Game News Cyberpunk 2077 Night City Wire Episode 2: Lifepaths and Weapons

[Infinitron]

Tags: CD Projekt; Cyberpunk 2077

The second episode of the Night City Wire, CD Projekt's series of featurettes about the upcoming Cyberpunk 2077, was broadcast today. Once again it begins with a new trailer, this time introducing the game's three lifepath character origins. You'll be able to start out as a Street Kid, the typical lowlife cyberpunk, a Nomad, member of one of the freedom-loving clans who inhabit the badlands outside Night City, or a Corpo, specifically a counter-intelligence agent for Arasaka. The trailer is followed by a discussion with quest designer Philip Weber that reveals additional details. While the lifepath storylines will merge to some extent, CD Projekt intend to provide unique options for each one throughout the game. Philip provides some examples of what each lifepath might see in the quest from 2018's gameplay reveal video.

After a segment about the Swedish punk band that CD Projekt have hired to create the music of Johnny Silverhand comes another trailer introducing the game's weapons. The following discussion with gameplay designer Pawel Kapala is probably the most interesting part of the episode. Cyberpunk 2077 will have three types of guns - Power Weapons, which are basically standard guns but with ricocheting bullets, Tech Weapons, electromagnetically powered guns that can punch through cover, and Smart Weapons, whose bullets home on their targets. Weapons are further divided into rarity-based tiers ranging from Common all the way to Legendary, which are unique items that will be hard to find. There are also weapon mods, which include the usual attachments such as scopes and silencers as well as software chips that can modify the weapon on a more fundamental level. As you gain experience, your character's weapon handling will improve - reload time, accuracy, aiming speed, movement speed and so on.

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That's pretty much it. No previews this time, other than an interview with Pawel over at VG247 with some additional details about weapon design. The next episode of the Night City Wire should be coming "soon".

 

[thesecret1]

The lifepaths sound like incline, remains to be seen if they actually deliver on it or if it'll be something that is brought up only at the beginning and then promptly forgotten

 

[Phenomenology of Fail]

No VR-addicted NEET 30 year old virgin lifepath? Would fit right in

 

[Heroic Liberator]

The lifepaths sound like incline, remains to be seen if they actually deliver on it or if it'll be something that is brought up only at the beginning and then promptly forgotten

Hopefully the Corpo one lets you stay loyal to Arasaka throughout the whole game.

 

[luj1]

trappy bullshit =/= cyberpunk

 

[jac8awol]

I like the nascar redneck meth trailer park life path. Nothin' screams cyberpunk like passing out drunk in a corn field.

 

[Dr Schultz]

Well, I suppose that - even in this gynormous AAA sandbox - they COULD deliver in providing origin-related options throughout all the game.

After all, there are only 3 origins in the game and they are the same softwarehouse that shipped the Witcher 2 with two different second acts and TW3 with lots of permutaions based on your previous decisions.

On the other hand, I'm still skeptical regarding the allegedly supported different playstyles.

 

[jac8awol]

Yeah man. First person melee looks just as crap as ever. From those trailers and interviews this looks like we'll have a multitude of fully supported playstyles that cater to all of our individual needs, as long as those needs all involve shooting something.

 

[Alpharius]

I wonder, what would be the point of weapon implants in a FPS? In rtwp or turn-based game the player character could have used implants+regular weapons at the same time for increase damage per combat round or something, but why would you use these mantis claws instead of katana or a forearm-grenade laucnher over a regular grenade launcher?

Also, no idea how they intend to make combat fun with all these auto-aim and wall-hack cheats enabled by default.

 

[SmartCheetah]

I wonder, what would be the point of weapon implants in a FPS? In rtwp or turn-based game the player character could have used implants+regular weapons at the same time for increase damage per combat round or something, but why would you use these mantis claws instead of katana or a forearm-grenade laucnher over a regular grenade launcher?

Would make sense with limited inventory space, so you could eg. take only one main weapon and sidearm with you. Another good example - in case you'd get disarmed or something - in such situations all those implants would come in handy in a game where you can access only limited number of weapons at a time.
In the FPS where your mouse scroll selects another from dozen of weapons you have on ya - it doesn't make sense. But there is a lot of games with pointless additions like that.

 

[Gwendo]

This is a RPG, you don't want to have options about weapons used? Because you wouldn't resist to (what you think are) the best of them?

 

[Alpharius]

Would make sense with limited inventory space, so you could eg. take only one main weapon and sidearm with you. Another good example - in case you'd get disarmed or something - in such situations all those implants would come in handy in a game where you can access only limited number of weapons at a time.
In the FPS where your mouse scroll selects another from dozen of weapons you have on ya - it doesn't make sense. But there is a lot of games with pointless additions like that.

Yeah i guess if you can take only 1 or two weapons with you it would make sense from gameplay perspective. But, from common sense perspective: chop of part of your arm to put grenade launcher inside instead of lugging one over the shoulder? Erm, no thanks. Though if the main character already has arm prosthetics at the start of the game thats another matter.

Concealed carry makes sense, perhaps there will be a few quests that would use these. Seems likely if you get hand claws by default. Maybe this is what the weapons implants are used for in tabletop game?

This is a RPG, you don't want to have options about weapons used? Because you wouldn't resist to (what you think are) the best of them?

I like to have more options as long as these options offer more ways to play the game and are not the same thing with different animations.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Johnny seems to look different to Keanu with each trailer... Disappointing.

Anyways, corpo seems to be the most interesting life path.

 

[Dr Schultz]

Yeah man. First person melee looks just as crap as ever. From those trailers and interviews this looks like we'll have a multitude of fully supported playstyles that cater to all of our individual needs, as long as those needs all involve shooting something.

I'm reasonably sure that melee combat will suck compared to ranged combat, simply because very few developers today are able to ship a satisfying first person melee. This is a given.

I still think that melee builds will be viable through all the game, though. But what about stealth, hacking and diplomacy? These are the areas of gameplay that concern me the most....

 

[Lady_Error]

So how is this FPS an RPG?

 

[luj1]

Because nowadays everything can be everything. And not only when it comes to games. Humans have begun deconstructing the norms, which ultimately will be our downfall.

 

[Roguey]

So how is this FPS an RPG?

It has character-building and a reactive narrative.

 

[Heroic Liberator]

So how is this FPS an RPG?

It has character-building and a reactive narrative.

Crusader Kings 3 confirmed for RPG GOTY 2020.

 

[molotov.]

I think that they should stop worrying a little bit about particles and start to think of a better combat system for the FPS genre...

 

[Grotesque]

So how is this FPS an RPG?

FPS as in first person sex_encounter?

 

[Andhaira]

The lifepaths sound like incline, remains to be seen if they actually deliver on it or if it'll be something that is brought up only at the beginning and then promptly forgotten

Hopefully the Corpo one lets you stay loyal to Arasaka throughout the whole game.

Nope, only the first hour or so. Then you get betrayed, dumped onto the street and start form scratch just like the other backgrounds. I bet the other backgrounds also have Araska as the big bad enemy, and your main character wants revenge on them for slightly different reasons.

ROLEPLAYING

 

[thesecret1]

Nope, only the first hour or so. Then you get betrayed, dumped onto the street and start form scratch just like the other backgrounds. I bet the other backgrounds also have Araska as the big bad enemy, and your main character wants revenge on them for slightly different reasons.

I guess CDPR is no longer as ambitious as it was with Witcher 2. Still, DA:O kind of paths would still be pretty okay, assuming they aren't completely forgotten the moment prologue ends.