The Witcher 4 trailer breakdown. Absent Geralt, Trial of Grasses and Serbian monster

As a seasoned gamer and enthusiast of all things Witcher, I have to say that the trailer for The Witcher 4 left me absolutely thrilled! After years of immersing myself in the world of Sapkowski and CD Projekt RED, I was captivated by the stunning visuals, intriguing storyline hints, and tantalizing glimpses into the new bestiary.

Once more, it’s time to dive in! Are you all set for several years of scrutinizing, exploring, hypothesizing, and essentially delving deep into every aspect of the latest Witcher? Ready or not, let’s get started right away – we’ve already boarded the train!

At the start of the trailer, we find ourselves in a fresh saga following The Wild Hunt, with Geralt relinquishing his role and Ciri assuming it as she embarks on a journey to forge a career as a witcher. Let’s delve deeper now.

When is The Witcher 4 taking place?

As a dedicated fan, I can’t help but notice the change in Ciri since we last saw her in The Witcher 3. A quick peek at her in the trailer tells me she’s grown older, but still a far cry from the seasoned Geralt we’ve come to know. CD Projekt Red has hinted that this new character is fresh to the witcher trade, learning and growing, with her original traits of rebelliousness, thirst for knowledge, and kindness intact – untouched by world-weariness or hardships. This storyline seems to pick up not long after the events of The Witcher 3’s epic tale, Wild Hunt, suggesting that our protagonist is likely still in her twenties, having only just turned 20 in that game.

What happened to Ciri’s eyes?

Upon a second look at Ciri, the Lion Cub of Cintra, it becomes clear that her eyes have undergone a transformation. CD Projekt RED elucidated this mystery, revealing that Ciri has successfully completed the Trial of Grasses and experienced witcher mutations, thus becoming a skilled monster hunter. She carries her distinctive lynx medallion and wields two swords, including the renowned Zirael. She’s adept at consuming potions with harmful properties, and she has even mastered the art of casting Signs, despite the fact that in the books, she wasn’t particularly proficient in this area – unlike the more gifted in higher magic…

Speaking of Geralt’s adopted daughter, I noticed that the trailer implies a change in her extraordinary magical abilities compared to other mages on the continent. It seems as though she has lost or relinquished her powers, which allowed her to outmaneuver attacks and teleport during battles, like we saw in The Wild Hunt. Now, she appears to fight monsters more like an ordinary witcher, relying on elemental magic for spells but struggling compared to her past performances. Could it be that she intentionally gave up her powers again, as hinted in the books?

It’s clear that these snippets hint at a potential expansion in combat options and character growth within The Witcher 4, possibly matching the depth seen in Cyberpunk 2077. Notably, Ciri’s use of a chain to conclude her battles with monsters might be one of many weapons at our disposal, or it could potentially be a hidden reference, recalling Geralt’s chain combat with a striga in the original Witcher from 2007.

What about our choices from The Witcher 3?

If you’re reading this text, it’s likely you’re aware that “The Witcher 3” had three distinct endings. CD Projekt Red has downplayed this issue, stating that the next installment won’t contradict any established lore. However, they haven’t disclosed how they will handle situations such as Ciri bidding farewell to Geralt because she chooses to rule Nilfgaard, or the fact that in one of the epilogues, she appears to say goodbye due to her decision to take the throne. The developers only hinted at the ending where she seemingly dies, suggesting that there may be hints indicating that rumors of her death might have been overstated.

Regardless of the situation at hand, it’s clear that the CDP openly expresses their desire for The Witcher 4 to attract new gamers. It’s been nearly a decade since The Wild Hunt was released, and in the dynamic gaming industry, sentimental feelings about decisions made so long ago tend to fade away. I must admit, I underestimated the impact of three choices from The Inquisition, which resonated with Dragon Age: The Veilguard, more than I initially thought.

It’s important to clarify that CD Projekt Red isn’t planning to abandon the storyline from The Witcher 3 and reboot the series entirely. Instead, they might provide a plausible reason for Ciri’s return to the forests after fleeing the imperial court. Given her unique ability to revive the art of mutating witchers, which had been dormant since she first encountered Kaer Morhen in Blood of Elves, and the fact that most of Vesemir’s secrets about the Trails were lost following his death in The Wild Hunt, save for the details found in Geralt’s possession, having a time-traveling character like Ciri opens up opportunities to introduce intriguing plot twists.

Geralt, where are you?

Moving forward, there’s an obvious point to address: Geralt’s absence in the trailer for the upcoming Witcher series is hard to miss. During The Game Awards, we heard a brief line from Doug Cockle, who voices the White Wolf, heralding the start of a new Witcher story. However, this detail seems to be omitted in the video posted on CD Projekt RED’s YouTube channel.

Nevertheless, developers have given us a hint that Geralt didn’t meet an untimely end or face any unfortunate circumstances, instead, he’s likely still out there somewhere. I had hoped he would join Ciri on her journey as Vesemir did in the prologue of The Wild Hunt. Yet, perhaps he is attending to other matters. Just let’s keep him away from Corvo Bianco, as he should be with his adopted daughter instead…

Where does The Witcher 4 take place?

In the trailer, it appears that Ciri is venturing into the Northern Kingdoms, a region characterized by its chilly climate and decor reminiscent of Slavic culture. This area seems to be even more northerly than the lands of Redania shown in The Witcher 3. CD Projekt RED has verified that the open world will encompass new, grand territories situated in the continent’s northern region. However, they have not disclosed specific geographical coordinates; all we know is that the village depicted in the trailer goes by the name Stromford.

I’d personally bet on the coastal realms of Kovir and Poviss, along with the smaller states nearby. While Kaedwen is geographically in the north, our expedition in The Wild Hunt explored parts of this land that include Kaer Morhen and its vicinity. Thus, labeling these regions as “new” might not entirely be accurate given their previous exposure in the story.

What else is interesting in the trailer?

Are you still holding on? So, here are a few minor curiosities as we approach the end of this text.

The monster that Ciri fights is a new feature in the Witcher bestiary – bauk, inspired by mythology from Serbia (and therefore in the spirit of the work of Andrzej Sapkowski, who drew ideas for monsters from the cultures of all kinds of peoples).
The silver sword wielded by Ciri is the Swallow – although the shape is not entirely accurate, it is most likely the same weapon that the heroine received from Geralt in the “witcher” ending of Wild Hunt. It’s interesting that we’ve already seen at least three different blades called Swallow – including the original steel sword from the book. Could it be canonical inaccuracies? Maybe there’s a deeper story behind this? Unless Ciri, following the example of Geralt and horses, simply gives such a name to each of her weapons…
The music in the trailer was composed by P.T. Adamczyk – (co-)author of the soundtrack for Cyberpunk 2077 (and the expansion), Gwent and Thronebreaker. The soundtrack for The Witcher 3 was composed by Marcin Przybylowicz.
Remember the image of the mysterious coins we saw in the news announcing that The Witcher 4 was entering full production? It seems that they constituted a kind of “teaser” for the first trailer and they depicted the entrance to the bauk’s lair.

Conclusion

I questioned if a single “cinematic” preview for The Witcher 4 would provide sufficient information for a comprehensive review. As anticipated, there were numerous intriguing details in this trailer that warranted further discussion. Questions like: What’s the significance of those various Swallows? Could the lynx-shaped medallion be a symbol of an unidentified Witcher school, or is it simply a unique trinket? In the final scene, what transpired between Ciri and the villagers? And do the flowers adorning the girl’s head in the sacrificial scene hold some hidden meaning…?

I will end with the speculations here. I’m too old and value a good night’s sleep too much to get excited about cinematic trailers and scrutinize them with a magnifying glass until the wee hours. I’m not even sure if I’m eagerly waiting for The Witcher 4 with bated breath on my graying face, or just a little bit. After Crossroads of Ravens and Cyberpunk 2077, I no longer have any love for the work of either Sapkowski (the book quickly began to fade from my memory), or CD Projekt RED (I will carve “Remember! No-preodrers!” on my tombstone). But if you’re looking for someone to analyze Assetto Corsa Evo trailers frame-by-frame for you, hit me up!

2024-12-13 20:32