The only demonstration of Cyberpunk 2077 gameplay took place in June 2018 at E3 (free access recording in August). In a recent interview for a Spanish resource chief quest designer Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz noted that since that time the game has changed markedly. Most likely, it will be possible to evaluate the efforts of the developers in June: according to him, the studio will show something “cool” at E3 2019.
Tomashkevich emphasized that the basic features of Cyberpunk 2077 remained the same: it is still an RPG with a first-person view, a gloomy open world, an emphasis on story and mission variability. But in general, the current build is much more similar to what the studio is aiming for. From past interviews, we know that this also applies to the structure of missions: in March, senior quest designer Philipp Weber (Philipp Weber) and level designer Miles Tost (Miles Tost) that quests have become more branched.
“We are constantly polishing [Cyberpunk 2077], thinking about how to make it more interesting, how to make the gameplay even more impressive,” he continued. — The demo version presented in 2018 was a small part of the game. Then it was not too clear how the open world was implemented and how it all fit into the big picture. We're currently working on a lot of features that haven't been shown yet. I would say that the current form of the game is quite different from what you saw last year.
Developers more than once that the first-person view is needed primarily for deeper immersion. Tomashkevich also believes that this is not just an additional element introduced for the sake of battles. That feature is based on "a large number of mechanics" that will be demonstrated in the future. At the same time, he assured that a lot of attention is paid to the combat system. “We try to make combat mechanics interesting and enjoyable,” he said. “We also have a wide variety of weapons in our game, which I think will make it stand out from the rest. If you remember, there were smart rifles in the demo. I almost never saw this in shooters.
According to Tomashkevich, the shooting mechanics of Cyberpunk 2077 are something between a realistic shooter and an arcade. “It's still an RPG, so the game has a lot of characteristics,” he explained. - Enemies also have parameters. Of course, everything will not be as believable as in some shooter about the Second World War, when you are killed with one shot, but at the same time it will not go down to the arcade level, as in the games that you cited as an example [the journalist called Borderlands and - approx.]. Here you need to use cover - you can't just jump and avoid the opponents. However, there is an alternative way to fight - for example, with the katana you saw last year. In this case, the battles become more arcade-like. But overall, it's somewhere in between."
Speaking about personal sources of inspiration that are reflected in Cyberpunk 2077, Tomashkevich named Vampire: The Masquerade - Bloodlines. It is similar to the iconic 2004 RPG in terms of its use of a first-person perspective, non-linearity, and dialogue design. “For me, this is the perfect example of a first-person game and an RPG in general,” he admitted. The designer was also heavily influenced by The Elder Scrolls series and the original Deus Ex.
Describing the gameplay as a whole, the leader focused on decisions and their consequences. “Everything you do matters,” he said. — […] In terms of gameplay, [Cyberpunk 2077] offers a lot of freedom. It lets you play the way you want." Characters are also of great importance: the manager believes that many of them will be remembered by gamers for a long time.
The designer also talked about what CD Projekt RED wants to achieve with Cyberpunk 2077. “I've always seen games as an opportunity to try new things, to push existing boundaries,” he said. For example, when we developed , we were told that a pronounced narrative component could not be combined with a full-fledged open world. We took it as a challenge and we managed to achieve the impossible. With Cyberpunk 2077, we are moving in the same direction, and also trying to achieve a deeper immersion. We pay great attention to the variety and non-linearity of the gameplay. This project will be the biggest step for us. [CD Projekt RED] is full of people who can do something that no one has seen before, instead of repeating after others. Personally, I would say that this is our goal.”
Although during the last meeting with investors, developers that they would like to bring Cyberpunk 2077 to next-gen consoles if the opportunity presents itself, Tomashkevich said the studio is focusing on PC and console versions of this generation. On the systems of the next cycle, he believes, it’s “still too early” (although the first official details about the new PlayStation ). They are also not thinking about supporting Google Stadia and releasing DLC yet - all their efforts are thrown into the creation of the main game and Gwent: The Witcher Card Game.
When asked about the release date, the designer replied with the expected phrase: "It will be released when it is ready." According to unofficial sources (for example, , one of the CD Projekt RED partners, or ), will premiere later this year.
Source: 3dnews.ru