Developers from the CD Projekt RED studio continue to talk about Cyberpunk 2077 on Twitter and interviews with various publications. In a conversation with a Polish resource quest director Mateusz Tomaszkiewicz Fresh details on Keanu Reeves' character, radio stations, transportation, world religions, and more. At the same time, lead quest designer Paweł Sasko told the Australian website something new about the structure of story branching and how the game differs in that regard from .
Tomashkevich said that negotiations with Reeves began about a year ago. A special team came to the United States and showed the actor a demo, which he really liked, after which a contract was signed. The performer of the role of Johnny Silverhand (Johnny Silverhand) was chosen very quickly: "a rock musician and a rebel who fights for his ideas and is ready to give his life for them," immediately reminded the Poles of Reeves' heroes, including John Wick (John Wick). For a long time, information about the participation of the star remained a secret for many employees of CD Projekt RED - only the people responsible for motion capture and voice acting knew about it. Thus, leaks were prevented (although this spring, vague rumors about the participation of a certain celebrity still spread on the Web). The secret was revealed effectively: the whole team was shown a video recorded by Reeves himself.
Silverhand will accompany the hero for most of the game as a "digitized personality". But Tomashkevich emphasized that this is not just a companion: this character has an important role in the plot. The user will have to build a relationship with him. “Sometimes he will appear, just to say a few words about what is happening, sometimes you can chat with him on some topics and even argue,” the developer explained. “Your behavior in such conversations will influence the further development of events.”
Silverhand, as well as his rock band Samurai, are borrowed from the Cyberpunk 2020 board game. At the time when the events of Cyberpunk 2077 take place, no one (including the main character) knows what happened to him and whether he is even alive. “Someone claims to have seen him, but no one believes these rumors,” Tomashkevich said. V will be able to meet other members of the band in person.
The interviewer asked Tomashkevich about the veracity regarding participation in the Lady Gaga project. The developer only laughed in response and said that the players "will see everything for themselves." You can not expect any details on this matter, but it is quite obvious that the authors have something to hide.
The quest director also noted that the game, by and large, will not lead the user by the hand, but the creators deliberately simplify some moments. In the studio, this issue is discussed during the work on each project. Developers always try to implement something "in between", striving to make the game "accessible to those who play it just for the sake of the story." In side quests, they will give more freedom: for example, in some you need to find some person on your own with virtually no clues, using optical augmentations and augmented reality instead of witcher's instincts. Promised and secrets that are especially difficult to find.
According to Sasko, the story branching system in Cyberpunk 2077 is better implemented than in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. The authors pay special attention to the transitions between stories - they should be natural, seamless. In addition, the developers have created a new, more advanced scene system.
“Just like in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, the story will branch, and these storylines built around key characters (like quests related to the Bloody Baron) will lead you to separate quests,” Sasko explained. - As you complete missions, you will meet different NPCs. Some can be romanced, but only if they're interested in you, which isn't always the case. Depends on who you are, what you do, etc.
“We built the scene system from scratch,” Sasko continued. — Players admitted that the similar system in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt was one of the most advanced in the history of video games, but we have made a new one, even more impressive. You will want to walk around the city just to observe what is happening around you. Imagine: you talked with Placid (Placide), after that he moved away to talk with a woman, then turned to the merchant. You will be surrounded by some people [going about their business]. All this is possible thanks to our new system, which connects such scenes seamlessly.”
Recently, the developers allowed the representatives of the Polish press to play a fresh demo. Some , as well as information disclosed by the creators themselves, you will find below.
- player buy garages for multiple vehicles, including cars and motorcycles. You can enter into a dialogue with the NPC without getting up from the driver's seat;
- each transport has a radio that allows you to listen to radio stations with music of different directions (including compositions who performs Samurai songs). Radio stations are playlists - without the talk of the presenters;
- almost all the streets of Night City can be freely driven. Tomashkevich emphasized that the hero is not just "carried by taxi from one point to another", as some journalists thought;
- Another similarity to Grand Theft Auto is that cars can be stolen by ejecting their drivers. But if police or bandits become witnesses of the crime, the hero may have problems;
- secondary quests are issued via SMS and calls by fixers (intermediaries between mercenaries and clients), including Dex. Other tasks will come across randomly during the exploration of the world. There are no traditional bulletin boards like in The Witcher;
- An important role in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 is played by religions - Christianity, Eastern religions and others. Even religious communities are represented. The authors "do not try to avoid religious topics", caring about the "authenticity of the world." “Technically” players can even massacre the temple, Tomashkevich noted, but that would be their personal decision. Developers do not approve of such behavior and try to reveal sensitive topics, "without offending anyone." Journalists are almost sure that scandals cannot be avoided;
- the scandal was already ripe, but on a different occasion: some thought that the Animals and Voodoo Boys gangs were entirely composed of blacks. Tomashkevich noted that in the first case this is not the case (there are also representatives of other races in the group). With the second, this is exactly the case, but this is due to plot decisions: the members of the Voodoo Boys come from Haiti, who came to build hotels for large corporations. Customers canceled projects, and migrants ended up on the streets. Some became bandits in an attempt to protect themselves from police attacks. The game also features Asian and Latino factions;
- some merchants offer unique items and discounts for a limited time;
- among the goods are various items of clothing (jackets, T-shirts, etc.), as well as shoes;
- as the hacking skill develops, the player gains more advanced abilities such as controlling surveillance cameras and turrets;
- inventory is limited by the weight of the items carried;
- all characteristics and skills can be pumped up to the tenth level. There are also 60 perks available in the game (five per skill), each of which has five levels;
- in the demo, V is leveled up to level 18, and the most developed NPC found there (level 45) is Brigitte;
- the game contains violent scenes: for example, V can break a bottle on an opponent's head and then stick the shards into his body. All this is accompanied by "bloody special effects";
- in the game world, cyberpsychosis is possible, caused by changes in the psyche under the influence of an excessive number of implants. About it last fall, but now the authors have confirmed that V is not in danger of such a condition. To understand what it is, quests and scripted events will help;
- it is not necessary to make your character "strictly male or female": mixed options are also discussed (for example, a male body with female hair and voice). The type of voice affects the relationship with the NPC.
Previously, the creators said that in the game kill children and important NPCs for the plot.
Cyberpunk 2077 will release on April 16, 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. A new public demonstration will take place at PAX West 2019. Collector's Edition pre-orders in Russia, Ukraine and Belarus tomorrow, 16 July.
Source: 3dnews.ru