I’m grateful The Witcher 4 isn’t following this annoying RPG trend — a key Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher 3 policy lives on with the sequel

by

Video game design has experienced significant evolution since its inception in the 1970s, with perhaps no genre demonstrating this growth more than Role-Playing Games (RPGs). The basic, primitive design concepts of yesteryear have been replaced by greater depth and complexity, leading to immersive roleplaying experiences featuring expansive, detailed worlds, captivating narratives, and a multitude of solutions for player interactions, fostering creativity and freedom.

Although some outdated patterns persist, one of which continues to be the overuse of fetch quests. Essentially, these repetitive tasks require players to collect certain items and hand them over to a character in the game, usually leading to mundane chores that offer little connection to the story or opportunities for roleplaying.

It’s reassuring to know that the game developer CD PROJEKT RED intends to follow a ‘no fetch quest’ approach for their upcoming RPG title, The Witcher 4.

In an interview with GamesRadar+, the narrative director Philipp Weber expressed that a quest should always be engaging and worth the player’s time. He emphasized the importance of being fully immersed in the task at hand, forgetting about work or taxes, and enjoying a story or some other rewarding experience. This fundamental principle remains unchanged, he stated.

For CD PROJEKT RED, that “rule” or policy in their RPG game design has been fundamental for quite some time, evident in their works such as The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt (2015) and more recently, Cyberpunk 2077 (2020). Despite having my own concerns with both titles – I felt the combat in The Witcher 3 was rather shallow, and the open world of Cyberpunk didn’t live up to the hype regarding exploration – one aspect that has consistently stood out is their exceptional approach to quest design.

Both The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 received widespread acclaim for minimizing fetch quests, and in the unusual instances where they did appear, they were usually tied to captivating side characters or intriguing storylines. In addition, their main quests were not only more immersive and imaginative but also frequently featured seemingly straightforward beginnings that led to unexpected turns, complex predicaments, and thought-provoking decisions.

Such tasks are the ones that your mind continues to ponder upon even after you’ve finished them, and the numerous ones found in CD PROJEKT RED’s games keep players coming back for more long after their initial release. Crafting these requires a tremendous amount of work – Weber mentioned designers came up with “10 times as many concepts as those that made it into the game” during brainstorming sessions – but it ultimately proves worthwhile, helping the games stand out from much of the competition.

In my opinion, fetch-style quests that shine with simplicity can serve a purpose in certain situations; they offer an enjoyable, effortless experience when you want to immerse yourself in a game world and pass some leisure time without engaging in anything overly challenging. However, RPGs should not be overly dependent on these types of quests. I’m pleased that developers like CD PROJEKT RED (as well as studios such as Warhorse Studios, the creators of Kingdom Come: Deliverance 2) are either minimizing their use or omitting them entirely in their games.

While there’s no specific launch date for The Witcher 4 yet, we do know that it’s not expected before the end of 2026. A recent demonstration using Unreal Engine 5 revealed that the game will indeed include the Northern Kingdom of Kovir. The much-awaited role-playing game is planned for release on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and PlayStation 5.

Unfortunately, we’ll have to be patient before walking in Ciri’s footsteps, but fortunately, you can pass the time by playing The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 instead. Right now, The Witcher 3: Complete Edition is available for only $13.19 at CDKeys, while the Ultimate Edition of Cyberpunk 2077 is selling for $35.69 at the same store; these are excellent deals that come with the full game and all DLC.

Read More

2025-06-30 23:09