Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in Evening Metropolis, a fictional metropolis in California meant to embody the endgame of America’s capitalist extra. Firms run every little thing, folks should resort to a lifetime of crime to get a step forward, and the one pockets of solace are present in neighborhood, as a result of the methods will do nothing that can assist you. However developer CD Projekt RED feels prefer it didn’t go far sufficient in its dystopian near-future setting, and desires to raised seize the issues going through People with the sequel, codenamed Orion.
The studio posted a brand new episode of its AnsweRED Podcast (thanks, Rock Paper Shotgun), which hosts interviews with builders from the corporate’s studios all over the world. The newest included an interview with Pawel Sasko, the affiliate sport director on the upcoming Cyberpunk sport at the moment being developed within the CDPR’s new Boston studio. Sasko talked about how he felt that whereas Cyberpunk 2077 was meant to painting a dystopian American future, and after touring to the town extra steadily within the years for the reason that sport launched in 2020, he didn’t really feel they went arduous sufficient on sure matters.
“I see that we didn’t push the envelope far sufficient in some locations, as an illustration,” Sasko mentioned. “Like, let’s say the homeless disaster, once I take a look at it, I’m like, we weren’t far sufficient in ‘77. We thought that we have been dystopian, however we simply touched the floor.”
Learn extra: Phantom Liberty’s New Ending Is The Excellent Coda To Cyberpunk 2077
Dan Hernberg, govt producer on the Cyberpunk sequel, joked that 2077 had “one homeless individual in a tent someplace” and the crew thought that was adequate, solely to be informed by People that they’d want “a complete metropolis” of individuals with out houses in Evening Metropolis to seize the homeless disaster within the nation. Sasko says residing in America has given him a greater perspective on how prevalent these issues are.
“We thought like, ‘Oh yeah, we’re being edgy’ with all that stuff,” Sasko mentioned. “And I’m like, ‘my stroll to the prepare every single day is extra edgy generally.’”
Whereas Cyberpunk’s portrayal of systemic issues like homelessness are one factor, Sasko says that engaged on Orion in America will assist them catch much less drastic discrepancies, like 2077’s manhole covers being those seen in Germany, quite than those you’d see in American cities.
“If you go to America, there’s issues like hydrants, the place they’re positioned and the way they appear,” Sasko mentioned. “The road lights, the positions of that. The trash bins, they’re within the entrance of the home, proper by the road. In Poland, in Europe, you don’t see it nearly anyplace, Like there’s a lot nuance. […] Our curbs are totally different, our shade is totally different on all of our indicators. Every part’s simply barely totally different and it doesn’t break immersion, nevertheless it’s simply that little factor you’re like, ‘Properly, perhaps this wasn’t like, you realize, made by individuals who dwell right here or individuals who totally perceive all of American tradition.’”
As work on its post-launch patches and Phantom Liberty enlargement have wrapped up, for the primary time in a decade, nobody at CD Projekt RED is engaged on Cyberpunk 2077. Regardless of a unhealthy launch and numerous controversy, the studio has turned the sport round and it’s made them $750 million.
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