The Witcher 4: What We Know So Far
Ever since fans finished The Witcher 3, they’ve been clamoring for a sequel that’s just as good or even better. Now, six years after The Witcher 3’s release, we’re finally getting some news about The Witcher 4. Granted, there’s nothing fixed at this point. However, something is brewing among the fans, thanks to the developers’ recent job listing release. Of course, some might argue that releasing job listings is trivial, and we shouldn’t jump to conclusions. However, it’s important because of the type of job developer CD Projekt Red posted for hire. That job is none other than a camera programmer whose credentials must include knowledge of “real-time third-perspective cameras.” If you’re a diehard fan of The Witcher game series, then this might ring a bell. That’s because this type of camera movement was precisely what the developers used for The Witcher 3. Now, granted, the lead is pretty small if you’re not paying careful attention. However, other video games under CD Projekt Red don’t use these cameras at all, including Cyberpunk 2077. As a result, many fans and media outlets have been speculating that The Witcher 4 is, indeed, coming.
What Is The Witcher 4 About?
So, what is The Witcher 4 about? Well, we don’t know for sure since the details are scant at this point. So far, what we do know is The Witcher 3 concluded many parts of the story in the Witcher series. However, there’s still a lot left to uncover, which we presume will be addressed in The Witcher 4. For now, what we do know is that The Witcher 4’s story will depend on the previous game’s canonical ending. However, it’s also possible that the next Witcher game will tackle the events before The Witcher series. On the other hand, fans also suspect that The Witcher 4 will portray Ciri as the main character. Moreover, rumors have been circulating saying that we’ll have multiple playable characters in The Witcher 4. However, these are still wild assumptions.
What The Developers Say
One thing’s for sure: CD Projekt Red is working on something, as denoted by their recent hiring list. Moreover, we’re sure they’re working on something related to The Witcher series. The developers themselves have confirmed that there will certainly be another installment to the beloved franchise. CD Projekt Red CEO, Adam Kiciński, said that The Witcher would certainly be part of the company’s future activities. It will be one of the two franchises that the studio has committed to building up in the coming years. However, Kiciński says they can’t divulge any further after that. On the other hand, the studio mentioned that they already have a “relatively clear concept” for the next Witcher game. Moreover, they also mentioned that development will start right after Cyberpunk 2077 is made available to the public. Lastly, CD Projekt Red also revealed plans to launch another triple-A title within 2021. Given that, there’s a small possibility that The Witcher 4 will launch later this year. However, even with that small chance, we still wouldn’t get our hopes up for a new game within the year. After all, it takes time to create a polished game. Moreover, Projekt Red seems to be focused on hammering out bugs in Cyberpunk 2077. On the other hand, they’re also busy working on The Witcher 3 ports to other platforms and its DLCs. Nevertheless, fans can at least be sure to expect one coming at least within the next few years. Lastly, on a different note, CD Projekt Red has also mentioned that the previous Witcher games stand as a trilogy. Thus, The Witcher 4 might not be entitled as such and could take on a completely different name.
Release Date
When will the release of The Witcher 4 be? Currently, things are still up in the air as CD Projekt Red isn’t giving many details. However, what we do know is that the studio has confirmed that they’re working on something within The Witcher series. Unfortunately, it could be a long time coming before The Witcher 4 officially releases. That’s especially true because the developers have also been busy working on Cyberpunk 2077 patches and The Witcher 3 DLCs.
System Requirements
So far, The Witcher 4 remains a mystery, and there’s not much news about when it’ll be released. Hence, we can’t make definite claims on what system requirements you’ll need to run the next game. However, there have been intelligent guesses from video game sources like PCGameBenchmark. Here’s a run-down of their guess and what you might need to run The Witcher 4:
Platforms
There’s still no word about when The Witcher 4 will be released. However, we can make guesses about the platforms where it will be released based on past releases. With The Witcher 3, we found ourselves playing the game on PC, PS4, and Xbox One. Hence, The Witcher 4 will likely release on the PS5, Xbox Series X, and PC.
Pricing
The Witcher: Wild Hunt cost $49.99 at its highest and went as low as $9.99 historically. With The Witcher 4’s release, it could cost about the same. However, there’s no guarantee if the cost will change once it comes out. After all, accounting for inflation, the price could change in a few years after its release. Check out The Witcher: Wild Hunt on Steam
What Is a Witcher?
Perhaps you’ve never played The Witcher series before, so you’re not even sure what a “witcher” is. Maybe all you did was watch the game-inspired show on Netflix, and you’re left confused about the jargon. Regardless, here’s what you need to know about witchers and what they do. Contrary to its initial impressions, The Witcher isn’t a singular person. Rather, being a witcher is a job that one undertakes to hunt for monsters. They hunt for all the beasts and ghouls that exist within the land of “The Continent.” To do this, witchers train using several tools and weapons — the most useful of the lot being the silver sword. On the other hand, witchers also have various magical spells at their disposal, called “signs.” Witchers can cast these signs by using a particular hand sign. However, using signs instead of weapons in combat can deplete a witcher’s endurance. Lastly, witchers also use a crucial tool called the Silver Medallion. These necklaces are magical and are used to indicate whether a monster lurks nearby. Moreover, they can also detect when magic is being utilized.
A Look Into The Witcher Series
The Witcher series has been one of the most popular video game franchises ever since they were released. Now, with The Witcher 4 on the horizon, fans are awaiting a mind-blowing next installment and continuation to the story. However, most people don’t know that The Witcher series dates way back to the 1980s. The video games you know and love were inspired by a series of Polish novels written by Andrzej Sapkowski. Of course, this article focuses on the video game franchise, which has inevitably deviated from the source material. Nonetheless, that little tidbit of knowledge might come in handy later on. With that said, let’s examine The Witcher series and everything you need to know about this beloved game franchise.
Story
What is the story of these games called The Witcher? We’ve already mentioned that the Witcher story is based on a series of 20th-century Polish novels. However, reading the novels doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll know the story of the games. Sure, the world and its characters are certainly based on the source material. However, the games themselves only take place after the novel’s events, “The Lady of the Lake.” The Witcher, like many other similar games, takes place in a fictional land called the “Continent,” and it’s the place where our main character, Geralt of Rivia, lives. Geralt, a genetically enhanced witcher, finds himself in the School of Wolf’s mountain stronghold, Kaer Morhen. However, Geralt finds himself unable to remember anything — whether it’s about his identity or how he came to this place. As a result, the fellow witchers surrounding him seek to find a solution for his amnesia. However, things come to a stop when an unknown group attacks Kaer Morhen and steals valuable information. Geralt now finds himself in pursuit of the assailants, traveling to the Temerian capital. This is the basic premise and introduction of The Witcher trilogy. Along the way, you forge a path based on the choices you make and the relationships you choose to build. Moreover, there are tons left to unravel in the political landscape of the land of the Witcher.
Characters
Some characters within The Witcher games vary from game to game, so we can’t cover all of them here. However, we can introduce some more prominent ones, especially those in the most famous game, The Witcher 3. Without further ado, here’s a run-down of the main characters in The Witcher series. The main character of The Witcher trilogy is Geralt of Rivia. Geralt Witcher is a well-known and highly esteemed Witcher for hire in the land of the Continent. He’s the one you play as when you first get into the game and throughout the entire series. However, The Witcher Geralt of Rivia isn’t the only important character in the games. Triss Merigold of Maribor is also an important sorceress in the series. She is one of Geralt’s main love interests in The Witcher 3 and has been there since the first game. On the other hand, the sorceress Yennefer also played a prominent role in the novels. In the games, however, she only comes into the scene during The Witcher 3. She was Geralt’s original lover until the Wild Hunt took her. In addition, the games also introduce Ciri of Cintra, a witcher-to-be and Geralt’s young apprentice. Her fate was linked to Geralt’s when he requested the “Law of Surprise.” Lastly, we can’t talk about the main characters without mentioning Vesemir. That’s because he’s a recurring character in the trilogy and is a veteran of the Witcher Wolf School. In fact, he’s the oldest living witcher and was one of those who rescued Geralt in the first game.
Gameplay
The three games within the trilogy don’t play the same way. Some are more restrictive, while others embrace a vast open-world setting to vary a player’s experiences. With that said, we’ll focus mostly on the gameplay of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. However, we will make some references to the previous two games. What’s the gameplay like for someone who’s never touched the game? Here’s what you can expect. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a vastly open-world, single-player game building on the story of the previous installments. It’s an action RPG, using a third-person perspective as players control Geralt of Rivia. The main character can walk, run, roll, and dodge, just like in the previous two games. However, what differentiates Wild Hunt is that Geralt can now jump, climb, and swim. Like most action-based games, Geralt uses several weapons (bombs, swords, crossbows) to deal damage. Moreover, Geralt can also use spells — but these are finite as they can deplete his stamina. Like other action RPGs, Geralt takes damages from enemy attacks but can reduce the damage taken through armor. Other RPG staples also exist, like consumables for health restoration, including food and potions. However, despite these seemingly common mechanics, the overall gameplay in The Witcher 3 is phenomenal. What makes it truly shine isn’t its similarities to other action RPGs, but its refinements and depth. There’s a lot to uncover within the game, especially since its open-world is intensely vast. You can even find several quests that show you how expansive it truly is. That’s why some people can’t answer how long The Witcher 3 gameplay is. You can spend hundreds of hours within the game without regard for your environment.
Graphics
Despite being released in 2015, the game the Witcher presents to players can still hold up to this day. It adopts a gritty, realistic 3D art style that pulls you into the game’s world very easily. Moreover, the graphics and art style are very apt, complementing the game’s engaging story and expansive world. Of course, that is if you have a good enough gaming PC to support it. On the other hand, the game’s also highly customizable on the PC. Hence, players can push the graphics to suit their tastes and refine things even more. However, we can’t say the same for console gamers who can only live with the default settings.
Controls and Settings
Unfortunately, no game is perfect, and every game has its weaknesses. When it comes to The Witcher 3, that weakness lies in its controls. Outside of battle, the movement controls for Geralt feel weighty and slow to the point of being cumbersome. Moreover, players have noticed some latency and delay between key presses and Geralt’s movements. While these may seem like minor gripes, they’re very frustrating for players who want a smoother experience. Thankfully, however, these control issues don’t appear during battle, which is when you’ll need accuracy the most.
Replayability
The Witcher 3 easily became one of the industry’s most beloved triple-A titles when it was released. However, does it hold up even today if you want to replay the game? After all, some people who leave the world might want to come back to it at a later date. Thankfully, The Witcher 3 has high replayability even though it’s been 6 years since it first came out. The RPG game almost feels like a big-budget Hollywood movie, especially its smooth gameplay and top-tier graphics. Moreover, expansion packs, like Blood and Wine, make it doubly enjoyable for long-time fans.
Will The Witcher 4 Be Worth Playing?
The world of The Witcher is one that fans will always love. Even though the original trilogy finished six years ago, that doesn’t mean there’s no room for more games. If The Witcher 3 is anything to go by, we reckon that The Witcher 4 will be just as good. However, we can safely say that the next game will have a new face instead of Geralt. Of course, we can’t say for sure that The Witcher 4 will be a great game. After all, game studios do make flops and substandard titles from time to time. Moreover, topping Geralt’s and Ciri’s storylines might prove to be difficult in the sequel. Hopefully, CD Projekt Red can pull through and make The Witcher 4 even better than the third game.
Final Thoughts
The Witcher 4 is a game that all Witcher fans have been dying to hear news about. Even the slightest bit of information already has fans speculating wildly about the gameplay, story, and release dates. However, there’s not enough to go off of just yet, and there are still tons of loose ends. For now, we’ll be eagerly awaiting more news from CD Projekt Red. Until then, we’ll have to be satisfied with replaying The Witcher 3 and its expansions.
