[Spoilers] The game flows much better when you put off the main quest till later

[cerberusdest]

In my first playthrough, I did the following sequence:

1. Rush through all main missions, mostly ignoring side content
2. Reach the point-of-no-return quest, realize that the side content must be completed
3. Grinded all the side content, did the point-of-no-return and finished the campaign
4. Got bored of the world immediately after

In my second playthrough, I have done the following:

1. Finish the heist & following quests, but stop all main quests progress shortly after (before diving into the Panam, Takemura, Pacifica quests)
2. Do side content & freely explore

In my second playthrough, by doing the above, I'm currently at level 32 and 50 street cred. I've done a lot of the side content, but there is still plenty left, and there is still plenty of "too hard" content that I can't comfortably do yet. Additionally, I still haven't met Panam, haven't done Takemura's big plan, nor gone to Pacifica yet.

Overall, I've found the second playthrough much more enjoyable so far. By not pursuing the main quests so fast after the heist, it's let me explore the world much more without the narrative making you feel like you have to hurry up and do the main quest to save yourself. At the same time, during this phase I leveled from 11 to 32, and it was fun to focus on getting the build right, and trying to find good items in the open world rather than from main quest rewards (which are automatically good).
Overall, the effect has been that the side content (even simple open world ones) have felt less like a chore, and at the same time more meaningful because they are not sidelined by the main story which really takes over everything once you start focusing on it.

My overall impression is that the main quest after meeting Johnny really should have been the third act, with a lot of the side content becoming an official second act. Luckily you can at least simulate this in your playthrough by putting the main quests off until later.

 

[Icinix]

Totally in agreement.

My first playthrough I really felt the games best parts were everything outside of the main quest - and in my second I'm doing absolutely everything else except the main quest and exploring every nook and cranny - and I'm having a total blast.

 

[Shoklen]

Yup, completely agreed as well and I did the exact same thing. I mainly focused on all the crime first (and still have more to do)... a lot of Gigs, half way through Panam line. Currently sitting at 75 / 20 / 30 for progression cards and have a ton of the main story left.

Best thing I did was to get as far as I could just after Dex's car ride... then Once doing the Heist, ignoring the main line again. Currently level 43 and street 50.

Ignoring the false sense of urgency is about the best thing someone can do.

 

[Techno_Core]

+1
I suppose it means something, but who know what it could be, that I find the game more enjoyable ignoring the main quest.

 

[DMCain]

Certainly. In my first play thru, I put off the main story as long as I could and went into op55 when I finished all the side biz and couldn't find any more hustles, finishing the game with over 120 hours of play. And I still didn't find all the scanner hustles.

Now on my 2nd play thru, I'm a bit over lvl 20 with capped street cred and about to start The Heist and 21 hours in play time.

Rushing the main story is just silly and you miss out on so much stuff.

 

[Mobster100]

My overall impression is that the main quest after meeting Johnny really should have been the third act, with a lot of the side content becoming an official second act. Luckily you can at least simulate this in your playthrough by putting the main quests off until later.

I mixed it a bit, but with focus on side missions.

After having completed the game, I actually think that the game would have been better without any main quest as such, but just with a lot of side missions in the style more of a life simulator, where each would tell their own short story and leading to something that would change the overall experience of the game.

So for instance the missions with Judy, could lead to her becoming your romance, but could also just become your side kick or a mixture. She could also be one you could ask for advice or help in regards to other missions where BDs are involved.

Other missions could lead to you getting into bad standings with some of gangs, the police, Militech etc. But also missions which would allow you to mend these relationships.

But basically just a whole lot of missions designed to create a web of choices that would change V's life as a merc, or whatever you could end up as, given what you chose to do during your playthrough.

To me at least, it weren't really the main story that I felt defined my V or gave me the most enjoyment in my playthrough, but rather to interact, help and work with all these characters in the side missions. The main story was a bit to linear I think, and doesn't allow for a lot of replayability.

Whereas certain side missions, could be designed in such way to create a much more dynamic world. And had they combined that with a living world in general, where gangs, politicians, police, militech etc. had their own agendas as well which were more dynamic as well, so you could have gang wars etc. I think this game would have been a lot better.

 

[Mentos3]

The problem is: the story itself push people to play it through. Of course many are curios if V will survive this mess. And it is kind of paradox, that you blast away one Gang-Group/Cyberpsycho/bla after another, if your V is dizzy and coughing blood. Similar to RDR2.
"Rushing" per storydesign.

 

[warner11]

I did the same.

second time around I held off finishing the heist and just focussed on Watson gigs and side quests. RP’d that V was waiting for the job to be set up by Dex and also that V was still building his reputation.

that helped stave off rushing through the main quest.

 

[Sillivanukas]

Another good point later in the story to put main quest aside is before the parade.
Because even though technically you can do it whenever, storywise it happens at specific time and it makes sense V has some spare time in between.

 

[Lunchmoney]

So by taking your time to enjoy the world, not rushing or grinding anything, you enjoy the game more? Who knew

 

[Mobster100]

The problem is: the story itself push people to play it through. Of course many are curios if V will survive this mess. And it is kind of paradox, that you blast away one Gang-Group/Cyberpsycho/bla after another, if your V is dizzy and coughing blood. Similar to RDR2.
"Rushing" per storydesign.

The main story is driven by the player wanting to or having to try to save V or Johnny really, because V doesn't get anything out of anything you do in the story really, only Johnny can do that as well, sort of.

At least that was the impression I got. And I have no issues with unhappy endings, but I think this could be done in better ways, especially if you can lose characters that you feel connected to, so its can be a mixture of good and bad endings in each side mission depending on what you did and you can experience these effect as you play, which you can't really now as the game ends after you make your choice.

So knowing this, the second playthrough is not very exciting in my opinion and why I think it would have been better without a fix main story, but rather the player making their own.

 

[ottffss1]

yeah turn off the hud and just run from point a to b (quest objective) and if you see something interesting along the way stop there and do that side mission.

 

[HarelMor]

I think that many of the side quests feel like part of the main quest, there are a lot of interesting interactions between johnny and V in those quests. What if CDPR charged those when the game's narrative shifted. Doing the side quests enhance V's story, and flash out night city.

 

[Techno_Core]

So by taking your time to enjoy the world, not rushing or grinding anything, you enjoy the game more? Who knew

The difference here is the game gives you a reason to rush because you're told you've got a few weeks at best to live once the game begins proper. And you get constant reminders you're sick

 

[iblackmail2007]

After having completed the game, I actually think that the game would have been better without any main quest as such, but just with a lot of side missions in the style more of a life simulator, where each would tell their own short story and leading to something that would change the overall experience of the game.

They honestly could've just pulled a Skyrim in Night City and it would have worked extremely well based on people's expection. You could work your way up a corporation like Militech, join a gang and take over the criminal underworld or become part of a nomadic family. The 3 life paths could just be a way to accelerate your starting point in those endeavors.

 

[Techno_Core]

They honestly could've just pulled a Skyrim in Night City and it would have worked extremely well based on people's expection. You could work your way up a corporation like Militech, join a gang and take over the criminal underworld or become part of a nomadic family. The 3 life paths could just be a way to accelerate your starting point in those endeavors.

When does this game come out!?!? IWANT!!!!