The Witcher 4: I am So Ciriously

[x Tame Impala]

I'm glad it's Ciri to be honest. I know some on the internet wanted a create your own character sort of deal or a continuation of Geralt but I think this is the best option by far. A BYO Witcher game would lose so much of the charisma you get from the story, Ciri has a ton of history with this world already so this paves the way for another great narrative adventure, character interactions, and a great story. Geralt's story (apparently) ends pretty nicely at the end of Blood and Wine so I'm fine with him taking a back seat. Maybe this time around we'll get the reverse of TW3 where 90% of the game is played as Cirri and some missions you play as Geralt, maybe in a prequel sort of deal like TLOU Pt 2.

Cirri probably loses her powers fighting the Frost at the end of the game or she loses them in the trial of the grasses. Either way I'm really excited for this one!

IGN Article about the game:

Inside The Witcher 4: CD Projekt Red’s Plans For Its Next Big RPG - IGN

IGN's exclusive interview with CD Projekt Red reveals the developer's plans for The Witcher 4, including a renewed focus on varied gameplay and a protagonist defined by the player.

www.ign.com

Click to read more...

 

[HanSolo]

Just got wind of the announcement. The Witcher 3 is my favorite game of all time so this is a day 1 get for me no matter how long it takes to release. For me, the repairwork done to Cyberpunk 2077 (and with how phenomenal Phantom Liberty was) has restored my trust in CDPR if only for the fact that if they release this game and it's even a little broken, it could be catastrophic for them and their reputation.

I'm glad Ciri is taking over as the protagonist and they're letting Geralt have his retirement. My only concern is how they will square away the fact that Ciri is basically the most powerful being in this narrative universe. You can't have the game have challenging combat unless you seriously nerf Ciri somehow that seems lore plausible. Also I know the trailer isn't final and the cinematics in Witcher 3 didn't match how the characters look in game but there was something weird about how they rendered Ciri's face. Like just her face is being viewed with a fish eye lens, but the rest of her looks normal. It was a little weird. But those are my only two quibbles. Ciri is a fantastic character and a worthy successor to Geralt.

 

[Andrei79]

0 interest in Ciri as a protagonist. The trailer was underwhelming at best and I have 0 faith in CD Projekt Red after the stunt they pulled with Cyberpunk. Will definitely wait for the reviews on this one.

 

[Osprey]

I, too, am uninterested in her (or anyone else) being the protagonist, just as I wouldn't care for a Tomb Raider without Lara Croft. CDPR is taking a risk here, especially after the reception that the last two seasons of the show and its spinoff received for doing something similar.

 

[HanSolo]

I mean why bother playing Red Dead 2, any Resident Evil game after the first, Final Fantasy sequels, Assassin's Creed sequels, Castlevania sequels, Grand Theft Auto sequels, The Last of Us 2, and so on?

Geralt is one of my favorite video game protagonists ever but the strength of The Witcher 3 isn't Geralt himself. It's the world and overarching narrative that Geralt occupies with his dry wit, heroism, and badassery. Ciri is the second most important character behind Geralt. Considering he retired at the end of the last DLC, I don't see the huge risk. I just want the lore behind it to make sense.

I mean if people aren't interested in continuing the story with her, I'm not going to change anyone's mind, and that's fine, but CDPR was very intent on Blood and Wine being a happy ending for a beloved character. If the idea is "if it's not Geralt, I'm not interested" then yeah, don't bother.

 

[Puckstop40]

Gwent 2!

 

[Osprey]

I mean why bother playing Red Dead 2, any Resident Evil game after the first, Final Fantasy sequels, Assassin's Creed sequels, Castlevania sequels, Grand Theft Auto sequels, The Last of Us 2, and so on?

Geralt is one of my favorite video game protagonists ever but the strength of The Witcher 3 isn't Geralt himself. It's the world and overarching narrative that Geralt occupies with his dry wit, heroism, and badassery. Ciri is the second most important character behind Geralt. Considering he retired at the end of the last DLC, I don't see the huge risk. I just want the lore behind it to make sense.

I mean if people aren't interested in continuing the story with her, I'm not going to change anyone's mind, and that's fine, but CDPR was very intent on Blood and Wine being a happy ending for a beloved character. If the idea is "if it's not Geralt, I'm not interested" then yeah, don't bother.

I had a feeling that you wouldn't understand. To address your points...

First, I haven't really played any of those games, except for the GTA sequels. Second, but more importantly, the franchise (unlike, say, GTA) is specifically about Geralt because he's referenced by the title and has been the only protagonist so far. Third, you actually are confirming that he's the strength of the franchise by saying that his narrative and "dry wit, heroism, and badassery" are. Fourth, I didn't say that it's a "huge risk," just a risk, and I think that changing the protagonist after 3 successful games is risky, regardless of what happened in the last. Heck, simply recasting the protagonist for the TV show was risky. Fifth, fans don't have to be OK with new directions for franchises just because the storytellers were intent on them.

I'm sure that the game will still be successful, but some people who became fond of the series because of Geralt may be less excited and wait for a sale, wait for a service to include it, pirate it or even just skip it. I don't think that saying that is controversial, especially since, as I alluded to, the last few seasons of the show were criticized for his diminished role (and they were made after the last game's DLC, suggesting that some fans still wanted him to be the protagonist and hero in spire of it).