The Witcher 4 features another protagonist in the form of Ciri, but all indications are that CD Projekt RED intends to do things differently this time around. This includes giving the player more freedom and letting them express themselves more through gameplay and not just narrative.
In an interview with IGN director Sebastian Kalemba says that we will see more opportunities for expression through Ciri:
"We're giving] more tools for players' disposal, to be able to not only play and go with the consequences narratively, but also gameplay-wise. We want to give players more opportunities to be able to feel that they define their experience."
So how does that play out? In fact, Kalemba makes a comparison with Cyberpunk 2077, saying there were more gameplay options than in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt:
"I believe the gameplay [in Cyberpunk 2077] was more varied [than that in The Witcher 3] and it allowed more freedom when it comes to creating character builds and being able to experience encounters in your own way. This is something we definitely want to bring as a lesson [to The Witcher 4]. We want to improve on [The Witcher 3's] gameplay but also we want to improve the alignment of the way you will be able to explore the world."