The latest developer video from CD Projekt Red features an interview with Charles Dance, the British actor of stage and screen who is best known these days for his commanding performance as Tywin Lannister, the current royal family’s brutally pragmatic patriarch in HBO’s Game of Thrones. The Witcher 3 will be Dance’s first time performing in a video game as Emhyr var Emreis, emperor of the Witcher’s world’s superpower, Nilfgaard.
Much like his Westerosian counterpart, Emreis is a no-nonsense kind of guy. “This is my first video game, that I’ve performed in. It’s a whole new world for me. It’s quite exciting, actually,” Dance explains in the video. “My character is, he’s a very, very powerful man, probably the most powerful man, and as such he doesn’t need to throw his weight around. He’s a man of few words, the words he speaks, speak volumes. And he’s ruthless — he’s ruthless because he has to be.”
Dance also offers some choice insight into how fantasy is “no longer the realm of children’s entertainment — it is real.” The quality of the storytelling and cinematic techniques means that fantasy games are now also for “quite discerning adults.” Dance understands this well, coming from Game of Thrones, which has cemented the position of fantasy in popular culture that Peter Jackson established with The Lord of the Rings.
From gameplay clips in the video, it appears that Emreis is the one who hires Geralt for the quest of chasing down the “living weapon” Ciri, quarry of the game’s eponymous Wild Hunt. From what little we’ve seen, Dance seems fantastically cast, giving the imposing emperor the gravitas that such a character deserves.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt comes out for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows on May 19.
Related Posts
I’ve played every major Zelda game, here’s what The Legend of Zelda movie needs to get right
In terms of iconic pop culture heroes, Link is up there with Luke Skywalker, Frodo Baggins, and Superman. While Benjamin Evan Ainsworth has proven himself capable enough to lead The Legend of Zelda's cast, adapting Link’s character for the big screen is a challenge. For much of the Zelda franchise, Link is depicted as a silent protagonist who serves as a stand-in for the player. However, that doesn't mean Link isn't a unique character. Each version of Link has a distinct story, but they are all known for their incredible courage, loyalty, and dedication to protecting the innocent. However, he has also shown many times that he can be silly, reckless, rageful, guilty, and tempted by greed. Link doesn’t necessarily have to speak in the film to appeal to audiences. However, he just can't be a one-dimensional fantasy hero. We have to see how multifaceted a person Link is as he grows and reacts to everything, carrying such a heavy burden as the Hero of Hyrule. Zelda should share the adventure with Link
PlayStation 5 can technically be a CD-player, if you’ve got a tinkerer’s heart
But a creator behind the YouTube channel Will It Work? decided to test that limit with a clever workaround. Using an unusual optical drive, he managed to trick the PS5 into reading CDs as if they were USB storage devices.
Blizzard finally gives you a date for WoW: Midnight, and you’d better start getting ready
Midnight launches at 10:00 a.m. Pacific / 1:00 p.m. Eastern, and servers will open simultaneously across regions.