The bad buzz surrounding the release of “Cyberpunk 2077” is such that it's almost impossible to talk about the game itself, so let's calm down and drink cool -
2017 CD PROJEKT
Cyberpunk 2077
was released on December 10, in a rush and not finished, especially on consoles.
Withdrawals from the sale, refunds, complaints, anger ... Polish studio CD Projekt is having a nightmare, but promises patches, DLC and a finished game for "soon".
The head of the
open world
of the game, Przemysław Sawicki, shares with
20 Minutes
his work, his vision, and promises not always, not yet, kept on the game.
Despite its chaotic, if not catastrophic, release,
Cyberpunk 2077
still sold 13 million copies, including 8 million pre-orders.
It's a very good score, a
GTA
score
.
But for the past month, it has only been a question of an avalanche of bugs, unplayable PS4 and Xbox One versions, withdrawals from sale, requests for reimbursement, accusations of false promotion, revelations from developers under pressure, dizzying fall on the stock market ( -40%!), And of course the legitimate anger of the specialized media and the first players.
Last blow for CD Projekt, an American law firm filed a class action for "deception".
Welcome ... to # Cyberpunk2077 on PS4 fat / XBO!
pic.twitter.com/77BSmEuw6y
- Legolas (@Legolas) December 9, 2020
Night City, city of all promises… broken?
But the Polish studio assures it, big updates are planned in the months to come, with also the upgraded versions PS5 and Xbox Series X and, as just announced the official site of the game, "a rain of DLC free ”and therefore new adventures in Night City.
Ah, Night City, city of all dangers, of all promises, of all lives.
Only PC gamers were able to taste it, with a few (a lot) of bugs, but it gives off the feeling of a game-world, a sort of "second life" and perhaps the
ultimate
open world.
.
“This is exactly what we wanted to do,” comments Przemysław Sawicki,
open world
content coordinator
at CD Projekt in an email exchange made just before the release and therefore before the controversy.
We knew from the start that this was going to be one of the biggest challenges in the game. For example, for the release of
Blood and Wine
, the latest expansion for
The Witcher 3
, there were four
open world
designers
on the team, and we went to 14 for
Cyberpunk 2077
.
We've done our best to turn Night City into a lively and believable place, with dozens of things to do, without it becoming exhausting for players.
This balance was the driving force behind us all, with the goal of creating a world that encourages exploration on foot, unlike
open world
games
where you get in a vehicle and roll from one point of interest to another.
"
We are truly humbled that so many of you trusted us and decided to support # Cyberpunk2077 before the release!
Even 8 million thank yous isn't enough!
The journey has just begun and we are hard at work on the upcoming fixes and updates to the game.
See you in Night City!
pic.twitter.com/ycIe2kN0Zq
- Cyberpunk 2077 (@CyberpunkGame) December 10, 2020
“A more dense, dynamic, demanding environment”
But Night City is not a world like any other, it is not Los Santos (
GTA
), New Austin (
Red Dead Redemption
), or the Continent (
The Witcher
), it is the construction of several cyberpunk imaginaries, to start with
Blade Runner
and of course
Cyberpunk 2020
, the tabletop role-playing game and the main inspiration for the game. "Since the 1980s, this role-playing game has had a growing community around the world," says Przemysław Sawicki, although do not overdo it.
Many of these fans today work at CD Projekt.
And more than anything, it offers an incredible and conducive setting for the creation of a video game.
From the perspective of the
open world
department
, we had to deal with a denser, more populated, dynamic, vertical and demanding environment than ever before.
We went from the medieval huts of
The Witcher
to the crowded streets of a futuristic megalopolis, what a change!
"
"What artist does not say to himself: there are so many more things to do"
But when do we decide to stop developing such a game, such a world?
This question was almost prophetic, because hearing Przemysław Sawicki, they could still be polishing the game. “It's not easy, that's for sure,” he admits.
I doubt that there is an artist in the world who does not say to himself: "There are so many more things I could do".
That's why you set production milestones one after the other, some taking longer, and each step brings you closer to finishing the whole project.
”A methodology that CD Projekt did not apply to itself, not completely, because as Bloomberg reveals, after several postponements, the game had to be released.
He went out, not finished.
“Cyberpunk 2077”, game of the year… 2021?
There is no doubt that it will be, but within several months, even a year.
Cyberpunk 2077
will then be able to claim the title of best game of the year, but of 2021. And the players will then discover, in the best conditions, the deep nature of the game, which is according to Przemysław Sawicki: "to gain your own identity" .
“In the dystopian world of
Cyberpunk 207
7, it's hard to become someone,” he explains.
And it always comes down to the smallest details, the choices: if the contract says get rid of black market cops, what do you do, do you warn them, do you eliminate them?
Are you turning against your sponsors because you don't agree with their methods?
All of the player's decisions, no matter how small, go into making V who he or she really is, and by extension, who you are in this world and in this future.
I can't wait for the exit.
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