Expectations are high for Cyberpunk 2077, CD Projekt REDs next game, and the studio's capstone for the PS4 and Xbox One. Even though Cyberpunk's story will be shorter than The Witcher 3's, a new photo of the Japanese script for the game shows just how big the game will is going to be, or at the very least how much dialogue will be featured in the game.
CD Projekt RED Localization Manager Yuki Nishio revealed an image of the script on Twitter, shortly after the announcement that Cyberpunk 2077 has gone gold. The script is absolutely massive, with four huge stacks of pages dominating a table and Nishio behind it. The studio is known for the depth's of its games, and the script is a good sign that trend will continue.
Cyberpunk 2077 features multiple lifepaths, which will affect a large portion of the game. Considering the effect the mechanic will have on the starting points, it makes sense that the script is long to accommodate that, as each one will feature unique scenarios with unique dialogue.
It's worth noting that the script is the Japanese localization, so the size of the English versions of the game likely varies a bit, though it's impossible to know by how much without laying eyes on it. Localization will, of course, adjust the final word count of a script, though it will still cover the same content found within the game.
So far, Cyberpunk 2077 has had a strong marketing campaign, aided in part by big names like Keanu Reeves being featured in the game. Of course, seeing the script stacked up like this is another way to generate excitement for the game, as it gives an impression of it being a lengthy RPG, which, by all indicators, Cyberpunk 2077 will end up being.
While the sheer size of the script is impressive, it's overshadowed by the recent news of crunch at CD Projekt RED, which was put into place to ensure that the game would no longer be delayed. There's been a flurry of controversy since the news of the crunch period broke, with conflicting reports of whether or not the developers themselves are in support of the move. Given how grueling crunch periods can be, it seems unlikely that it was well-received internally.
The game launches about a week after the PS5 and Xbox Series X, which is just over a month away. It's not much longer to wait, and with the game now being gold, there's next to no chance of any further delays.
Cyberpunk 2077 will release November 17, 2020, for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X.