's all happening fast, you have to be quick collecting information. And whichever decision I make, I feel bad about it when I know the consequences. This must be one of the toughest choices in the whole game.

This conflict got me too. Not because of the consequences; I was convinced Stennis was guilty, yet it felt wrong not to let him have a fair trial. Saskia was way nobler than him, and surely would disapprove lynching. Then Stennis refused to help her, and tried to bribe me, and talked about divine right, god, I hated his guts. So it was a very hard choice.

And generally I consider learning about the impact of our decisions one of the biggest emotional assets. It's quite common that what feels right for me at that moment (when I literally internally resist choosing the alternative) brings worse aftermath, like when I gave Iorveth his sword.

What happened in Flotsam after giving Iorveth the sword was truly discouraging, but I felt zero guilt over it. From my point of view, Geralt was not responsible at all; racist folks and Loredo were. On the other hand, fighting in the siege, on the prologue... That was very uncomfortable. I didn't want to be an active participant of that. It was not my place.

 

[gregski]

I would add the moment when Foltest meets his children. Seeing them cuddling with that cruel man, responsible for deaths of many just a few minutes before...and the moment when Anais catches her last glimpse of her father, reaching out her hand when she disappears behind the corner... Ah, damn, must be a little girl's father speaking through me

 

[username_3497665]

This conflict got me too. Not because of the consequences; I was convinced Stennis was guilty, yet it felt wrong not to let him have a fair trial. Saskia was way nobler than him, and surely would disapprove lynching. Then Stennis refused to help her, and tried to bribe me, and talked about divine right, god, I hated his guts. So it was a very hard choice.

Yeah, obviously I'm against lynching so I saved him 1st time I played. Next time I didn't (partly out of curiosity) and the only thing that diminished my sense of guilt was that Stennis was stupid and stubborn enough not to retract and save his pitiful self by giving the blood. I mean, we gave him a chance to fix it, manouevre out of this situation and maybe even save face, but he didn't want any help. So he had it coming. Besides, I guess if he was such an inflexible idiot he wouldn't survive much longer...
But of course distaste and discomfort remain.

 

[DelighfulMcCoy]

Cedric's Death. So tragic and so peaceful all at once. Extraordinarily written for a supporting character.

Not killing Henselt the first time around out of a sense of responsibility - and now seeing myself forced to play through that again and let Roche have his way and cheer him on and tell him to take his time and being really satisfied with that decision...

 

[Kindo.824]

I would add the moment when Foltest meets his children. Seeing them cuddling with that cruel man, responsible for deaths of many just a few minutes before...and the moment when Anais catches her last glimpse of her father, reaching out her hand when she disappears behind the corner... Ah, damn, must be a little girl's father speaking through me

This reminded me of another favourite moment of mine: If Geralt goes with Roche and helps him save Anais (I don't remember if it matters if they hand her over Natalis or Radovid), and when Geralt later meets up with Roche again in the Epilogue, Roche mentions that Anais finally started talking again. He explains that she rejected the gift of a dolly, and said she would rather have a sword; she wanted to learn how to fight, so she could avenge her father. This was such an awesome moment for me - I really love Anais as a character that carries a lot of promise for future stories (or just in theoretical stories, in case CDPR never utilises this story arc). It's like you're seeing the birth of a truly remarkable, strong character. I think she will make a fantastic queen, and I hope they will abolish the chauvinistic law that only males may inherit the throne, so that she could rule alone with an iron fist!

 

[saintmagician]

Well she's the sole heir. Even if males can only inherit, she'd rule until her male son is old enough to rule.

 

[Mihura]

- Philippa getting blinded. Obviously disturbing because of the violence, but also because I wasn't entirely sure what to think about it. Nobody deserves such forms of cruelty, which additionally served no purpose apart from Radovid's self-empowering. But on the other hand, I can't help but notice Philippa had worked hard for it throughout her life and she earned it.

- Stennis's issue. It's all happening fast, you have to be quick collecting information. And whichever decision I make, I feel bad about it when I know the consequences. This must be one of the toughest choices in the whole game.
And generally I consider learning about the impact of our decisions one of the biggest emotional assets. It's quite common that what feels right for me at that moment (when I literally internally resist choosing the alternative) brings worse aftermath, like when I gave Iorveth his sword.

This two and Dethmold torture, it was really disturbing. I felt sorry for Cedric since he is one of my favorite characters but I never really got to knew him that well so it was a little anti-climatic.