The Witcher Preview

1Up has put together a hands-on preview of The Witcher, based on what they learned about the RPG during a recent trip to CD Projekt’s office in Poland. Apparently there were a few moments of awkward silence:

I quickly get a feel for The Witcher’s timing-based style as Geralt gracefully slashes through hordes of some kind of swamp creature. It’s a simple mechanic, but mixed with the various skills, magic, and weapons at your disposal, it adds some much-needed depth to the old formula.

Having grasped the basics, Iwanicki thinks I’m ready for the big leagues. “Now for the mature content,” he says. “In the game, you can pick up girls. I’m going to show you where to find one, and you can go to bed with her.” Um…OK. We hit the village and quickly find a milkmaid willing to chat. After being impressed with a bouquet of flowers, the maid leads Geralt off the screen to do the deed. In return, I am rewarded a playing card and a painting of the milkmaid topless and pouring a ladle of milk over her bare breasts. “Through the whole game, when you pick up a girl and go to bed with her, you receive a card like this,” says Iwanicki. We observe an awkward silence.

Hmm. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the “topless milkmaid” feature listed in any press release bullet points.