However, even with the hype train for The Witcher remake having already left the station, it seems that there will be a significant amount of time before the game releases. CD Projekt Red has confirmed that The Witcher remake will release after Polaris, the first entry in the new Witcher saga. With at least a few years between now and the game’s release, then, there’s plenty of time to speculate on what The Witcher remake will look like, and how the works of CD Projekt Red’s past will influence it.
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How Cyberpunk 2077 Could Influence The Witcher Remake
It is important to clarify that CD Projekt Red isn’t actually the primary developer working on The Witcher remake. Instead that title goes to Polish studio Fool’s Theory. However, CD Projekt Red will be overseeing work on the game and so there is still a good chance that the studios’ previous projects could influence the upcoming release. While it is highly likely that The Witcher remake will take a lot from The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, there is another recent game from CD Projekt Red that could have some influence too.
Namely, The Witcher remake could potentially learn a lot from Cyberpunk 2077. This isn’t to say that The Witcher remake will allow Geralt to put Mantis Blades in his arms, or that it will feature a sudden transition to a sci-fi setting. However, there are a lot of lessons learned from Cyberpunk 2077’s release that CD Projekt Red will likely use to influence all of its new titles, including The Witcher remake.
It is no secret by now that Cyberpunk 2077 did not launch in a great state. While the game is widely enjoyed now, and it has had a great comeback story, at the time of its release many were taking aim at CD Projekt Red for the buggy mess it had launched. Future CD Projekt Red games shouldn’t look to follow Cyberpunk 2077’s example, even if the game is popular now, and so this will likely contribute to the development of The Witcher remake. Already, it seems Fool’s Theory and CD Projekt Red are avoiding rushing into this project, as shown by the fact the game is set to come out after the first entry of the new Witcher saga.
This implies that despite announcing the game in 2022, a lot of time will be spent making The Witcher remake as good as it can be. One could argue that The Witcher remake isn’t as at risk of launching poorly as Cyberpunk 2077 was due to it being a newer version of an older game. However, rather than a regular remake or remaster, The Witcher from Fool’s Theory looks to be a complete reimagining, with an open world replacing the different zones of the original title. With this ambition, there is still a chance that high promises early on could negatively impact how fans see the game.
Again, Cyberpunk 2077 could contribute somewhat here, as it made an open world with distinct areas, something that would benefit The Witcher remake to make each part of the game’s narrative feel unique. While Cyberpunk 2077 might not offer as much of an influence as the other Witcher games, it marks a point of learning for CD Projekt Red. In the future, the company should seek to take the time necessary to create the game it has promised, rather than forcing an unfinished title out. Of course, more often than not rushed games are not solely the fault of the developers, but from Cyberpunk 2077’s launch hopefully CD Projekt Red can learn to be more transparent with its audience and not let the hype get too big for its own good.
The Witcher Remake is in development.
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