Cyberpunk 2077 Preview: Reflecting on Story and Character

This is a reflection on what we know about the game as I prepare to jump into it on release (like so many others, I'll be streaming it). This isn't intended to be encyclopedic and I won't discuss leaked footage (Best Buy inexplicably delivered the game a week early), both because I haven't seen it and because I wouldn't want to spoil it for others. This is a different approach than I took for Last of Us Part II, and that's because I had grave concerns about that game before those leaks that I don't have for Cyberpunk 2077. I've used headers for those want to jump around.

My Background

I haven't played a video game that's blown me away since the Witcher 3 (in spring of 2016). I don't play a wide variety of games, but spend a ton of time with those that I do. Over the past four years I've sailed through average to poor offerings which haven't come close to hitting the mark: 2017's Mass Effect: Andromeda; 2018's Spider-Man; Resident Evil 2; Red Dead Redemption 2; 2019's Days Gone (which I played in 2020); and The Last of Us Part 2. I'm aware that most of those games are loved by many and my reaction is largely down to taste and what I see as the strength and maturity of the writing. Story is king in games and I prefer it in choice-filled RPGs. My favourite games in that vein are the aforementioned Witcher 3 along with Dragon Age 2, Mass Effect 2, and Dragon Age: Origins. I want an immersive plot, interesting setting, strong characters, excellent dialogue, and a sense of choice and consequence. Visuals and combat, while important, aren't the main consideration for me.

I'm not a fan of the Cyberpunk genre per se--I'm much more into fantasy--but I enjoy dystopia's and cyberpunk was strongly predictive of elements in real life today. My limited experience with the genre includes a small amount of reading (such as Burning Chrome by William Gibson and several Philip K. Dick novels), films (like Blade Runner), and RPGs (Shadowrun in particular; I had access to Cyberpunk 2020, but it's laboured mechanics turned me away). What hooked me on Cyberpunk 2077 was that CDPR was making the game. Thus far, unlike Last of Us 2 or Mass Effect: Andromeda, all the preview material (trailers etc) have added to my hype for the game--there have been no warning signs. This doesn't mean I believe the game will be perfect or that there won't be elements I dislike, just that all the indicators have been positive.

Critical Noise

I want to get this out of the way: a small number of reviewers are looking for reasons to criticize the game--some for its perceived insensitivity (seemingly the source of Jim Sterling's endless carping), and others as a vague push without substance against crunch in the industry (Erik Kain). While the goals of both approaches are good, the tactics are not (often accompanied by toxic behaviour). None of this will impact sales of Cyberpunk 2077 and I expect it to be another genre-defining game ala Witcher 3.

The Story

Our understanding of the story has been partially clarified by the final game trailer. Our character, V, is looking to become a legend in Night City--a mercenary for hire. On the other hand, Johnny Silverhand (who becomes stuck in our head), wants to finish what he started before he died--destroy corporate powerhouse Arasaka. The latter echoes the Fourth Corporate War (the climax to the Cyberpunk 2020 RPG). This approach thematically mirrors what CDPR did with the original Witcher game, borrowing from the short story "The Witcher" (in The Last Wish), and Witcher 3, which completes Ciri's story after The Lady of the Lake. CDPR isn't simply copying Mike Pondsmith's story, as there's little sense we'll get yet another Corporate War (it's not even clear if destroying Arasaka is how the story ends--I suspect that Arasaka will undergo an evolution of some sort while Johnny winds up with his dead girlfriend Alt Cunningham in the Deep Net).

Speaking of Johnny, I think the reason we're getting him so prominently in the game is to give the character proper closure and immerse players in the lore of the original RPG (very much as CDPR did with the Witcher-franchise). The smaller scale of the story will make it easier for CDPR to write sequels (likely with a new protagonist to avoid all the issues of differing choices carried over from one game to another). I assume that, like Witcher 3, there will be three distinct endings for the game which don't impact the final result (which is to say, the climatic event will be set in stone, but how we achieve it and what happens to V afterwards is up to us--producer Adam Badowski has implied that V says goodbye to Night City in the end, but it's not clear what he means by that).

Moral Greyness

The world of Cyberpunk 2077 is meant to be a dystopia without black and white factions, but the game does seem to have a good/bad compass amongst groups (where they are more obviously 'good' or 'bad'). I don't see this as a problem or contradiction so long as there's depth within those groups that includes variety. One of the best examples of moral ambiguity from CDPR is the Baron in Witcher 3 (you can see the lead creators of that quest discuss it here)--a man guilty of horrible things, but who nonetheless has a capacity for kindness and love that is vital to Ciri's survival and (therefore) ultimate triumph--characters like that are what I'm hoping for in Cyberpunk. As for the groups and characters, here's how things shape-up from what we've been shown:

Good

Moxes - Created to protect sex workers from violence; there's no negative here, as they have a noble goal and don't have territorial ambitions (it's no coincidence that this is the group one of our potential love interests, Judy, works for)

Voodoo Boys - Representing a group of real people (Haitians), whose ethos is about freedom (in the Net, wanting to break through the Black Wall); the only negative portrayed is a deep suspicion of outsiders, but on the scale of the setting that's small potatoes--CDPR is not going to give a negative portrayal an entire ethnic group

Valentinos - This is Jackie's former gang; they have a code and are quite explicitly derived from Latino culture (so, again, making them evil could come across poorly)

Aldecaldos - With family at their core and a group that doesn't engage in random violence, they easily slip into the 'good' column (yet another source of a potential romance, in this case Panam--by association this is also Badowski's favourite group, making it even clearer they are 'good')

Johnny Silverhand - While he has his own agenda, he's anti-corporate and is motivated to make the world a better place, so however much he might disagree with V, his intentions are good

Bad

Corporations - It's part and parcel of the genre, but corporations are immoral and act only in their own self-interest

Maelstrom - Ultra-violent and with an ethos that's negative towards those who disagree--I hope there's more subtlety here, but we haven't seen it yet

6th Street - A militia-like group that robes itself in patriotism

Tyger Claws - Probably evil, as their violence created the Mox and they are templated on the Yakuza; while they have a cultural association, that gets counterbalanced by allied NPC's like Takemura

Scavengers - They don't have an ethos, simply murdering people for profit--they seem to be the most simplistic of the bad guys (along with the Wraiths below)

Wraiths - Like the Scavs, they murder people for profit and have no real ethos

Insufficient Data

Animals - Mercs just like V, I suspect they are among the few truly grey groups (neither good nor bad)

Meredith Stout - A corporate true believer, she's clearly a selfish narcissist, but perhaps her romance includes swaying her away from that (the road to redemption)

There remains room for variance with individual members in each group and I think in general CDPR is not going to say any gang is ultimately 'good' (since nearly all rely on violence and crime).

What's Been Shown

• 2018 E3 Trailer - The short snippets have largely been repeated since, but those that haven't lack context to reveal what they mean
• 2018 Demo - Shows most of 'The Rescue' quest, all of 'Visit the Doc' and 'Going Pro' (as they were in the game at that time--a build that's now 2.5 years old)
• 2019 E3 Cinematic Trailer - Shows the ending of 'The Gig' quest, but it's not clear how much it approximates the real game and how much is dramatic license (the main sticking point is whether Jackie's death is inevitable--CDPR says it's not, but we have no confirmation of that from reviewers)
• 2019 Deep Dive - Shows parts of 'Pattern Recognition', which occurs about midway through the main story
• 2020 The Gig - In-game footage showing parts of 'The Gig' among others
• 2020 B-Roll Footage (given to previewers to show while they discussed their 4-5 hours with the game) - 'Gig: Monster Hunt', 'The Information' (which seems to be part of 'The Gig'), 'Sacrum Profanum', 'Champion of Kabuki', 'The Heist', and parts of all three lifepath quests
• 2020 Lifepaths - Shows snippets from all lifepaths (Street Kid, Nomad, and Corpo)
• 2020 Postcards - Among various bits of scenery and clips of TV shows we can watch, there's a bit that seems to be from 'Automatic Love'
• 2020 Gangs of Night City - Various short cuts illustrating the various gangs (most clearly showing the end of 'Going Pro' again)
• 2020 2077 in Style - A fashion exploration
• 2020 Xbox Trailer - Parts of 'Automatic Love', 'The Space in Between', and 'Disasterpiece'
• 2020 Johnny Silverhand Trailer - A mix of flashbacks and his interactions with V
• 2020 Gameplay Trailer - Includes 'The Gig' and the Nomad/Street Kid lifepath quests
• 2020 PS Trailer - Parts of the Nomad lifepath quest, 'I Fought the Law', and the end of 'The Rescue'
• 2020 Photo Mode Trailer - Shots from 'Automatic Love' and 'M'ap Tann Pelen'

Neither 2020's Tools of Destruction (weapons) or Rides of of the Dark Future (vehicles) had the HUD with missions turned on, so it's not clear if the footage is from specific missions. So why am I going through all of this? It's not just trivia, it's a way to illustrate how carefully CDPR has been in hiding the game beyond the prologue. I can illustrate this a bit more clearly this way:

Prologue

Lifepath quests - Lifepaths, The Gig, B-Roll, Gangs, Styles, Gameplay, and PS Gameplay

'The Rescue' - Demo and PS Gameplay

'Visit the Doc' - Demo and The Gig

'Going Pro' - Demo, The Gig, and Gameplay

'The Heist' - B-Roll, The Gig, and Gameplay

'The Information' (seemingly part of 'The Gig') - B-Roll

'The Gig' - Cinematic, The Gig, B-Roll, and Gameplay

'Champion of Kabuki' (optional melee mini-game quest) - B-Roll

'Sacrum Profanum' - B-Roll

'Gig: Monster Hunt' - B-Roll

Unknown (but seemingly early)

'Automatic Love - Postcards, Xbox Trailer, and Photo Mode

'The Space in Between' - Gangs and Xbox Trailer

'I Fought the Law' - PS Trailer

'Disasterpiece' - Xbox Trailer
'M'ap Tann Pelen' - Photo Mode

Main Game

'Pattern Recognition' - Deep Dive

CDPR is leaving the vast bulk of the narrative to be discovered--even for those paying keen attention are left to guess at where the story is going and how various NPCs will evolve through that process.

Prologue

We open with the character creator and from there we move to choosing our lifepath (Street Kid, Nomad, and Corpo; the decision to add lifepaths came well into development--there was no sign of it in the 2018 demo--as shown above). The new choices are much more straightforward, which is likely why they were introduced (I suspect their reflections in the game echo the earlier template). I think the three templates are distinct and offer players an interesting choice--I wrestled at length with where I wanted to go, seriously considering all three, but ultimately landed on Street Kid to start.

Following character creation, each origin has a 20-40 minute unique story attached to it (I think the lower number comes from journalists rushing to complete it), that are very much in the spirit of Dragon Age: Origins (2009). I'll go over all three below, but when they end there is a time skip forward to six months later (covered by a montage)--this is one of the few third-person cutscenes remaining in the game. Once the montage ends we jump into a tutorial--V is sitting in a car with Jackie, who offers a hacked Militech chip to prepare for the mission ahead (it contains various combat tutorials). Once completed (or skipped), you proceed up the elevator to where the 2018 demo begins, trying to rescue Sandra Dorsett from Scavs (a mission given to us by fixer Wakako Okada--something revealed in the Xbox Gameplay trailer). The prologue differs considerably in tension from Witcher 3's opening, where (beyond the cinematic), the pace is very gradual and the optional combat tutorial begins almost immediately.

The Rescue

Given the 2018 demo, it appears as though major changes were made to the start of the game, as back then we were told there were a number of different ways to solve the Sandra Dorsett rescue mission ('The Rescue' now, but 'Rescue the Girl' in 2018)--none of that variance has come up in the reviews I've seen (other than different combat approaches--the implication being that fighting the Scavs is the only option, although journalists might be rushing to get through the prologue). The addition of the lifepath stories seems to have truncated whatever the opening quest was. This doesn't mean the content has been lost (as in, future resonance), but that whatever dynamics were part of it earlier have been removed. It's possible that whatever was planned for Sandra has been dumped (and that's why she was used in the 2019 ARG the company used for an Xbox-related promotion), we simply don't know.

When the Sandra-mission completes, Jackie takes you back to your apartment (see below), you go to sleep, and then wake up ala the 2018 demo (minus the third-person cutscene and the sexual encounter--the latter I believe was inserted to demonstrate the mature rating). There's one other element early in the demo which appears to have been placed in a non-canon position: the attack by Scavs--in the demo this occurs after starting 'Going Pro' (which we now know is followed by 'The Heist') and completing 'Visiting the Doc', but from the PS Gameplay we now know it occurs at the end of 'The Rescue' when Jackie is driving us home.

Meeting with Dex follows ('Going Pro' ala the demo--retrieving the Flathead from Maelstrom), and from there we transition into the mission described in the The Gig trailer, with Dex wanting the immortality chip from Arasaka which, unbeknownst to him, contains Johnny Silverhand. Interacting with Johnny after this point is roughly where the prologue ends, a process that took journalists about six hours to complete. It's unclear if the 2019 Cinematic Trailer occurs as-seen--we were told at that time that Jackie's death is not set in stone (it has been pointed out that the in-game scene shows a variance and we see in the Gameplay Trailer that how we get the chip is completely different). However, given Johnny's heavy presence in the game and the absence of any Jackie footage afterwards, it remains possible (alternatively he might be badly injured making him unavailable for awhile). It's not clear if Dex's betrayal is unavoidable (the scene of he and Takemura in the landfill, presumably collecting V after being shot, could suggest Dex is not why we ended up there). I have a feeling it's Takemura who saves us and that's where our connection to him comes from, as it seems like his goal is revenge against his former employer (Arasaka).

According to reviewers, during the prologue much of the city was inaccessible--players were forced to remain in Watson by police checkpoints. The in-game reason for this might have to do with the assassination of Night City's major, although I've heard no one specify what changes to open things up after the prologue.

The only coherent content we've seen beyond the prologue comes from 2019's Deep Dive, where we meet the Voodoo Boys in a quest that ultimately seems aimed at the Black Wall (that separates the free Net from what's controlled by corporations and governments). This occurs about midway through the main story and seems like something we pursue at Johnny's behest (since his dead girlfriend Alt Cunningham still exists beyond the Black Wall). Phil Hornshaw (of Gamespot) may have reached this point within his sixteen hours of play (cf), judging by having been to Pacifica while trying to hurry through the main quest (the few reviews I've seen suggest the main story is about the length of Dragon Age; Inquisition's, which is to say 25 hours or so if you do nothing else).

The Life Path Quests

Which path you choose impacts dialogue options throughout the game, which means you will have unique options in the game unavailable to the other choices. It's been implied that you can shift your lifepath association as the game progresses, so it may be possible to switch those dialogue toggles later in the game. How different this choice will make the journey is not fully clear (Dragon Age: Inquisition is an example of poor implementation because as a late addition, the only meaningful change was if you played as a female elf who romanced Solas--otherwise it was purely cosmetic). In comments none of the journalists who played sixteen hours had found large changes in outcomes, but it's clear they were either rushing through the game (like Hornshaw) or being very leisurely about it, making it difficult to assess impact.

Street Kid (eg Alanah Pearce) - We do a favour for our friend and barkeep Pepe to help remove his debt to fixer Kirk Sawyer; the fixer wants us to steal a car and, after an interaction of some kind with the 6th Street gang, we're stopped by Jackie as we're about to steal it--he's also stealing it. We're both interrupted by the NCPD, whom Kaoru Fujioka (who owns the car and works for Arasaka) wants to have us killed for rather than arrested. Through this quest we learn that Street Kid V went to Atlanta previously for reasons unknown. Inspector Stints, who arrests the pair, knows about our trip to Atlanta and many fans think he looks like Gaunter O'Dimm (from Witcher 3)--what to make of that, I'm not sure. I don't think CDPR intends on mixing magic with the genre, so I don't think we'll see Gaunter in this context.

Nomad (eg Miranda Sanchez) - We've lost our clan connection for unclear reasons (I wonder if they were killed by the Wraiths). We're being paid to smuggle precious cargo into Night City, meeting our contact Jackie who has the goods; we bribe our way across the border and then there's a high speed chase involving Arasaka; V and Jackie escape and discover what the contraband is. The two decide to become partners after this interaction. It's possible the quest doesn't always go this way, as the PS Gameplay might imply you can fail to get across the border with the contraband. Miranda Sanchez spent time driving around the badlands and said that, by and large, it was empty (likely locked down to keep the focus on the mission). In this quest we learn more about Jackie's background than in any of the other lifepaths. This also seems to be the 'happiest' ending of the three choices.

Corpo (eg Ryan McCaffrey) - We are working for Arasaka and specifically Arthur Jenkins, who demands you kill his boss, Susan Abernathy, who beat him out for promotion. We meet with Jackie (who we are already friends with) to make plans--Jackie thinks its too dangerous, but before that can be resolved Abernathy's people show up, fire you from Arasaka, and remove all your cybernetic toys.

All three origins involve Jackie Welles (in the Nomad and Street Kid stories, it's the first time we meet him), and all three involve Arasaka in one way or another. This is excellent foreshadowing and, combined with how useful Jackie is when we save Sandra, players are going to have a very positive view of him (as, indeed, they already do).

We know a few things about the differences in how your lifepath choice impacts the 'Going Pro' quest. As a Corpo, you can get more information out of Meredith Stout (see below); as a Nomad you can find out how Maelstrom were able to steal the Flathead from Militech; as either a Nomad or Street Kid (Parris couldn't remember which), you could scan and disable the mines in the Maelstrom lair; as a Street Kid you have an easier time talking to the gang (Dum Dum offers you the inhaler this way).

Going Pro

This mission is a test by Dex to make sure we're reliable, but he also needs the bot for the real mission ahead. Dex paid Maelstrom for the Flathead (stolen Militech gear), but because Royce has usurped leadership of the group (see below), they are refusing to give it to him. Because of their refusal, Dex gives us the option of talking to Meredith (ie Militech). How we succeed in this mission is left open, since the only requirement is getting Dex the Flathead. Alanah Pearce was told there are seven possible outcomes to the quest, which was later clarified to be twelve, so let's see if we can figure them out:

Known Outcomes

• 1) 2018 Demo: we pay Maelstrom with the infected chip from Militech (Meredith); we fight our way out against Maelstrom, killing Royce in a boss battle at the end
• 2) Parris (as a Corpo): with his Corpo options, he shut down Meredith's threats and eventually told her to fuck off, which meant no credit chip, putting him in the same situation as if you hadn't met her (he fought Maelstrom)
• 3) Alanah Pearce (as a Street Kid): took the chip, but removed the virus and informs Royce about it; the Maelstrom become allies and they fight Militech as you escape
• 4) Ryan McCaffrey (as a Corpo): as Parris above, except Gilchrist is now in charge because McCaffrey betrayed Meredith to Maelstrom and stayed neutral in the exchange between the two when he met them (we actually see footage of this outcome in the Styles video)

Unknown Outcomes

• 1) Pay for the bot ourselves (presumably this means there's no conflict between us and Maelstrom; whether Militech shows up is unknown)
• 2) Take the Militech chip, but keep it and pay Royce ourselves--this might have a similar result with Maelstrom, although undoubtedly there would be a serious consequence with Militech
• 3) We've learned that Royce is the new leader for Maelstrom, having imprisoned the prior leader (Brick)--presumably freeing Brick could also land us the Flathead, since Dex already paid Brick for the bot and he'd be grateful for being freed

There must be more than one outcome with Brick, or it may even be possible to simply steal the bot--speculation abounds for whatever the other scenarios are. Not talking to Meredith might remove Militech from the situation--it's simply not clear. There's a piece of Royce dialogue from the Gangs trailer that's hard to place in these options ("Who are you to say what can or can't be?").

The Heist

Once we give Dex the Flathead, our next move is to steal from Arasaka; one journalist mentions that Evelyn Parker suggests doing the deed without Dex and we have no idea how attempting that would turn out (perhaps its a loyalty test). We perform the heist with Jackie and what's not clear are the variables within the quest. In the Cinematic Trailer is appears the heist either turned into a shootout or was a shootout all along--that violent path seems to lead to Jackie's death. This iteration is not reflected in the final Gameplay Trailer at all, so it's not clear if the cinematic reflects actual events correctly. The risk of the mission makes it clear why Dex wanted a little known mercenary for the task rather than someone renowned--he needed a disposable hire. From the Russian VO video it appears as though we wake up at Viktor's (the ripper doc's) place--something made much clearer in the final Night City Wire.

Romances

Not everyone cares about romances in RPGs, but I enjoy them when they are written well (the mechanics matter less than the quality of the writing). We now know that all the major romanceable characters in the game (as opposed to flings) have been shown, albeit not revealed. Before I go over my general impressions, I want to go through who I think they might be in the female category. I believe these are either named characters or ones who have appeared prominently in some fashion.

Evelyn Parker (unconfirmed)

First seen in The Gig trailer. It hasn't been said whether she's a romance option or not, but given Judy's probable predilections (see below) and the limitations of other characters, she's the most likely candidate (whether she's straight or bi we don't know, but we can presumably eliminate her being a lesbian given that she had sex with Hanako Arasaka).

Judy Alvarez (confirmed)

Also first seen in the The Gig trailer (minus the hairstyle and tattoos looks like a friend of mine). It's been rumoured she's for girls only and while that's yet to be confirmed, the one romantic scene we've seen with her is with female V. Of the female options, she's proven the most popular with fans thus far.

Meredith Stout (confirmed)

First seen in the 2018 demo and, in the aftermath of that, CDPR confirmed her as a potential romance. I don't recall hearing her orientation. I'm not sure what angle CDPR wants to go with her, since her first impression is not positive (I have a suspicion she might only be available to those who take the Corpo lifepath).

Sandra Dorsett (unconfirmed)

Possibly seen in the E3 trailer, but definitely in the 2018 Demo; she was also part of a long-running ARG in 2019 where she's presented as actively working against Net Watch. As someone with Trauma Team Platinum, she's extremely wealthy, making me wonder if she represents the 'good' on the wealthy side. No one has suggested her as a romance, but given the limited other options, I think she makes sense as one (no idea what orientation--I don't think her being older than V matters).

Panam (confirmed)

First mentioned in descriptions of the Nomad lifepath from those who played the intro and then appeared in the Lifepaths trailer. I've seen people say it's confirmed that she's a romance option (probably only for Nomads); contextually it seems she's either straight or bi (since people playing male characters have implied the romance).

T-Bug (unconfirmed)

I vaguely recall hearing she's a potential romance partner and I think that's likely, as I believe we'll have at least one African-American romance available. Her orientation isn't clear.

Other Options

• It's been said that Claire (a bartender at the After Life) is romanceable, but that seems more like a fling given her seemingly minor role
• Misty is Jackie's partner, making her unavailable to V
• I've seen suggestions for Voodoo Boys' leader Brigitte, but since you meet her halfway through the main story that seems unlikely
• Singer Lizzy Wizzy has come up as a possibility, but given Grimes' lack of acting experience, I think that's highly unlikely (I presume all the celebrity cameos have very few lines of dialogue)
• Corpo Susan Abernathy is theoretically possible, but she's barely been seen, making her a long shot (especially since Meredith presumably fills the corporate love path)

Beyond that there aren't any female characters of note that seem likely. This makes for six options on the female side, which seems like a high number, but within the realm of possibility. If all six are correct, I'd guess we have two lesbian, two bi, and two straight options. This group is a harder sell than the women in the Witcher, but not the disaster that was Dragon Age: Inquisition. Aesthetically, Evelyn would be my choice from what we've seen thus far. For male romances, other than Kerry Eurodyne, it's not clear to me who they are.

Changes

I'll touch just the things I have an opinion on:

• Subway travel - Removed and replaced with a fast travel system ala Witcher 3; I liked this idea as a way to avoid dependence on vehicles, but in the grand scheme of things I suspect the novelty would wear off quickly, so it's not a big loss
• Original female V design (changed in 2020): while aesthetics are highly personal, this was off-putting to me and since the change female V has been largely absent from marketing
• Original "Chippin' In" song - We heard the rock-version on the radio in the 2018 demo, which was swapped out for the punk version from Refused. I like both, so I'm disappointed we won't hear the original again (strangely the original was played in the intro of the Japanese trailer and a Youtuber has now cobbled together what might be the full song)

Other Thoughts

This are various thoughts about the game that don't slot neatly into the above headings:

• Jackie reminds me of Varric from Dragon Age 2 (an uber-positive BFF who introduces us to an unfamiliar city); via footage shown he left the Valentino's at his mother's insistence
• There seems to be a lot of quick-time responses to key dialogue--I'm curious to see how that feels (will it be too rushed?)
• We're getting Ciri-like flashbacks as Johnny Silverhand (a very good way to step into his skin and to explore the lore), by which I mean we'll get to play as him from time-to-time
• I often prefer the female VO actors in RPGs and that's the same here--male V (Gavin Drea) is fine, but I prefer female V's voice (Cherami Leigh)
• I like how Street Cred varies from XP--the latter performs the usual function, but SC is a fantastic solution to the usual problem in RPGs of players out scaling the core quests and eventually dunking on the final fights (SC still benefits you, but won't allow you to overpower the challenge intended by the main quest)
• I'm on the fence on whether Ciri appears in game or not; Badowski, who is directing the game, is against it, but fans and many people at CDPR are not--I don't know who wins out in that struggle; we'll certainly see references to the Witcher-franchise (we already have), but Ciri's appearance remains a coin toss (I'd personally like to see it, but I won't be disappointed if I don't)
• In the 2018 demo Viktor mentions he doesn't know where he got our eye implant--could it be (directly or indirectly) from Scavs?
• There's a bit of dialogue in Gangs that sounds like Jackie and 6th Street have issues (related, no doubt, to his prior association with the Valentinos)
• In the 2018 demo V already knows Viktor; that's Street Kid V, and Corpo might know him too, but there's a scene I think is from the Nomad lifepath where Jackie introduces V to him (Styles)
• Given what we see in the Johnny Silverhand trailer, it seems like Johnny decides to make peace with us after we've made some kind of commitment to Takemura
• We still don't know who Dex was stealing the Immortality Chip for--who was paying him to have it done (perhaps it's Takemura to keep it out of the hands of Saburo Arasaka)
• In the helicopter scene from the Gameplay trailer it sounds like Placide, or someone with a Haitian accent, is talking
• I've seen some criticism that the prologue of the game implies there's a ticking clock for V so solve the issue of the chip in his head or else--and yet within the game there's no time pressure--in general this doesn't bother me, although it does push at verisimilitude
• From what we've seen of driving in the game (from both Xbox and PS trailers), it looks like the AI cars will scoot over a little to give you room, making navigation easier
• I'm curious if player economy will function like Witcher 3; in that game you start off very poor (particularly in White Orchard), but once the game truly gets underway you quickly become rich such that you can buy virtually anything you want--I hope Cyberpunk is a little more balanced, where you aren't quite as destitute at the start as well as don't get as insanely rich as quickly
• Reviewers are suggesting a main story of 20-30 hours and I wonder if this will feel satisfying or too short--I suspect with side quests included we will get a satisfying arc
• The amount of music in the game is insane--7.5 hours of sound plus 150 tracks for the radio

Cyberpunk Red

There's a sense that this RPG is doomed after the initial bump it receives--ideally it should have come out months before the video game. My expectations for it are low after the poor reception of the Witcher RPG (released using a version of Cyberpunk 2020's system--the reviews of that are grim and it sounds like Pondsmith put it together in a rush), but perhaps Pondsmith has streamlined the system enough and the CDPR tie-in will bring it truly into the limelight.

This article is written by Peter Levi (@eyeonthesens)