CD Projekt Red confirmed the development of a new game inThe Witcherseries back in March 2022. However, despite a few updates regarding its development, a release date is yet to be confirmed. According to CDPR, fans should not expect one before 2025. Even if the game itself gets revealed, it would likely be months or years before it actually comes out, so until then,Witcherfans are going to need a cushion to fall back on.
There are manyfantasy RPGsthat the community can turn to while waiting forTheWitcher 4, includingSkyrimandBaldur’s Gate 3. However, these games are not an exact match forWitcher’s fanbase, which is used to CDPR’s approach to lore and gameplay. While there’s always an option to playTheWitcher 3: Wild Huntagain, at this point, the community craves something new, and that’s whereAlkahestcomes into the picture.
Alkahest Follows a Lot of Gameplay Elements Similar to The Witcher
WhileAlkahesthas its own identity as a game, it’s difficult not to compare it withTheWitcher.The game’s trailer could easily be mistaken as a cinematic cutscene fromTheWitcherwith similar environments, characters, and even soundtracks. The main difference in gameplay is the first-person perspective as compared to theWitcher’s third-person view. Although it’s unclear whether the trailer depicts actual gameplay, the similarities are enough to thatWitcherfans should get excited forAlkahest.
Some notable moments in the trailer depict the characters pouring oil onto their swords and drinking a potion before battle, which is a familiar cue for anyWitcherfan. It looks very similar to planning and preparing before battle as players do inTheWitcher. Secondly,Alkahest’s synopsis states that alchemy will play a significant role in the gameplay, similar toTheWitcher, where drinking potions before fighting monsters and otherwise using alchemy are major aspects of the lore.
Combat Freedom and Creativity Is Alkahest’s Focus
Alkahestclaims to deliver dynamic combat, which is in line with its spiritual predecessor,Dark Messiah of Might and Magic.The game will incentivize thinking outside the box and outsmarting the enemies with clever ideas, like dropping a wooden ledge on an enemy by breaking its supports. Although this style of combat isabsent fromThe Witcher 3,it could be a good change of pace for fans while hoping forTheWitcher 4to bring some of the same new exciting dynamics.
Alkahest’s Developer Knows What It’s Doing
Push On, the studio behindAlkahest,is composed of industry veterans who worked on games likeDishonoredandDark Messiah of Might and Magic.The game is also officially advertised as a spiritual predecessor toDark Messiah, anaction RPGknown for its witty combat and replay value, and with these developers, there’s hope thatAlkahestcan deliver on that.
The studio has also revealed that it hopes to address issues that fans ofopen-world RPGshave been complaining about, regarding worlds with repetitive and bloated content. Because of that,Alkahestwillonly require around 15GB of storage space but still deliver an immersive world with branching gameplay. It intends to focus on ensuring every decision causes a big impact, rather than serving up massive amounts of shallow activities and quests that do not contribute to the lore or story in a meaningful way. All in all,Alkahestmight just be a safe best forWitcherfans right now, especially as they count days down to the far-off release ofThe Witcher 4.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt
WHERE TO PLAY
You are Geralt of Rivia, mercenary monster slayer. Before you stands a war-torn, monster-infested continent you may explore at will. Your current contract? Tracking down Ciri — the Child of Prophecy, a living weapon that can alter the shape of the world.PLAY AS A HIGHLY TRAINED MONSTER SLAYER FOR HIRETrained from early childhood and mutated to gain superhuman skills, strength, and reflexes, witchers are a counterbalance to the monster-infested world in which they live.Gruesomely destroy foes as a professional monster hunter armed with a range of upgradeable weapons, mutating potions, and combat magic. Hunt down a wide variety of exotic monsters, from savage beasts prowling mountain passes to cunning supernatural predators lurking in the shadowy back alleys of densely populated cities. Invest your rewards to upgrade your weaponry and buy custom armor, or spend them on horse races, card games, fist fighting, and other pleasures life brings.EXPLORE A MORALLY AMBIGUOUS FANTASY OPEN WORLDBuilt for endless adventure, the massive open world of The Witcher sets new standards in terms of size, depth, and complexity. Traverse a fantastical open world: explore forgotten ruins, caves, and shipwrecks, trade with merchants and dwarven smiths in cities, and hunt across the open plains, mountains, and seas. Deal with treasonous generals, devious witches, and corrupt royalty to provide dark and dangerous services. Make choices that go beyond good & evil, and face their far-reaching consequences.
