Between Authenticity and Fantasy The Medievalist Music of the Videogame The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015)

Abstract

The influence of nineteenth-century Romanticism on popular perceptions of the Middle Ages resonates widely through contemporary media. Medieval-themed videogames are extremely popular now, but scholarly studies of medievalism in videogame music are scarce. Between Authenticity and Fantasy seeks to bridge this gap by discussing the medievalist music of a case study, the highly acclaimed fantasy videogame The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015). The thesis also explains why Romantic-style orchestral music, folk music and period instruments are used, even though they are anachronistic in this imagined historical setting. As Romantic-style music has been used to depict the Middle Ages in many visual media, it is not strange that the composers have turned to this musical tradition. Furthermore, the adaptation of folk music and period instruments in this soundtrack suggest a sense of desired authenticity and historicity to a broad audience, as they emphasize a certain rural or urban location. The Witcher 3 employs a variety of musical styles that play an important part in the creation of an immersive and engaging experience, as they have the capacity to suggest a historical setting through music. The case study illustrates these suggestive qualities of medievalist music by using four music examples.