The next chapter in The Witcher series is shaping up to be an intriguing one. With nearly a decade having passed since The Witcher 3 made waves, CD Projekt Red has, in the meantime, crafted a very different kind of game in the 2020s with Cyberpunk 2077. While The Witcher and Cyberpunk might seem like apples and oranges in terms of setting, storyline, and overall vibe, there’s potential for some crossover in ideas.
Cyberpunk 2077, in many respects, feels quintessentially CD Projekt Red, yet it shares a strong resemblance with conventional tabletop RPGs, certainly a nod to its origins. In Cyberpunk, much of the core experience involves shaping your character, V, through choices in background, personality, and appearance, offering a deeply personalized journey. In contrast, playing as Geralt in The Witcher series is less about crafting a unique character and more about steering a well-defined one through pivotal decisions. However, with The Witcher 4 possibly on the horizon, speculation is buzzing about the chance to craft your own protagonist from scratch.
As we look at potential character customization in The Witcher 4, there’s a lot it could learn from Cyberpunk 2077. Cyberpunk’s character creator shines with its extensive options, letting players craft versions of V with unique flair—whether that’s a grimy, edgy appearance or something more punk-inspired. The choice to incorporate facial cyberware and vibrant, artificial iris designs adds to the richness of customization.
A notable downside of Cyberpunk 2077’s system is the player’s limited opportunity to actually see their meticulously crafted avatar. Assuming The Witcher 4 follows its predecessors with a third-person view, this drawback might not be a concern.
Despite Cyberpunk’s strengths, it doesn’t rank at the very top for character customization in the gaming world. Traditional customization elements like various body shapes and detailed sliders are nowhere to be found, leading to a uniform look among different Vs beyond the features players can tweak. In first-person games, this might not seem crucial, but for a likely third-person The Witcher 4, more detailed options could be beneficial. Elements such as altering body shape—height, weight, muscle definition—like those seen in recent titles such as Dragon Age: The Veilguard should be considered. As long as these additions don’t compromise facial animations, extra facial customization, focusing on areas like jawline and brow shape, could greatly enhance the experience.
Where The Witcher 4 can truly take a page from Cyberpunk is by embracing creativity and options that tie into its world lore. While playing as non-human races might be a stretch, the mutations that Witchers undergo present a fascinating avenue for customization. In the game’s lore, certain mutations like Euphoria change Geralt’s appearance, and we could even see others, like Mutated Skin, translating into visible alterations in this new installment.
In summary, The Witcher 4 has a foundation for exciting character customization possibilities, particularly by incorporating elements inspired by its universe’s mutations. These additions would mirror how cyberware justifies the fantastical and unforgettable options in Cyberpunk 2077. Whether or not The Witcher 4 will adopt player-driven character creation remains to be seen, but learning from Cyberpunk 2077’s customization strength and shortcomings seems like a promising path forward.
