Is Cyberpunk 2077 a Sandbox game or not?

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Guest 4564903

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Simple question, is Cyberpunk a sandbox game or not?
 
Simple question, is Cyberpunk a sandbox game or not?
No. It is a fairly linear game set in a large area, akin to how Ubisoft handles things. The Environment is just a pretty back drop. It is advertised as "open world", but I feel it falls some way short of that as it lacks certain basic qualities and features that an open world game should have. It is a large map, story driven game with some quests.
 

Guest 4564903

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Good, someone with a proper opinion and something to contribute, thank you.
 
So I'd say no. Open-world yes.
I'd say it clearly wanted to be open world, but the rushed release has left it to devoid of real soul for it to be classed as open world. It is a large map, sure, but outside of the pre-placed enemy encounter activity and the more scripted quests and events, the game lacks enough of a variety in things to do in the world as well as dodgy implementation/bugs in various systems that break any sense of "world" immersion. It feels very "gamified" outside of the very immersive, but tightly scripted more cinematic mission segments. Very similar to any number of Ubisoft so called open world games over the years and certainly not what CDPR led everyone to expect.
 

Guest 3847602

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Hmm. How much silicon does it contain?
Not much silicon, but SALT, on the other hand...
Very similar to any number of Ubisoft so called open world games over the years and certainly not what CDPR led everyone to expect.
"Expect nothing less than The Witcher 3".

Map of Toussaint:

Points of interest marked on the map, just as many locked doors in the city as in Night City, can't have conversations with random NPCs, no "wanted" system, only intractable objects are candles.



On topic: it's not a sandbox, of course.
 
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"Expect nothing less than The Witcher 3".
Taken from the GOG.com page for Cyberpunk 2077:

Enter the massive open world of Night City, a place that sets new standards in terms of visuals, complexity and depth.

One out of two. That is how the game is currently advertised. You keep using that quote about the Witcher, yet ignoring all the other things that CDPR said that led to perfectly reasonable expectations for this game.
 
I'd say it clearly wanted to be open world, but the rushed release has left it to devoid of real soul for it to be classed as open world. It is a large map, sure, but outside of the pre-placed enemy encounter activity and the more scripted quests and events, the game lacks enough of a variety in things to do in the world as well as dodgy implementation/bugs in various systems that break any sense of "world" immersion. It feels very "gamified" outside of the very immersive, but tightly scripted more cinematic mission segments. Very similar to any number of Ubisoft so called open world games over the years and certainly not what CDPR led everyone to expect.
Fair enough, there is a lack of emergent gameplay and full-on city sim. But in its purest definition I would say it is open world as in there is no demarcation of areas/regions that load separately or hubs and levels, you can walk (not on keyboard :ROFLMAO:) between every mission in the game and all areas are accessible.
 
Fair enough, there is a lack of emergent gameplay and full-on city sim. But in its purest definition I would say it is open world as in there is no demarcation of areas/regions that load separately or hubs and levels, you can walk (not on keyboard :ROFLMAO:) between every mission in the game and all areas are accessible.
I would also say that is fair enough, but i'd call that a large map. :ROFLMAO:
 
Simple question, is Cyberpunk a sandbox game or not?
I'd say largely not. It is a heavily narrative driven game, with a lot of narrative content that doesn't necessarily need to be played in a particular order, with a hugely detailed open world.

But sandbox implies you can just leap in and do anything you like within the structures of the game. The only things that really meet that definition are driving around and the random encounters. I love biking around, but it's not exactly Mario Kart, and the random encounters seem to have been developed as light fluff to pass two minutes. Neither is a core gameplay element.

The meat is in the narratives and the exploration of the gameworld serves the narrative.

PS "Open world" to me means simply a world that you can explore as you see fit. In other words, not something like early Resident Evil games where all action for scene A took place in one corridor and two rooms, then for scene B in a section of an antarctic research base, or whatever. Can I do that in Cyberpunk? Hell, yes. I don't agree with people who prescribe specific gameplay types as necessary to being an open world beyond that (and don't get me started on people who think you can't have open world unless you have random features like state of the art eating simulation -- there's the Sims for that).
 
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Arguing the game was never advertised as sandbox.. oh boy. Because the game became what it was advertised as, huh?
This game is an open world, with everything closed down. It's the most believable city in gaming industry, you just have to believe it yourself. You better believe it.. somebody has to
 

Guest 3847602

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One out of two. That is how the game is currently advertised. You keep using that quote about the Witcher, yet ignoring all the other things that CDPR said that led to perfectly reasonable expectations for this game.
- Again, open world = giant, continuous quest hub
- "Open wold" label tells you nothing about whether the game is sandbox or not
- Open world is not prerequisite for sandbox (Mount & Blade and Battle Brothers are sandbox games, but not "open world")
- RPG is not prerequisite for sandbox, either (Paradox grand strategies, Civilization series)
- And lastly, the game can be open world, but not a sandbox (CP2077, TW3, Dragon Age Inquisition, Ubisoft games, etc...)
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I thought they patched that
Nah, but I think there is a mod that makes it impossible to light them or put them out.
 
Arguing the game was never advertised as sandbox.. oh boy. Because the game became what it was advertised as, huh?
This game is an open world, with everything closed down. It's the most believable city in gaming industry, you just have to believe it yourself. You better believe it.. somebody has to
When I walk around London i make sure to open every single door and explore and engage in conversation with every stranger I meet. The police system is similarly ineffectual and I have only been arrested 17 times, and committed to a mental institution once.
 
- Again, open world = giant, continuous quest hub
- "Open wold" label tells you nothing about whether the game is sandbox or not
I never said the game was a sandbox. I don't know why you keep pushing that. By your definition, "open world" is the same as large map, regarless of features and content in the world. It seems the definitions are being set to whatever is needed to defend this game on all fronts, regardless of what a reasonable person may have expected based on expectations set by CDPR themselves. Meanwhile, silence from the company itself. Do you not find that odd? We are left to go around in circles over something that an official source could clarify very easily? I do.
 
Short : No.

Medium: open-world is not equal to sandbox.

Long: No its not, an open-world is not equal to a sandbox and as far as I know it was never advertised as "sandbox".


Small kid crying inside me.
I really struggle with some of the cross-pollination of game definitions, to me a rogue-like should be....... Like Rogue! Not just a game with procedurally generated levels.



- Again, open world = giant, continuous quest hub
- "Open wold" label tells you nothing about whether the game is sandbox or not
- Open world is not prerequisite for sandbox (Mount & Blade and Battle Brothers are sandbox games, but not "open world")
- RPG is not prerequisite for sandbox, either (Paradox grand strategies, Civilization series)
- And lastly, the game can be open world, but not a sandbox (CP2077, TW3, Dragon Age Inquisition, Ubisoft games, etc...)
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Nah, but I think there is a mod that makes it impossible to light them or put them out.
Mainly agree with all of that.

Got a definition of sandbox?
 
When I walk around London i make sure to open every single door and explore and engage in conversation with every stranger I meet. The police system is similarly ineffectual and I have only been arrested 17 times, and committed to a mental institution once.
Sounds fun. Do you occasionally use the subway too?
 
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