The original Witcher was first released in 2007 for PC. The game has, unfortunately, aged quite poorly for a myriad of reasons. However, CD Projekt Red plans to reawaken the community’s love for the original Witcher game as the company recently announced its intentions to release a remake. If anything, The Witcher Remake should improve the original game’s combat, taking the outdated mechanics and reworking them for a more modern game.
It’s unclear when The Witcher Remake will be released, but it’s certainly gotten fans of the IP excited. If CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory want to impress the community, the companies definitely need to improve the combat, among other things. Perhaps the developer can emulate certain features from The Witcher 3 while still innovating on the old system.
Reimagining Combat for The Witcher Remake
The Witcher did not age well – that’s for sure. As the first title in the series, its gameplay and storyline are very different when compared to The Witcher 3. One of its most dated features, however, is undoubtedly the combat. It involved three fighting styles that the player had to choose from when fighting specific enemies. Not only that, but the controls also weren’t the usual sword fighting mechanics players grew accustomed to in The Witcher 2 and 3.
Instead of Geralt swinging with every click of a button, the player needed to adhere to the game’s internal rhythm. In other words, they had to click at the designated times, which was signaled by the cursor changing in shape. Failing to do so would interrupt Geralt’s combo. This particular mechanic was one of the biggest reasons why fans of The Witcher series couldn’t (or wouldn’t) play the first game.
CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory can change this perception, however. The Witcher Remake simply needs to modernize its combat mechanics. Obviously, the rhythm game aspect needs to go and be replaced with a system more like The Witcher 3’s combat. This would get rid of the community’s biggest gripe with the original Witcher game, ensuring that more players give the remake a shot.
That said, The Witcher Remake doesn’t have to copy The Witcher 3’s combat entirely. The developer can – and should – innovate on the most recent combat system, especially since many players have said that it’s not quite as complex as they’d wanted it to be. Fool’s Theory could even try implementing more Soulslike combat in The Witcher. Doing so would make the combat feel much better and up the challenge for particularly competitive players.
Alternatively, The Witcher Remake could draw from the original title. As mentioned earlier, The Witcher’s combat system involved picking from three different attack styles – the Strong Style, the Fast Style, and the Group Style. The Strong Style is often used against hulking or armored opponents. Meanwhile, the Fast and Group Styles are for smaller, weaker opponents. The Witcher Remake could make its combat more varied and challenging by reworking these mechanics into the new system.
At the end of the day, CD Projekt Red and Fool’s Theory need to create a more modern, player-friendly system that players – both new and old – can pick up and enjoy. This demands reworking The Witcher’s combat as well as potentially innovating on The Witcher 3’s. This will undoubtedly bring in more players and help fans appreciate the original titles in the series. Additionally, it’s a great way to prepare for the release of The Witcher 4 or the newest title in a new Witcher saga. Regardless, fans of The Witcher series have plenty to be excited about.
The Witcher Remake is currently in development.