From what I can see, the real problem is the "Christmas garland" effect: the HUD is completely saturated with loot icons (which are usually useless, unless you really need them).
Would it be annoying if it was simply possible to deactivate icons that players deem "unnecessary"?
Like for example to keep only the icons of iconic or legendary objects (which is rather rare). Because seeing weapons on the ground after a fight is not disturbing and quite normal (I think). What is, is to have about fifty white/green/blue icons at the same time on the screen...
The system of unlocking weapons (for example) as quest reward (or story's step) is quite annoying in my opinion, because you can't use this weapons until completing these quests.
Well, kind of, but screen clutter is a totally different concern. (Truly, I felt that CP2077 handled this really well. Even in the in-world markers, which are something I always switch off immediately, didn't really bug me too much here. Maybe it's the color palette, or just the smaller size of the actual icons, but I didn't really find them intrusive or distracting.)
The issue, as I see it, is that you can pick everything up. And there's so much of it. And it's all mostly useless. The fact that it's there and draws so much attention, which directly means that it takes up so much of the player's time
by design, is the issue. It also kind of creates layers of activity that do add variety to the things you can do, but to very little consequence.
And the big issue, as I see it, is that it slows down the pacing of the game, draws attention
away from the action of the story and connection to the world, creates tedium or frustration if you're not finding the loot you want, and simply doesn't seem to fit into the core of the game.
Now, I've been making this argument since Oblivion released, and I've tended to focus it squarely at Bethesda titles up to this point, but I think it applies somewhat here, as well. Even if a game is really enjoyable, it's possible that it loses a sense of itself. Mechanics can run away from the overall vision. Take Fallout 4 as a comparison. I looooooved the gun crafting thing. That was great fun...but it was overdone. The loot, as a whole, was overdone. On one hand, I'm supposed to be searching the Wasteland for my child, and then I spend two solid weeks exploring the same few sites to grind XP and collect bits to add to my laser rifle. It competes against itself to define itself. I doesn't work. Is my character looting and crafting and building a new society out of the rubble of the old world...or is he a father hell-bent on finding his son against all odds? It can't be both, but that's exactly what happens in the actual gameplay. In the end, both fall flat because they're competing with each other. If I focus on all the looting and crafting and building, I feel like I'm fending off the plot with a stick while it constantly pokes me and prods me to stay focused. If I follow the plot, I feel like I'm missing all of the stuff in the game and rushing forward.
The same thing is true in Cyberpunk, though I don't think it's as big of a disparity, since the game just sort of opens doors for the player and lets them get to it in their own time. But, there's enough stuff in the game -- especially looting -- that when I finally got back to the main plot, I had to consciously remember where I left off and what was going on.
Kind of like the arguments I've made about Fallout 4 -- it would have been an awesome game if had not been a Fallout game. If it had been a game about looting sites, building up a community and trade network, and defending your settlements from attack -- that could have been a phenomenal game. But because it
also tried to be a Fallout game with a narrative arc and dramatic build ups...it all fell flat. Nothing ever felt like it really connected.
Hence, I think that the action, pacing, impact, and sense of immersion would have been greatly magnified for Cyberpunk if the looting had been streamlined. Conversely, a more robust looting system would work great if the game was far more sandbox-y and less focused on a central storyline.
To come back to weapons who became useless quickly, it's also a way to play.
In my current playthrough, I used a legendary Overture that I have pick up at level 12-13 and used until the level 45 (I simply ugraded it regularely). So I used the same weapon almost the whole game
Ok, it cost me a hell bunch of components (that I looted, but you can also buy them easily now).
Absolutely! And I like this style of play. Just recently got pulled into Destiny 2 by a couple of friends. It's hella fun when the core game is about grinding areas for loot, finding powerups and rare drops, etc. But don't ask me too much about the characters or the storyline -- it's sort of pointless. Interesting premise for the universe, but it's
clearly not the focus of the game. It's only a backdrop. The game is about shoot and loot.
However, I think there's enough there that a more narrative RPG could be developed around the universe. To do that successfully, though, we'd need to really tighten up the gameplay, ensure any new weapons or powerups are in sync with the progress of the story arc, and take care that the pacing of the game doesn't leave the player feeling either a.) rushed and overwhelmed or b.) like they're slogging or spinning circles. It would need to be a very different game, even if it was still going to use the shooter mechanics for combat.
This is gold, connects to loot, different kind of play styles and what kind of things different people with different evaluation for what they feel rewarding to one of the other issues that comes with level scaling in CP 2077.
One of the most rewarding things during my first playthrough was ghosting Arasaka facility. Did only what was necessary, collected stuff was weapons guards left behind after taking them down. No reloads either.
It was really great to play and great part of that joy was that it was with high body, was a good hacker and somewhat stealthy. And it was using my character skills for silent takedowns, not weapons, well quikhacks, but still. Sure there wasn't much loot, few assault rifles, not that much skill experience either but for time spent, doing only what was necessary, it was awesome!
On my second run, with Crafting build. Explored more of facility, lot's to see in there, but I had always economical thing at back of my head somewhere. Eliminate, loot, hide the body, go to inventory, see what to keep and what to disassemble to avoid carrying more than my V could. Rinse and repeat. That constant break of flow, sure I got more stuff, versus time used ration for loot vs. minutes spend in facility was probably way better than during my first run, but it was nowhere as fun.
And credit to the game for the versatility it does allow. I did a mostly stealth playthrough, using a pistol and baton, and I was able to get through the whole game like that. Finished all the Cyberpsycho missions, as well. The loot can be almost completely ignored without losing much of anything.
And that's kind of the point. If that's the case...I can't help but see it as a missed opportunity to develop additional gameplay avenues instead of creating piles and piles of constant loot. And not just for CP2077 -- for all RPGs. I think of all the things we could be doing...all the other cool systems that could be in place...if we aren't constantly picking up and managing loot.
