Mystery girl Ciri joins The Witcher 3 as new playable lead
Where previous games have exclusively dropped players into the boots of Geralt of Rivia, The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt includes a new playable character: a mysterious white-haired young woman named Ciri.
"A descendant in a long-lost Elven-blood lineage, Ciri plays an important role in the Witcher lore - a powerful, living weapon capable of both healing and destroying the world she inhabits," reads developer CD Projekt RED's official description. "As Ciri is pursued by the Wild Hunt, a cavalcade of ghastly riders capable of unspeakable destruction, as well as the mighty Empire of Nilfgaard, it's down to Geralt to explore The Witcher 3's vast, open world to find her before anyone else does." The studio remains largely coy on what Ciri brings to combat, though it does note that she's an agile swordfighter with short-range teleportation abilities and a dark, possibly cataclysmic secret.
Though Ciri brings a novel face to the series, CD Projekt RED stresses that Geralt is still the star of The Witcher 3. "Adding Ciri as a playable character unlocks quite a few narrative possibilities for the team, though while Ciri is a major character, she is not a playable character in the same way as Geralt - the game is still about him, his story and how you, as the player, choose to face the choices and encounters in front of you," the developer stated.
How the presence of a female protagonist might affect the series' traditionally libertine approach to nudity is unknown, but the developer claims more information on Ciri's role in The Witcher 3 is coming shortly. Barring further delays, The Witcher 3 is slated to reach the Xbox One, PlayStation 4 and PC on May 19.
[Image: CD Projekt RED]
Show full PR text
Today CD Projekt RED revealed details about previously-hinted-at playable character. We now know who she is: Ciri, the ashen-haired girl from an ancient prophecy. A descendant in a long-lost Elven-blood lineage, Ciri plays an important role in the Witcher lore -- a powerful, living weapon capable of both healing and destroying the world she inhabits.
As Ciri is pursued by the Wild Hunt, a cavalcade of ghastly riders capable of unspeakable destruction, as well as the mighty Empire of Nilfgaard, it's down to Geralt to explore The Witcher 3's vast, open world to find her before anyone else does.
With such a deep and developed plot, CD Projekt RED decided that introducing another character and telling parts of the story from her perspective would greatly benefit the overall experience. Adding Ciri as a playable character unlocks quite a few narrative possibilities for the team, though while Ciri is a major character, she is not a playable character in the same way as Geralt -- the game is still about him, his story and how you, as the player, choose to face the choices and encounters in front of you.
Ciri boasts exceptional swordfighting abilities, as well as several unique skills that will gradually unlock as you play. She's fast and agile, she can blink (as seen in the Elder Blood trailer), but -- most importantly -- there's something dormant in her, a mythical power, but we'll say more about that in the future.
