I feel like we're being mocked.
I was not being sarcastic, quite the contrary i was genuinely impressed by the overall quality of this game. First off , i am a bit different from your average gamer who CTRL-skips entire game in a minute. I took acting classes back when i was in High school. So whenever i play the RP type of games i immerse myself as the main character using my rusty methodical acting skills. Most of the games on this site, sadly, wasn't able to satisfy me enough to bother empathising with their MC.
Rowan on the other hand is really one of its own kind. He isn't a superficial blank-state dude nor is he railed on strict pre-determined development. This game allowed me to live as Rowan. As soon as the game started i felt the grueling emptiness stirring inside him. His days of glory were long gone. He has grown soft around the edges. I made him force himself into his wife keeping his pride as a man but deep inside i know he was crying for help.
Then came the twins. Ruthless, cunning and devilishly attractive. I knew from the first moment i was no match for them. Now for the average go-er this game could have been seen as a defeatist low-morale story. But it's actually dabbling in true nihilism. Yes Rowan's sword will never be able to match Andras. Yes he will never be able to satisfy his wife again. But is Rowan really the loser in this scenario ?
No ! Just like Donovan's impact on Guts from the Berserk , Andras has impacted Rowan's life for the better. He found his true calling in serving the twins. He is no longer a forgotten hero, mocked by nobility and forced into hiding in a backwater slump. He is part of something bigger. He accepted his place in the food chain. Serving his bull Andras and conquer the realm in his name. Even after getting ravaged by orcs, the minotaur dude and Andras his wife still comes back to him. At the end of the day he is the who is cuddling with her. He is the true winner.
Make no mistake this game is much more gritty and realistic then any Bioware RPG out there. I truly applaud and thank you for creating this sophisticated masterpiece as it helped me, my wife and her boyfriend get closer as well. I eagerly await the next act hoping for a chance to raise Andras' son. I am aspiring to be a writer myself following your steps hoping someday i could at least reach your shadow.
