Although almost nothing is known about The Witcher 4currently titled Polaris Projectis one of the most anticipated upcoming titles. This is due to the fact that CD Projekt Red has managed to maintain its reputation for creating great games with incredibly detailed worlds, despite the difficult start to life that Cyberpunk 2077 suffered at the end of 2020. Most of that reputation is due to the immense success of the 2015 Game of the Year winner, The Witcher 3: Wild Huntalthough previous titles in the series have fared relatively well and since then fans have been clamoring for a fourth installment.
With Geralt of Rivia, The wizard gray-haired protagonist of the trilogy, ending his story at the end of the Wild HuntIt’s unclear where exactly CD Projekt Red will take the series, but tThe likelihood is that the fourth game will move away from the Knight of Rivia. Many have said that making Ciri the protagonist of the series going forward is the natural move, considering she is Geralt’s daughter figure, but this brings a multitude of problems. Instead of, The Witcher 4 could take a page from Cyberpunk 2077book with its protagonist.
Ciri shouldn’t be the protagonist of The Witcher 4
Her story was completed twice
Ciri became a very beloved character later The Witcher 3 Thanks to the father-daughter dynamic with Geralt, and with many franchises continuing with a new generation, it feels right to have the Lady of Space and Time as the protagonist; however, Ciri is out there The wizardThe story is almost as long as Geralt’s. Ciri was introduced in The Sword of Destiny, the second book in The wizard series, and she already gets a satisfying ending at the end of the series. She is taken from her happy ending to enter The Witcher 3.
For the most part, the plots The Witcher 3 repeats the general plot of The wizard bookswith everyone wanting to find Ciri, from her father, Emperor Emrys, to Geralt’s group and the elven warriors of the Wild Hunt. All three of these parties are trying to include Ciri in the books as well, for basically the same reasons she appears in the books. CD Projekt Red already has to retread just to get Ciri into the story, and it will have to retread again, as the three endings of Wild Hunt are based on what happens to Ciri.
If Ciri is the protagonist of The Witcher 4an ending has to be canon, but that’s just one problem. Another comes from the fact that Ciri is not a witch. She has special powers, thanks to Elder Blood, but she doesn’t have the biology of a Witcher. Yes, there is a scene where she talks about getting Black Blood, which is a plot hole, and she can get a silver sword, but makes her a witch in name only. It will not have unique planning mechanics The wizard series where players take specific potions against specific monsters.
The Witcher 4 should learn from Cyberpunk 2077’s V
The Polaris Project appears to be moving away from the books
Polaris Project displayed a Lynx Witcher medallion, which belongs to a school of Witcher that is not in the books. Essentially, Escola do Lince came from fanfics and, with it, took on a protagonist role in THE Wizard 4, shows that CD Projekt Red wants to move away from the story told in the book series. This means you should probably move away from Ciri as well, considering her story has always been intertwined with Geralt, and a custom character like Cyberpunk 2077 V, could be the protagonist.
Since Polaris Projectwhich aims to be the beginning of a new trilogy, follows a different direction for The wizard trilogy, a new character as the protagonist would help signal this changeand with the success of the success of Cyberpunk 2077 and V, it might be a good idea to use this formula again. An issue with customizable characters in The wizard series is that only men can be witches. This is explicit in both the book series and the games, which hinders customization options.
Polaris Project is a Wizard game, so the player must control a Witcher, but having a customizable character where players can’t change gender could be a problem. Instead of literally copying V’s formula, CD Projekt Red could play up the idea of ​​V as a sort of blank character who becomes a wizardand as the game progresses, players can decide the origin of that character. Players could then have that character represent more of their desires, rather than controlling a pre-established character with pre-existing desires and needs, as is the case with Geralt and Ciri.
CDPR can make the Witcher universe in your image
It’s time to step away from the books
Although The Witcher 3 essentially made the universe a household name, the game is deeply immersed in the books despite not taking place at the same time. Blood and Wine in a way it acts as a great reference machine for Geralt’s time in Toussaint during The Swallow Tower book, especially with the addition of Regis. With the third game wrapping up Geralt’s story, CD Projekt Red can now branch out, perhaps visiting places that have only been mentioned previously, like Ofir and Zangvebar.
It’s no secret that the Northern Kingdoms and the many monsters that inhabit them are based on Slavic folklore, but moving further south into areas just mentioned could be a way for CD Projekt Red to gain nearly unlimited creative freedom. Still, with the only teaser image CD Projekt Red has released, snow indicates the game will take place somewhere further north. Kovir, which is only mentioned in the games and rarely visited in the books, could also be a great place to set the game.
Wherever CD Projekt Red decides to set its next game, and whoever it chooses as its protagonist, the hope is that the award-winning studio will use its pedigree to explore new paths. The wizard the series has a dedicated fanbase, but the previous books and games will always be there to revisit, especially since the first game in the trilogy is being remade. It doesn’t matter what CD Projekt Red chose to do The Witcher 4there’s no denying that there will be a fashion train waiting to take off.