CD Projekt Red’s reveal trailer for The Witcher 4 shows us what we can expect from the studio’s highly anticipated entry to the franchise. But it also does more than set the stage for the game’s dark fantasy world, it highlights a fundamental difference between Geralt and Ciri.
We are introduced to Mioni, a girl whose fate is sealed by tradition, and her story parallels that of Ciri herself. The trailer compares these two characters and it’s clear from the start that Ciri’s journey will have difficult choices, personal stakes, and her fight against the expectations placed upon her.
The Witcher 4 is going to show us the difference between Ciri and Geralt
In the reveal trailer, we see the village of Stromford and we find out that it has a grim tradition. The village sacrifices young girls to a monster called the Bauk to prevent its wrath. In the trailer, we see a young girl named Mioni who has been chosen as the next sacrifice and has accepted her upcoming fate and expectations.
What the trailer shows us on a deeper level is that Mioni is similar to Ciri in many ways. Unlike Mioni, who has resigned herself to this fate, Ciri has always been a fighter. Narrative director Philipp Weber explains this connection between the two in the recent Behind The Scenes video for the reveal trailer.
We were thinking in this story that Mioni and Ciri are, a little bit, mirrors of each other. The traditions of Stromford mean that Mioni has to be sacrificed. That’s her destiny, and she’s accepted that destiny. Ciri is known as someone who does not accept destiny, she fights back at it.
And then we hear the monologue that Mioni’s father delivers. He highlights and praises his daughter’s selflessness and duty. According to Weber, this speech was deliberately written in a way that “Geralt could have said this about Ciri as well.”
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This deliberate choice by the developers reminds us of just how much Ciri has endured. Game director Sebastian Kalemba speaks on this saying, “That makes me emotional because this is also something that she (Ciri) was fighting her entire life.” Geralt often masked his emotions with dry wit and cynicism, but Ciri’s struggles with expectations and duty are far more personal and raw. And it sets her apart as a protagonist.
We can expect to make hard and terrible choices again
We can expect The Witcher 4 to explore the emotional burden of expectations placed on Ciri. Our new protagonist has spent her entire life resisting those who sought to control her, and this theme will likely be central to her character arc. Ciri’s journey is very different from Geralt’s more detached, pragmatic approach. And we can expect to see that.
Choice has always been a big part of The Witcher games. Some of the choices we made in previous games haunt us to this day. And The Witcher 4 aims to take it even further. Weber says this about what we might have to face. “We’re not going to give you a black or white situation. We expect you to consider some situations, make some tough choices.”
If you remember, Geralt often approached situations and problems with a level of nonchalance and moral ambiguity. In comparison, Ciri’s decisions are likely to be driven by emotion, making her choices feel even more impactful. In The Witcher 3, Geralt was often an observer, watching the world unfold and deciding how much to intervene. Ciri, on the other hand, is someone who forces change, making her an entirely different kind of protagonist.
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