I don't think an "unrealistic deadline" was the reason for the failure. I think this is the main culprit. I've been saying a lot how everything was different pre-2019 in terms of story, gameplay details, etc.
Then 2019 rolls around, they acquire Keanu, the story changes and the RPG is changed to action-adventure.
9 years was enough for the original game, but when you change the entire project a year before release, then you're left with a haphazardly pieced together, unfinished mess.
Then 2019 rolls around, they acquire Keanu, the story changes and the RPG is changed to action-adventure.
9 years was enough for the original game, but when you change the entire project a year before release, then you're left with a haphazardly pieced together, unfinished mess.
We may never know. It could be something complicated or something as easy as they knew the dumpster was engulfed in flames and having Keanu in your face may distract you away from said dumpster fire.
I think it was a combination of both, frankly. Yes, I think acquiring Keanu changed their plans, probably drastically, but I think the often clumsy way in which content has been ripped from this game (the fact that it's so apparent) shows that they didn't have the time they needed to smooth things out and tie up all the loose ends. There's just too much irregularity for it to be simply a case of rewriting to be Keanu-centric.
Unless they're really poor writers, which we can clearly see from the quality of the parts that haven't been messed with, they're not.
Keanu acquisition + not enough time + corporate greed.
EDIT: It's worth noting, too, that they didn't actually get into the meat of the story until about 3 years ago or so. This was mentioned in an interview with a dev (I think it was Miles Tost?). before that they were just throwing together rough ideas and figuring out their vision. A lot of pre-planning, then worse and worse crunch.
Yeah - there were a lot of articles like this;
www.gamesradar.com
This does raise questions now.
I love Keanu, I love the idea of Johnny, buuuuut.....that's not where the best parts of this game are....not by far....
There'll be twice as much Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077 thanks to Keanu Reeves
The amount of Keanu Reeves in Cyberpunk 2077 is breathtaking
www.gamesradar.com
This does raise questions now.
I love Keanu, I love the idea of Johnny, buuuuut.....that's not where the best parts of this game are....not by far....
The main story is a complete dumpsterfire. It's obvious a lot of things were changed at the last minute because some suit somewhere in a coke-addled haze decided it was a good idea to toss years of development into the trash because he had a "brilliant" idea.
He's a great actor.
A rebellious rockerboy with a devil-may-care attitude he is not. Doesn't fit the role AT ALL.
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He's a great actor.
A rebellious rockerboy with a devil-may-care attitude he is not. Doesn't fit the role AT ALL.
It makes me wonder why they didn't just get Johnny Depp if they needed star clout - you know, a literal rocker boy now. He has his own band.
This game is teeming with accidental irony between the lines, and it's sadly the only game I've ever pre-ordered, yet i did that because I've been waiting for this game ever since i was 12. Now i'm 20
I mostly pirate games, and then pay depending on how much i enjoyed them, i played the witcher 3 around 2017. So i bought it at a pretty good discount on GOG (30$ i believe).
Now buying CP2077 has made me livid, but mostly towards myself. 18 million copies... And I'm a part of the problem.That problem being CDPR is never going back to what it once was, it's already publicly traded, which pushes the priority to making money, which is fine, because 18 million people voted that they want what cyberpunk 2077 gave them. CG trailers, promises, and a game that tries to be everything, and ends up being half baked everywhere you look.
After becoming "action-adventure" this game has to me at least solidified itself as a GTA clone, but a more evolved one in certain ways, yet that evolution is based upon copying other games with varying levels of success.
Eventually while developing the game and seeing 28 million witcher 3 copies sold they decided to maximize the potential of people's good will, and yet most people complain about the bugs, and not the core gameplay and story mishaps. I mean, what happened to the Voodoo Boys???(for example) I didn't rat them out, expecting to be rewarded with missions or somesuch, yet i got nothing.
There is one part of the game i will never forget though. And that's the (SPOILER, but it's for one of the default endings) suicide ending. Because only then did i see V as an actual human being, the bugs and general lack of direction and focus in this game caused me to constantly play on autopilot, running from objective to objective. But the only time in the game when the camera pans out and shows our protagonist V and Johnny side by side, agreeing on ending it all, made me really sad and gave me this all-encompassing feeling of melancholy, which fueled my grind through the side quests. So there are obviously hints of genuine love that went into making this game, but somewhere along the way CDPR just got corrupt, just like all the megacorps in the game, feeding us garbage we don't need wrapped in unfinished, underbaked lies.
TLDR
The game ended up this way because they knew it would sell well no matter what happened, even though the game is incredibly underwhelming, not just buggy. We, the fans are the issue. And the ones who actually care to post on reddit, and on these forums might be less than half a million (about 3% of those who bought the game). Don't expect anything revolutionary from CDPR ever again, because we collectively have voted with our wallets that we don't want revolutionary games, just games that sell us a lie, and illusion, but one that keeps us going.
I mostly pirate games, and then pay depending on how much i enjoyed them, i played the witcher 3 around 2017. So i bought it at a pretty good discount on GOG (30$ i believe).
Now buying CP2077 has made me livid, but mostly towards myself. 18 million copies... And I'm a part of the problem.That problem being CDPR is never going back to what it once was, it's already publicly traded, which pushes the priority to making money, which is fine, because 18 million people voted that they want what cyberpunk 2077 gave them. CG trailers, promises, and a game that tries to be everything, and ends up being half baked everywhere you look.
After becoming "action-adventure" this game has to me at least solidified itself as a GTA clone, but a more evolved one in certain ways, yet that evolution is based upon copying other games with varying levels of success.
Eventually while developing the game and seeing 28 million witcher 3 copies sold they decided to maximize the potential of people's good will, and yet most people complain about the bugs, and not the core gameplay and story mishaps. I mean, what happened to the Voodoo Boys???(for example) I didn't rat them out, expecting to be rewarded with missions or somesuch, yet i got nothing.
There is one part of the game i will never forget though. And that's the (SPOILER, but it's for one of the default endings) suicide ending. Because only then did i see V as an actual human being, the bugs and general lack of direction and focus in this game caused me to constantly play on autopilot, running from objective to objective. But the only time in the game when the camera pans out and shows our protagonist V and Johnny side by side, agreeing on ending it all, made me really sad and gave me this all-encompassing feeling of melancholy, which fueled my grind through the side quests. So there are obviously hints of genuine love that went into making this game, but somewhere along the way CDPR just got corrupt, just like all the megacorps in the game, feeding us garbage we don't need wrapped in unfinished, underbaked lies.
TLDR
The game ended up this way because they knew it would sell well no matter what happened, even though the game is incredibly underwhelming, not just buggy. We, the fans are the issue. And the ones who actually care to post on reddit, and on these forums might be less than half a million (about 3% of those who bought the game). Don't expect anything revolutionary from CDPR ever again, because we collectively have voted with our wallets that we don't want revolutionary games, just games that sell us a lie, and illusion, but one that keeps us going.
Uhh so does Keanu, had since forever. The problem with Keanu is, that he's way too chill and nice of a guy to play a narcissistic, self-destructive and abusive asshole. He's just not that guy.
There's video of him just casually riding the subway for example, that's not how Hollywood superstars act.
Huh, didn't know that about Keanu - but I guess that kind of proves the point a little. He doesn't seem like the type. While from what I've seen of Johnny Depp, is that he could play of Johnny Silverhand with more ease. But that's more preference, and comparing them.
Though, let's be real would have probably been better to not have a famous star at all and just get someone who was well fitted for the job.
I love Keanu but the closest I've seen him get to hard motherf*cker is John Wick. John Wick and Silverhand certainly aren't comparable.
Don't know about now, but I recall that Keanu was the guitarist (and singer?) of a band called Dogstar back in the 90s.
Now that is just silly on your part. Wanna know some fun fact?
The Matrix: Keanu Reeves was not the first choice for the lead role in Matrix.
Will Smith was. But he turned the role down because he was not impressed with the story.
John Wick: feels like it was written for Keanu (despite the original script aiming for a guy in his mid 60s)
Imagine Will Smith as John Wick or Neo. Would that work? No. Why? Because in Acting you have certain types of ppl for certain types of roles.
Will smith also turned down Rush Hour. But would the movies be the same without chris tucker? I highly doubt that. Maybe you don't like the type of guy Keanu is. But if that man could not act no one would hire him.
And he is a great Johnny Silverhand. The Problem is not him or his role in this game. It is the story and the game that has the problems.
I don't know if they changed the story because of Keanu, but I also don't understand the complaints about Keanu as Johnny.
V, Johnny Silverhand and their interaction/budding friendship/animosity is easily one of the best parts about the story. The side missions are also awesome, but the core story with Keanu is very strong and impactful, and has many memorable moments.
Problem isn't with Johnny Silverhand, the problem is it seems we miss almost half to main story content. The lifepaths that were supposed to be some sort of prologue are 10 minutes each, the whole first act is missing and crammed in a cutscene and who knows what else got cut to make the deadline, maybe the story was even supposed to go past the endings we have at the moment.
If anything what's left in the game is likely their best most coherent content they could muster. I'm 99% sure the whole Soulkiller/Arasaka/Johnny Silverhand/Alt Cunningham plot was already written, they just haven't casted the actors until very late in development. Which is evident by the comments made by Cherami Leigh that her first voice acting was for the 2018 gameplay trailer and she didn't even think she'd get to keep the role.
So likely they were working on the story way before any voice actor got cast aka it wasn't Keanu Reeves fault.
Also thank god they didn't get Johnny Depp. I couldn't bear listening to his drug addict voice.
V, Johnny Silverhand and their interaction/budding friendship/animosity is easily one of the best parts about the story. The side missions are also awesome, but the core story with Keanu is very strong and impactful, and has many memorable moments.
Problem isn't with Johnny Silverhand, the problem is it seems we miss almost half to main story content. The lifepaths that were supposed to be some sort of prologue are 10 minutes each, the whole first act is missing and crammed in a cutscene and who knows what else got cut to make the deadline, maybe the story was even supposed to go past the endings we have at the moment.
If anything what's left in the game is likely their best most coherent content they could muster. I'm 99% sure the whole Soulkiller/Arasaka/Johnny Silverhand/Alt Cunningham plot was already written, they just haven't casted the actors until very late in development. Which is evident by the comments made by Cherami Leigh that her first voice acting was for the 2018 gameplay trailer and she didn't even think she'd get to keep the role.
So likely they were working on the story way before any voice actor got cast aka it wasn't Keanu Reeves fault.
Also thank god they didn't get Johnny Depp. I couldn't bear listening to his drug addict voice.
And how are they suppose to act? Is there a core rule book some where? So..what happens when a star breaks these so-called rules? Rule Follower Keeper Person --"Well, Mr. Reeves, it looks like you were not enough of an asshole this month AND you took the subway like a normal person. Will have to remove twenty grand off your next paycheck."
Maybe he should become like Paltrow. Uptight, dumb and sell bullshit products to gullible idiots.
Mr. Reeves, cannot play a narcissistic, self-destructive and abusive asshole? Minus the abuse part, but have you seen the movies John Wick?!!? Reeves was not on my radar of best Hollywood actors from The Matrix days, let alone before that with Bill and Ted, but he has grown on me over the years.
When he was growing up, Reeves father was a drug addict. This led to Reeve's parents divorcing at the age of 13 and since then the communication between him and his father has been nonexistent. He is very close to his younger sister Kim and when she diagnosed with lymphatic cancer Reeves was devastated. He was there with Kim through her whole fight. This resulted in Reeves setting up and funding a few cancer charities.
His best friend, River Phoenix past away at the age of 23. Reeves daughter was stillborn on Christmas Eve. The love of his life and the mother of their stillborn daughtee died in a car accident several months later. He survived a serious motorcycle accident which resulted in his spleen being removed and a huge scar runs from his abdomen to his upper chest. Furthermore, in the accident Reeves suffered a broken ankle, which results in a having a small limp to this day. He is a private person and does not have any social media accounts. Reeves personality is being an upstanding guy--humble, patient, kind, caring and has a love for life and wants others to enjoy it too.
Unlike most actors Reeves puts his heart and soul into everything he does. Reeves gave up an entire summer, to train eight hours a day for the John Wick movie. No one in the studio asked him to do this, nor was anyone expecting Reeves to go the lengths he did. This man is passionate and enjoys his work. Reeves and I share a common ground --mostly-- and its hard not to show him the respect he deserves.
When it comes to Johnny in the game, I separate the voice actor and the character. Johnny, is the lovable asshole. At first I hated him, but as the story went on, I found him to be far more interesting then my character. Is Reeves the right choice for Johnny? Yes. 100%. Johnny kind of reminds me of John Wick. Now, I will admit there are times the acting came out a bit wooden. But it happens. Generally, when it does, this is either the fault of the actor or actress being subjected to a different acting environment then he or she is use to or its bad writing; sometimes it is both.
Is Reeves responsible for the extra dialogue added at his behest? No. It sounds to me that Johnny was going to be a minor character compared to his current status. Like, putting a supporting actor in a film but only giving him or her a sentence to read. Reeves probably saw this problem and was trying to help the developers correct it. Reeves after all has been apart of the industry for a long time. Furthermore, the developers should have been aware of Reeves previous work ethic. Writers, producers, directors, they all have to adapt to change wither its for a movie or a game. The problem with this game is the developers were like chickens without heads. CDPR was in The Witcher comfort zone. And once they came out of that, well, as I said, chicken without heads.
When it comes to the world of Cyberpunk, I had zero knowledge. Hell, I had no idea there were previous games until my husband informed me. For me, It is a bit puzzling on Johnny's story. If you had previous knowledge of this character, then maybe it is less confusing. I ended up doing some Wiki reading on quite a few of these characters. But for me, it seemed a bit jarring to be dropped into his life and with no notion of who, what and why with this Johnny person. Maybe it would have been better if they started the game with you playing Johnny? Perhaps when Johnny kicks the door open to head to the helicopter, the screen goes black and its fifty years later. I know the current design route was probably for suspense reason, but dunno, it seems unfinished, like something is missing.
Enclosing, enjoy the sweetheart that is Mr. Reeves
And how are they suppose to act? Is there a core rule book some where? So..what happens when a star breaks these so-called rules? Rule Follower Keeper Person --"Well, Mr. Reeves, it looks like you were not enough of an asshole this month AND you took the subway like a normal person. Will have to remove twenty grand off your next paycheck."
Maybe he should become like Paltrow. Uptight, dumb and sell bullshit products to gullible idiots.
Mr. Reeves, cannot play a narcissistic, self-destructive and abusive asshole? Minus the abuse part, but have you seen the movies John Wick?!!? Reeves was not on my radar of best Hollywood actors from The Matrix days, let alone before that with Bill and Ted, but he has grown on me over the years.
When he was growing up, Reeves father was a drug addict. This led to Reeve's parents divorcing at the age of 13 and since then the communication between him and his father has been nonexistent. He is very close to his younger sister Kim and when she diagnosed with lymphatic cancer Reeves was devastated. He was there with Kim through her whole fight. This resulted in Reeves setting up and funding a few cancer charities.
His best friend, River Phoenix past away at the age of 23. Reeves daughter was stillborn on Christmas Eve. The love of his life and the mother of their stillborn daughtee died in a car accident several months later. He survived a serious motorcycle accident which resulted in his spleen being removed and a huge scar runs from his abdomen to his upper chest. Furthermore, in the accident Reeves suffered a broken ankle, which results in a having a small limp to this day. He is a private person and does not have any social media accounts. Reeves personality is being an upstanding guy--humble, patient, kind, caring and has a love for life and wants others to enjoy it too.
Unlike most actors Reeves puts his heart and soul into everything he does. Reeves gave up an entire summer, to train eight hours a day for the John Wick movie. No one in the studio asked him to do this, nor was anyone expecting Reeves to go the lengths he did. This man is passionate and enjoys his work. Reeves and I share a common ground --mostly-- and its hard not to show him the respect he deserves.
When it comes to Johnny in the game, I separate the voice actor and the character. Johnny, is the lovable asshole. At first I hated him, but as the story went on, I found him to be far more interesting then my character. Is Reeves the right choice for Johnny? Yes. 100%. Johnny kind of reminds me of John Wick. Now, I will admit there are times the acting came out a bit wooden. But it happens. Generally, when it does, this is either the fault of the actor or actress being subjected to a different acting environment then he or she is use to or its bad writing; sometimes it is both.
Is Reeves responsible for the extra dialogue added at his behest? No. It sounds to me that Johnny was going to be a minor character compared to his current status. Like, putting a supporting actor in a film but only giving him or her a sentence to read. Reeves probably saw this problem and was trying to help the developers correct it. Reeves after all has been apart of the industry for a long time. Furthermore, the developers should have been aware of Reeves previous work ethic. Writers, producers, directors, they all have to adapt to change wither its for a movie or a game. The problem with this game is the developers were like chickens without heads. CDPR was in The Witcher comfort zone. And once they came out of that, well, as I said, chicken without heads.
When it comes to the world of Cyberpunk, I had zero knowledge. Hell, I had no idea there were previous games until my husband informed me. For me, It is a bit puzzling on Johnny's story. If you had previous knowledge of this character, then maybe it is less confusing. I ended up doing some Wiki reading on quite a few of these characters. But for me, it seemed a bit jarring to be dropped into his life and with no notion of who, what and why with this Johnny person. Maybe it would have been better if they started the game with you playing Johnny? Perhaps when Johnny kicks the door open to head to the helicopter, the screen goes black and its fifty years later. I know the current design route was probably for suspense reason, but dunno, it seems unfinished, like something is missing.
Enclosing, enjoy the sweetheart that is Mr. Reeves
He still doesn't fit the role of Silverhand. Not everyone fits every role.