By far, one of the most exciting announcements to come out of The Game Awards this year was a surprise trailer for the highly anticipated release ofThe Witcher 4. While there were already announcements and rumors circulating about the release of the next installment of The Witcher franchise,CD Project Red still managed to shock fans with its beautifully grim cinematic. Starring a much older and independent Ciri working as a fully-fledged Witcher, the trailer follows a short story involving a village engaging in ritualistic sacrifice to appease a deadly monster.
Being anonymously hired by an unknown villager, Ciri successfully takes down the hulking monster while showcasing many exciting new abilities. While some viewers were still disappointed that Geralt isn’t making another return in the next installment ofThe Witchersaga,The Witcher 4announcement trailergives plenty of reasons to be excited about Ciri taking the helm. Not only is Ciri a natural successor for Geralt, given their strong relationship and history together, butCiri will provide players with a whole new assortment of unique and powerful abilities to take down unsuspecting monstersor even dastardly humans.
Ciri Provides A Familiar But Fresh Perspective On The Franchise
New Mechanics Without Breaking The Iconic Formula
WithThe Witcher 4seemingly taking place years after the events of the third and final conclusion of Geralt’s story,The Witcher 4will follow a more mature and veteran Ciri, who has likely defeated countless monsters before the start of the game. On top of her newly acquired Witcher powers,Ciri also wields an incredibly fancy-looking silver sword, marking her dedication towards becoming a true monster-slayer. Citi’s newfound Witcher status also means players can expect the return of familiar spells like the shield-generating Quen or the skin-melting Igni, as seen in the announcement trailer, on top of a plethora of new abilities unique to her fighting style.
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In The Game Awards trailer,Ciri makes use of a new secondary chain tool that can be used to grapple and even incapacitate enemies, which is likely a replacement for Geralt’s crossbow as she doesn’t appear to have one in the trailer. Another brand-new ability showcased was Ciri’s affinity for new elemental magic, seemingly able to channel the energy from a nearby water source into an incredibly powerful electrical blast. While it would be easy to give Ciri the same abilities as Geralt fromThe Wicher 3, it would have been a massive disservice to fans of the franchise, being just one of the ways CD Project Red hopes toavoid past mistakes.
Offering Players Control Of Ciri’s Unique Abilities
Returning Abilities Could Be A major Mechanic In The Witcher 4
While the haunting cinematic showed off many elemental abilities Ciri has finally mastered after her training, it didn’t showcase any of the unique magic granted from her heritage. While Ciri already comes from a long lineage of regional royalty,the Elder Blood coursing through her veins made her an integral part ofThe Witcher 3’s story while catching the attention of The Wild Hunt. One of the most useful ways Ciri’s Elder Blood powers are manifested is by granting her the ability to teleport at will, being heavily used throughout certain sections ofThe Witcher 3.
Ciri’s teleportation also allows her to travel across both space and time, as she vaguely mentions having traveled to the world of Cyberpunk 2077.
During segments where players take control of Ciri on her solo adventure,they can teleport around enemies during combat with a powerful dash, easily getting into position or escaping danger. These powers could also play a significant role in the story ofThe Witcher 4, letting Ciri travel to distant lands or even acting as a form of intuitive fast travel rather than relying on the signposts of previous entries. Given that Ciri’s unique Eldar powers are missing from the trailer, there’s a chance something could have happened between the events of the third and fourth games that nullified or weakened them somehow.
While fans will have to see for themselves whenThe Witcher 4eventually launches, there will likely be along wait for another updateonThe Witcher 4’s development.
Geralt Will Still Make A Surprise Appearance In The Witcher 4
A Fan Favorite Return With Many Implications
While Geralt has been absent fromThe Witcher 4’s promotional material so far, fans can put their worries to rest as he’s already been confirmed to make an appearance inThe Witcher 4, according to an interview withIGNthat was posted onX. Geralt’s voice actor was upset by the news from his initial reaction, but seems to have grown to accept the change as a natural progression of his storyline.
The Witcher 3has already provided an excellent conclusion for Geralt’s story, with its sequel,The Witcher 4,allowing him to pass the torch to someone just as worthy of being the new star of the franchise.
Despite Geralt taking a backseat inThe Witcher 4, that doesn’t mean he can’t still be an integral part of the upcoming game’s narrative.The Witcher 4could feature flashbacks showing more time of Ceri’s training with Geralt, teaching her life lessons and new combat abilities, or even having him as a side character during certain moments of the story. CD Project Red has the perfect opportunity to give Geralt the happy ending he deserves, living it up as a Gwent master while running a vineyard in his retirement.
The Witcher 4is also an excellent opportunity to continue story arcs fromThe Witcher 3and introducecharacters from the novelsinto the game world, which still holds plenty of amazing stories worth telling.
