Talk about the series of The Witcher it is always a very delicate matter, given that it strengthens a very fierce fanbase, enlarged and further strengthened thanks to the release of the TV series on Netflix. However, if we focus only and exclusively on videogame releases, it is undeniable like the adventures of Witcher we have marked our medium with a mammoth and stratified work. We are faced with a rich RPG, capable not only of earning the GOTY with its third chapter, but also of evolving CD Projekt RED as a solid and unique development house in the eyes of the general public. After the first two chapters, released exclusively on home platforms Microsoft products, the Polish studio delighted us with The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, able to channel attention for several months even in a rather controversial way. If on the one hand at the time of the release you could see how much the game had undisputed qualities, on the other it was clear how some defects limited its enjoyment.
Here, however, CD Projekt RED enters the scene which, unlike the other development houses on the market, raises the quality standards related to post release, i.e. patches and various updates. Gameplay features, elements, objects and much more have been added to the title, all completely free. As obvious as it is, we know perfectly well that not all software houses think in this way, that is, putting the good of the players above their own economic interests. The climax is reached with the publication, for a fee this time, of the two DLCs: Heart of Stone e Blood and Wine. If the first is to be considered as a classic additional content, also accompanied by further free upgrades, the second is something majestic, because it adds a new gigantic area, all seasoned with a story that would have been enough for a single game.
Before The Witcher 3 there was ...
This premise was more than necessary, because otherwise it could not be continued. Starting to talk about the real meat now, we know that lately there have been several rumors regarding a possible The Witcher 4, when we know for certain that, probably, Geralt now he has comfortably reached retirement, or so we thought until last December. In fact, the same Director of the videogame work, Adam Badwoski, left this comment on Twitter just in the past few weeks: "The Witcher is always present in our hearts and minds, but at the moment we are totally focused on Cyberpunk 2077. When the time comes, we will start talking about other projects". This absolutely does not represent a closure, on the contrary, everything is further strengthened by what happened in December, after the release of the TV series. The author of The Witcher novels, Andrzej Sapkowski, and CD Projekt RED, have signed a new deal for the use of the rights to the series.
Here we are, therefore, to arrive at these last few weeks, where the rumors about the possible The Witcher 4 have followed one another almost without restraint. The same software house has always expressed itself in favor of wanting to explore new stories for the saga. In fact, the universe of the literary series is divided into many kingdoms, ethnicities, races and cultures, an excellent starting point to dwell on different types of stories yet to be discovered and told. According to what was declared by the president Adam Kicinski, the new and hypothetical fourth installment of the series will not be a direct sequel to its predecessor but, as previously mentioned, it will share the same universe. Although we are still talking about "drafts", the protagonist of these new events could be another witcher, but more determined voices tend to point the finger at the young woman Characteristic. The guys from CD Projekt RED have also openly confirmed that in the next few years they will want to focus only on their most famous IPs, which, even if not specified, immediately suggests how Cyberpunk and The Witcher still have a lot to say. The team therefore seems to be divided in half, one that is working on concluding the futuristic title in the best possible way, and another smaller one that is already putting together the pieces for our return to the Velen. Although it is our conjecture, it is easy to imagine that in order to return to these lands destroyed by hunger and war we will have to wait for the arrival of PlayStation 5 e Xbox Series X.
But if our beloved White Wolf is officially retired, how can Ciri not involve him in this new adventure? Here we are again in favor of the new agreement made with the author of the books Andrzej Sapkowski, given that the Polish studio cannot stand still for long without exploiting the rights. So it seems to us too that the most natural choice is to tell the story of Cirilla, the real protagonist of the literary series. In fact, given the enormous powers that the girl develops in adulthood, the studio would have chosen to set the game before The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. In this way the team will be able to manage the growth of the skills of the young Ciri, putting in the hands of the player a formidable warrior, but far from being the unbeatable fighter we have come to appreciate.
The use of the young girl in such a beloved and popular series would also help to clear the female figure within our reference medium. As is well known, in fact, today in the videogame industry there are not only stereotyped representations of women, in style Lara Croft so to speak, or a character who performs typically male actions, but within a body whose attributes are accentuated and highlighted with the sole purpose of attracting the male audience. Over time, fortunately, the themes and approaches to the figure of women have changed, just see Final Fantasy XIII with lightning e Aloy in Horizon: Zero Dawn. Now there is a tendency to show the female personality from multiple perspectives: from the independent girl who takes on responsibilities worthy of an adult despite her young age, to the more introspective and profound one. The same A Plague Tale: Innocence, net of the discussions that accompanied him until his release, he was able to elevate the figure of Anicia like a brave girl, capable of not making an adult miss her. We could do plenty of examples, but we stop here so as not to mislead too much on the main topic.
Between dreams and hopes
So, coming back to us, if Ciri became the actual protagonist of a new chapter of The Witcher, it would be really curious and interesting to see the reactions of the general public, considering that now CD Projekt RED is definitely open to this type of user. I don't think that would cause a big break in the community, but after seeing the childish reactions of an audience Sony on the sexual nature of Ellie di The Last of Us I would not be surprised to read some criticisms also against the Polish studio. The rumors, at least for the moment, seem quite in line with the will of the development house in wanting to propose new textures of the famous brand, and doing it with Ciri at the forefront would be a move as poetic as it is courageous, with an even greater impact than Sony did, given that it is a series that, at least until now, embraces multiple consoles and mediums, so yes it refers to a much wider catchment area.
These are the only things we know about The Witcher 4, and even if few give us lots of ideas to talk about and reflect on. Beyond what it might be to have Ciri as a protagonist, there are so many unexplored lands in this world that it is worth seeing them even once. We therefore hope that the Polish studio will soon grant us the honor of returning to explore this rich universe, in many forms each different from the other.
