Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Acknowledges Linear Story Criticism, Says It’s “Justified”

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Much ink has been spilled over Cyberpunk 2077’s many failures (at least in its launch incarnation), but we should give credit where it’s due. From the title’s disastrous launch to its almost entirely unprecedented removal from the PS Store, after many patch moons, it finally feels like the game has been in good stead since the PS5 update launched.

But it’s still not perfect, which CD Projekt Red quest director Pawe Sasko faced during a recent stream on his Twitch channel, reported by PCGamesN. A viewer asked the developer what he thought of the reviews that Cyberpunk 2077 ended up being a much more linear gaming experience, at least compared to how the title was priced pre-launch. Sasko responded, stating, “Well, I think that’s completely justified.

Players can experience drastically different opening segments (depending on their chosen character’s background); there are several branching questlines and no less than five endings. However, Sasko acknowledges that “players expected more”.

Noting that there are enough systems on hand to have at least two parts that look significantly different, Sasko agrees, “it’s not enough,” before explaining why he thinks that’s the case. “Players expected more, they expected more because of the way The Witcher 3 is built, and I think Cyberpunk has an insane amount of non-linearity, but I think the expectations were higher “.

It’s nice to see a developer acknowledging respectful feedback, and maybe we’ll see more nonlinearity in future products. Cyberpunk’s first and only expansion, Phantom Liberty, is set to launch in 2023 and reportedly has an unprecedented budget. The company is also going strong for Project Orion, the 2077 sequel, and is opening a new studio in Boston to help with that task.

Do you think Cyberpunk 2077’s structure criticism is fair? Did the developers overestimate the freedom offered, or were we simply spoiled for choice in The Witcher 3? Let us know in the comments section below.

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