I thought long and hard why CP77 rubs me the wrong way as an RPG.
In comparison to TW3 it has more rpg elements in, so why do so many, including me feel so different?
In my eyes the lackluster life path is to blame.
Gerald was always a witcher, the witcher.
You could approach the quest differently and make some different choices, but in the end you are playing as the Witcher. Hunting monster, being a mutant etc.
With V it's a bit different.
When you play as female street kid V everything feels as it is written for you. The dialogues, the choices all feels tailored to her.
And it makes sense from your motivation and goals as a street kid.
You grew up with only 3 viable options.
Suck up to a Corp, most unlikely they would want you...it's more like a slave contract.
Join a gang.
Or become a merc.
So everything is and feels cohesive.
As the nomad you also can stretch it that you want to become a merc and act as you do.
You lost your family and never knew something differently. Similar to Panam, and like her you either can rejoin a nomad family or die in the city. Alone.
Still viable and understandable goals.
But then comes corpo V.
Why does he/she act like they do?
You are not your average Joe/Jane, you are V from Arasaka counterintelligence. You are an agent.
You got caught up in a power struggle between your boss Jenkins and his boss Abernathy. To the culmination of him ordering you to kill her and you get booted out by her.
So what goals would corpo V have?
We don't get shown in the intro that V is terrible uncomfortable with his/her position. That V is struggling and would love to get away.
We see V at the top of her game. Deciding over the fate of other agents, have recognition within his department and a name to it.
There was no deep desire shown to leave Arasaka and get a new start.
If this would be an RPG about corpo V, I would go to a different Corp. Millitech or another.
They clearly would love to have one more agent, especially one with a agenda against Arasaka and that much info about their inner workings. About placed agents and what not.
I would want to get it back to Jenkins and Abernathy. Proof to Arasaka and everyone that you belong there. That you worked your way up, and it wasn't just luck that landed you this position.
But no. We just say fuck it. Revert to a gang goon slang spewing merc and just make a new start.
You already had a prestige position.
You made it in Arasaka.
So all the hype around Dex and the Heist feels out of place. At least for me.
We could have been a vengeful V that has it in for Arasaka. Delusional yes. Hammer it home that V wants, need to pay back Arasaka to play him dirty.
Doesn't matter that doesn't make sense. It's his unhealthy obsession and only driving goal. And he wants to achieve it on his terms. Not as another corpo-slave.
That would make more sense in the narrative of the game, but we never get shown this.
For me this create such a discrepancy between the life path I choose and the gameplay I got, at it feels like playing a different character hence not roleplaying mine.
One other big issue I personally have, I cannot tell for certain if this is because cdpr got over their head with this project. If there was more content but got cut for what reason. All this uncertainty don't sweeten the deal for me. In contrary, it makes me angry and salty.
Inexperienced can be forgiven, but a rushed product for no good and communicated reasons not.
Sorry for my lengthy post.
In comparison to TW3 it has more rpg elements in, so why do so many, including me feel so different?
In my eyes the lackluster life path is to blame.
Gerald was always a witcher, the witcher.
You could approach the quest differently and make some different choices, but in the end you are playing as the Witcher. Hunting monster, being a mutant etc.
With V it's a bit different.
When you play as female street kid V everything feels as it is written for you. The dialogues, the choices all feels tailored to her.
And it makes sense from your motivation and goals as a street kid.
You grew up with only 3 viable options.
Suck up to a Corp, most unlikely they would want you...it's more like a slave contract.
Join a gang.
Or become a merc.
So everything is and feels cohesive.
As the nomad you also can stretch it that you want to become a merc and act as you do.
You lost your family and never knew something differently. Similar to Panam, and like her you either can rejoin a nomad family or die in the city. Alone.
Still viable and understandable goals.
But then comes corpo V.
Why does he/she act like they do?
You are not your average Joe/Jane, you are V from Arasaka counterintelligence. You are an agent.
You got caught up in a power struggle between your boss Jenkins and his boss Abernathy. To the culmination of him ordering you to kill her and you get booted out by her.
So what goals would corpo V have?
We don't get shown in the intro that V is terrible uncomfortable with his/her position. That V is struggling and would love to get away.
We see V at the top of her game. Deciding over the fate of other agents, have recognition within his department and a name to it.
There was no deep desire shown to leave Arasaka and get a new start.
If this would be an RPG about corpo V, I would go to a different Corp. Millitech or another.
They clearly would love to have one more agent, especially one with a agenda against Arasaka and that much info about their inner workings. About placed agents and what not.
I would want to get it back to Jenkins and Abernathy. Proof to Arasaka and everyone that you belong there. That you worked your way up, and it wasn't just luck that landed you this position.
But no. We just say fuck it. Revert to a gang goon slang spewing merc and just make a new start.
You already had a prestige position.
You made it in Arasaka.
So all the hype around Dex and the Heist feels out of place. At least for me.
We could have been a vengeful V that has it in for Arasaka. Delusional yes. Hammer it home that V wants, need to pay back Arasaka to play him dirty.
Doesn't matter that doesn't make sense. It's his unhealthy obsession and only driving goal. And he wants to achieve it on his terms. Not as another corpo-slave.
That would make more sense in the narrative of the game, but we never get shown this.
For me this create such a discrepancy between the life path I choose and the gameplay I got, at it feels like playing a different character hence not roleplaying mine.
One other big issue I personally have, I cannot tell for certain if this is because cdpr got over their head with this project. If there was more content but got cut for what reason. All this uncertainty don't sweeten the deal for me. In contrary, it makes me angry and salty.
Inexperienced can be forgiven, but a rushed product for no good and communicated reasons not.
Sorry for my lengthy post.