I've been looking forward to The Witcher 4 since I rolled credits on The Witcher 3, so I was very excited to see new footage of the game recently. Although we didn't see any actual gameplay from The Witcher 4's latest presentation, I am still optimistic about the game's new features and visuals. I honestly didn't think graphical upgrades could impress me anymore, but I realized after seeing more of The Witcher 4 that I was wrong, and I can't wait to get my hands on the real game.

We don't have a release date yet for The Witcher 4, but I could see it being a serious Game of the Year contender whenever it gets released. It reportedly won't be coming in 2026, which means it won't have to worry about going up against GTA 6 next year. That said, even if it surprises us and releases early, The Witcher 4 would still probably be my personal Game of the Year if it is as good as its recent demo made it look.

What We Saw Of Witcher 4 During State Of Unreal's Showcase

The Witcher 4's Tech Demo Showed Off Visual Updates And Improved NPC Technology

During the State of Unreal showcase shown at Unreal Fest Orlando and on YouTube, we got a look at a tech demo for the Witcher 4. The demo showed off several new aspects of the game, including its cinematics, environments, and upgraded NPCs. Although we didn't get any real gameplay from the event, we still got a pretty in-depth look at the world of the game.

The showcase started off with an impressive cutscene, showing off the cinematic quality of the new game. There's a lot of fun camera work involved that helps the scene feel immersive and exciting. I found myself getting invested in what was happening before Ciri even made her first appearance, and it felt a lot more like I was watching a high-quality CGI film than a tech demo for a new game.

After the cinematic, we got a quick look at the new horse animations courtesy of Ciri's horse Kelpie, which the game's director, Sebastian Kalemba, explained is Ciri's equivalent to Geralt's trusty steed Roach. The demo showed Kelpie's model, which uses a series of realistic muscles that move underneath its skin as the horse runs. Shortly after, a quick exploration of Unreal Engine's new foliage technology showed that horses aren't the only thing getting a visual upgrade in The Witcher 4, but the natural world also looks far more realistic thanks to individually sculpted elements as minute as pine needles.

The tech demo catches back up with Ciri as she enters a town, which we can see is alive with NPCs going about their daily business. As a nice touch, one spits at Ciri's feet as she enters, driving home how despised witchers are among much of the general population. The demo then shows off the many ways that settlements in the game will feel more lifelike, thanks to the different events happening in the background, from big elements like a group of performers entertaining a crowd, to small interactions between merchants and their customers.

What Improvements Have Been Made Since Witcher 3?

The Witcher 4 Feels Much More Immersive

From a visual standpoint, everything shown in the Witcher 4 tech demo was much more detailed than in The Witcher 3. Character models feature a lot more intricate detail, allowing the game to blend seamlessly between gameplay and in-engine cutscenes (at least if the tech demo is a good indication for the final game). This is especially true for background characters, as a lot of effort was put into making every character as detailed as the game's principal cast.

The game also does a good job making Ciri feel like part of a larger world. I get the feeling that The Witcher 4 will be a more immersive experience than the previous game. Although I enjoyed The Witcher 3, the world around Geralt was simply a lifeless backdrop when you weren't directly involved in combat or dialogue. On subsequent playthroughs, the world can feel empty at times once you realize how little most NPCs matter. The level of detail and the new camera perspective shown off in The Witcher 4 seem to fix these issues.

The tech demo also makes it seem as though dialogue scenes may be a bit less static than they were in The Witcher 3. In the previous game, Geralt would typically just walk up to someone and begin a somewhat static dialogue scene that cut back and forth from the two speaking characters. This sometimes changes a bit, but this is usually reserved for interactions with major characters or big story moments. The brief snippet we get of Ciri talking with an NPC from the tech demo includes a lot more movement and expression from the characters.

It's hard to say yet if the game will improve on any specific gameplay features, since this tech demo didn't really show off any true gameplay. We also didn't get a look at, or even a mention of, any combat changes. While I'm sure Ciri will fight very differently than Geralt thanks to her powers, I'm interested to see what general changes are made to the game's mechanics as well.

Why You Should Be Excited For Witcher 4

The Witcher 4 Looks Like A Huge Step Forward, If Its Tech Demo Is Representative Of The Game

It's hard not to get excited about The Witcher 4 after seeing this tech demo, even if it isn't actual gameplay. The environments look beautiful, even photorealistic at times, which is always a bonus for an open-world game. Seeing that there are efforts being made to make the world and its inhabitants feel more alive is also a huge plus, since it will hopefully make the game feel a bit less empty than The Witcher 3. If this tech demo is representative of the final product, I can easily see it being a future GOTY contender.

Although I am very excited to play The Witcher 4 following this tech demo, I would also call it cautious optimism. It can be hard to forget what happened with Cyberpunk 2077, another CD Projekt Red game with a stunning tech demo that turned out to be far different when it actually launched. I would hope that the company has learned its lesson, and that this tech demo is much closer to the game we'll actually be playing, but it's still worth keeping in mind.

Source: Unreal Engine/YouTube