Damn.... just... damn!
OK, this game just cements my opinion that visually this game is going to be perfect. They absolutely get the look and the atmosphere 100% on point, to create a perfect feeling of being in the world of Cyberpunk. From the highly individualized cyberware seen on the NPC's, to the contrast of high tech with lowlife, it's simply flawless. The mechanical and character designs had my jaw dropping, and for the first half of the video I was drooling, mouth agape and in absolute awe...
Sadly, the second half of the video was a punch to the gut that wiped the grin off my face.
Even before the combat began, the narrator (who seems to have difficulty with pronunciation) was talking about levels. Levels have no place in Cyberpunk, they are not part of the original RPG's mechanics and they never were.
Also, my other non-mechanical gripe... the arm blades. I don't want my character to have them, and am extremely disappointed that it appears I will have no choice and that they are mandatory. The beginning of the game goes on and on about the superior customization and the ability to create unique characters, then it appears that it's going to force everyone to have the same cyber.
Now on to the big problems, combat... The combat mechanics shown are truly disappointing. Here is why...
Combat Mechanic Problem 1
The enemy NPC's are bullet sponges. The number one reason the original games mechanics were so popular was due to how incredibly deadly combat was. In this demo we have beginner level NPC's soaking up entire magazines of bullets. They wear no apparent armor, yet V unloads on them with a small trucks worth of ammo. A shot to the head should take most enemies flat out. Shots to the limbs should disable, shots to the torso should stun or have some effect. Also the hit/damage counters we see completely destroy immersion, this is an unnecessary video game mechanic that just feels out of place here.
Problem 2
The weapon design is more cartoon than cyberpunk. The first gun we see was fine, though I would prefer a semi-auto. The second weapon though, who performs that kind of modification on a double barrel shotgun? It would be like putting a V8 on a moped. But that's a minor problem, other than it is apparently the only weapon that can one shot, and does it at pretty much any distance.
Problem 3
The bullets that track targets..... they were almost ok in Runaway, where at least they were treated as miniature missiles. They were ridiculous in Fifth Element, which took place in a future so advanced that interstellar travel took place in a matter of hours. This concept is way more star trek than cyberpunk. Also, see problem 1.
Problem 4
Double Jump.... REALLY! This is cartoon nonsense? I was going to remain optimistic, but seeing it in action, all I can say is, NO! This kind of completely unrealistic, logic and physics denying, hoohah, has no place in Cyberpunk. Hell, it has no place in any video game that tries to pretend in any way to be realistic. Leg implants that that allow for higher than normal jumps, no problem, even allowing the character to "charge up for a mega jump", coolio. But there is no amount of reasoning that can be given for being able to suddenly "jump higher" and even change direction, mid jump. It takes me out of the immersion completely and drops me solidly into a late 90's platformer.
Problem 5
There is absolutely nothing that can be seen in this demo that requires first person perspective. If the issue is the optical implants, then fine, force the perspective to zoom in to first when they are in use, the same as if the character was aiming through a scope. But the idea that this decision was made to make the game more realistic, more immersive, flies right out the window the second the "double jump" or the "hit/damage counter" mechanics pop up.
Problem 6
Boss battles! Not only is there the awful "enemies are bullet sponges" mechanic, but now you are telling me there are going to be "can only be defeated via very specific nonsense method or just ridiculous amounts of damage" boss battles? My hatred for this mechanic knows no bounds. It utterly ruined Deus Ex, hell it utterly ruins any game it is a part of after 2005. You see the enemy, his face and upper torso are completely uncovered, yet he is somehow untouchable until you shoot the magic target spot. This is weak game design and unnecessary. At no point in the game should we EVER come across an enemy that does not adhere to the same rules as the Player Character. There is nothing in the original RPG, neither thematically or mechanically, that supports this. This is Cyberpunk, not Dungeons and Dragons.
Cyberpunk 2077 is a dream come true for me. It is so close to being perfect. To see what appears to be the most incomprehensible mistakes being made just baffles me. The look and feel is so, just so bloody flawlessly Cyberpunk 2020, that it's beauty brings tears to my eyes. As I said elsewhere, visually, this is the best game I have ever seen. I don't make these criticisms to bring the game down. I bring them up because I really hope, I pray, that it's not too late to address some of these mechanical issues that would otherwise make this game just perfect.