The Witcher 4 gameplay tease shows us the true scale of this world

If you’re already excited about The Witcher IV, prepare yourself, because the hype train is going to derail with this little tidbit from game director, Sebastian Kalemba.

In a recent interview, Kalemba stated that The Witcher IV is going to feature CD Projekt Red’s most complex NPCs to date.

The Witcher 4 will feature Ciri in the lead role, as revealed in the cinematic trailer

During the interview with Gamertag Radio, the director comments, “We have this rule to make every single [The Witcher IV] NPC looking like they’re living, with their own story”

While the game is still years away, this nugget of information is incredibly exciting, as CD Projekt Red is world-class at creating NPCs already.

The fact that they’re taking this a step further and making each of them fully realised, with unique roles and emotions, will elevate the story and experience to another level.

Kalemba noted that the team wanted to create a level of realism they’ve never achieved before, which could mean that side quests will take on a life of their own.

With each NPC looking unique, behaving and expressing themselves in ways that feel more natural, it could mean that multiple playthroughs will yield fresh experiences as you come across people you’ve not met before.

It feels very early to be getting excited, as things can change and plans may deviate as time goes on.

However, it’s great to hear that a developer is actively working on differentiating their NPCs, as cookie cutter characters can harm a game’s immersion.

The next instalment of The Witcher franchise will feature Ciri in the lead role and follow her adventures.

It’s not clear how much Geralt will play a part - we do know that Doug Cockle is involved with the project, but it could merely be a cameo appearance.

I’m sure we’ll see much more over the coming months, and possibly years, before release.