A Cyberpunk 2077 sequel? After the blundered launch of Cyberpunk 2077, there is no way CD Projekt Red can mess up twice. The next game will go down as one of the greats because it has to, for CD Projekt Red’s sake.
Cyberpunk 2077 Launch Blunder
First, let me give you the quickest rundown of the Cyberpunk 2077 launch. If I tried to break down the whole controversy, I could turn it into a book that would give Harry Potter a run for its money.
8 years… 8 long years people were hyped for Cyberpunk 2077. This was the game that was meant to redefine role-playing games. We had the hype from Keanu Reeves, the good gracious of CD Projekt Red due to Witcher fame, and a long development time.
What could go wrong? Everything. Not even exaggerating, everything that could go wrong with a game release did go wrong.
Gamers around the world were upset, to say the least with the product that was released. CD Projekt Red has investigations from Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection due to the last generations of consoles being unable to play Cyberpunk 2077 or having constant crashes and bugs.
So much so that Sony pulled it from their store until the game is patched. It was a couple of months.
Cyberpunk 2077: Broken Promises
If you are looking for a good laugh, I suggest just scrolling through the Cyberpunk 2077 Reddit forum. It is memes galore in there.
The developers were promising so many things. They said it was going to be the most immersive city ever (wrong!), a game where decisions matter (wrong again!), and a dynamic wanted system (oh boy!).
However, many found the game somewhat enjoyable, even with all of its problems. But the game and developers left a sour taste in our mouths.
I even enjoyed myself a bit as well, so much so that I wrote a small guide on it.
CD Projekt Red has lost the trust of so many of us. It was like being catfished for years. We all thought we were in love with a beautiful princess until the veil finally came off and she turned out to be an ogre.
Yes, I know, true beauty comes from the inside. Well, CD Projekt Red is ugly on the inside as well, based on how many lies were told to get their game to sell. Especially when it comes to last-gen consoles.
The last-gen console players suffered the worst, with muddy graphics, terrible loading textures, and crashes. I was one of those players until I got a Series X a few days later. It was a much better experience. 100 times better.
Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel In Development
However, this is about a Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, which is in development, according to reports and rumors.
I am here to tell you why the Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel is going to be one of the best RPGs of all time.
You all probably think I am crazy, but keep reading and hear me out.
Everyone has read those quotes about failure and lessons on Instagram and Pinterest, right? How failure is part of success and failure are just lessons learned and all that jazz, well I believe it.
Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most controversial and biggest failures in gaming in history. At least from a consumers’ standpoint because the game still sold like crazy (IGN).
CD Projekt Red has taken the biggest L and they will turn that energy and make the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel a masterpiece. Just for clarification, I have no idea what the sequel will be named.
Cyberpunk 2078? Cyberpunk 2? I don’t know so I will be just calling it the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel for the time being.
Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel: Building From Failure
Anyways, yes a masterpiece, just in case you missed what I wrote. How could I ever think such a thing? Because as I stated earlier, CD Projekt Red is going to take this lesson learned and release a game so monumental and great, that gamers will trust them again.
Here is my extremely simple and short reason why I know it is going to blow everyone away… because it has to.
I know that’s not a good enough reason for you right? So let me dive a little deeper into why.
There is so much wrong and missing from the game that modders are already implementing. Such as a third-person camera, extra clothing, and cops being able to chase you in a vehicle. Because gamers are so vocal, this exposure has not gone unnoticed by the developers.
They are going to soak up all of this information and implement everything that modders are doing into the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. And why wouldn’t they, when people are already improving their games, it comes down to the developers just doing it better.
There is plenty of examples of modders getting hired or paid to help improve on some things. One recent example is the loading time fix for GTA V for PC. That player found a way to reduce load times and was awarded $10,000.
Now I’m not saying CD Projekt Red is going that far, but they will look at Reddit, look at most wanted features and improvements. They will apply this to Cyberpunk 2077 sequel and future titles. I mean the foundation is already there, now just keep building on it.
CD Projekt Red Wants The Gamers’ Trust Back
CD Projekt Red wants to win the trust back, according to a call transcript, from all the gamers and consumers it let down. And honestly, it might not even start with the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel. It might start with another Witcher game, which is also rumored to be in development.
I’m going to assume that they will release that first instead of releasing another Cyberpunk game. So did they get lucky with the Witcher 3? Either way, their next game, whether it be another Witcher game, Cyberpunk 2077 sequel, or a new IP, they need to get it right.
Here’s the thing, even if they get the next game right, will gamers forgive them? More specifically I’m talking if they made another fantastic game that wasn’t Cyberpunk related.
Thankfully there is a simple solution to this problem…
Don’t oversell or lie about your products. This advertising 101. You take your features and turn them into benefits.
Don’t just start listing features that you don’t have to begin with. Again, CD Projekt Red has done this, they promised a lot and things were either extremely underdeveloped (life paths) or not implemented (driving AI).
Cyberpunk 2077’s Good Side
Okay, so we talked about the bad side of Cyberpunk 2077, building a foundation, and gaining trust. Let’s talk a little bit more about how they can do that. Take the good things of Cyberpunk 2077 and tune it up even more in the sequel.
For example…
The world-building is great, there are plenty of reasons to explore Night City. Mostly for the many data chips lying around that sheds light on a lot of backstories. It also helps that Night City looks stunning, especially at night and when it is raining. It makes you forget just how corrupt the city is.
While the story of Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t phenomenal, it does have great character building and dialogue. The dialogue and interactions with the main story characters are so good, it shows when the game doesn’t offer many branching decisions.
This sucks, considering how many colorful and interesting characters are introduced throughout the game, but you only get to interact with them when the game tells you to.
Night City Jammin’
Do you know what Night City also has for it?
The jams, the tunes, the bops… you get the idea. The music in Cyberpunk 2077 is great. From dance to hip-hop to techno. I have to say it again, CD Projekt Red has the vision and foundation for the sequel to be a trendsetter.
Sure, music isn’t what defines RPGs, or what makes a game good, but it definitely can set the tone.
CD Projekt Red did just this when you first enter Night City while riding around with Jackie. It was a fantastic moment.
Cyberpunk 2077 Sequel Will Be A Massive Improvement
Let’s dive even deeper into why the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will be a large improvement. We have to account for the fact that they will most definitely improve on everything as well add loads of other things.
So let’s start with things that are sure to be great in the next game first shall we?
Cyberpunk 2077 looks great, the city and the character models are on point. There are so many little details on weapons and clothing to make the world feel alive. Now let assume that the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel releases within four years at the earliest and 8 years at the latest.
The graphics are going to be insane. While games can have bad graphics and be a good RPG, although the better the graphics the more immersed you become in the game.
One of the biggest player gripes was the lack of choices that matter. Considering the Witcher 3 had plenty with many different outcomes, people assumed the same here.
I mean this can easily be fixed next game. Quests should affect the game world on a small level, medium level, and large level. Meaning some choices are minor and can affect a minor character dying or helping you later on.
While the major decisions can affect a whole town or ending. Similar to nuking the city in Fallout 3 or the children eating witches quest in The Witcher 3. Not all quests should have consequences but it makes the game feel more dynamic.
Will it be a great RPG?
You know what? I have been rambling a little bit but never fully explained why I think it will be a masterpiece. I’m not going to beat around the bush about it. Let’s go.
The citizens’ driving AI will be overhauled I guarantee it, it is trash right now. The driving controls will be improved on for sure, CD Projekt Red has already implemented a patch to help with that.
The skill tree and leveling system will probably get redone to ensure a more diverse gameplay experience that focuses less on just passives. Also less useless skills, like the throwing knife skill and underwater perk. Those perks are just taking up space I don’t know what they were thinking with those.
For a developer to claim that Cyberpunk 2007 and Night City is all about style and choices, why on earth isn’t there a cosmetic option? This feature will be added with DLC or in the sequel and it will be mentioned by the developers early as possible.
Also, the gear system needs a rework, it was boring. A lot of the gear was just equipping the ones with the highest defense and most mod slots. so you wouldn’t die.
I think if they went more of the route of Dark Souls or even Divinity: Original Sin where gear actually meant something and wasn’t just loot driven. Have fixed gear for the most part and let players find them and level those up to their liking.
While Cyberpunk 2077 did have that, it wasn’t implemented well. Crafting and gear felt more of an afterthought.
Yes It Will Be
Interactions with other characters and romances are what many will consider a staple in RPGs. Sure there are interactions throughout the main story, but not on the level many were hoping.
And the romances in the game are a big letdown. You get to see a sex scene, cool I guess, but it does nothing. Not even a permanent buff.
I believe they learned their lesson with this and will make this romancing more of a mini-game. Take them on dates or something along those lines. Instead of just completing quests and calling it a day.
Even GTA: San Andreas let you go on dates, and that game came out in 2004. If they continue having little romance options in the next Cyberpunk game, flesh out the romance options. Which is what I think they will do. Again, a lot of people complained about this.
I’m honestly not even going to get into the bugs and glitches, but they will probably test it much more thoroughly next time (hopefully).
Original Vs Sequel
Quick question, how many sequels come out worse than the original?
Not many. Why?
Because the developers learned their lessons the first time around and improve on the sequel in almost every way.
And this is the main reason why the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will be a masterpiece. The foundation that they set with this game is way too good for a sequel not to be good.
Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t a terrible game, but it is riddled with bugs, unfinished features, and false promises. If the developers put everything into the game that they stated was going to be in the game, it would have been one of the greats, but that isn’t the case.
Take all of the great things about Cyberpunk 2077 and improve them more and already have a much better game. If the bad things get improved and overhauled, then you are looking at game of the year.
Now take all of those improvements and add a few new features, then, you can be looking at game of the decade. The next Cyberpunk game could turn into Diablo 2, which is considered one of the best games in its genre.
I may be exaggerating a bit, but I honestly believe CD Projekt Red will come out swinging when the next Cyberpunk game releases. They have gotten too much backlash. People aren’t going to fall for the hype again.
They going to have to rely on word of mouth like The Witcher 3.
Conclusion
In short, the Cyberpunk 2077 sequel will be a masterpiece because CD Projekt Red wants to get back in the green with the consumers. The game will most likely have more robust features and improved gameplay elements. CD Project Red knows that they let everyone down and I believe they are going to bring it back with this game.
Here’s the thing…
I know this is a controversial hot take, but I want to know what you think in the comments. Do you think it is going to be another failure or is it too early to tell?
Originally published at https://gamingnitemare.com on April 19, 2021.
