It's no mystery that Cyberpunk 2077 had a troubled development process. From delays to miles of overtime, CD Projekt Red struggled with a number of issues throughout Cyberpunk's creation, some relating to the dated hardware on PS4s and Xbox Ones and some due to inefficient decision-making. Because of this, the game has been plagued with bugs and accusations of cut content. Now, the development studio is working to correct the many issues found after launch, even months later.
But one game lesser-known to have a troubled launch is the 2013 hit BioShock Infinite. The third installment in the successful BioShock series released in a crowded year alongside other hits such as The Last of Us, GTA V, and Assassin's Creed: Black Flag. Still, with its impactful story and beautifully written characters, it's still a fan favorite many years later. But similar to Cyberpunk 2077, BioShock Infinite saw more than hiccups to disrupt its road to launch.
Similarities Between Cyberpunk 2077 and BioShock Infinite's Development Processes
Starting development in 2008 and releasing in 2013, five years might not be long by modern standards. But BioShock Infinite suffered delays the same way that Cyberpunk 2077 changed course. However, the rumor is that Cyberpunk didn't truly "begin" the bulk of its development until 2016, which would make the times of their lengths about the same, if true.
One rumor says that Cyberpunk 2077's story completely changed course once Keanu Reeves was brought on, and the plot was rewritten to focus on Johnny Silverhand. Rumors also say this wasn't the first time that Cyberpunk 2077's story was changed, though CDPR denies that its plot was changed drastically at all. According to Jason Schreier's recent report via Polygon, BioShock Infinite went through several rewrites, cuts, and reboots. And there's reason to think that Cyberpunk 2077 cut many features, such as cyberoptics and third-person cutscenes, which previously looked like it was meant to big an important part of the game, based on early trailers and gameplay demos.
In fact, when Don Roy came onto the project following the impressive 2011 demo for BioShock Infinite, the game was only in pieces and didn't quite have a playable version for him to test out. Similarly, reports say that Cyberpunk 2077's 2018 E3 demo was fabricated solely for that event, and some developers felt that spending time working on the "almost entirely fake" demo rather than a "real" version of Cyberpunk was a waste, according to another Schreier report.
The track of both games' multiplayer modes is also similar and will be even more so if Cyberpunk 2077's online multiplayer gets scrapped completely. Originally, BioShock Infinite planned to have two multiplayer modes as well to keep players interested in the game after they finished the main campaign. But as the single-player mode fell behind, multiplayer was scrapped for time, throwing away several months of work.
Differences Between Cyberpunk 2077 and BioShock Infinite's Development Processes
The major difference between Cyberpunk 2077 and BioShock Infinite's development processes is the final results. Unlike Cyberpunk, Irrational was able to get Infinite out the door with minimal issues, whereas CDPR is still attempting to fix the many bugs and issues present in Cyberpunk 2077, even months after it released.
A large percentage of these issues, such as crashing and improper rendering, is due to the outdated hardware in PS4s and Xbox Ones. While not all users playing on these consoles came across these issues, many struggled to render even NPC faces some of the time, and others experienced severe console and game crashing. CDPR theorizes it was too ambitious when creating a large space such as Night City without virtually any loading screens for last-gen consoles. BioShock Infinite, on the other while, also aimed to exhibit a stunningly detailed environment. However, it's not an open-world game, meaning less NPCs, textures, and objects to render in-game.
That isn't to say analyzing BioShock Infinite's development years isn't important, especially when looking at how the intense crunch impacted employees on the project. But because the final product was sleek and polished, players are less likely to recognize the hardships that developers endured between 2008 and 2013.
Cyberpunk 2077 is currently available for PC, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia with PS5 and Xbox Series X/S updates in development.