CD Projekt Red hits development milestone with Cyberpunk 2077’s story now playable

Debuting new 4K screenshots and artwork at Gamescom 2018, it looks like Cyberpunk 2077 is shaping up nicely. CD Projekt Red has since revealed that the game has hit a major development milestone in that it is now playable from beginning to end, inching it closer to that elusive release date.

Engadget managed to catch up with Cyberpunk 2077 producer Richard Borzymowski at the event, who revealed that the game was one step closer towards completion with it finally being playable from start to finish. The title still needed a plethora of assets adding in, as well as needing to be playtested to weed out the bugs, but like the developer’s renowned Witcher series, the story coming together is just as important as the world itself.

In the meantime, it seems that CD Projekt Red is fending off criticism from enthusiasts of the genre for its portrayal of Night City in broad daylight with clear skies during the E3 trailer. Pioneering author William Gibson, who defined much of the cyberpunk genre with his novel Neuromancer, called the developer’s E3 showcase “generic,” likening it to “GTA skinned-over with a generic 80s retro-future.”

The trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 strikes me as GTA skinned-over with a generic 80s retro-future, but hey, that's just me.

— William Gibson (@GreatDismal) June 10, 2018

Of course, Borzymowski justifies these comments by stating that the “punk” in cyberpunk doesn’t necessarily refer to the grittiness of its aesthetic, but more the themes of fighting “against the system.” As well as lending to the day/night cycle of Cyberpunk 2077’s open-world formula, some felt it made the cyberpunk genre a little more dynamic than usual, presenting it in a new light. Pun intended.

Regardless of first impressions or worries that CD Projekt Red could bend the genre to its own whim, the progress made on the title establishes the game in a more grounded reality and a distant promise. That being said, there is still now announced window of release, meaning we still might have quite some time to wait.

KitGuru Says: One thing I do have faith in, is CD Projekt’s ability to craft an engaging story set in a dynamic world that most developers tend to scratch the surface of. There’s still a long way to go, and a lot more to see before a true judgement can be cast on the upcoming game. How do you feel about Cyberpunk 2077 so far?

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