The Witcher 4 Revealed

[Brainonska511]

Cinematic trailer:

Explanation from the game director:

I know it's very early, but still very exciting to see another installment of the franchise, and one that focuses on Ciri could be really cool.

 

[EXCellR8]

I want, so desperately, to like the Witcher games... but each time i try to pick one up I just can't seem to grasp the combat. My BEST effort in W3 I barely scraped by the starting areas, and then I couldn't muster the energy to jump back into it after putting it down.

 

[Brainonska511]

I've only played part of 1 and all of 3 (plus the DLCs). Combat in W3 was definitely better, but it does take some time to get used to. The third one was definitely a great game with a ton of content.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I quit Witcher 3 within an hour or so multiple times over the years. I kept reading so much love for it I tried it again around its 7th anniversary. Once I made it "over the hump" I was hooked. It was all I played for weeks. The combat isn't what makes the game great, it's the stories, voice acting, settings, characters, and subtle and not too subtle homages to pop culture and literature that carry the game. Once you "get good" and use your powers and the correct sword for enemy types, plus bombs, crossbow, pimp ass armor, etc. it is good fun.

A quick look around has the incel legions boycotting this and that upcoming Naughty Dog game because of "girl bosses". It's like bitch! did you even play Witcher 3? How the hell are you not onboard with Ciri?

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Incels are upset about everything. Should probably get laid, chill out a little

That said I was hoping for a game that allowed some character customization (have a strongly written central character, but let me customize their face/gender). A new character disconnected and distant from the OG witcher trilogy. It feels like Ciri's story was heavily intertwined with Geralt, and it feels like her story is as done as his is after the events of W3.

Alternatively, I was hoping that if we got Ciri, we got an expansion on her existing abilities in Witcher 3 instead of her somehow losing those abilities and just becoming a Witcher. Obv they'd have the be rebalanced a bit, but again something a little different.

No pulling Geralt out of retirement either, let the man rest at his vineyard with his hot goth gf.

Witcher combat always suffered from having a lot of basic combat mechanics hidden behind leveling and upgrades. The game feels and plays a lot different at level 1 vs level 25 vs level 50 because you have so many more tools in your toolkit at higher levels.

 

[Brainonska511]

I feel like this story could be picking up from one of the ending choices of W3, where Ciri basically becomes a witcher herself, so it does have that connection and ample room to tell a new story.

 

[DAPUNISHER]

I feel like this story could be picking up from one of the ending choices of W3, where Ciri basically becomes a witcher herself, so it does have that connection and ample room to tell a new story.

For me it's like comfort food. I don't want some fancy deconstructed or new interpretation of meatloaf and mashed potatoes; I want more meatloaf and mashed potatoes!

 

[DAPUNISHER]

Incels are upset about everything. Should probably get laid, chill out a little

Indeed, that's why they are so spicy. A love interest takes all that energy and time.

. It feels like Ciri's story was heavily intertwined with Geralt, and it feels like her story is as done as his is after the events of W3.

Heck no. Her adventures are just getting started.

No pulling Geralt out of retirement either, let the man rest at his vineyard with his hot goth gf.

I would not be getting much rest...

Witcher combat always suffered from having a lot of basic combat mechanics hidden behind leveling and upgrades. The game feels and plays a lot different at level 1 vs level 25 vs level 50 because you have so many more tools in your toolkit at higher levels.

As a lifelong combat sportsman and martial artist; White belt is a long long long ways from Shodan where I come from. That's how the combat is: the basic are always the basics, but mastery of them along with all of the other physical, mental, and emotional tools you develop over years of hard training elevate them exponentially in their effectiveness. I think of the magic as tokui waza. Long story short; I love that you have to earn the skills to pay the bills.

 

[DeathReborn]

Incels are upset about everything. Should probably get laid, chill out a little

That said I was hoping for a game that allowed some character customization (have a strongly written central character, but let me customize their face/gender). A new character disconnected and distant from the OG witcher trilogy. It feels like Ciri's story was heavily intertwined with Geralt, and it feels like her story is as done as his is after the events of W3.

Alternatively, I was hoping that if we got Ciri, we got an expansion on her existing abilities in Witcher 3 instead of her somehow losing those abilities and just becoming a Witcher. Obv they'd have the be rebalanced a bit, but again something a little different.

No pulling Geralt out of retirement either, let the man rest at his vineyard with his hot goth gf.

Witcher combat always suffered from having a lot of basic combat mechanics hidden behind leveling and upgrades. The game feels and plays a lot different at level 1 vs level 25 vs level 50 because you have so many more tools in your toolkit at higher levels.

For me it's the Trial of Grasses issue. No Female & No Adult has survived the trial, yet in the trailer she apparently has. They need to explain that one without the magic of "these are not the droids you are looking for" handwaving or sloppy Rings of Power "because we said so" kind of explanation. Elven blood would also be a lore breaking thing, since there are no non-human Witchers.

 

[mikeymikec]

For me it's the Trial of Grasses issue. No Female & No Adult has survived the trial, yet in the trailer she apparently has. They need to explain that one without the magic of "these are not the droids you are looking for" handwaving or sloppy Rings of Power "because we said so" kind of explanation. Elven blood would also be a lore breaking thing, since there are no non-human Witchers.

Yeesh.

It's not exactly difficult to come up with an explanation that fits the fictional facts. For example:
They (Geralt / Yennifer / other) concocted a modified 'trial of grasses' that would work with her. It worked great, and its modified nature explains away any other modifications they've made to her witchery abilities, plus why not work in some complications and thus provide some extra fodder for character depth/development.

Questions like this remind me of a Star Trek nerd once asking the writers of TNG the question: "How does the warp drive work?" The answer: "Very well, thank you".

 

[GodisanAtheist]

Yeesh.

It's not exactly difficult to come up with an explanation that fits the fictional facts. For example:
They (Geralt / Yennifer / other) concocted a modified 'trial of grasses' that would work with her. It worked great, and its modified nature explains away any other modifications they've made to her witchery abilities, plus why not work in some complications and thus provide some extra fodder for character depth/development.

Questions like this remind me of a Star Trek nerd once asking the writers of TNG the question: "How does the warp drive work?" The answer: "Very well, thank you".

- It's a classic "No one hates Star Wars like Star Wars fans" issue.

All fandoms have to balance on a knife's edge the creator's vision, what is popular with the general public, and invested perspective of hardcore fans. Basically no one does it particularly well, which is bizarre given the glut of communication options we have available today to make it easy for creators, fans, and the broader market to all talk to each other and properly set expectations.

You see it all the time, especially in the age of "go woke go broke" meme culture, where the purists are in a perpetual tug of war with the general corporate interest of making something as broadly "accessible" read: Gen Z friendly) as possible.

 

[quikah]

For me it's the Trial of Grasses issue. No Female & No Adult has survived the trial, yet in the trailer she apparently has. They need to explain that one without the magic of "these are not the droids you are looking for" handwaving or sloppy Rings of Power "because we said so" kind of explanation. Elven blood would also be a lore breaking thing, since there are no non-human Witchers.

It is literally one of the endings for Witcher 3, she becomes a witcher. Why does she even need to go through the trial? Maybe her elder blood makes it moot.

 

[Racan]

My only complaint is that they didn’t keep Ciri’s original voice actress.