With Ciri becoming the protagonist ofThe Witcher 4, there are bound to be some big changes fromThe Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the game that made CD Projekt Red the juggernaut studio that it is today. Other than the absence of Geralt’s constant, snarky remarks and tendency to say"wind’s howling"every two seconds, Ciri looks to bring some different gameplay elements compared to her mentor if the reveal trailer at the Game Awards is representative of the game. Still, she is a Witcher and no longer seems to use her space and time powers seen inWild Hunt.
One of the most important elements ofThe Witchergames is the options the player has when trying to hunt a monster. Players can just swing at a monster with a silver sword until it falls over, and the games allow for this, even if the combat itself isn’t their best element.The beauty of hunting monster, however, is taking the right potions to make that fight easier. Ciri looks like she will have even more options than the average Witcher with her magic and tools, which could be further expanded by borrowing from the TTRPG.
Ciri Uses More Tools In The Witcher 4 Trailer
And She Integrates It With Her Magic
Ciri simultaneously shows off how similar she is to Geralt, with her cat-like eyes and potions, and how different she is in thecinematic reveal trailer forThe Witcher 4. While she is prepared with potions and a silver sword,she also brings more to the table with a chain that she uses to tie the monster down. She then uses a fire spell (which could be an augmented version of Igni) to heat the chain to burn the monster, and this could be a hint that Ciri is packing an armory of tools along with an apothecary’s supply of potions.
Geralt is no stranger to tools, although he tends to keep himself light in both the games and the books. While the books have Geralt traveling with only one sword and studded gloves most of the time, he does very little monster hunting due to the events in the books, favoring being adaptable and resourceful rather than having the time to be well-prepared. In the games,he uses his two swords and, inWild Hunt, a crossbow. He’s offered a shield inBlood and Winebut only uses it as decoration rather than protection.
Geralt is a knight of Lyria and Rivia, and his act of holding a bridge with Cahir during an important battle that earned him his knighthood is painted on his shield inBlood and Wine.
Throughout both the games and books, Geralt implies that he also knows how to throw knives, yet this isn’t an option he uses either and could be something that Ciri chooses to implement if knife throwing is part of a Witcher’s training program. She could be more like Geralt from the Netflix series, who brought chains and knuckle dusters to his fight against the Striga in Temeria, using everything she can to get the job done.She’s already using chains, and CD Projekt Red could look at another projectto get more ideas forThe Witcher 4.
The Witcher TTRPG Could Inspire The Next Game
It Features Witcher Tools That Ciri Could Take Advantage Of
CD Projekt Red worked with the creators ofCyberpunk RED(R. Talsorian Games) to createThe Witcher TRPG, and there are a few things in the tabletop game that could help informThe Witcher 4. There’s an add-on calledA Witcher’s Tools, available on the R. Talsorian Games website, which details additional tools that Witcher from different schools can use. There aren’t many, and every school has its own steel and silver sword, but there are a few special tools that Ciri could end up using to her advantage, along with her chain.
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According toThe Witcher TRPG,the Manticore School has a shield, which could offer more defensive options, while the Viper School has the Viper’s Fang, a daggerthat could be used for stealth segments or for instances when a sword might not be the most useful option. Geralt did say that Witchers do not use shields during the tournament in Toussaint inBlood and Wine, but he is likely referring to his specific school. Ciri doesn’t seem to be a Wolf Witcher, since she is wearing a School of the Lynx medallion.
The School of the Lynx is a fan-made Witcher School that was made after the events ofThe Witcher 3.
Witchers don’t seem bothered about using equipment from other schools either, sinceGeralt can wear Grandmaster armor sets from other schools after finding their schematics duringBlood and Wine. In fact, he seems quite excited about the endeavor, and theSchool of the Lynxthat’s suggested by Ciri’s medallion could be a good indication that Witchers are willing to adapt, come together, and change rules to survive. In the books, Coën is from the School of the Griffin but winters with Wolf Witchers in Kaer Morhen, so sharing tools wouldn’t be too far-fetched.
Ciri Needs To Differentiate Herself From Geralt As A Witcher
She Is In Danger Of Being Geralt-Lite
Ciri used to be very different from Geralt inThe Witcher 3with her space-time powers, green eyes, and emotional, fiery personality. InThe Witcher 4, she appears to be a proper Witcher without her unique powers. With ashen hair and a face scar (which she got in the books before Geralt got his), there is some danger of Ciri being Geralt-lite rather than the unique character she was before. CD Projekt Red probably won’t let this happen, but her personality might be similar to her mentors if she becomes less emotional after the Trial of Grasses.
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Giving her more gameplay options could help alleviate this and show that she is a more modern Witcher that uses tools from all other schools.Ciri’s greater proficiency with magicwill help too, andshowing how she goes about monster hunting compared to Geralt could be a good way of highlighting the difference in the times. It would also be ironic if she starts to use Orions, metal throwing stars used in the books, given that one thrown by Stefan Skellen gave Ciri her recognizable cheek scar.
Even without her space-time powers, there are plenty of ways in which Ciri can differentiate herself from Geralt in terms of the way she hunts monsters. Using magic and multiple tools will keep the gameplay feeling fresh and like a natural evolution of what was presented inThe Witcher 3. Combat provides a huge opportunity forThe Witcher 4to improve on its predecessor, and with Ciri at the helm of the franchise going forward, there is a lot of potential for another great game.
