Gwent is a well-developed and versatile card game that is likely to appear inThe Witcher 4. Its most powerful cards feature prominent characters from throughoutThe Witchergames, and give a one-line description and an image of that character. Gwent is mostly optional inThe Witcher 3, but it could go on to be used as a way to catch players up on the lore and characters ofThe Witcherin a way that’s more integrated than via codex or in-game books.
As Gwent includes an image, description, and a gameplay function for each card, along with various decks that are categorized into the different factions that appear inThe Witcherfranchise, updating players on the fates of the major characters ofThe Witcher 3through Gwent cards would be a possible avenue of storytelling forThe Witcher 4. This information shouldn’t be gate-locked behindsuccess at Gwent, but communicating interesting additional information through an interactive gameplay mechanic is often far more effective than through other, more passive means.
Gwent Offers Storytelling Through Visuals and Mechanics
There are many tools in storytelling, and one of the most effective ones is interactive storytelling. This is especially effective in video games, which are both a visual and interactive medium.The Witcher 4will likely have a player character who isn’t Geralt. Even if the new player character inThe Witcher 4is a character who was close to Geralt, such as Ciri, it would still likely have an entirely new cast of characters. Players entirely new toThe Witcherseries would likely be unfamiliar with the major characters of previous games.
This isn’t a new problem in video game storytelling, as games in series often have time skips or changing protagonists between games. There are a number of ways to address this information gap for new characters, often through codex entries or in-game books.The Witcherseries, however, hasGwent as a unique and visual way for new playersto learn about past beloved characters inThe Witcher, and for veteran players to reminisce about their favorites.
How Gwent’s Characteristics Could Tie Into Storytelling
Gwent’s Unique Characteristics Make It Perfect for Interactive Storytelling
Gwent is perfect for this purpose as it includes a visual component, a description of the character, a gameplay mechanic, and separates the cards into factions. This communicates vital information about characters who may have been important in shaping the political and historical landscape ofThe Witcher, but don’t appear in the new games. More powerful characters, such as members of the Lodge of Sorceresses, Geralt, and Yennefer, could berare Gwent cards to collect in-game, with powerful mechanics that are connected to their achievements and skills.
AsGwent is both optional and a separate mechanicfrom the main game, it provides an unobtrusive and interactive way to learn more about the lore and history ofThe Witcherfranchise. This can go beyond characters and can include monsters, factions, locations, and even significant political events. Gwent’s interactive nature is especially important, as it gives players agency and plays a role in getting them to engage with the material, as is typical with interactive storytelling.
Another function of Gwent could be to update players on the fates of certain characters fromThe Witcher 3. Major characters could have more than one version of a card, and possibly even belong to more than one faction, with different cards representing different periods of their lives. For example, Geralt could have a Gwent card that represents his youth while training to be a witcher at Kaer Morhen, the period just after he was named the Butcher of Blaviken, and his time during the events ofThe Witcher 3.
