With Ciri becoming the protagonist of The Witcher 4There will certainly be some big changes in relation to The Witcher 3: Wild Huntthe game that made CD Projekt Red the giant studio it is today. In addition to the absence of Geralt's constant sarcastic comments and tendency to say “the wind is howling” every two seconds, Ciri looks to bring in some different gameplay elements compared to her mentor, if the reveal trailer at the Game Awards is representative of the game. Still, she is a witch and no longer appears to use her space and time powers seen in Wild Hunt.
One of the most important elements The wizard games are the options the player has when trying to hunt a monster. Players can simply attack a monster with a silver sword until it falls, and games allow this even if the combat itself isn't its best element. The beauty of hunting monsters, however, is taking the right potions to make the fight easier.. It looks like Ciri will have even more options than the average wizard with her magic and tools, which could be further expanded with borrowings from the TTRPG.
And she integrates this with her magic
Ciri simultaneously shows how similar she is to Geralt, with her cat eyes and potions, and how different she is in the cinematic reveal trailer for The Witcher 4. While she is prepared with potions and a silver sword, She also brings more to the table with a chain that she uses to tie the monster up.. She then uses a fire spell (which could be an augmented version of Igni) to heat the current to burn the monster, and this could be a hint that Ciri is packing an arsenal of tools along with an apothecary's supply of potions. .
Geralt is no stranger to tools, although he tends to keep things light in both the games and the books. Although the books show Geralt traveling with just a sword and studded gloves most of the time, he hunts very little monsters due to the events of the books, preferring to be adaptable and resourceful rather than taking the time to be well prepared. In games, he uses his two swords and, in Wild Hunta beast. He offered a shield in Blood and Wine but he only uses it as decoration and not as protection.
Throughout the games and books, Geralt implies that he also knows how to throw knives, but this is also not an option he uses and may be something Ciri chooses to implement if knife throwing is part of a witcher's training program. . She could be more like Geralt from the Netflix series, who brought chains and brass knuckles to his fight against the Striga in Temeria, using whatever he can to get the job done. She's already wearing chains, and CD Projekt Red could look at another project for more ideas for The Witcher 4.
The Witcher TTRPG could inspire the next game
Has Witcher tools that Ciri can take advantage of
CD Projekt Red worked with the creators of Cyberpunk RED (R. Talsorian Games) to create The Witcher TRPGand there are a few things in the tabletop game that can help inform The Witcher 4. There is an add-on called A wizard's toolsavailable on the R. Talsorian Games website, which details additional tools that Witchers from different schools can use. There aren't many, and each school has its own steel and silver sword, but there are some special tools that Ciri can end up using to her advantage, along with her chain.
According to The Witcher TRPG, the Manticore School has a shield, which can offer more defensive options, while the Viper School has the Viper's Fang, a dagger which could be used for stealth segments or for cases where a sword might not be the most useful option. Geralt said that Witchers do not use shields during the tournament in Toussaint in Blood and Winebut he's probably referring to your specific school. Ciri does not appear to be a Wolf Witcher, as she is wearing a School of the Lynx medallion.
Wizards also don't seem worried about using equipment from other schools, as Geralt can use Grandmaster armor sets from other schools after finding their schematics during Blood and Wine. In fact, he seems quite excited about the endeavor, and the School of the Lynx suggested by Ciri's medallion could be a good indication that the Witchers are willing to adapt, band together, and change the rules in order to survive. In the books, Coën is from the School of the Griffin, but spends the winter with Wolf Witchers in Kaer Morhen, so sharing tools wouldn't be a stretch.
Ciri needs to differentiate herself from Geralt as a witcher
She runs the risk of being Geralt-Lite
Ciri used to be very different from Geralt in The Witcher 3 with her space-time powers, green eyes, and fiery, emotional personality. In The wizard 4she appears to be a proper witch without her unique powers. With gray hair and a scar on her face (which she received in the books before Geralt received his), there's some danger of Ciri being Geralt-lite rather than the unique character she was before. CD Projekt Red probably won't let that happen, but her personality could be similar to her mentors if she becomes less emotional after the Trial of the Grasses.
Giving her more gameplay options could help alleviate this and show her to be a more modern witch who uses tools from all the other schools. Ciri's greater proficiency with magic will also help, and showing how she hunts monsters compared to Geralt could be a good way to highlight the difference in times. It would also be ironic if she started using Orions, the metal stars used in the books, given that one thrown by Stefan Skellen gave Ciri her recognizable cheek scar.
Even without her space-time powers, there are many ways Ciri can differentiate herself from Geralt in terms of how she hunts monsters. Using magic and multiple tools will keep the gameplay fresh and a natural evolution of what was presented in The Witcher 3. Combat offers a huge opportunity to The Witcher 4 to improve its predecessorand with Ciri at the helm of the franchise going forward, there's a lot of potential for another great game.
Source: The Wizard/YouTube, R. Talsorian Games
The Witcher IV
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The wizard
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Unreal Engine 5