CD Projekt's Next-Gen REDengine 3 Unveiled, With a Witcher 3 Tease?

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Richard Walker

CD Projekt is a studio that's more than just adept at creating incredible worlds with its tasty tech. It showed what it could do in The Witcher games, and now the Polish studio is showing off the REDengine 3, the next-generation ready successor to The Witcher 2's REDengine 2 that saw the game brought to Xbox 360.

Built expressly for "RPGs set in vast open-worlds with improved tools for spanning truly nonlinear stories that are based on real player choices and consequences," the REDengine 3 certainly looks impressive, as shown in a tantalising teaser image of what appears to be an unannounced fantasy title. The Witcher 3, perhaps? We wouldn't bet against it.

“If we look at RPGs nowadays we find two approaches, one which emphasizes the story but limits the game world and one that builds a vast open-world but hampers and simplifies the story. With the REDengine 3 we combine the positive aspects of both approaches for the first time, creating an open environment with a complex, multi-thread story," said Adam Badowski, head of CD Projekt RED studio, extolling the virtues of the new engine.

"Together with believable characters, a captivating tale and a world where players can roam freely without loading times, we will be able to move gaming to a new level with a realistic feel and full player immersion. When working on our previous titles, I didn’t dream that we would achieve something like this. Thanks to the support of all our fans, now we have the possibility to use REDengine 3 and create something many RPG fans dream of.”

CD Projekt's latest project, Cyberpunk 2077 will utilise the REDengine 3, with the aim of "creating immense universes filled with exciting, nonlinear adventures." Furthermore, the studio is looking to make RPGs using this advanced technology that will be "comparable to top-shelf shooters, both in terms of game world presentation and the epic proportions of events that the player is drawn into."

The REDengine 3 press release goes on to to talk about the lighting technology and other technical gubbins, but all you really need to know is that it's capable of rendering "state-of-the-art visuals form a living ecosystem allowing the player to be a part of a vivid environment" and will apparently bring us "closer to the most life-like world ever created in video games."

It all sounds too good to be true. Have a look at what the REDengine 3 can do in the teaser image below. Is it a screen grab from The Witcher 3? CD Projekt isn't saying either way.

Comments
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  • Witcher 2 is one of the games on my backlog, looks like I'll have to get around to that soon !
  • I am so in love with CDProjekt Red at the moment :)
  • The Witcher 2 was awesome! Everyone who likes RPGs should play it!
  • These guys are awesome. Great developers who listen to their community. Fantastic attitude towards not only the mainstream console market, but also (and more importantly imho) a love for the PC market, and one of the best and most sensible attitudes towards anti-piracy that I've seen in *years*. Excellent studio with a real grasp on the market and what gamers actually want, instead of what the beancounters think they want. Really, really cool.
  • CD Projekt can do no wrong, in them we trust. The fact that this engine is DESIGNED for open world environments and non-linear storylines... sounds like my perfect game if you ask me.
  • Great stuff. Love this dev more and more as I hear more from them. @1 Witcher 2 really is a great game, takes some getting into but it truly is a rewarding experience once you do. Would love to see the port of the first one finally make it onto 360.
  • The Witcher 2 still sits on my shelf unplayed. I really should get around to playing it, but I agree, RPGs do deserve a space right up there with the best Shooters. They've just got to be done right.
  • I'm looking forward to see what they reveal in 4 days. The Witcher games, and CDPR in general, is fantastic.
  • Screenshot looks great, I enjoyed the Witcher 2 minus the pretty dull combat. Looking fwd to 3 though :)
  • CDProjekt are just getting better and better. Still need to get around to Witcher 2! Haven't got it on Xbox, but I refuse to start the PC version until I actually finish the first.. I'm a bad person :( @4 You get a thumbs up just for the Richard pic.. can't seem to find it on the UK Marketplace though :(
  • The Witcher 2 is great action RPG game last year but Kingdoms of Amaluar Reckoning is Action RPG Game of the Year last year in my opinion. I really want to see The Witcher returns with much improves for combats, maybe have more open world then semi-open world in The Witcher 2. :P The Witcher 2 defo fun and great also one of best Action RPG around in recent of years. :D As first comment, you want backlog this game. You must play it once you ready to play it. :D
  • Come on CDPR, remind Biwoare what real RPGs are.
  • A great Developer, and hit the mark with Witcher 2. Onlyplayer it a little bit, but I intend to get stuck into it very soon. Beautifully crafted game, and well worth the time investment.
  • Does this upset you BioWare? To know your place is to be so easily replaced? Enjoy making your cookie-cutter shooter games while all the RPG fans move en mass to CD Prokect Red. Viva La Revolution!
  • I like how they pretty much call out their two biggest RPG competitors. I hope these guys are ready to deliver. The story of a BioWare game, combined with the open worldness of a Bethesda game, and we're easily looking at game of the year.
  • Witcher 2 has an awesome sex scene! I love Triss.
  • I have sooo much time for CDPR as a developer, they are one of the few who try to do things properly, not milking their customers and actually showing appreciation for their fans. They do not take us for granted and try to milk our nipples like the developers who are EA, Activision and Ubisoft's bitches. They make high quality games with a meaningful interesting narrative and do not pander to the mass dumb casual market. They really are top class. Bioware used to be similar but they are now dead and rotting from the core as they are scum, the founders even abandoned ship. CDPR are the new improved Bioware making games of higher quality than Bioware could ever imagine. Bioware is dead and rotting from the EA cancer that has clung onto them. Long live independent CDPR!!!!
  • Four more days until they officially announce it, I can't wait.
  • Then start adding coop play, the ratio between sp rpg and mp rpgs on the 360 is shite. Alot of basement dwellers are gonna hate but i rather play a rpg with friends over a sp one
  • @19 Here ladies and gentleman we have a casual fool. Great story driven RPG's are never co-op or multiplayer. Please go back to playing COD or the ''new and improved'' Bioware.
  • @19 - How would co-op fit into a Witcher game? You play as Geralt. Having two Geralts running around would be stupid.
  • @21 you could play as his cock and Fuck everything in side
  • Until I can make my own character, Witcher will never top Bioware and Bethesda for me. I hate the protagonist in Witcher. I still like the game (TW2, at least), but they have a long way to go IMO to prove they are on the level of the others, forget surpassing them.
  • And yes, I'm aware Geralt IS Witcher, I meant to say CDPR games generally.
  • Amazing game...The Witcher 3 hurry up already.
  • @23 The character creator is useless, if the story doesn't live up to expectations. The Witcher is far beyond anything Bioware will release in the next years.
  • @26 I agree only to an extent. I would say both are important, but that a story is equally useless (to me at least) if I don't care about the protagonist. For all the faults of ME and DA, I cared more about my Shepard and Hawke than I do about Geralt despite technically better writing in Witcher, and in the end that counts for a lot with me.
  • Amazing company!
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