CD Projekt Red has announced that they are working on The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, confirming rumors that the game was the next big title to be coming from the Polish developer. The company says this will be their final Witcher game and will combine “CD Projekt Red’s trademark decision-based storytelling flair with a living open world larger than any other in modern RPG history.”
“The captivating and non-linear story of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt takes place in a rich, truly open-world environment,” said Adam Badowski, head of the studio. “A world which is thrilling to explore, full of daring adventures, momentous quests, memorable characters, and unique monsters. Players will freely travel through woods, lakes, mountains, cities and villages. Each region is inhabited by distinct populations with their own customs, legends and problems. The world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is 30 times bigger than The Witcher 2.”
“Imagine playing a dark fantasy game with the same great non-linear story as in the previous Witcher titles, but now told in a world you can explore freely with no artificial boundaries. The war-ravaged world is so huge that to reach farther places you will need to ride a horse or sail a boat to get there. A world where your choices have truly epic consequences,” adds Badowski. “From the development side, this goal is extremely demanding. Our team had to make significant design changes and our tech had to be rebuilt. But we believe that this will lead to a completely new level of non-linearity and a whole new, richer gaming experience. As a gamer, I would love to play this kind of RPG, and I think this is what many players are waiting for. This is our dream come true at CD Projekt Red, and we hope it will be the same for you!”
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The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt will be an open world game built using the REDengine 4. It is planned for a 2014 release on “all high-end platforms.”
“People may ask if this is really going to be the last Witcher game. Yes, it is. Why? Because we believe that we should end the series on a high note. Technology has progressed to where we can finally tell the story the way we want, with the visuals we want, in the world we imagined. This will be the ultimate fantasy RPG experience, and while we’re hardly out of stories to tell, we believe it’s time for us to look to new worlds and new horizons to keep pushing the boundaries of what we can create,” Badowski continued. “For all of those who have never experienced the adventures of Geralt before, this will be their last chance. The game will be accessible all players–those who are fans of the series and those who just love RPGs–thanks to availability on all major high-end platforms and an introduction designed to smoothly introduce all those who visit the world of the Witcher for the first time.”
