The Witcher IV — Cinematic Reveal Trailer

[Navhkrin]

This! Why are people demanding that CDPR move away from a winning formula that has helped make all their other games huge successes? There are many RPGs out there where you can roll your own character, but CDPR has always specialized in telling stories about specific characters. Even V in Cyberpunk is like that.

There is a huge upside to making a game about a specific character, you can design the entire game around that person's perspective. You can present them with meaningful choices because both the developer and the player know the character's background. When you get a "roll-your-own" type of protagonist, the result is usually more generic and less emotionally charged. The stories have to fit your guy, no matter who he or she is, no matter what they did before, so it will be light on specifics and narratively speaking way more bland. Typically roll-your-own stories need some kind of hokey plot device that can compel the character forward, like the ilithid tadpoles in Baldur's Gate 3, and the stakes are often more about "saving the world" than about helping someone that is important to your character.

Incidentally, in a game like Baldur's Gate they get around this problem by having specific party members with well defined personalities and back stories that you can bring along, while your own character is usually the least interesting of the bunch.

People want CP77-like roll your own character though. Where we get to design some aspects of the character (backstory, looks, decisions) but it doesn't have to a complete freedom like BG3. Imo this is more interesting because it gives us more freedom than what you can get with pre-made characters. For example on Witcher 3 romancing with Triss over Yennefer didn't make much sense, it was an option but we all knew Geralt wasn't going to chose that option. Just like how we can choose endings but there is only 1 canon ending. Whereas in with custom characters we get complete freedom without having to worry about what is canon or what is not.

IMO CP77 did amazing job with balancing this. Only mistake they made was not making Judy romancable as male.

 

[randyrhoads]

Whoever made the decision to make Ciri a witcher didn't read the books and doesn't respect the source material. Very disappointing turn of events, I was expecting a generic witcher character, a Berengar if you wish, not Cirilla. Wonder what Sapkowski thinks of this.

 

[TeamLucy]

Then you can surely explain me your version how that even works. How a grown-up woman can undergo the trials-of-grasses-mutations (which have to be done in child-age and are, acording to a well known sorceress, not really compatible with females), especially in a world where the knowledge how to do this mutations is already gone?

Beside some half-baked excuses like "its ciri, and ciri can do everything because she is soo great and can do everything"...

I mean, sure, Ciri is a interesting character but how, just how, you want to explain all this ridiculous contradictions in an authentic and believable way without breaking the complete lore of the witcher-world.

I don't care one bit. All I know is that I'm getting what I wanted.

 

[Fuse2x0]

Pretty much disappointing protagonist choice. I was sure there will be a new story, for the new hero.

This does not look like a new creative product, but more like an attempt to parasitize on the success of the previous trilogy. Like Life is Strange Double Exposure, where the scriptwriters could not come up with a new good story, and decided that the successful protagonist of the first part would be enough to attract an audience (alas).

Worse, Ciri in The Witcher 4 looks like a reskin of Geralt. The same witcher signs, elixirs, cat pupils. Where are her original powers of the elder blood? Did she pass the test of grasses?

Not to mention that the choice of Ciri as the main character nullifies the player's choice in the previous games (Ciri is dead, or Ciri is the Empress).

Of course, I'm looking forward to the game, but the hype is significantly lower. I'm looking forward to the remake of the first part more than the new fourth.

 

[Merterbod]

I don't care one bit. All I know is that I'm getting what I wanted.

Thats the problem - because I assume the developers, just like you, also "don`t care one bit" about the witcher world, the lore, the books, the (missing) logic behind it. At least thats for me the most probable reason behind this choice.

And I neither like nor support this "I don´t care about lore or logic" attitude because it ruins complete franchises.

 

[ReptilePZ]

Not a lot to glean from a cinematic trailer. Other than, of course, that Ciri will be a full-blown witcher and the protagonist.

I really hope gameplay follows very soon - cinematics are cool and all, but always better when accompanied by a healthy serving of gameplay. And, certainly, I hope the game is not more than 1-2 years away from release, at this stage. Learning from past mistakes and so on.

As for shifting to Ciri as the protagonist, I suppose it makes sense, but I never found her to be all that interesting as a character, so I hope CDPR have something in mind for her character arc. She was always the piece of the story that humanised Geralt, so the dynamic worked well, but now she'll need to carry the plot all by herself.

Ciri as a mutated witcher? Feels like she's already had enough going for herself, so not sure this makes a lot of sense story-wise. I'm guessing this is a case of wanting to use the charatcer while also wanting to keep the Witcher gameplay mostly intact. Certainly feels a bit forced, but I guess we'll have to see how it all plays out.

Ultimately, I thought TW3 did a great job of putting an end to franchise, would have preferred something different altogether, but what can you do when there's still money to be made from The Witcher name.

 

[TeamLucy]

And thats the problem - because I assume the developers also "don`t care one bit" about the witcher world, the lore, the (missing) logic behind it. Just as you. At least thats for me the most probable (or only) reason behind this choice.

And I neither like nor support this "I don´t care about lore or logic" attitude

I'm sure they'll come up with an explanation of why Ciri has been able to undergo the Trials. After all Witcher 3 did say that the School of the Cat had a different mutation process that allowed for women and elves to become Witchers (yes it's game only and not from the books, but there it is)

 

[Aditya]

Judging by the chatter so happy to say (once again) we are so backkkk
Now all that's left is a Linkin Park feat Taylor Swift surprise (or will it be?) appearance to truly break the internet lmao

 

[Andrew_Waples]

I'm confused. I thought this was the one that the pr guy said, "don't call it Witcher 4."

Post automatically merged: Dec 13, 2024

I'm sure they'll come up with an explanation of why Ciri has been able to undergo the Trials. After all Witcher 3 did say that the School of the Cat had a different mutation process that allowed for women and elves to become Witchers (yes it's game only and not from the books, but there it is)

As far as I am concerned, does she really need the power of a Witcher to be one? Hell, she was trained by them, she was raised under them. Geralt practically considers her a daughter, and gave her a silver sword at the end. She has everything that practically makes her a Witcher.

 

[VenomousD19]

Yesssss!!!!! I was hoping this would happen. Ciri is my favourite gaming character. We know Ciri since she was a child. There’s history. Its the best choice. Cant wait to see her story!!!

 

[Avadavida]

I cant wait for more information and insights

 

[Gwentlique]

Then you can surely explain me your version how that even works. How a grown-up woman can undergo the trials-of-grasses-mutations (which have to be done in child-age, are lethal for roughly 70% of the boys, and are, acording to a well known sorceress, not really compatible with females which would increase the lethalitiy even more). And all that in a world where the knowledge how to even do this mutations is already gone?

It's a pretty easy fix to be honest. The school of the lynx is new lore, so they could just say the Lynx school has a strong tradition for alchemy and have refined and perfected the trials since the days of Alzur, Cosimir and Idarran. Hell, they could even add one of those characters as somehow important to the school of the lynx, and have Ciri chase down old alchemy formulas like we did with diagrams in TW3. With the Lynx version of the trials, they could just say that adults are more likely to survive, and it would also open up game-play for interesting new mutations.

They could even throw in a line about how Lynx witchers generally still pick children, not because of the trial but because they want to train them from they're young, but since Ciri has had witcher training as a youngling, they're making an exception in her case.

 

[Sycamore]

Maybe she's Evil Ciri because her powers are out of control and she has to be saved from herself. I'm not fond of Ciri and doubt that I will play this game. I've been playing Witcher games since 2007, and I know they have to move on, but I can't help feeling that it's too far removed from the lore to be credible. I'll just say goodbye now...

 

[Toyen]

Well she has become a witcher either way so even if she was Empress and they overthrown her or something, you could still pursue an empress path while currently being a witcher (trying to get her throne back) or you could pursue the 'personal' story that affects her more as a character whereas the empress storyline would affect the world around more.

In the empress ending, she had an agency to make a difference in the world and she specifically said she cannot do that hunting monsters around forgotten villages so I will be very disappointed if she's like 'whatever' and decides to give up the throne and become a witcher anyway just because.

 

[Andrew_Waples]

Geralt Is in The Witcher 4 and That Is Indeed Doug Cockle's Voice in the Trailer, CD Projekt Confirms - IGN

Is Geralt in The Witcher 4 and is he voiced by Doug Cockle? CD Projekt responds.

www.ign.com

I have a bad feeling that Geralt is going to die.

 

[ImprovizoR]

I have a bad feeling that Geralt is going to die.

If CDPR does that, they are dead to me.

This reveal is a bit disappointing. I was hoping for a prequel set before Geralt, in the "golden age" of witchers. Also, my preferred ending is Empress Ciri, and making Ciri a real witcher is really breaking the lore, and for no reason. There's really no good reason to continue Ciri's story or the story of any of the characters from the books. It's kind of lazy.

 

[TeamLucy]

Well she has become a witcher either way so even if she was Empress and they overthrown her or something, you could still pursue an empress path while currently being a witcher (trying to get her throne back) or you could pursue the 'personal' story that affects her more as a character whereas the empress storyline would affect the world around more.

In the empress ending, she had an agency to make a difference in the world and she specifically said she cannot do that hunting monsters around forgotten villages so I will be very disappointed if she's like 'whatever' and decides to give up the throne and become a witcher anyway just because.

So an Emily Kaldwin/Dishonored 2 kind of scenario? I'd dig that, even though I prefer the Witcheress Ciri finale in Witcher 3.

Post automatically merged: Dec 13, 2024

Geralt Is in The Witcher 4 and That Is Indeed Doug Cockle's Voice in the Trailer, CD Projekt Confirms - IGN

Is Geralt in The Witcher 4 and is he voiced by Doug Cockle? CD Projekt responds.

www.ign.com

I have a bad feeling that Geralt is going to die.

Personally I wouldn't mind much. Ciri will likely keep investing in the world's most ancient business in her father's place hehe (I mean Geralt not Emhyr)

 

[Spockprime]

Judging by the chatter so happy to say (once again) we are so backkkk
Now all that's left is a Linkin Park feat Taylor Swift surprise (or will it be?) appearance to truly break the internet lmao

If we end up with a Taylor Swift engram in our heads, I'm going to have a forum meltdown.

 

[Andrew_Waples]

If CDPR does that, they are dead to me.

This reveal is a bit disappointing. I was hoping for a prequel set before Geralt, in the "golden age" of witchers. Also, my preferred ending is Empress Ciri, and making Ciri a real witcher is really breaking the lore, and for no reason. There's really no good reason to continue Ciri's story or the story of any of the characters from the books. It's kind of lazy.

Well, that's not what my Ciri choose; sucks for you. Ciri would've hated being the Empress.

 

[Draconifors]

If we end up with a Taylor Swift engram in our heads, I'm going to have a forum meltdown.

Don't speak of such evil things.