Final week, we noticed the cinematic debut of The Witcher IV, the most recent instalment in CD Projekt Crimson’s iconic darkish fantasy collection. On this new chapter, we gained’t be following Geralt; as an alternative, his adopted daughter Ciri takes heart stage as our witcher protagonist.
Following the announcement, we spoke with key leads at CD Projekt Crimson to delve deeper into this trailer and find out how the studio is gearing as much as introduce Ciri because the lead in a brand-new Witcher saga that can respect the collection’ previous (and gamers’ decisions in it) whereas main the collection boldly into a brand new period.
A New Ciri
Within the reveal trailer, we’re launched to the village of Stromford, an remoted settlement situated deep within the north of The Continent. On this scene, a younger girl, Mioni, is chosen as a sacrifice to keep off a neighborhood monster. That is the place we see Ciri for the primary time – older, stronger, and brandishing these iconic metal and silver swords.
The Witcher IV takes place “just a few years” after the top of The Witcher 3, in line with Narrative Director on The Witcher IV, Philipp Weber. Whereas the small print of what introduced Ciri to this explicit place and time are nonetheless underneath wraps for now, we’re proven that Ciri has mutated eyes, a sign that she’s accomplished the Trial of the Grasses to change into a witcher in her personal proper.
All through the occasions of each The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt – to not point out Andrzej Sapkowski’s saga of Witcher novels, which the video games are primarily based upon – Ciri is ready up as a secondary protagonist, and her persona could be very a lot established. By the top, she is certainly not simply an extension of Geralt, however a fully-fledged character able to tackle a brand new journey.
That journey may have gone in a number of instructions relying on the ending gamers acquired in The Witcher 3. Whereas CD Projekt Crimson is maintaining specifics near its chest, Weber assures us that The Witcher IV will deal with its predecessor’s a number of endings, and that non-public selection is one thing they goal to honour on this subsequent recreation.
Variations Between Geralt and Ciri
The studio is eager to stress that whereas Geralt is a seasoned witcher who usually prefers to stay neutral, Ciri is a personality that can usually take a extra aggressive stance pushed by private motivation.
“Geralt has already created a code for himself, and he’s gone by means of a ton of experiences to get to that level,” Weber explains. “With Ciri, we now have the chance to indicate lots of these experiences as she finds her personal code, and her personal approach of dealing with these powerful issues.”
We see this within the trailer reveal, as Ciri ventures into the forest and tells Mioni to flee again to the village, within the hopes that it’s going to save her. What’s attention-grabbing to notice is that the inhabitants of Stromford don’t react positively to the sight of a witcher, despite the fact that Ciri is there to do good.
“She’s tremendous passionate, tremendous decided and really engaged on this story,” explains Sport Director Sebastian Kalemba. “She is going to by no means hesitate; she deeply cares concerning the different lady right here.”
Sadly, regardless of Ciri’s greatest intentions and a gruelling battle with a brand-new monster generally known as a Bauk, Mioni nonetheless meets a swift finish, accentuating how grim the world of The Witcher IV will proceed to be, and the way its characters might proceed to search out methods to villainise Ciri’s decisions (and your personal) regardless of a well-meaning method.
“Ciri is somebody who gained’t settle for that destiny is simply given to you, you at all times must combat again, and generally that’s the suitable factor to do,” says Weber. “On this trailer, we additionally needed to indicate some parallels that Mioni’s destiny may have additionally been Ciri’s as soon as upon a time, however she fought again towards that destiny.”
The nuance in Ciri’s character additionally stems from her backstory – which makes her an important character for a posh, mature story about decisions and penalties inside The Witcher’s darkish and sometimes unsettling world.
“Ciri is certainly a flawed character; she has lots of darkness in her, she was deserted, and he or she’s made horrible errors previously,” Weber explains. “However she additionally has some superb strengths, and I believe that is this steadiness that for us makes her into this nice character. We wish to inform these character-driven tales, and I believe if we wish to have actual characters with actual feelings, that additionally implies that they should have some flaws.”
That stated, the influence of Geralt on Ciri is certainly not being overwritten; The Witcher IV‘s emphasis on selection and consequence implies that Ciri will usually grapple with the choice she thinks is correct and maybe one other course that Geralt might have taken in the identical situation.
“She’s Geralt’s daughter, so she’s realized lots of values from him,” Weber notes. “There can be decisions that really feel near what Geralt would do.”
Kalemba provides: “Geralt has additionally realized some issues from Ciri all through their journey in The Witcher 3, and that can be mirrored in these decisions.”
Wanting Forward
The Witcher IV is after all a pure evolution for this collection; and long-invested followers will discover deeper references and lore galore as they step into the fold with Ciri. CD Projekt Crimson has confirmed that Geralt will return as a personality, however his place within the story stays a secret for now.
Nevertheless, this may also function a brand new starting for the franchise. Virtually 10 years and numerous improvement classes on from the discharge of The Witcher 3, CD Projekt Crimson acknowledges and embraces the truth that a brand new technology of gamers will wish to expertise this world for the primary time with The Witcher IV.
“It is a new character and the origin story of Ciri [as a playable main character], and we imagine it’ll be an important start line for newcomers,” Kalemba says. “There can be new areas and areas to discover, however it’s nonetheless very a lot the darkish fantasy world and story that Witcher followers know and love.”
