Summary
CD Projekt Red’s next foray into the world ofThe Witcherwill have massive shoes to fill, givenTheWitcher 3’s undisputed accolades and masterful storytelling. Though set to improbable standards, the next installment inThe Witcherwill have several key advantages over its predecessor as it is likely to go ahead with a new storyline, not beholden to the complex and knotted narrative threads of Geralt and Ciri.
In 2022, CD Projekt Red announced its plans for a whole suite of new titles set withinThe Witcheruniverse. Among those revealed include:
Polaris,which will further expand the morally muddled low fantasy world of monsters and the mutated humans who hunt them, was the marquee announcement during the CD Projekt Red’s press release. With a trilogy’s worth of experience withThe Witcherunder its belt, as well as the hard-learned lessons ofCyberpunk 2077’s initial tumultuous launch, CD Projekt Red is in prime position to deliverworthy successors toThe Witcher 3, regarded by many as one of the greatest open-world RPGs of all time.
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The Witcher 4 Should Avoid the Pitfalls of a Retread
Depending on which ending players wound up with inThe Witcher 3,and whether or not they finished Blood and Wine, Geralt gets a cathartic and unambiguous conclusion to his character arc. Of course, there will always remain unanswered questions and room for another great adventure for the stoic adventurer, but by all accounts and speculations, CD Projekt Red’s newThe Witchersaga will follow another central protagonist.
CD Projekt Red Does Not Have to Play it Safe for The Witcher 4
Not tethered to faithfulness for Sapkowski’s character development acrossThe Witcherbooks, a brand-new hero would leave the studio free to explore fresh themes, discourse, and environments. Despite its basis in an existing IP,Polarismarks a sort of blank canvas, with the potential for CD Projekt Red to flex its nearly unmatched prowess in making story-driven video games.
Avoiding The Deus Machina
A less punctuated arc inThe Witcher 3is Ciri, and what role she will play in the upcoming game is still a mystery. By the third act, Ciri had developed her Elder Blood powers deftly enough to drift into Mary Sue territory, and while some posit that she would make the perfect protagonist to pick up Geralt’s mantle forThe Witcher 4, her strength runs the risk of deflating some of the game’s tension. Just barely scraping by against monstrous foes, utilizing Witcher potions, tools of the trade, and cunning arehallmarks ofThe Witcher, and playing as Ciri could undermine those aspects of gameplay.
Polaris Could Outshine its Predecessors
The Witcher is an IP With Untapped Potential
The lore is rich inThe Witcher, with areas like Ofir, Cintra, and Zerrikania begging to be explored, as well as entire Witcher schools absent from the original trilogy of games. There are boundless opportunities for unique and compelling stories that would keep the IP evergreen even beyond the next five planned titles.
Regardless of the directionThe Witcher 4treads with respect to the plot of the previous games, CD Projekt Red is in a tremendously advantageous position. Now eight years removed from the release ofThe Witcher 3, and following the studio’s redemptive Phantom Liberty expansion forCyberpunk2077,The Witcher 4is all but assured to be one of the most highly anticipated games in recent memory, pushing the boundaries of the entire medium and subverting expectations in bold and audacious ways.
