Just a bit less than a week prior to CD Projekt RED's next big announcement (The Witcher 3), they decided to slip in another big announcement. Here's our first look at the studio's new in-house engine, REDengine3, which they claim is designed to bring a new level of realism to non-linear, open world RPGs. The third iteration on the studio's engine, and something both CD Projekt RED and all gamers the world over can be excited for.

The original REDengine was what The Witcher 2 was built on, and it's follow-up REDengine 2, was what brought the expansive RPG from the powerful PC to the relatively antiquated Xbox 360. REDengine3, however, will be a large step forward. CD Projekt RED claims the engine will put RPGs on par with "top-shelf shooters" in terms of gameplay presentation and the "epic proportions of events."

Designed specifically for open-world adventures and non-linear storytelling, the goal of REDengine3 is to provide more than just the frame of a world, but a living ecosystem. This includes extensive tools to allow for realistic body animations, facial gestures and the expression of emotions. 

Adam Badowski, head of CD Projekt RED, offered the following quote:

"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. 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."

While you can't discount a bit of exaggeration for the sake of marketing, if the relatively down-to-Earth head of CD Projekt RED is saying he never dreamed of what the new engine would achieve when compared to The Witcher 2... that's saying something. The Witcher 2 is, simply put, one of the most beautifully realized RPG experiences ever created. 

Seriously, February 5 and the assumed announcement and reveal of The Witcher 3 can't come soon enough. Also, who do we throw money at to get Cyberpunk 2077 developed a little bit faster? All of my money.