Summary
Geralt’s adventures across the Continent lead him to many places and have connected him to many people. Despite the fact he’s closely acquainted with people who range from royalty to peasants, he travels alone, often only with his horse for company. This life is traditional for witchers;witchers travel alone on the Pathand only rarely encounter other witchers by chance. While this worked for Geralt, it may be time for another kind of RPG mechanic to be introduced that will set the newTheWitchertrilogy apart from its predecessor.
Party-based combat, seen inRPGs likeDragon AgeandBaldur’s Gate, involves three or more characters working together as a team to take down enemies, explore the world, and solve problems. It’s a massive difference from Geralt’s solitary approach, where he takes on each witcher contract alone, and only occasionally fights with allies if he comes across them, usually with the normal people of the Continent or sorceresses rather than other witchers.
RELATED:8 Darkest The Witcher Characters
A New Witcher School Could Bring New Traditions
The only image of the newTheWitchergame in development is of a witcher medallion in the snow. While it appears to be a medallion of the School of the Cat at a glance, CD Projekt Red’s global communication director Robert Malinowski confirmed that it’s a lynx. As there is no School of the Lynx in the books, series, or first three games, the Lynx School would be an original creation forThe Witcher 4, leaving it open to creative developments.
As allthe Witcher Schools and their way of lifehave been decimated thanks to systemic attacks, a hard restart and a fresh new take with a new School and new traditions could be exactly what the witchers need to keep from going extinct. The Trial of Grasses was rediscovered during the events ofThe Witcher 3, opening the possibility of an entirely new School for the witchers. A new protagonist inThe Witcher 4also means a new player character with a different temperament and backstory, and may be one who is more open to traveling and fighting alongside others while on the Path.
A Party of Companions Could Enrich the Lore of The Witcher
With a world as dynamic and rich as the Continent, ignoring the chance of playing within a team in favor of a solo experience would bea missed opportunity forThe Witchergames. With sorceresses, other witchers, elves, dwarves, vampires, and warriors from all walks of life, there’s plenty of opportunity to create poignant bonds and exciting gameplay with what the series has in terms of lore. This means thatThe Witcher 4would be able to stand alone without feeling like a copy of games that already use party-based combat, such asDragon Age.
Doing this would also emphasize new characters and relationships as the series moves into a new era. Companions would open the door for exciting gameplay options such as setting up and detonating combos, using magic and signs in tandem, collaborating to create potions, and exploiting other mechanics that haven’t yet been explored in lore. It’d also be a great opportunity to learn more about the characters in the game, have deeper connections with them, and have aromance system that improves on previous games inThe Witcherseries.
Solving mysteries is a large part of being a witcher, and having companions doesn’t necessarily detract from that role. Companions would make life on the Path less lonely for any witcher, and would be a break in tradition that would enrich the world, introduce new gameplay elements, and help thenewTheWitchertrilogystand on its own.
