Background: The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was released in 2015 as the final game in CD Project Red’s Witcher trilogy. Wild Hunt chronologically follows the story of the first two games as well as the book series that the game was based on. Unlike the previous two games, Wild Hunt has both a male and female protagonist. As of 2020, the Witcher 3: Wild Hunt has sold 50 million copies, with almost 20 million sales from just this year alone, 5 years after the game first released.
Plot: The plot revolves once again around Geralt of Rivia, one of the last of an order of genetically modified monster hunters as he searches for someone from his past. Though both the first and second games started with Geralt unable to recall his past, after the results of the second game Geralt has regained his memory and searches for his former lover, Yennefer. Soon, Geralt finds out that his adopted daughter Ciri who had gone into hiding has also reappeared, and is being hunted for her powers by an evil group of beings known as the Wild Hunt.
Bechdel Test: This game passes the Bechdel Test. While the main protagonist of the game is Geralt, the larger plot revolves around Ciri, who is also playable in multiple sections of the game. In these playable sections, Ciri has multiple interactions with both men and women. Midway through the game, Ciri argues with a group of sorcerers about the best way to fight the Wild Hunt. While the Sorcerers initially treat Ciri as a child, Ciri tells them off and does not allow herself to be manipulated by them. In general, the female characters in this game are much more fleshed out, with their own motives and stories.
Shared by: John Horan
Image Credit: https://www.nme.com/