CD Projekt Red has recently given Cyberpunk 2077 fans several reasons to smile. After having released the long-awaited gameplay showed behind-closed-doors at E3 2019 (albeit a much-shortened version), the studio went live on Twitch and revealed tons of details about the hotly anticipated game. Below are some of the many interesting details CD Projekt Red shared about the game.
One of the first major details shared about gameplay style in Cyberpunk 2077 long before this outpour of information was that the player will have to pick between a handful of ‘archetypes.’ Archetypes are character skill setups that act as building blocks for unique character playstyles. CD Projekt Red has revealed that although players will have to pick a specific archetype, they won’t be limited to using the skills of those archetypes.
Players will be free to create hybrid archetypes as they progress through the game. Developers also mentioned they tried to establish methods to not ‘punish’ players for playing the game a certain way. Unlike archetypes, however, ‘Life Paths’ (a game mechanic that establishes V’s [the game’s lead character] origins/background at the beginning of the game) noticeably influences the story from the beginning when chosen until the end and cannot be changed throughout the game.
The game’s quests will thrust the player into a series of events where he/she will have the liberty to assess situations and advance accordingly. Different gameplay methods can be applied to get past a situation; at times, a player could even bypass a situation entirely. Throughout the game, players will have to make decisions (such as to kill or not to kill an antagonist), and the decisions will have a sometimes profound impact going forward in the game.
Sometimes, the consequences will influence, not just the current quest but also, the story. The effect of consequences is an aspect of the game that the developers at CD Projekt Red have been pushing designers to get very creative and innovative with.
Night City’s districts are very different, and each one has its dominant gang. The districts have been designed as such (with the input of actual city planners) to be cosmetically varied and as a tool to aid the player in navigation across the relatively ‘small’ but tightly packed map. An additional method of navigation in Night City is vehicles. There are cars, bikes, and other interesting vehicle types that CD Projekt Red didn’t want to disclose. The many different vehicles will have to be purchased throughout the game.
Night City will have “fixers,” NPCs that that V could interact with and complete tasks and side quests for, some of these jobs/quests are street stories (longer than just a sole quest.)
The player’s character will be able to equip and enhance some cool tech, referred to as Cyberware, that will enable the player to have specific abilities and perks. Cyberware ranges from player upgrades (such as the ability to move quicker or slow to slow down time) to melee weapons. Weapons come in three categories: smart, tech, and power weapons.
CD Projekt Red also shared an update on the game’s character creation and customization. For the game to be more inclusive, the developers have completely done away with the option to create a binary – male or female – character. Players will be free to mix and match physical characteristics to their liking.
With this extremely ambitious game, CD Projekt Red seems to be going all out to deliver a spectacular experience that may very well go down as one of the best games of the generation (if the hype and incredible pre-release impressions are to be believed).
Watch the newly released gameplay below:
