Five Things We Want From a New Witcher Game

What we want from the next Witcher game

CD Projekt Red CEO, Adam Kiciński, has stated that the won’t “leave the world of the Witcher”, but what do we want from another Witcher game?

The Witcher 3 is one of the greatest games of all time: there’s so many reasons to return to Geralt’s greatest adventure. In an exciting revelation from CD Projekt Red’s CEO it seems that the developers for the Witcher game series almost feel the same way…

In an interview with Bankier, a Polish financial website (which was translated and reported on by Gamesradar), Adam Kiciński stated that they “simply could not name the next game The Witcher 4” as it wont follow on from the trilogy based on Geralt’s story. Geralt will not be the protagonist in the next Witcher game. But the developers did confirm that they will not “leave the world of the Witcher.” So there will be another game in the Witcher franchise.

Just like assembling the perfect deck of Gwent cards, we’ve considered what would make the next Witcher game as great as the previous instalments in the series, and come up with five definitive ideas that CD Projekt Red should follow.

Make Ciri the main character

It’s clear that Geralt won’t be the protagonist in the next Witcher game, otherwise it would be The Witcher 4. But it would be a mistake for CD Projekt Red to create a brand new character to be the protagonist of the next Witcher game. Of course Cyberpunk 2077 will allow the player to design their own character, which is exciting to a lot of fans, and CD Projekt Red could use this formula for the next Witcher game too.

But the main difference between Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher is that the latter has a wide range of brilliant characters created by Andrzej Sapkowski, and it would be strange to overlook these awesome characters.

Geralt was beloved by many fans of the Witcher series who followed the protagonist through the novels, comics and games. Replacing Geralt is a big change, and there could be a lot of backlash unless it’s a character fans know and love from the franchise. The obvious choice would be The Lady of Time and Space: Ciri.

Ciri’s character was incredibly endearing in The Witcher 3, so much so that some fans also want her in Cyberpunk 2077. She’s feisty, unique, powerful and funny: Ciri has all the characteristics needed to be a great protagonist. Plus she’s at the age where she still can learn new techniques, adding to the RPG style of building on Ciri’s skill level.

Portals to new worlds

If Ciri is the protagonist of the new Witcher game then it literally opens up a whole new world of possibilities. Ciri can open portals between worlds, time periods, and dimensions: imagine the player having that power in the new Witcher game.

Each Witcher game in the franchise boasts a range of creative settings: from bustling towns to dense forestry. Portals, no matter how much Geralt hates them, provide the chance for an even more diverse open world. Both the novels and games have shown how diverse each new dimension can be, and this could be a game changer in the new Witcher game.

Even if Ciri isn’t the main character, the franchise has shown that characters without the power of Ciri can use portals that are already there. Portals could allow the possibility to make the new open world for the next Witcher game bigger than ever and allow for new types of enemies and settings. Imagine being able to travel to a more modern world to craft new weapons, and then using these in the original dimension. Portals could help CD Projekt Red improve on what was already the perfect formula for The Witcher 3.

Improved combat and battles on a bigger scale

Perhaps one of the only negative aspects to the Witcher franchise: combat is not always fluid. It does start to feel more smooth as Geralt’s level increases, but it can be improved upon for the next Witcher game.

The combat felt electric during the cutscenes; the player can never hope to achieve that style in actual gameplay. Playing as a highly trained witcher should allow the player to be able to imitate this style. Even when fighting other human characters, reversing and dodging never feels as clean as it should be.

Games such as Shadow of War and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey have also brilliantly depicted how exciting battles involving countless NPCs can be. The Witcher franchise perfectly lends itself to wide spread battles, and these could be a great inclusion to the next Witcher game. Let’s actually see these wars take place and be involved in them.

Other playable characters

The Witcher franchise boasts some of the most memorable side characters in any game. Characters such as Dandelion, Triss and Yennefer stand out as unique characters with defined personalities and motives.

Previous Witcher games brilliantly tie in the wide array of characters to the multiple side quest options. Each character is allowed to grow, mature, and interact with the main protagonist in their own way. Yet, this is something that could be improved for the next Witcher game.

Recently, Spider-Man allowed the player to not only control Peter Parker, but Mary Jane and Miles too. Each of their levels allow for a different type of gaming experience, and the opportunity to relate to each on a first-person level. The next Witcher game should allow for this.

Of course, The Witcher 3 allowed the player to play as Ciri, and those were some of the best moments in the game. Imagine going on a unique quest based around Yennefer’s disagreement with the Lodge of Sorceresses. That would be a brilliant tale that would be unique from the main quest.

And who can forget how fantastic The Play’s The Thing side quest is? Imagine if CD Projekt Red extended this experience by making Dandelion playable. The poet’s dialogue choices would be so unique, and his story would be a great distraction from the main quest. This is the way that CD Projekt Red can make the already great cast from The Witcher even more memorable.

New methods to earn money

Earning money always felt a little one-dimensional in the previous Witcher games. Of course, the witcher’s job is to kill monsters for money, but with such a huge and dynamic open world it always felt like CD Projekt Red could include other opportunities.

Game franchises like Grand Theft Auto allow the player to buy certain businesses and make money from them. This is slightly touched upon in The Witcher 3 when Dandelion gets to own the Rosemary and Thyme pub, with the player having the choice of how to decorate it. But it’s not an important quest, and the pub doesn’t really do much other than act as a meeting point.

Super Mario Odyssey showed how fun it can be to buy and collect unique items and then display them. Creating that perfect interior can be a task that takes hours, and be hugely enjoyable and addictive. The next Witcher game should allow the player to decorate and build their own businesses.