[Constructive Criticism] I did not like CP77 showing at E3 2019

[NeonPheonix]

Here are my thoughts on why I disliked what CDPR showed us at E3 this year.

Keanu Reeves. I personally love the actor and I think he's brilliant, and having him on stage was a pleasant shock but unfortunately his inclusion in this game breaks the 4th wall for me and ruins the immersion. The talk of the show should have been the game, the popularity of the game was high enough to stand on its own feet but now instead of the game being the main attraction Keanu Reeves is. And now every time he pops up in the game we will be reminded that he's Keanu Reeves and that we're playing a videogame. He is a major distraction in a game all about losing ourselves in.

What happened to the colors? I personally loved the aesthetic direction we saw last year, this year it seems they have reverted to the more traditional art style of looking too dark, too generic. I understand the criticism from others online and even the trolls on 4chan claiming the game looks too much like GTA5 and that it's not cyberpunk. Unfortunately what people think is cyberpunk is actually Eclipse Phase a subgenre within cyberpunk where everything is dark and gloomy all the time. I really liked the announcement a while back from CDPR that they weren't doing dark cyberpunk and that cyperpunk would be live, full of color and rock n roll. I really hope they stick to their initial vision and what we saw was not indicative of the overall direction of the game. I also noticed some colors looking bleak and washed out and that the game seemed a bit too sharp and last year characters were more rounded this is not something that I like but its just a personal preference. My hope is that the California orange juice sunlight makes a return to the game, and the colors really pop again.

CGI Trailer.. I was extremely disappointed that CDPR decided to use a CGI trailer after they released 48mins of gameplay footage. It is an odd decision and really makes me wonder what other changes were done to the game that CDPR doesn't feel comfortable releasing it to the public. It doesn't exactly ooze confidence from CDPR. The trailer itself was ok, maybe even good although I did not like the appearance of V all that much, he looked like a skinny drug addict.

Jackie is dead. I wonder if Jackie dying is a metaphor for everything we saw last E3 is also dead and that the game had a minor reboot of sorts. There are definitely some tone changes that were subtle but noticeable. I wonder if the game has gone down in scope? Of course this is just speculation from my part but things have definitely changed. My second concern is why show Jackie dying at all. I feel like this is some major spoiler for the game maybe his death is not permanent and maybe as some have suggested his presence is determinable by your actions but the reason still remains why show a major character dying in your presentation?

I hope its ok to share my thoughts here and I'm curious what you guys think.

 

[Nurul08]

You raise valid points. I think generally however, CD project seem to know what it is they are trying to do. Your feedback is good stuff to share. I’m going to go drink some orange juice now.

 

[Don-Ramon]

You're like asking them to bring back things that people complained from last year's gameplay video hahahahahaha, specially the cheesy disney movie colors. CP2077 is way better with this darker and serious mood, at least according to last year feedback. I liked both, personally.

 

[xxTotexx]

I don't want to believe Jackie's death is unavoidable because you're right. It doesn't make sense that they would spoil something like that, especially after so many people have grown attached to him as a companion. His design is way too cool to be a minor character. I agree with what you said about Keanu Reeves too like... CDPR you didn't need to reach out to a celebrity to get our attention! You already have it and I'm going to be reminded he's an actor every time I see him in game too. Maybe it's only if you choose Johnny Silverhand for your idol at the start?

Btw they didn't change anything colour wise. It's just a different atmosphere at night in Night City.

 

[NeonPheonix]

You're like asking them to bring back things that people complained from last year's gameplay video hahahahahaha, specially the cheesy disney movie colors. CP2077 is way better with this darker and serious mood, at least according to last year feedback. I liked both, personally.

you mean the generic look of cyberpunk thats been used in every medium ever? and only a small but loud minority disliked last years showing.

 

[CybrisPunk]

1. 4th wall is something you never want to break. or you want to break it. (Deadpool)
2. it was the end of the day. sun is going down. The dirt (the shadows) is more visible, colours change during a day. but yes.. they put more stuff in the world. (in the 48min vid you could see that the street was plain gray... )
3. CGI trailer was special in many ways.. just imagine.. if V didn't had mantis blades? what if... no pistol but a shotgun? if.. they didn't go mayhem on that last job..
4. J probably didn't die....

 

[BlindManMark]

Here are my thoughts on why I disliked what CDPR showed us at E3 this year.

Keanu Reeves. I personally love the actor and I think he's brilliant, and having him on stage was a pleasant shock but unfortunately his inclusion in this game breaks the 4th wall for me and ruins the immersion. The talk of the show should have been the game, the popularity of the game was high enough to stand on its own feet but now instead of the game being the main attraction Keanu Reeves is. And now every time he pops up in the game we will be reminded that he's Keanu Reeves and that we're playing a videogame. He is a major distraction in a game all about losing ourselves in.

What happened to the colors? I personally loved the aesthetic direction we saw last year, this year it seems they have reverted to the more traditional art style of looking too dark, too generic. I understand the criticism from others online and even the trolls on 4chan claiming the game looks too much like GTA5 and that it's not cyberpunk. Unfortunately what people think is cyberpunk is actually Eclipse Phase a subgenre within cyberpunk where everything is dark and gloomy all the time. I really liked the announcement a while back from CDPR that they weren't doing dark cyberpunk and that cyperpunk would be live, full of color and rock n roll. I really hope they stick to their initial vision and what we saw was not indicative of the overall direction of the game. I also noticed some colors looking bleak and washed out and that the game seemed a bit too sharp and last year characters were more rounded this is not something that I like but its just a personal preference. My hope is that the California orange juice sunlight makes a return to the game, and the colors really pop again.

CGI Trailer.. I was extremely disappointed that CDPR decided to use a CGI trailer after they released 48mins of gameplay footage. It is an odd decision and really makes me wonder what other changes were done to the game that CDPR doesn't feel comfortable releasing it to the public. It doesn't exactly ooze confidence from CDPR. The trailer itself was ok, maybe even good although I did not like the appearance of V all that much, he looked like a skinny drug addict.

Jackie is dead. I wonder if Jackie dying is a metaphor for everything we saw last E3 is also dead and that the game had a minor reboot of sorts. There are definitely some tone changes that were subtle but noticeable. I wonder if the game has gone down in scope? Of course this is just speculation from my part but things have definitely changed. My second concern is why show Jackie dying at all. I feel like this is some major spoiler for the game maybe his death is not permanent and maybe as some have suggested his presence is determinable by your actions but the reason still remains why show a major character dying in your presentation?

I hope its ok to share my thoughts here and I'm curious what you guys think.

Jackie is not dead,its inferred he died,but we have no definitive proof. I really
like what we were shown,just past last e3(48 mins),and This E3,so far. The CGI Trailer kicked ass,but yes.......I also greatly prefer in game rendering,to CGI presentations. My lovely wife who was very hyped over the last 12 months, said the same thing to me about Reeves breaking the 4th wall to a degree,but not 100%. I love that Keanu is playing Silverhand.My wife is very concerned Reeves will over shadow the game entirely, we spent hours debating it,but she wouldn't budge on her stance. Jackie "dying" had her all mushie,while I was also definitely more drawn in,watching V wash Jackie's blood off his hands....
What really got my attention was how after Keanu did his little speech that the game was now described as a "Action Adventure Game..." NOWHERE ,did I see Role-playing mentioned. Hmmnnn.... I trust CDPR,and bought 2 copies this morn,on GOG and STEAM,but yes,that
description has me wondering a bit,as the Dev's have said the game has "Changed Allot" since last year. Jason Schreier article on 2077 last month,is trash but he has on occasion been correct,like with his ANTHEM article's. Bioware is dead,I know and not CDPR. CDPR is reliable and deeply talented, only time will tell how it all ends up.

 

[Mevik1023]

1. It's a big name and I did worry for a second when he came out, thinking "ok this segment is now about a famous guy instead of more info on my most anticipated game." Then he introduced a release date...so that concern pretty much disappeared. At the end of the day, Keanu's an actor. If he's committed to the role and plays it well, any remaining inability to see beyond the actor is more of an us problem. I like him for Silverhand and hope he brings his best to the character.

2. I'm with you on colors, and prefer the lively future to the grim, grey dystopia we've seen so many times. However fans left 2018's E3 saying "where'd the vibe from the first teaser trailer go?" In a perfect game-world, there'll be both. We'll have rainy, gritty areas as well as Tokyo-esque lights and colors that fill the more commercial zones. If Night City is visually balanced, we'll all walk away happy with the world they've built.

3. Probably my biggest hard-agree on the list. I always say it's a red flag when an E3 trailer has little to no gameplay, and it'd be biased of me to not say the same just because I'm a fan of the developer. CDPR has seemed very protective of 2077's gameplay, because they seem to be taking it seriously as they figure out this unfamiliar genre. I'm sure a lot has changed over the years, and they don't want fans spotting the inconsistencies. Hopefully the direction they took with this trailer was for the best.

4. Reeeeeally hoping this is their big statement on the importance of branching paths. I said it on the other thread as well, but imagine if Jackie dies in this trailer but lives in the behind-closed-doors gameplay demo? It seems to be a bizarrely deflating spoiler for a trailer that didn't need it, so I'm hoping it's there to showcase the importance of how we play the game.

 

[EMT-Fields]

I totally agree about Keanu and the colors. I'm really hoping that the colors will be present during the day cycle. I really hope that it just looked washed out because everything we saw was taking place at night. As for Keanu, I just hope he's not a major character.

 

[Mrtowel420]

Why do people not understand that the difference between day time and night time is not a stylistic direction lol.

They never said Cyberpunk 2077 wouldnt be dark. They said it wouldnt be exclusively dark. Day and night are a thing.

Jackie almost certainly isnt gone, that was likely one play through.

Why would you care how V looks in the trailer when you will create your own V in game.

 

[sinister.sinner]

Why do people not understand that the difference between day time and night time is not a stylistic direction lol.

They never said Cyberpunk 2077 wouldnt be dark. They said it wouldnt be exclusively dark. Day and night are a thing.

Jackie almost certainly isnt gone, that was likely one play through.

Why would you care how V looks in the trailer when you will create your own V in game.

This!

I don't see any difference in style just in daytime and weather.

 

[NeonPheonix]

Why do people not understand that the difference between day time and night time is not a stylistic direction lol.

They never said Cyberpunk 2077 wouldnt be dark. They said it wouldnt be exclusively dark. Day and night are a thing.

Jackie almost certainly isnt gone, that was likely one play through.

Why would you care how V looks in the trailer when you will create your own V in game.

Daytime was shown in the 40second ingame montage and the colors looked bleak and washed out. But I hope you're right.

 

[gogmeister777]

Keanu Reeves...but unfortunately his inclusion in this game breaks the 4th wall for me and ruins the immersion. The talk of the show should have been the game, the popularity of the game was high enough to stand on its own feet but now instead of the game being the main attraction Keanu Reeves is

Well, I see where you're coming from but without a large gameplay segment, there wasn't really anything to show apart from a cinematic. It was a cool cinematic but I much prefer gameplay. So, if the name of the game this year was hype, style and exposure, adding Keanu fits very well, imo. I'd easily take seeing the game being played though, the stuff journos will apparently be seeing behind the scenes, over what we got.

What happened to the colors?

My hope is that the California orange juice sunlight makes a return to the game, and the colors really pop again.

I love a dark, cyberpunk atmosphere but I agree with you about this to a degree. Basically, I want variety. Rain, sunshine, gloomy days, bright days. It's gonna be a huge game so I'd like there to be as many moods as possible. However, I'm not gonna draw any conclusions from a cinematic and a few glimpses of gameplay footage. I'm trusting them with the colour scheme unless I see another hour or so gameplay that proves otherwise.

CGI Trailer..

I was extremely disappointed that CDPR decided to use a CGI trailer after they released 48mins of gameplay footage...makes me wonder what other changes were done to the game that CDPR doesn't feel comfortable releasing it to the public...V looked like a skinny drug addict.

Well, I agree with you on this as mentioned above. I thought we'd get gameplay that'd show what/if changes have been made with a big emphasis on mechanics - weapon levels/constraints for example. It felt odd to go from 48min gameplay back in August, to just a trailer. Games often do it the other way around.

I didn't care about V's look since I'll be customising my V anyway.

Jackie is dead.

I wonder if Jackie dying is a metaphor for everything we saw last E3 is also dead and that the game had a minor reboot of sorts...but the reason still remains why show a major character dying in your presentation?

I think it's a choice-outcome based thing. It'd be too much of a spoiler if it was absolute. I think they showed it for the drama of the trailer and maybe to also show how much your choices can effect the story, though primarily the former.

I hope its ok to share my thoughts here and I'm curious what you guys think.

Not only is it ok, but I was interested in hearing your take on it

So yeah, my only problem with the presentation was the lack of new gameplay footage, especially since we have developer comments suggesting the game feels a lot different than it did last year.

 

[AsadaShino0821]

There are several time periods during the day, and there are different regions and different weather effects.

you are in the real world, there is only one mode during the day. lol

Then you may need to go out and see the world.

 

[Metropolice]

If you think about it or look at it from another perspective, seeing a pre-rendered or CGI trailer now is not that surprising. Same pattern as last year: First this reveal and (CGI?) trailer in 2018, then betwen E3 and Gamescom or with Gamescom, released gameplay footage or demo.

Same approach now it seems, unless they magically reveal gameplay demo this week or shortly after E3 which I doubt. Prolly with Gamescom, rather, seeing as they can utilize "hype" more if they hold it back until then for the general public (not counting live-shows at the expos).

 

[gogmeister777]

If you think about it or look at it from another perspective, seeing a pre-rendered or CGI trailer now is not that surprising. Same pattern as last year: First this reveal and (CGI?) trailer in 2018, then betwen E3 and Gamescom or with Gamescom, released gameplay footage or demo.

You're right and that's perfectly fine reasoning but there's one big problem.....

I WANT TO SEE IT NOW!

 

[CybrisPunk]

they have 2 versions that they show on E3
and there are 2 events they visit before release... sooo....
give me a sec... calculate.... 1 gameplay vid per event with an upload on Youtube.

 

[WarLordY1983]

Oh yeah, same here.

 

[RLKing1969]

To be fair, the trailer was VERY CYBERPUNK! It's a dark, violent genre' and this trailer did it justice. The only question I have is: Is Johnny Silverhand real or a hallucination?

 

[Mk3rd]

Keanu Reeves

You won't notice him if his character portrayal is on point. You will only see the character

What happened to the colors?

Dirt and pollution, time of day, dynamic weather. It's a big game, it's impossible not to have a diverse atmosphere and tone.

Jackie is dead

Loved it! Clearly this is a like a different outcome from a different playthrough(only rendered as a cgi trailer)if you compare it to the female V demo. This only solidifies the fact this will be another huge roller coaster of emotions.