Alongside Onimusha: Approach of the Sword and the long-awaited sequel to Okami, CD Projekt RED’s The Witcher 4 was maybe the most important announcement from The Sport Awards 2024. Although Geralt returns in some unknown position (and is heard within the trailer), Ciri is now the protagonist.
The response has prompted a myriad of reactions, from positivity to outrage. Nevertheless, per narrative director Philipp Weber, the choice wasn’t made as a result of the workforce was “instantly making up stuff.” Slight spoilers observe for The Witcher 3 Wild Hunt and the books, so beware.
Talking to Eurogamer alongside recreation director Sebastian Kalemba, Weber responded about how collection creator Andrzej Sapkowski felt concerning the selection. “I can truly offer you an excellent reply as a result of it’s the reply Andrzej Sapkowski often offers: the reply is within the books. Within the books, Andrzej Sapkowski calls Ciri a witcher a number of occasions, and Geralt calls Ciri a witcher within the books too. So, I feel that principally says what Andrzej Sapkowski thinks concerning the subject.”
Nevertheless, Weber mentioned there are “many very legitimate worries and responses” relating to Ciri because the protagonist. “As a result of I feel a number of them come out of ardour, and I feel a number of these questions are additionally questions that we requested ourselves.
“So we actually, once more, say that we’re beholden to the lore, the canon of the books by Andrzej Sapkowski, the three earlier Witcher video games, and we’d need to take that critically, and we actually need to respect that. So, all of the solutions we principally need to give in The Witcher 4 are in step with this perspective. We’re not instantly making up stuff simply because we need to. We actually need to take these items critically.”
Weber acknowledged that he might “make video games about Geralt till the day I die,” and understood how followers would need one other recreation with him. “However I feel for me, and I feel for all of us [at CDPR], it’s additionally simply actually thrilling to see all of the alternatives that Ciri brings us, each along with her character and in addition by simply advantage of who she is, what we are able to do along with her by way of the gameplay as properly.
“So I feel one of the best reply for us, for these folks that actually are nervous proper now, is principally to indicate them once we are prepared, that we actually do that properly and with care. And I feel – I hope – we are able to then persuade them with the sport itself. As a result of I feel actions communicate louder than phrases.”
On prime of this, Kalemba famous how seeds had been already planted in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for Ciri to grow to be playable. “Please keep in mind that we’re additionally not solely builders, however we’re additionally players, proper? And, you recognize, we’ve began with the second protagonist already in The Wild Hunt. And so there was already a tease. So we actually [are] all about ensuring such calls are very educated calls. And we actually consider, as Philip already mentioned, that we even have a lot of a terrific story to inform with Ciri, and she or he deserves that.”
The Witcher 4 is developed on Unreal Engine 5 for Xbox Collection X/S, PS5, and PC. It doesn’t have a launch date, however full manufacturing started final month, so it’s possible a method off. Keep tuned for updates, and take a look at our function right here.
