Cyberpunk 2077’s Life Paths And Character Creation Sound Very Deep

While The Witcher 3 saw you play as the fixed character of Geralt of Rivia, CD Projekt Red’s upcoming action-RPG Cyberpunk 2077 will feature a substantial character creator where there are few limits on who you are and what you can become.

CD Projekt Red wrapped up its Cyberpunk 2077 livestream, where we saw new gameplay showcasing separate playstyles. In the deep dive livestream, we also got a glimpse at the game’s character creator, which first has you selecting from different backgrounds or “life paths”–Corporate, Nomad, and Street Kid. Each path impacts Cyberpunk 2077’s beginning, with you starting in different areas of Night City depending on your background.

CD Projekt Red’s lead quest designer Pawel Sasko said this choice is taken into consideration throughout the entire game. “You, as the player, can actually associate yourself with Nomads [or] Corporate people, or you can be part of the streets,” Sasko explained. “It’s really up to you what path you want to pick through the main story.” You aren’t bound to your life path, but your origin will be “[taken] from the very beginning till the very end [of the game].” As such, Sasko said you can use these origins to your advantage, allowing you to exploit and, perhaps, unlock branching dialogues and quests depending on your interactions with your chosen group.

We also saw a brief look at the character creator screen in the Cyberpunk 2077 deep dive livestream. You start by selecting a body type, then you can define your appearance, fine-tuning things like skin color and facial features. Following this, you’re taken to the attributes menu, where you slot points into traits like “Cool” and “Intelligence.” On top of attributes, you have skills that further define your character’s intricacies. One skill is called “Cold Blood,” unlocked via the “Cool” attribute, and it grants you extra damage and survivability when your health is nearly depleted. Using skills repeatedly results in you getting better with that skill and unlocking perks in that skill’s tree. For example, with special perks added to your “Athletics” skill, you can run while carrying a dead body, potentially bolstering your stealth playthrough.

Cyberpunk 2077’s “Cool” attribute pertains to your ability to handle pressure, not how stylish you are in-game. The cooler you are, the better things like accuracy will be. And the cooler you are, the better you’ll be able to handle tense dialogue situations.

There are a few other details to note out of the Cyberpunk 2077 deep dive livestream. CD Projekt Red announced that it has hired real city planners to construct and flesh out the fictional Night City. The studio established a brand-new team dedicated to sidequests after how successful they were in The Witcher 3. Finally, you won’t have to worry about cool-factor and functionality in Cyberpunk 2077, as CD Projekt Red is aiming to address the common RPG discrepancy between how something looks and how well it functions.

CD Projekt Red confirmed Cyberpunk 2077 will feature non-binary gender options in the character creator. “You know, we really want to make a video game that’s really inclusive,” senior concept artist Marthe Jonkers said. “Of course, if you tackle certain subjects then you will expect people to have an opinion about it and we respect that. And it’s good that people give us feedback.”

Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020. The game is also scheduled to release for Google Stadia some time in 2020.

PAX West is officially underway, and there’s a lot more news to come out of the event. Be sure to check out our hub for more news on Cyberpunk 2077 and more.

from GameSpot – Game News https://www.gamespot.com/articles/cyberpunk-2077s-life-paths-and-character-creation-/1100-6469530/