Right. I am officially incredibly hyped up for The Witcher 3. I am having trouble coming to terms with the fact that so many moons yet remain before I can sink my teeth into this - almost guaranteed - masterpiece of a game. I have fallen in love with the prospect and possibilities, and there is no reason for me to doubt that this will be one of the most memorable and exciting gaming experiences of my lifetime. I will place a pre-order with GOG soon, once I've looked over the finances of this month. I am also considering getting the Collector's Edition... but that decision requires much more deliberation.
So... TW3, I knew, would bring with it the first appearance of some truly prolific characters. I speak mainly of our beloved Ciri and Yennefer, of course. I do not think that this game series has ever had a more important portrayal of any main characters; at least not since Geralt himself, which I think they pulled off very well. Now we have had our first glimpses of both the Child of Destiny and her mother, and I must say that I am not entirely pleased. Naturally, the in part limited descriptions Sapkowski has given us in the books leaves character appearances very much open for interpretation, and each reader probably paints an image for themselves, in their own head, that represents these two vital characters in the story of Geralt. Even so, I think what CDPR has done here contradicts many of those personal interpretations; at least partially.
I would not call Ciri's design disappointing per se, but it still leaves room for improvement. Naturally, she's an adult now, so things have changed, but I never quite pictured her face to be so pointed and angular, but most of all I feel she looks too 'prettied up' in the scene we see in the trailer. A bit too painted, I dare say, which clashes quite a bit with how I've always pictured her when out on her adventures. This only feeds another concern that I've been grappling with from the start: I hope that they did not make away with her big, disfiguring scar on the left side of her face like they did Triss's scar for obvious 'sexy' reasons. When it comes to portrayal of women in gaming media, few things hurt me more than when developers 'get rid of' or otherwise 'repair' imperfections evident on the character. It is cowardly and in many ways outright insulting.
Yennefer doesn't really disappoint strongly either, but there are things that just feel off about her. Most obvious is the lack of the raven black hair that so often figures in during the novels, here replaced with a darker shade of brown, and she also comes off as a bit too short or not as imposing, mainly due to too rounded (or soft) features and a too young a complexion in general. She always struck me as looking more mature and strict, albeit regally beautiful and enchanting in a way only an experienced sorceress could look.
We obviously don't have much to go on. There will be more images surfacing over the coming months, and we honestly don't know for sure what the final versions of these characters will look like in the game. Some might even think I'm nit-picking, but I am simply much too passionate about this world - and these two characters in particular - not to care about how they are portrayed. It's a strange feeling, but I feel they must be made justice in every which way. Most of the other characters I can allow much more artistic licence and leeway in how they are designed, but Ciri and Yennefer are nestled too closely in my heart to allow the same kind of freedom.
Like I said, though: I'm very hyped. Aside from Ciri and Yennefer, I am particularly excited about the reunion of the witchers and meeting Emhyr (again), as well as to explore much more of this fantastically engrossing - and unique - world.
