It's immersion that I crave, CDPR. The reason that this game was exciting to me was the idea that it was going to be an immersive experience that "transported" me into a crazy Cyberpunk world. But so much of the game is plagued with bizarre things that scream at you: "THIS IS A GAME".
Obviously, cleaning up the mission-breaking bugs is really important. A game is absolutely hindered when progress is prevented. But, there's still so many immersion breaking things that aren't even bugs. It's as if the game is "working as intended", yet what is happening makes no sense if the point of the game is immersion.
An easy example is a tendency for the random NPCs being generated into the game at any given time repeating in the same scene. Two or three copy-pasted NPCs all walking around in view--sometimes all with the same animation perfectly synchronized.
Because how can you call that happening "a bug", right?
Another one is holdable items constantly floating, or awkwardly sticking to hands. I just was talking to a shop owner that started the conversation with a touch-screen in his hands. So, now throughout the conversation, there's just a touch-screen sticking out of his hand as he crosses his arms, or gestures at something... and it's totally stupid looking and distracts me from the conversation taking place. Why is this a thing? Like, how uncomfortable are you on this engine you're using for the game that these things are still happening POST-RELEASE of the game.
It's just so strange to me that a game like Red Dead Redemption 2 can exist, wherein the NPCs are fairly interactive & appear to be leading a life. Even if it's just a set routine of activities on loop; that's enough to create an impression of a living world and bring immersion to the playable experience.
I'm frustrated at how the world itself is beautiful & the environment itself is so alive--yet it is occupied by these vapid, bumbling, completely inhuman NPCs. It's actually less enjoyable than, say... the NPCs in Morrowind. Because at least the incidental comedy that comes from them glitching out isn't in stark contrast to an inspired, beautifully crafted environment.
I truly hope some of these more fundamental components of an open-world game are more fined tuned in the future. Because that is the Cyberpunk that I want to play.
It's so beautiful!! My 3080 has never appreciated such an optimization update before.
The real test will be after playing for 4 or 5 hours.
