Okay, so CD Projekt RED Lead Quest Designer Paweł Sasko asked some questions from the community which played Cyberpunk 2077:
So, while I planned a larger review at some point, I’ll now have to swallow the pill and give a quick Quest Design review of Cyberpunk 2077.
Before we start, let me state that I played Cyberpunk 2077 with female V on launch and am currently replaying as male V. Also, I could probably be categorized as a core gamer who is quite attached to the company CD Projekt RED and its works; and enjoys especially storyworlds, exploration and neat production that hits a spot.
Judgement of Quest Design (and some adjacent Disciplines)
To summarize: I deem the artistic achievement (substance, delivery) as enormous and this not only outweighs all the negative points I’d be able to find in quests, but in the entire game and issues surrounding it. Negative aspects in the quest design where mainly in the writing used and marketing, else only minor other drawbacks. But as I said, these vanish in comparison to the good.
Here’s a concrete listing of things I found good and bad, prioritized.
+++ humble, honest, thematic depth that is set in scene rightly in an often astonishing right way – inviting me to listen, look close, lean in (e.g. struggling, identity, friendship, sacrifice)
+++ player guiding, reflective potentials – Cyberpunk like no other game before achieved this here very well (examples farther down):
“The great potential and difficulty [..] is of course the player’s agency. The player is able to participate in the storytelling, to tell herself a story. What, by giving a player space to notice and look upon her – consciously and unconsciously – performed decisions, we [..] might even elicit reflective thoughts in the player.”
quote from my old blog
+++ cinematography, first person perspective, seamless transitions
++(+) characters, their design, their animations, feeling their and your interaction with the avatar and me
++(+) interleaving with audio design
++ storytelling via UI (exploring plans, ..) and world: assets, lighting, weather .. (the oilfields when visiting johnny’s grave)
++ engagement, drive, suspenses
++ details, details everywhere (evelyn smoking, quest items, judy’s mimics after 1st braindance, env. art, messages in computers, descriptions when scanning, text messages (!) …)
++ interleaving with gameplay/level design: exploration of paths, different snippets to hear, having the feeling of “Next time I’ll perk this up/go that path, to experience a bit different content
+(+) connections of main/side story content with open world stuff
+ pacing (didn’t notice anything bad)
+ quest log entries, objectives (didn’t notice anything bad)
– not being able to hang up a phone call
– I couldn’t immerse myself in the setup of feeling like someone who wants to reach the major leagues, probably because I hadn’t spent enough time with that premise?
– the gap between main/side quests and open world content felt too big, especially the drop of close views on/interactions with characters
– For several nonlinearities I have the impression that these are things I’d never choose to explore because it wouldn’t gain me much, e.g. choosing not to help Panam. I do not remember more examples, so this might be a case of “impression foestered by discourse”.
– – The were often times when I couldn’t immerse myself in the writing. There were some moments when I really thought: Even in this context and accepting V as an avatar, I wouldn’t want her to say that. I’d have wished for a less impudent, unforgiving, at times downright unsensitive style, especially towards Johnny (in general, when it wasn’t towards Johnny or not in a main quest, the writing became better in that regard in my opinion)
(- – I felt the Voodoo Boys, Netwatch and Lizzy Wizzy to be unterrepresented in the quests when compared to their screentime in trailers, promos etc. This of course, isn’t necessarily a critique in the design, but rather (if it worked that way, that’s why the point is in brackets) which parts of the game you selected for the PR/marketing people)
What stayed with me, what had an impact?
This is a bit harder to prioritize I have to admit. So hopefully even though this listing is more *unclear* it will reveal some insight. Note, that this is all from my memory, with the entries in categories 1 and 2 being repeatedly on my mind.
1. Search and Destroy finding out you could save Takemura, thus leading to me seriously questioning myself whether I’m to eager to follow what others say to me (in that case Johnny)
1. Ex-Factor killing Woodman with Judy and afterwards wondering whether this was the right decision
1. Riders on the Storm the scene with Panam in the sandstorm resonated very very heavily with me, made me emotional: this beautiful, simple intimacy of (close?) friends, and I was one of them
2. Nocturne Op55N1 the central decision about the endings, I remember sitting there for like 10min., weighing the options, exploring different endings, noting that I’d have chosen otherwise had I known (chose to let Johnny do his thing, afterwards preferred the Aldecaldo’s ending). This again tied into the thoughts I had on the Takemura matter
2. Queen of the Highway the sex scene with panam, the buildup over several quests really worked for me, it was an intense experience imagining being connected like that, the cinematography was superb
2. With a Little Help from My Friends night with Panam and the Adecaldos under the stars, I’ve learned playing that song on my guitar, it expresses a beautiful melancholy, acceptance and hope to me
2. Love Like Fire being in the flow with Johnny when he storms Arasaka Tower for the first time, Rebel Path, the UI, the gun, flying over the city, spotting the differences, Johnny’s attitude, the coolness
2. Where is My Mind? the fast cuts, phone calls, atmosphere when in the clinic in the Arasaka ending, it just expressed so well what I felt
2. Dream On the felling of something happening in the background during the Peralez’ questline, the – almost terror – when hearing that AI threatening me, deciding what to do
2. Credits hearing the “Never Fade Away” remix in the credits, receiving the calls
3. Pyramid Song everything in here
3. The Heist everything T-Bug says, the hypocrisy of Dex, the feeling of something grand happening before my eyes when seeing Saburo being killed
3. Judy Questline | Both Sides, Now with Judy at Fingers’, discovering what happened to Evelyn, Judy’s reaction to that, “Broken” on the left when being with Judy on the rooftop
3. Path of Glory loosing Judy
3. Chippin’ In the grave scene with Johnny, getting his car
3. The Information, Second Conflict, Play It Safe soaking up the atmosphere in Lizzie’s bar and Totentanz (also the tension when/after Takemura kidnaps Hanako) and at the Japan parade for the first time
3. Never Fade Away Johnny’s scenes with Alt
3. Kerry Questline | I Don’t Wanna Hear It | Boat Drinks several scenes with Kerry (e.g. taking photo of him and Us Cracks, on the yacht, his backstory with Johnny)
3. e.g. Playing for Time Victor and Misty repeatedly caring for V
3. e.g. Riders on the Storm Panam calling me again and again for favors and me willingly accepting
3. Gimme Danger on the recon post with Takemura looking on the Arasaka facility (wit that cat in the background)
3. Blistering Love the date of Johnny/Rogue
3. The Hunt finding Randy with River
Conclusion
Hope it helps!
Gregor Sönnichsen 