I don't know about you, but the relationship system in this game is so shallow that I was left feeling used by these characters.
The problem with the relationship system is that it's like every other game, which tries to add something like this.
Do some missions -> relationship with set character.
Is it Crusader kings (obviously another genre) where your spouse actually impact things. For some reason games like CP / Mass effect doesn't really know how to expand or integrate a relationship system into the game, which is a shame, because it could be added as a buff system, mini game trying to maintain the relationship in form of side missions etc. You could bring them on missions, which could unlock certain special moves etc. But it always seems that it has to be this lame, do X mission and then sex and end of story.
I think most people really liked Jackie for instance, even though it was not a romantic relationship and despite all the bugs with him, having him around when doing missions, him commenting on things etc. Is what makes people care for him. This could simply be extended to a romantic options that you can bring on missions, but which is just more expanded on.
In regards to whether the story being depressing, I personally don't really have an issue with that. I think, the problem from such story is all the other content. Like you running around doing all kind of weird stuff, which makes no sense for a person to do that is about to die. That sort of ruins the immersion I think as they are trying to force two different types of storyline or what to say in your throat at the same time. One being you trying to earn the street cred and become this merc you dream of, and therefore it makes sense that you take on jobs. And then you have the other one, which is heavily narrated and with a very clear goal of trying to save your own life. But these two doesn't really go hand in hand.
The first one, signify ambitions, future etc. whereas the other one is about depression and no future.
I felt as if the whole thing is actually about Johnny, and V is just an NPC who is following up on his story.
The game is about Silverhand and even that in my opinion is poorly done. You as V don't really have any reason to be or get involved in his revenge mission.
Arasaka didn't do anything to V, you as a character broke in and stole from them and then Johnny ended up in your head. Adam smasher never did anything to V, and even him killing Jackie, is sort of a lame excuse for building a story, again V and Jackie chose to break in and steal from them, well knowing that they wouldn't just give you a warning if you were caught.
Dexter is the one that V ought to be angry at, but he is out of the picture rather fast, so that is solved. And Johnny claim that Adam smasher need to die so Rogue can get revenge, despite Rogue straight up telling you that it have nothing to do with Adam smasher. So it seems more like Adam smasher, because he looks badass, needed to be the villain, simply because of that, despite none of the characters, besides Silverhand, but for wrong reasons, really have an issue with him or Araska. So the story in my opinion is pretty weak to be honest, but it is delivered very nicely, due to the characters involved, but it hardly make any sense.
Another major factor of the story is the first person game mechanic. Despite what CDPR claimed, I never had the impression of immersion from this perspective - quite the opposite!
I think one of the main reasons of this choice is, because shooting tend to be better in FP than 3rd person. And lets be honest CP is first and foremost an action shooter game. For me, I kind of like that it is FP and it is more immersive in my opinion, you don't get that bird eye view as in 3rd person. You look up and can see these massive buildings to get a feeling of scale or you can be in a narrow passage and everything is very focused around you.
I do however agree, that in a lot cutscenes 3rd person would have been good and wouldn't have ruined the experience, but enhanced it. Like in the scripted 48 gameplay video, where you see V, to me that works a lot better than how it currently is.
What drove me the most throughout the story is not the story itself, but the potential of it that I managed to manufacture in my mind.
I agree, even though I enjoyed the missions etc. To me at least, the main story was the most boring one. And I think the game would have been much more interesting, had it been more sandbox and focused on V trying to make it as a merc, with the promise that your actions would greatly impact the story. I really don't feel like I want to do another playthrough anytime soon, because I honestly don't feel that my choices matters that much and to much of the game or events are so scripted that it's more like being in an adventure game, where you can't progress the story unless you do exactly as you are told to do.
So what made me enjoy the game, was the open world, characters and Night City itself. Not the main story.
Personally, I am shocked that CDPR had made such a letdown, comparing to Witcher series. And the comparison is inevitable.
The game was rushed and at some point, probably when Keanu were hired, it changed direction to the worse. And the whole RPG focus on V, somehow became a secondary thing, which is a shame.
