I find it hard to care for any of these characters

[RaduMihai]

I have to say, throughout the first 10+ hours of the game, there is an overall feeling of loneliness, like in Far Cry, where there's a bunch of flags on the map to nail and that's about it. It's more like GTA than anything else.

Sure, Night city is a place of rampant inequality and just about everyone is out for themselves, but compared to the amount of friends from the Witcher who have been together through hell and back, these ones from Night city are slim pickings.

And it doesn't help that there are so few interactions with them, not like the Witcher series, where there was a lot of time and interactions spent with friends. Outside of main quests, there's just merc-ing for cash and communication is handled by phone, at a distance.

If anything, all of these characters are only talking to me out of pure necessity, they wouldn't even look at me otherwise. They're not memorable. Jackie talking them up doesn't help.

Am I really supposed to care about them? I know one of the devs said he got choked up playing a certain quest. Sure, he was with these chars a lot longer than I have been, he's been with them since their creation, but the player has an entirely different experience, one of just calling them up for jobs and... that's it, it's superficial.

GTA4 was superficial, but it did include activities with friends, some really silly ones, but they were there. In CP2077, the campaign has the only quests with any meaningful interaction. It could be that it's a new IP, but the way it's designed, there is no time to get attached to any of these people.

I feel hypocritical saying good things about any of these people in dialogue options, when I couldn't care less. CP2077 is just a whole lot of time spent alone, meaning V is really alone.

I would be totally fine with all of these characters dropping dead.

What do you think? Did you manage to get attached to any of them at all, through this very short campaign?

 

[ShalmanezerIII]

RaduMihai
YOU SAID what I was just thinking !
You just said it and I will not repeat it.
+1 from me

 

[DarkTl]

I feel the same. The game failed to make me care even a little about its characters so far.

 

[RobberCat]

Not gonna lie - and I'm gonna say something real sexist, here (lol) - but the only reason I keep on grinding the few "relationships" that can be grinded, is to find out if I can get into any of the npcs pants or not (lol x2).
That's about it.
No other major "emotional thrill" attached to any of those 3D models, tbh (just my opinion).

EDIT
Ah, and to find out if there's any Ciri easter egg around, of course.

 

[casbyness]

I cared a LOT more about the characters in Saints Row 3 + 4 than these people. In fact, I'd say this game is basically Saints Row 3, but without the sense of humour.

It is seriously lacking a heart or soul, and the idea that 8 years of development have passed and THESE were the most interesting and memorable characters the team could come up with, is shocking.

 

[Restlessdingo32]

So far yeah... Overall the character interactions feel like they're missing something in a lot of cases. The dialogue can feel a bit dull too. Ya know, I have a contract for you, go perform this task for me, come back and rinse/repeat. The lone exceptions are Jackie and whathisface, the Ripperdoc. It's not so much attachment in the latter case. It's more... well written interactions. I have not progressed far into the game yet though.

 

[ShalmanezerIII]

Everything in the dialogue seems VERY direct and somehow not original. It is just not smart enough I guess in contrast to the Witcher games. I guess when you make a 100% gangster world one cannot expect any smart lines and original ideas

 

[RaduMihai]

I was kind of hoping someone would disagree with me.

 

[Ildun]

I care about character at the beginning, But I feel lonely after Jackie and T-bug die. I haven't play a lot, but I guess other characters I care will die as well, so I starting to feel not caring anymore, since V will die too.

 

[--Kory--]

Yeah after Jackie and T-bug, it feels a little lonely. That aspect still pulls me in to the game though. My progress is just a little after the prologue though so...

 

[adamescu]

I was kind of hoping someone would disagree with me.

I wish that I could agree or disagree but first I'd like to be able to play this goddamn game at a steady FPS. Freakin' potato game.

 

[JC_Denton_86]

I thought the story was a little slow too at first, but when I got to the heist mission it really started getting good.

It reminds me of Witcher 3 in that way. At first it's a little slow, but when you start the Bloody Baron quest things really start to pick up and the game starts to open up more and more.

That's why I urge anyone who thinks the story is slow or uninteresting to keep going until the heist mission

 

[OutLanderFV]

I agree, things got better after The Heist. Before then there wasn't much of a connection for me.

 

[Ghost.Hunterzz]

The prologue was bad fast forward. Thats what happened. I don't feel connected.

 

[JaggedJustice]

I actually did care for Jackie and T-Bug quite a bit, the tutorial alone make me fall in love with T-Bug and Jackie grew on me pretty fast as a loveable goofball.

I like Vik a lot too actually, I find something very calming about him.

I'm a little ways into Act 2 now and it does feel a little lonely as there aren't constant companions anymore but im hoping that will change as I play more.

 

[Metropolice]

I'm relatively far into the game.

I understand the underlying points and can only assume it was intentional as a design choice throughout the game to meet and lose new people. Although I would argue that some connections get more "constant" in the later game.

The question in the end is: Is it an intentional design choice or perhaps more so based on a lack of time and prioritization (because in finite development time, you cannot get it all without compromise, just saying matter of factly).

Because if it wasn't a design choice, then I think there could've been increased interactions for some characters that come and go, and even those that might come and stay. This would allow more bonding and meaningful interactions. Starting with Act 2 and onwards I really grew fond of some people but sometimes tragedy takes place.

What I try to express in long-winded fashion is basically this: Some characters could see more options for personal development if it's not a design choice to simulate Night City as cold hard place where people come and go and, bottom line, act in largely egoistic fashion.

How could it be done? Either by scripted story/quest activities where you do a bit more with them including socializing, or by approaching a GTA-like setup where you can do so in the "free roaming" part of the game and ring them up, much like your annoying cousin in GTA 4 calling you to ask if you want to go bowling. If done nicely, those menial small social side activities can go a long way, much like a romance could - while at the same time, being optional (if outside of set missions where you just have to, especially if you dislike a certain character and want to keep interactions to a minimum).


---------------------------------------

Long story short, I suggest reviewing this upon finishing the game at least once. Am not quite there yet, we'll see. Some come, some go and some, you don't have that much interaction with. But if you could do (either as part of more interactions in quests or in 'free roam' with side activities) then it would probably please more players and result in more impact and interactions.

The cost of this? Time and money, as this would have to be developed and fine-tuned in addition. There's also a fine line between it being meaningful (and maybe optional) vs being a chore or annoying. Everyone who played GTA 4 surely knows the Niko Bellic bowling memes. It shouldn't turn into this, necessarily, unless it is a conscious design choice for a particular character.

 

[RaduMihai]

I guess it all boils down to:

You can't rush it, CDPR. You can't just skip steps and assume people will go along with it as if not having personal intelligence and perception ("oh I guess we're doing this now, don't need to think about the fractures of logic").

A story needs to be told fully and properly, you can't cut parts out and still claim you're good at telling stories.

All the game systems are great, but the early rush into the story is ridiculous and creates a feeling of "well, I don't have anything else to play, so I'll go along with it, although I don't like it". It also shows that parts were cut out, for some weird reason like "game too long, hulk smash!"

 

[PHOOEY]

I absolutely love Vik. He reminds me of every rockabilly guy I've known and I love it. T-Bug is amazing. Misty too, she's so much like my best friend.

Jackie is Jackie. The lovable oaf but they botched his ending. I could only be a bitch to him in the elevator? Thats not much of an option in a role playing game. I was expecting to be bawling, I can't help it I get attached to video game characters and I didnt feel much in the cab. It surprised me tbh. I guess Im saying its a mixed bag.

 

[Gillian_Seed]

I haven't finished the game to say yet definitively but so far I do genuinely like Jackie and Vik. Johnny Silverhand is my guy, I love his nature and burn the world because it's shit attitude. So far everyone else though I could be tempted to body myself if the price is right. Oh but Misty isn't that bad, not amazing or anything but I don't have any complaints about her.

 

[pikea1]

I suppose this is the point of this game? I just started out, only level 10 or so. I have zero interest in friendship or anything else outside of Jackie.

I loved the Witcher series because I LOVED the characters. Tell me this shit gets better.