Summary
- The Witcher 4 introduces Ciri as the lead protagonist, marking the start of a new trilogy for the series.
- It's important for Ciri's story to continue beyond The Witcher 4 to fully explore her character in future games.
- Ciri deserves the spotlight after being in Geralt's shadow, with the potential for her to lead in The Witcher 5 and 6.
Whether the long wait will be worth it yet or not remains to be seen, but at least The Witcher 4 has finally been revealed, via a trailer shown at the 2024 Game Awards ceremony. It has now been nearly a decade since the last Witcher game was released, with Cyberpunk 2077 taking the bulk of CD Projekt Red's attention off its beloved series during that gap of time. Nevertheless, The Witcher 4 has, at the very least, shown its face, and a new face at that.
Geralt of Rivia might have been the face of the Witcher for many years now, but Cirilla Fiona Elen Riannon, otherwise known as "Ciri," is now taking up the mantle of lead protagonist in The Witcher 4. It's unclear what The Witcher 4's gameplay and world will look like in comparison to its predecessors, but fans can at least expect an original story unlike any that has been told before, simply on account of Ciri's new role in place of Geralt. While The Witcher 4 is likely to delve much deeper into Ciri's character than any installment before it, it arguably shouldn't act as both the beginning and conclusion of her tale, and should instead allow her story to continue in future games.
Why Geralt Possibly Playing a Mentor Role in The Witcher 4 Could Leave a Sour Taste
While it might be nice to see Geralt back in The Witcher 4, his potential mentor role could end up backfiring for Ciri, the protagonist of the story.
The Witcher 4 Should Be the First of a Ciri Trilogy
The Witcher 4 Is the Start of a New Saga for the Series
Despite being titled The Witcher 4, the next game in the Witcher series is actually the start of an entirely new saga — more specifically, a new trilogy — for the franchise. Of course, this is fairly clear in The Witcher 4's choice to make Ciri its protagonist, effectively putting Geralt of Rivia down for a well-deserved rest, despite the fact that he will still appear in the game to some degree. As such, it's likely there may be remnants of the story told over the last few games in The Witcher 4, but it may very well choose to avoid going back in time and instead focus on forging its own path for the time being.
While The Witcher 4 is likely to delve much deeper into Ciri's character than any installment before it, it arguably shouldn't act as both the beginning and conclusion of her tale, and should instead allow her story to continue in future games.
Previously referred to as "Polaris," The Witcher 4 was confirmed a few years ago by CD Projekt Red to be the start of a brand-new saga for the Witcher series, with the developer stating that two more AAA Witcher games would follow the next title, which was unknowingly The Witcher 4 at the time. In light of that, whatever their official names end up being, The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6 are currently on the horizon for the franchise, but the question remains of whether the next two games in the series will feature Ciri as their protagonist — and they arguably should.
Ciri Deserves Her Time to Shine, Just as Geralt Had His
Unlike Geralt, who has now had plenty of time in the spotlight, to the point of becoming the face of The Witcher, Ciri has really only had The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt serve as her stage, despite the fact that she was introduced to the series much earlier than that through other means. Players get to play as Ciri very briefly during The Witcher 3's story, and while her character is explored more deeply in the third installment than any previous entry, she has still been largely kept within the shadow of Geralt. The Witcher 4, however, is now her time to shine as its lead character and protagonist.
Needless to say, Ciri deserves the lead role she's now been given in The Witcher 5 and The Witcher 6 as well, in the same way that Geralt got his own trilogy. There may be some potential there for Ciri to be replaced by another Witcher in the next game or the one after that, or for Geralt to even step back onto center stage for one reason or another, but that really shouldn't happen. Ciri proved in The Witcher 3 that she has some compelling layers to her character, and those layers may only be fully fleshed out through an entire trilogy.
- Developer(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Publisher(s)
- CD Projekt Red
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- The Witcher
WHERE TO PLAY
- Genre(s)
- Action RPG, Open-World
