Recent discussion around CD Projekt Red has indicated that a follow-up to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is in the pipeline. This doesn't come as too much of a surprise, as The Witcher franchise is among the most beloved in gaming. The Witcher 3 proved to be CD Projekt Red's golden egg, bringing a massive amount of attention to The Witcher series and leaving fans excited to see the next steps of the series. The Witcher 4 may not feature the fan-favorite Geralt of Rivia, as his story appeared to be wrapped up in The Witcher 3, but it can ensure success by taking a couple of lessons from its predecessor.

Fans are excited about the prospect of The Witcher 4's future release, but CD Projekt Red will need to be careful to capture what made the previous game so special. The Witcher 3's success is due in part to a number of factors, but not least of all is its random encounters. The Witcher 3 is famed for the often inconsequential interactions Geralt has with the people of the Continent. The importance of each of these encounters varies, but their significance isn't the root of their appeal. When The Witcher 4 releases, these encounters will be crucial to capturing The Witcher experience.

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When Is The Witcher 4 Coming Out?

Geralt unsheating his sword in The Witcher 3

CD Projekt Red CEO, Adam Kiciński, has suggested that another Witcher game is one of CDPR's priorities for the future. CDPR's other priority is Cyberpunk 2077, with updates and DLC packs in the works to help the game recover from the game's rocky launch. This suggests that the next big project to be released by CD Projekt Red will be The Witcher 4, but it may not exactly be called that. Adam Kiciński was also quick to point out that The Witcher series so far was wrapped up as intended, as a trilogy. The story of Geralt was concluded with The Witcher 3's Blood and Wine DLC. As such, the next Witcher game could be a spin-off.

While The Witcher 4 may not actually be The Witcher 4, it could look to build upon characters present in the original trilogy of games. Ciri could be a great example of a character the future Witcher games could focus on. Principal writer for The Witcher series Jakub Szamałek has previously expressed a desire to return to her storyline, with a greater focus on her past. Still, fans excited at the prospect of The A Ciri-focused Witcher 4  may have to wait for some time. It seems the focus for The Witcher series right now is on season 2 of the Netflix adaptation, which releases in December. If The Witcher 4 is a consideration for CD Projekt Red right now, it's likely a low priority one.

The Witcher 3's Random Encounters

Witcher 3 Total Immersion

There are two main types of random encounters in The Witcher 3. The easily missed random encounter, in which the player may stumble upon a rare event, and the random encounter in which the player's actions impact the world around them. The most significant example of the first type can be found when sailing the seas of Skellige. If the player happens to be sailing at 1 AM, there's a chance that they may encounter a fairly special ship. The origin of the ship is unknown, and all that is apparent from the ship's appearance is that it is a ghostly vessel. There's no way for the player to interact with this ghost ship beyond bearing witness to it, but its inclusion adds a sense of wonderment to The Witcher 3.

Examples of the other kind of encounters are widespread. Notable ones include the ability for the player to come across Birna Bran following her execution for sabotage, or having Dora fight alongside Geralt against a group of thugs the player had previously saved her from. It is in cases like these that the open world of The Witcher 3 begins to feel alive and malleable. The player's actions have a measurable effect on the in-game world, making it clear that what the player chooses to do matters. Where the first type of random encounter makes The Witcher 3's world feel like it's alive, the second type of encounter makes the player feel as though they're living in the world.

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Why The Witcher 4 Should Have Random Encounters

geralt-using-igni-against-monster

The Witcher 3's random encounters made up some of the best parts of the game. While in terms of The Witcher 3's story, they mattered very little, their inclusion may have had a significant impact on the player's engagement. The world of The Witcher feels alive thanks to these easily missed moments. The immersion offered by the consequences of the player's actions playing out in front of them is what makes open world RPGs feel so special. Every quest holds a great deal of significance if the player feels as though their actions may have actual consequences. The Witcher 3 succeeds in this regard, as the player is continually confronted by the outcome of their quests, leaving very little room for error.

Another important aspect these encounters provide is a feeling that the player is actually living the life of a Witcher. The game is constantly throwing opportunities at the player to test their blade in exchange for coin. There's a feeling that, while the main quest of The Witcher 3 requires some attention, the player could quite easily travel from town to town, living the standard life of a Witcher. While these random encounters in open-world RPGs are always important to the overall feel of the game, there aren't many examples of the random encounters being as relevant to the experience as they are in The Witcher 3.

The release of The Witcher 4 appears as though it's still some way off, but the framework for success is already in place. Whether the next Witcher game follows Geralt, Ciri, or any other character in The Witcher franchise, it could benefit from lessons learnt in The Witcher 3. The random encounters of the latest Witcher game make up some of its best moments, giving the player an insight into the life of a Witcher, and breathing further life into the game's world. Though little is known about The Witcher 4, it should prioritize the random encounters that made The Witcher 3 so immersive.

The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Switch, with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S versions coming in 2021.

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