WithThe Witcher Remakehaving been officially announced, fans are wondering how CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory will go about recreating the first game in the franchise. One thing the developer team can do is draw from features ofThe Witcher 3as that was the most recent game in the franchise, and it’s one that’s well-loved by the community.
From the combat to the game world, there are plenty of ways to modernize the originalWitcher. Doing so doesn’t just make it more accessible to new players, but also gives older fans a new way of experiencing the game. Overall, it makes the game feel a lot more streamlined and polished.
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The Witcher 3’s More Modern Combat Mechanics
First and foremost,The Witcher Remakeneeds to change upthe original game’s combat. The first game’s fighting mechanics have been described as rhythm game-esque because for the player to land hits on the enemy, they have to click at the right time. Additionally, they need to be using the right combat stance. Otherwise, Geralt’s attacks won’t work.
Admittedly, this system of combat is outdated, especially when compared toThe Witcher 3and evenThe Witcher 2. However, while there’s a need to modernize the system, that doesn’t have to mean doing away with the old game’s features completely. PerhapsThe Witcher Remakecan borrow thecombat mechanics ofThe Witcher 3but still retain there being three different attack styles. This makes combat less repetitive and more challenging, which is something players wanted more of inThe Witcher 3.
The Witcher 3’s Ability Point System
Another feature that needs tweaking inThe Witcher Remakeis the character progression system. In the originalWitcher, leveling up abilities required a resource known as talents, and there were three types – bronze talents, silver talents, and gold talents. This made it considerably more difficult for players to plot out their builds as they’d have to ration their different talents.
In contrast,The Witcher 3’s ability point systemis a lot simpler and streamlined. While it still pushes the player to plot out their use of ability points in advance, it’s nowhere near as complex as the system inThe Witcher. Instead of having different variations of ability points, the player can just focus on collecting the number of points they need for whatever build they choose. Because at the end of the day, more complex doesn’t always mean better.
DespiteThe Witcher 3’sless complex ability point system, it still poses a challenge given the limited number of points that the player can acquire in a single playthrough. Additionally, acquiring the abilities doesn’t make them take effect. Geralt still needs to “equip” them, meaning the player has to prioritize which abilities to use at any given time. This isone way forThe Witcher Remaketo prevent players from becoming too overpowered, though notably, some in the community aren’t too fond of the ability slot system.
The Witcher 3’s Mutagens
In addition to the altered character progression mechanics,The Witcher Remakeshould also implementThe Witcher 3’s mutagens. InThe Witcher 3’sability menu, the player has a number of extra slots specifically for mutagens. These are rare alchemical ingredients acquired from different monsters that amplify the effects of certain abilities. But to fully optimize them, the player has to match the right abilities to the right mutagen. Red mutagens bolster combat-based abilities; blue mutagens bolster sign-based abilities; and green mutagens bolster alchemy-based abilities.
TheoriginalWitchergame didn’t have a systemlike this, but it’d be a welcome addition. The mutagens provide an extra layer to character progression, which further encourages players to choose a build and commit to it. It also provides incentives for players to go out and search for mutagens, thus making monster contracts and exploration more worthwhile.
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The Witcher 3’s Open World
This feature is a bit difficult to navigate as some players like theopen world ofThe Witcher 3, while others much prefer the smaller, more controlled environments ofThe Witcher 1&2. That said, there’s a case to be made for the implementation of an open world inThe Witcher Remake. It doesn’t have to be as expansive as the game world ofThe Witcher 3. If anything, the developer could simply make past “levels” accessible even after their relevant chapters and quests have already been completed.
For example, upon reaching the latter chapters of the originalWitcher, Geralt would gain access to the walled city of Vizima. However, this would also bar the player from returning to the Outskirts of Vizima, where the preceding chapter took place. PerhapsThe Witcher Remakecan alter this, and allow Geralt to revisit past locations, much like howThe Witcher 3’sopen world lets the player travelback to Novigrad even after unlocking the Skellige Isles. It could even allow for new quests to showcase the consequences of the player’s actions in past chapters.
The Witcher 3’s Scavenger Hunts
Lastly, the originalWitcheralready had main quests, side quests, and even monster contracts, but it had no treasure hunt-type quests. Admittedly, many of thetreasure hunts inThe Witcher 3were more tedious than fun. However, the more enjoyable treasure hunt quests were no doubt the ones involving Witcher gear.
That said,The Witcher Remakecan implement something similar toThe Witcher 3’s treasure hunts for unique Witcher armor. These not only provide the player with powerful gear but are also a great avenue for world-building, giving players a fresh perspective of Vizima and its surrounding locations. However, the developer needs to be cautious in implementing these quests. The number of treasure hunts inThe Witcher Remakeshould not be as excessive as that ofThe Witcher 3. Otherwise, it runs the risk of becoming repetitive.
Overall, there are plenty offeatures inThe Witcher 3forThe Witcher Remaketo draw on. It doesn’t necessarily have to be a one-to-one copy of old elements. The developer can simply take inspiration from the things that have already worked before and try to improve them for the unique context ofThe Witcher. The right mix of old and new will no doubt result in a more modern and inspired recreation of the game that started it all.
The Witcher Remakeis in development.
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