The gameplay demo for the upcoming action role-playing game Cyberpunk 2077 shown at E3 was so impressive, that viewers mentioned concerns about the game being able to run on the current generation of consoles.
The trailer shows the developers' vision for a cyberpunk future in which America lies in ruins and mega-corporations control everyone's lives. Poverty, misery and violence prevail in the mega-city, but a sweet smell of wealth and success also lies in the air. Players take on the role of a mercenary, named V, who is on his way to master the path to the top. Furthermore, there are many possibilities for character design, as even the background of the characters can be determined. This, combined with a sophisticated dialogue system, should have a great influence on the story.
The PC, which CD Projekt used to demonstrate the gameplay with at E3, is not a "supercomputer". Nonetheless, it was rocking an Intel Core i7 8700K processor, 32 GB RAM and a Geforce GTX 1080 Ti, which is still relatively high performance. Yet, many believed that the system requirements would be significantly higher.
According to the CD Projekt, the demo ran in 4K resolution at a constant 30 fps. Similarly to The Witcher 3, the game uses a very strongly modified version of the REDengine. Graphics, however, offer a slightly more stylized approach that differ from the "realistic" look of The Witcher 3.
Behind closed doors, CD Projekt gave an insight into the world and the gameplay of the upcoming game at E3. In a one-hour demo, gaming journalists were not only able to see the open world, the combat system, skills and gadgets, but also dialogues and character creation. The latter involved a naked representation of one's own character "V" - whose genitals were "still" pixelated in the demo - which will no longer be the case in the released game.
The sci-fi role-playing game wants to in no way shy away from the naked human body. No pixelation, no underwear where it wouldn't make sense. According to game director Adam Badowski, there is a good reason for this. Nudity is not about providing the players with a shock effect, but moreover serves the theme of Cyberpunk 2077: transhumanism.
For example, a woman in the E3 trailer calmly devotes herself to her eyelashes in the mirror, while her lower jaw hangs in front of her like a wig; her body is interchangeable like a piece of clothing.
Technology is believed to be the way out of man's physical and psychological limitations. The players are motivated to think about the meaning of leaving their humanity behind. Adam Badowski particularly refers to a part of the E3 demo in which a woman was kidnapped. The kidnappers didn't even want to hold them for ransom - they were only interested in the precious parts of their bodies that they could sell. Protagonist V saves the naked woman and carries her into freedom in his arms.
“Nudity is important for us because of one reason. This is cyberpunk, so people augment their body. So the body is no longer sacrum [sacred]; it’s profanum [profane]. Because people modify everything, they are losing their connection to the body, to the meat. And that’s why we need to use the nudity in many situations."
Among other things, you can choose to make your player especially "cool". But what does this actually mean in the game? Do particularly cool characters then silently stand in corners with sunglasses, a cap pulled deep into their forehead and smoke? Do you have a catchy phrase for every situation?
No, coolness in Cyberpunk 2077 means much more than just looking chic, being cool is an important character trait. In an interview, developer Mike Pondsmith explained the coolness in more detail:
"You’re wearing your big-ass armored jacket and you’re carrying your big-ass weapons, but it’s not just that. It’s that you looked badass doing it, and that people give you some respect on the street."
But don't confuse cool with charisma. After all, even under a not particularly impressive exterior, there can be a hard-boiled fighter. To talk one's way out of an unpleasant situation usually requires more than an authoritarian appearance. Sometimes, it is even harmful to intimidate your environment.
If you can't wait for the game, you can get Cyberpunk 2077 cheap here. We will be reporting the latest news about the game ASAP and keep you updated.
