Witcher 3: Why You Should Never Take Ciri To The Brothel
Those exploring the world of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt may want to consider keeping Ciri away from the brothel located in Novigrad, but not just because of the nature of such an establishment. This is due to a bug that still exists and can be triggered when playing as Ciri during one of the game's flashback sequences. This particular bug in The Witcher 3 could perhaps best be described as horrifying, and while it won't exactly break the game, it may well make it impossible for some players to continue with.
In a game as sprawling and grand in scale as The Witcher 3, it's all but impossible for developers to eliminate every glitch that arises. New bugs are still being discovered by the community to this day, nearly seven years after the official launch of the RPG title. While many of The Witcher 3's most prominent bugs have long been patched, there are quite a few that remain in the game.
Some glitches in The Witcher 3, like the one that sees random characters begin to levitate and dance in mid-air, are comical and have no impact on a playthrough. Others, like Witcher 3's profitable Pang of Conscience money glitch, can be extremely useful for acquiring crowns and eliminating any financial limitations Geralt may face when exploring the expensive crafting system. However, this glitch involving Ciri, Geralt, and the Novigrad brothel could be placed into a category all its own: nightmare fuel.
Immediately upon completing the main quest titled "A Poet Under Pressure," a new quest that sees Ciri as the player character begins. The quest is called "Ciri's Story: Breakneck Speed" and it picks up right where the previous flashback sequence left off, with Ciri emerging from Whorson Junior's hideout. In Breakneck Speed, Ciri must escape the rest of Whoreson Junior's henchmen and find a way to flee towards Temple Isle.
Instead of fleeing, players can jump to an adjacent overhanging roof and scale the buildings until they land safely on the other side of the closed gate. This leaves them free to explore the city of Novigrad in The Witcher 3, temporarily breaking out of the flashback and re-entering the fully open world. One easily accessible location nearby just so happens to be the Novigrad brothel. As tempting as it may be to visit the establishment while playing as Ciri just to see what transpires, it's strongly recommended that players resist the urge to do so.
Upon speaking to a worker at the brothel, a shirtless Geralt will reappear for the cutscene and dialogue options, leaving Ciri awkwardly standing by while Geralt attempts to conduct business. Should players decide to purchase a night at the brothel, a romance scene then ensues that sees a twisted fusion of both Geralt and Ciri participating in the act. Once complete, Geralt exits the room, but the bizarre character model composed of Geralt's scantily clad body combined with Ciri's head and face remains.
Not only is this bug more terrifying than any of The Witcher 3's monsters, but it also appears to be irreversible on the given save file. Once triggered, the disturbing new character model will remain as the player character for the duration of the playthrough. Loading up previous saves where the Ciri character model is intact and then returning to the bugged file doesn't appear to reverse the glitch, so those looking to experience this firsthand should be aware that it's potentially permanent. For the time being, it may be best to stick with officially released alternate character appearances in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, as this one is best observed from afar.