CD Projekt Red’s next game afterCyberpunk 2077isThe Witcher 4, and there are rather high expectations for it. Fans desperately want it to succeed, CD Projekt Red detractors are hoping it doesn’t release in a terrible state, and fantasy fans just want something new to play after the most recent fantasy RPGs likeDragon Age: The Veilguardhave bombed. Of course, with such high expectations comes a lot of pressure, but fortunately CD Projekt Red has the perfect blueprint to work from, and it isn’tThe Witcher 3.
Cyberpunk 2077is incredible, even despite its unjustifiably disastrous launch. From the very start, there was a lot that CD Projekt Red got a lot right with it. Since then, it has learned a lot from it, all of which helped it release much-needed updates that fixed the game and got millions more players to try it. Hopefully,the many lessons it learned fromCyberpunk 2077can enable it to shapeThe Witcher 4into the perfect gameand restore its reputation as one of the best developers of all time.
10Immersive Seamless Open World
It Makes Cyberpunk 2077 The Definitive Open-World Experience
Cyberpunk 2077’s defining feature, above its incredible narrative, great characters, and thoroughly enjoyable combat, is Night City itself. This is, for the most part, a living and breathing city, one that has rightfully earned Cyberpunk 2077 a spot among themost immersive open-world gamesever made. It is huge and sprawling, with players able to go from one end to another and into any of the dozens of available interiors seamlessly.
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The Witcher 3had seamless open areas, but not one giant interconnected world. While it works in the game’s favor to slowly spread out its areas to better define them and give the player a better onboarding experience, it would benefit from one massive open world.It would make the entire experience feel like a true adventure, and give players a better idea of the sheer scale of the Continentand its various regions.
9Varied Open World Activities
NCPD Quests, Gigs, Side Quests & More Flesh Out Night City
The Witcher 3has plenty of side content for players to complete whenever they feel like taking a break from the incredible main story. Much of that side content is often regarded as the game’s best, especially when it comes to its side quests, which are almost as big in scale and ambition as the main quests.The Witcher 4should definitely continue this series tradition, offering players remarkable and memorable side quests with plenty of nuanceto leave fans thinking long after beating them.
However, when it comes to the more menial tasks surrounding those side quests,The Witcher 4needs to look toCyberpunk 2077’simmersive eventsfor inspiration. Its NCPD missions, which pop up as the player is exploring Night City, smaller Gigs, which take players to exciting locations they likely wouldn’t otherwise visit, and companion quests are all phenomenal and serve as not just great distractions, but ways of interacting with the open-world in a more fulfilling way.The Witcher 4should implement something similar that gets players to visit new places and surprises them on their waythere.
8Multiple Modes Of Transport
It Can’t Just Be Roach
The Witcher 3allowed Geralt to travel via his trusty horse, Roach, as well as via ship in certain areas. This worked well for the smaller scope of its separated areas, as they were more contained and thus easier to traverse via singular methods. However,The Witcher 4, especially if it sticks to one seamless open world, should introduce more modes of transport, such as via carriage - akin toDragon’s Dogma 2- or more unique means, like Griffin.
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Cyberpunk 2077made collecting vehicles a part of its gameplay loop, and while it makes more sense in that game to have a lot of transport options, it would be great to see it carry over inThe Witcher 4. It would help make traversal more dynamic, while also making the world feel more immersive.The Witcher 4doesn’t need to have souped-up horses, butsomething a bit different from just Roach would be great.
7Avoid A Buggy Launch
CD Projekt Red Can’t Make The Same Mistake
It is no secret thatCyberpunk 2077’slaunch was disastrous. From bugs to a completely unplayable last-gen version,the original version ofCyberpunk 2077should have never hit shelves. Of course, everyone wantsThe Witcher 4to avoid this same fate, and fortunately, it seems like CD Projekt Red is already learning fromCyberpunk’smistakes. In an interview withIGN,Witcher 4game director Sebastian Kalemba explained that the team’s approach to developing games has changed substantially sinceCyberpunk 2077. He said, in regards to howThe Witcher 4will avoid a buggy launch:
“Okay, so first and foremost, let it cook. Secondly, the way we produce right now also changed in a very good way, meaning that we are very mindfully defining the stages of the production. We are very mindfully trying to scope it, making sure that the foundation is there. To be very honest, I already see that it helps us to make sure that whatever we create right now is super coherent across the board. And this way makes us feel that we control this super complex environment more than we used to control. And that also makes everyone feel more secure when it comes to developing generally on a daily basis.”
Importantly,CD Projekt Red is moving firmly away from the crunch culture that saw its employees work unfairly long hours to getCyberpunk 2077finished in time. In that same IGN interview, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained that giving the team the space and time they need to ensure that the game gets made, but no one suffers in the process is “really a high priority for us to run this project.” It is great to hear, and hopefully, it will all result in a more polished experience.
6Better Communication With Fans
CD Projekt Red Struggled To Keep Its Fans In The Loop
Fortunately, it seems like CD Projekt Red is aware of this and the mistakes it made with its level of communication after the release ofCyberpunk 2077. In that aforementioned interview with IGN, executive producer Małgorzata Mitręga explained how, in addition to communicating better internally, CD Projekt Red is also learning “how to also communicate with the outside world and when.” It is reassuring to hear thatCD Projekt Red is learning the right lessons fromCyberpunk 2077’sworst features.
5Varied Character Builds
CD Projekt Red Wants To Make The Witcher 4 More Player-Driven
WhileThe Witcher 3absolutely let players have some agency over Geralt, especially when it came to more narrative-based choices, his build variety was quite limited. That made sense for a veteran Witcher who is already at the top of his game, but less so for Ciri, the protagonist ofThe Witcher 4, who is more or less starting out. As a result,The Witcher 4needs to learn from Cyberpunk 2077, which allowed for a huge variety in build design through its cyberware implant systemand skill trees that were vastly improved in the 2.0 update.
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The Witcher 4’sgame director, Sebastian Kalemba, spoke toIGNabout how Ciri’s journey will be substantially different from Geralt’s and hinted at more agency over her build. He acknowledged thatCyberpunk 2077allowed for a greater degree of player agency thanThe Witcher 3, and that “this is something we definitely want to bring as a lesson” inThe Witcher 4.This would be a great addition toThe Witcher’sformula and would help differentiate the new game from the previous trilogy, allowing it to feel more like Ciri’s experience than a spin-off of Geralt’s.
4More Weapon Types
From Stealthy To Ranged
The Witcher 3had no shortage of swords for players to find and use to crush their foes, both human and otherwise. It also had a handful of secondary weapons, although these were largely useless, especially in the late game. However, while that worked for the more conventional Geralt,a greater selection of weapons would not only diversify Ciri’s gameplay style, making her feel substantially different from Geralt, but also make it a more versatile experience.
CD Projekt Red proved withCyberpunk 2077that it can implement several unique weapon types, from a range of guns to fascinatingly bizarre melee weapons, most of which usually have their own story.The Witcher 4should learn from that variety, and increase the types of weapons that Ciri can use. For example,it could add daggers to allow for a stealthier and faster build, bows for ranged attacks when magic won’t suffice, or greatswords for a more impactful hit. All of these would add a bit of spice to Ciri’s arsenal and make monster slaying even more enjoyable.
3Expanded Media To Supplement The Base Game
Edgerunners Did Wonders For Cyberpunk 2077
TheWitcherseries has been adapted into a number of forms, including a TV show, games, and even anime. However, for the most part, the Netflix show followed its own path, loosely adapting the books and rarely sticking to the video games for inspiration beyond the look of certain characters. Similarly, the anime is a further continuation of the show, and not the game itself. All ofthis can be a little confusing for those who are interested primarily in the games.
It would be great to get anEdgerunners-style show forThe Witcher 4, one that explores another facet of the video game world or is set slightly before the events of the fourth game.Edgerunnershugely benefitedCyberpunk 2077, massively boosting the player count after it dropped on Netflix, despite the fact that the massive update 2.0 was still a long way away.AWitcher 4tie-in series, animated or not, would likely also help boost sales and get more people interested in exploring that worldor offer more ways of immersing oneself within it after beating the game.
2Faster DLC Release
It Took Nearly 3 Years For Phantom Liberty To Release
Cyberpunk 2077’sDLC,Phantom Liberty, is absolutely phenomenal, and in many respects,better than the main game. However,it was a long time between the releases of the base game and the DLC, which likely impacted its sales somewhat, or saw fans take their time getting around to it. There are a lot of reasons why this was the case, from CD Projekt Red needing to put it on hold in order to update the base game, to the impact of Covid-19.
So long asThe Witcher 4doesn’t suffer from a buggy launch,CD Projekt Red should try and get DLC for it out as quickly as possible. For context,The Witcher 3launched in May 2015, and its first DLC,Hearts of Stone, was released in October 2015. Its second DLC,Blood and Wine, came out a year after the base game in May 2016. While a few months after launch is perhaps a lofty expectation forThe Witcher 4’sDLC, it would be great to see DLC appear around a year later to ensure player retention.
1Regular Gameplay Updates
It Helped Keep Cyberpunk 2077 Relevant
Cyberpunk 2077benefited greatly from its many updates. Its biggest, update 2.0, radically changed the game from its final boss fight to the reworked skill tree that made progression even more enjoyable.Minor changes, such as the inclusion of a metro system, improved police, car chases, Maxtac, and car customization also helped drastically improve the experience, turning it from a buggy mess to a must-play.
While we all hopeThe Witcher 4won’t start as a buggy mess, the importance of gameplay updates cannot be overstated. Listening to player feedback and adding in features that perhaps went overlooked or were left on the cutting room floor over time can bring players back or get those on the fence to finally make the plunge. While not entirely necessary,Cyberpunk 2077’sregular updates not only transformed the game, but also showed that CD Projekt Red is willing to listen to its fans, and that is something worth bringing intoThe Witcher 4’slaunch.
Source:IGN (1),(2)
