With the confirmation in late 2022 that the nextWitchertitle had entered pre-production, speculation of what this upcoming installment might entail reached a fever pitch.The Witcherfranchise is a beloved and expansive IP that spans books, TV shows, and spinoffs like board games and card games, so the news of a new entry in the mainline series was a big deal. Initially referred to as Project Polaris, it wasn’t until this year that anyone from CD Projekt Red even called the gameWitcher 4, and details have been predictably scarce.
This hasn’t stopped fans from speculating, and even the simple announcement image of a pendant in the snow caused a flurry of theorizing. The confirmation from the studio that this will be the first game in a new multi-title saga and thatthe nextWitchergamewill open a brand-new chapter for the franchise has had players wondering what changes the upcoming title will bring, or what elements and characters it might retain from the previous mainline entries. One aspect that some fans are hoping gets a significant rework is romance, and there are plenty of ways CD Projekt Red could go about this.
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Romance In The Witcher Series
The Witchergames may revolve around monster-slaying and adventuring in a land rife with magic and danger, but that doesn’t mean gamers can’t explore the world of romance as well. Theworld ofThe Witchergamesis complex and the titles let players make many of their own choices as they navigate some morally ambiguous situations, and these can include deciding who they want to romance and even jump into bed with. Across the three mainline games, there are many, many opportunities for Geralt to get his groove on with a variety of different female NPCs, with varying results.
From seducing sex workers to random villagers or other characters that Geralt meets along the way, the games offer players lots of choices if they want to explore a few romances. If gamers want, Geralt can have an extremely active romantic life, and there are a few memorable scenes throughout the titles that are almost as iconic as the more serious segments.The Witcher 3: Wild Huntbrings two of Geralt’s main loves to the forefront – legendary sorceressesTriss Merigold and Yennefer of Vengerberg– and although gamers can pursue other options, these two characters are the only ones that can be endgame. While this has rich potential from a narrative perspective, the nextWitchertitle could have a different approach that caters to a more diverse audience.
Where The Witcher 4 Could Take Romance
There has been a growing trend in video games to embrace more identities and orientations when it comes to romance options – a long overdue shift that thankfully is becoming more normalized by the year. Geralt isn’t short of options when it comes to romantic partners in any of the previous games, and these can range from casual one-off encounters to meaningful relationships that divide fans who usually adhere to one camp or the other. It’s safe to say thatThe Witcher’s Yennefer and Trissare probably the two most significant ladies in Geralt’s life when it comes to matters of the heart, and while this leads to many memorable meetings and great storytelling, the nextWitchergame could take things in a different direction.
An easy update would be to add a variety of different romantic entanglements that don’t just include standard heterosexual partnerships. The range of the more casual to the more meaningful could be a good element to retain, as this lets players indulge in romance as much or as little as they please, but having the option to steer clear of relationships completely should also be a valid choice rather than forcing a partnership with canonical romances. It’s also true that some aspects ofromance in the previousWitchertitleshaven’t aged very well, so the next entry should work to show healthier and more respectful depictions rather than stick to harmful stereotypes or tropes.
