CD Projekt RED kicked off the latest State of Unreal by debuting a new trailer for The Witcher 4, starting with a carriage under attack by a Manticore. It’s not long before Ciri arrives on the scene, which segues into her venturing to Valdrest. Check out the tech showcase below, which is running at 60 FPS on PS5 with ray tracing.
Like Geralt, she has a dedicated steed known as Kelpie. Using multi-character motion matching, Ciri and Kelpie move perfectly in sync, and you’ll see realistic muscles and skin stretching on Kelpie’s skin. The developer also highlights Unreal Engine 5.6’s Nanite Foliage for the forest.
As for Valdrest, it’s incredibly detailed, with various NPCs going about their business. The responsiveness is also noteworthy – bumping into someone carrying fruits will cause them to spill, each rendered individually. Ciri eventually meets her contact, who had some business with the destroyed coach and inquires about the Manticore.
The team discusses the use of MetaHuman and Chaos Flesh alongside the implementation of a new animation framework with over 300 skeletal mesh agents. Interestingly, there’s still some room to allow for performance. The showcase closes with Ciri overlooking another city and chasing the Manticore.
The Witcher 4 doesn’t have a release window or platforms, so stay tuned for more details.
