CD Projekt Red is responsible for creatingThe Witchergame series and the upcomingCyberpunk 2077, and both games feature a protagonist that serves as a kind of mercenary in their respective worlds. Geralt of Rivia is a Witcher, or monster hunter, inThe Witcherseries and V is an outlaw mercenary fromCyberpunk 2077, but both are looking to make some money.
Thematically speaking, Geralt of Rivia and V come from two very different worlds. TheCyberpunk 2077world is exactly what is sounds, high-tech and nearly lawless. The world ofThe Witcher, on the other hand, fits the description of a fantasy 14th century Europe. While the worlds separating the two franchises may be polar opposites, the main characters certainly aren’t.
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Establishing Geralt, The Witcher
A good start to the comparison would be to assess Geralt’s character. BecauseThe Witcherand its story is well established, there is already a ton of information on the titular character.Geralt solves monster problemsfor coin by being a highly trained and physically augmented human; he considers it his life’s purpose and sees no other alternative in how he should live his life. Geralt’s unique talents put him in all sorts of danger with everything from Alghouls to Zeugls just to get paid.
TheSchool of the Wolf is one of seven Witcherschools and it is what gave Geralt his abilities and training.The Witchergames touch upon the process that creates Witchers, but most of it is lost to the game’s history. Geralt will sometimes recount the days he spent in Kaer Morhen while he was training, but all Witcher’s experience great hardship and suffering when becoming Witchers. If the mutations don’t outright kill the trainees, the rigorous trials will.
Themutations seen inThe Witchergames are what give Witchers the advantage over their quarry. The mutations give some Witchers a keen intuitive sense backed up by enhanced reflexes to survive combat with monsters. They also provide a resistance to the toxic property of special witcher potions which grant anything from night vision to regeneration. Most notably, the mutations provide Witchers with the ability to cast basic magical spells to aid in diplomacy and combat. The Witchers are basically super soldiers that arguably mirror the mercenaries from Night City inCyberpunk 2077.
How V and Geralt Compare
Speaking ofCyberpunk 2077, V is the playable character that feels like a modern Witcher. Unlike Geralt of Rivia, V’sbackstory and character inCyberpunk 2077is driven by the character creator and ultimately controlled by the player. The way that V conducts his business as a mercenary is completely determined by the way the player plays, meaning there’s no streamlined personality to compare. However, there are quite a few similarities between the two characters.
It’s all about the credits inCyberpunk 2077,and being a mercenary inherently makes acquiring money one of V’s primary motivations. It’s not hard to draw this distinction between Geralt and V because both of their most defining traits is their occupation. V the merc andGeralt the Witcher are both like bounty hunterswhere one deals in Night City’s shady underworld and the other in monsters. Both V and Geralt don’t work for free, and anyone who goes back on a deal with them better be prepared for a fight.
Judging from the extreme modifications that can be seen in anytrailer forCyberpunk 2077, V understands augmentation. Practically every body part or human function can be altered in some way to give the user an advantage. These technological improvements must come at personal cost to the wearer and are essentially modernized Witcher mutations. The cybernetic enhancements work for and sometimes against their user, not unlike the risks involved with Witcher mutations. Super strength, night vision, and the ability to “hack” people are examples of powers available to mercenaries and Witchers.
Looking at trailers for Cyberpunk 2077, it is fair to assume that players who enjoyedThe Witcher 3: The Great Huntfrom 2015would be in their element playingCyberpunk 2077. V will essentially give players the ability to create the Geralt they always wanted to be.
Cyberpunk 2077launches on November 19 for PC, PS4, Stadia, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X versions are also in development.
