One of the most talked-about things regarding CD Projekt Red’s currently top secret project called Project Hadar has to be the new clues about the gameplay of the studio’s third confirmed AAA title. One of the requirements in a call for a Senior Gameplay Designer position is that the suitable candidate should have the experience of RPG and action games, where the fight is melee-based. From the given information, it appears that there will be a considerable change from the typical first-person, and gun-heavy gameplay of Cyberpunk 2077, and also maybe the return or upgrade of the close-quarters fighting in The Witcher series.
CD Projekt RED is not only acclaimed for its meticulously built open worlds, but also for compelling stories and player choice-heavy role-playing systems. However, it has been noted that, among other things, combat mechanics have regularly been a topic of discussion in The Witcher community. The Witcher games, though heavily reliant on plot, featured a distinctive third-person melee combat system. On the other hand, Cyberpunk 2077 is implemented as a first-person perspective, and the result is a combat style that emphasizes the use of firearms, even if there are melee options. Going back to using a melee for Project Hadar may have been a conscious decision design-wise that could have a significant impact on the overall mood and place of this fresh intellectual property.
The truth of the matter is that Project Hadar is quite a big unknown, a new story, and completely apart from the better-known The Witcher 4 and the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. The way it was unveiled in advance through a call for applications matches CD Projekt Red’s modus operandi of announcing projects way before their final release. On the other hand, it will probably take years or more before the development process results in tight enough details about Hadar’s location, storyline, and the actual name of the title. However, even so, the first indication of such a deep accent on melee really sets the tone of the future in combat design and gives us a sneak peek of the work from a studio known for its ambitious and ever-changing game worlds.
