For The Witcher 4, CD Projekt Red is going to have a real challenge when it comes to surpassing the previous game. Details about the sequel are pretty slim thus far, but director Sebastian Kalemba and executive producer, Gosia Mitrega revealed some interesting new details in an interview with Parris Lilly (via GamesRadar). According to Kalemba, the developers want players to feel more immersed than they were in previous games, and part of that will be felt through the NPCs. CD Projekt Red wants all of the game’s characters to feel real and believable.
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“We’re definitely pushing the quality of NPC – the way they look, their behavior, their facial performance – as much as possible, because we want to make even more immersive experience than we used to. We are trying to push the bar here even more,” said Kalemba.
The director went on to note that the developers have put a lot of thought into how each NPC will have a specific role that they play within their town or village. In certain villages, these characters will also all know one another. Each NPC basically has their own backstory, as well as beliefs and superstitions. Kalemba teases that Ciri might prove those beliefs wrong. Given that, the player’s actions will have an impact on the lives of these characters, sometimes for better or for worse. That’s been a staple of the series, and fans can expect it to remain the case.
How all of this will play into The Witcher 4‘s narrative remains to be seen. However, Kalemba did offer some hints about Ciri, and the shift away from Geralt as the lead protagonist. When The Witcher 4 begins, “a few years” will have passed, and while Ciri is now older, she’s still “kind of proving herself.” Ciri has already mutated, but players will “experience becoming the Witcher for the very first time.” From the trailer at The Game Awards last month, we already knew that Geralt will have a role to play in the game, and the interview further confirmed just that. However, the developers were quick to note that they cannot say more, at this time.
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is often held up as one of the greatest video games of all-time. Matching or surpassing that game will be a real challenge for CD Projekt Red, and there are a lot of fans that are anxious about the change in protagonist. While the ending of The Witcher 3 made it pretty clear that the next game would focus on Ciri, that hasn’t stopped fans from lamenting the loss of Geralt of Rivia as the main character. Hopefully the developers will be able to provide an experience that wins those fans over, while drawing in some new players, as well.
Do you plan on checking out The Witcher 4 when it releases? Are you interested to see how the NPCs have been improved from the previous game? Share your thoughts with me directly on Twitter at @Marcdachamp, on Bluesky at @Marcdachamp, or on Instagram at @Dachampgaming!
