General Impressions
The first gameplay footage of The Witcher 4, shown by CD Projekt RED, is a technical demo rather than a final game build. The demo was presented at the State of Unreal 2025 event and is designed to showcase the capabilities of Unreal Engine 5.6, marking the studio’s shift from their proprietary REDengine to Epic Games’ technology. The action takes place in the new region of Kovir, with Ciri as the main protagonist. The video demonstrates her journey through mountainous landscapes, dense forests, and a lively port city called Valdrest.

Strengths

• Visuals and Technology: The graphics are striking, with ray tracing and 60 FPS performance even on a base PlayStation 5. Technologies like Nanite Foliage and FastGeo Streaming enable highly detailed environments and seamless loading of large locations.
• Lifelike NPCs: The Mass AI system allows for hundreds of NPCs to behave autonomously, creating a bustling city square with street performers, merchants, and citizens reacting dynamically to Ciri’s actions.
• Animation Quality: The Unreal Animation Framework and ML Deformer provide highly realistic character and facial animations, reaching cinematic levels of expressiveness. Lip-sync and micro-expressions are synchronized with voice acting and context.
• Atmosphere: The city and world respond to player actions, time of day, and weather, giving the impression of a living, reactive environment.

Weaknesses

• Not Final Gameplay: The demo is a technical showcase, not representative of the final gameplay experience. Many mechanics, combat systems, and features are subject to change before release.
• Limited Action: While the demo hints at combat and exploration, it focuses more on technology and atmosphere than on showing actual gameplay depth or variety.
• Performance Demands: The high level of detail and advanced AI may require powerful hardware, raising concerns about optimization for all platforms5.

Key Details

• Ciri is officially the main character, taking over from Geralt. She is shown using Witcher signs, preparing potions, and fighting a monster with both sword and chain, but notably does not use her Elder Blood powers in the demo.
• The city of Valdrest is highlighted as a dynamic hub, with NPCs reacting to events and player choices, potentially opening or closing access to certain areas.
• The horse’s animations are also meticulously crafted, with muscle movements and realistic behavior.

Platforms
The Witcher 4 is being developed for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S. The release is not expected before 2027, as full development only began in late 2024.