Cyberpunk 2077 endures as one of the most anticipated games of 2020, even in the face of delays. However, the game still has a few months of development ahead of it. That means that Cyberpunk 2077 could get increasingly different from what players expected when the game rocked E3 2018.
Over the past years, several advertised features of the first-person RPG have been removed. This has already caused doubts and frustrations among some potential players, even if the studio claims it's for the best, but it also seems natural for a game first announced back in May 2012. Here are some of the most major changes to Cyberpunk's features.
Wall Running
One gameplay trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 got a lot of attention when it demonstrated V, the player character, running on a wall over several enemies' heads. On top of that, V could use the Mantis Blades built into their arms to latch onto the wall and hang in place. Hanging onto a wall like this gave V ample opportunity to get the jump on unsuspecting targets. It goes without saying that wall running and hanging was an exciting proposition for players interested in builds specialized for stealth and ambush tactics.
Unfortunately for them, CD Projekt Red has decided to abandon wall running in Cyberpunk. The justification for the move is vague, but it seems the ability simply didn't mesh with the way the game was shaping out. Level designer Max Pears stated that "design reasons" were to blame for losing the feature, and the developer assures players that plenty of movement options will remain available to them.
Vehicle Customization
Cyberpunk 2077 has received a few comparisons to Grand Theft Auto in its time. One notable feature in the GTA series is the player's ability to customize and decorate vehicles to their heart's content, so it's unsurprising that players might hope for the same in Cyberpunk. Fans can hardly be blamed, then, for being excited when a designer indicated that there will be vehicle customization options in the game. The mind boggles with the possibilities in such a futuristic setting.
It seems that either this was a misunderstanding or CD Projekt Red hit a roadblock in development that forced them to drop the feature. Another developer has since stated in no uncertain terms that the player has no ability to modify and customize vehicles on their own. Instead, the player can acquire vehicles in Cyberpunk 2077 that have already been customized. While it's good to hear that some customization will still be available, it sounds like a far cry from using one's own hands to apply cyberpunk looks and technology to a car.
The Flathead Bot
Last year, CD Projekt Red revealed several details on an intriguing mechanic: a mechanical companion. Fans learned about a four-legged military droid called the Flathead that would show up during an in-game mission. Once V acquired Flathead, the spider-like companion would have all sorts of useful appliances, like taking down enemies or hacking into devices. Unlike other companions, Flathead could be issued direct commands, allowing V to coordinate with it. Even beyond the in-game applications, players were thrilled by the fantasy of traversing this world with a trusty robotic sidekick.
It seems that fantasy can't be lived out through Flathead anymore. Flathead will still appear in an in-game mission, but it will no longer fall into V's hands. The explanation presented is that, unfortunately for the popular robot, it was made somewhat obsolete by V's own abilities. The Netrunning skill tree in Cyberpunk 2077 empowered V in similar ways that Flathead would have, so rather than finding new functions for the droid, it has been scrapped as a companion as a part of consolidating V's skills. Players can still be skillful and daring technicians, but V and Flathead are no longer fated to do so together.
The Subway
Fans of Marvel's Spider-Man may remember that they had the option to fast travel by taking the subway. On top of saving the player time getting from place to place, taking the subway would bring in short, amusing cutscenes of Spider-Man in costume among regular New Yorkers while getting where he needs to go. Advertising for Cyberpunk 2077 has featured many images of Night City's subway system, which seemed to indicate that the game might include something similar.
This is no longer the case. Subway stations will still appear in Night City, but the player can no longer pay a fee to get around quickly without a car. Fast travel will instead work more like it does in CD Projekt Red's other iconic title The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, by means of tourism terminals found throughout the city like Witcher signposts. Although less mechanically significant than some of the other changes, the loss of the subway is a hit to players for whom these little details add to the immersion of the experience.
Third Person Cutscenes
Details about Cyberpunk 2077's robust character creator have earned the game a great deal of attention, as V can be customized through everything from face shape to ear size to piercings. As such, many players might make some players excited to see their lovingly shaped versions of V in third-person cutscenes, but it looks like such an experience will be hard to come by.
The developer has confirmed that third-person cutscenes have been largely phased out of the game. Instead, the player will almost always be locked in first-person, seeing the world through V's eyes. The move has been cited as an immersion issue, since the developers feel that seeing V from the outside breaks the fiction of being V. Some disagree and feel feel that other first-person games with deep character builders like Fallout 4 have shown that third person looks at the custom character don't break the immersion, but add to it.
For now, that seems to be all that's been removed, but all fans can do for the time being is wait for more announcements from the studio. Anxiety is understandable when so many parts of the game have proven less core than expected. On the other hand, the studio's earlier decision to delay Cyberpunk 2077's release to improve its quality is assuring. It seems that, above all, the quality of the game is CD Projekt Red's top priority. Hopefully the trials and tribulations will only make the final product all the more worth the wait, even if it loses a few bells and whistles.
Cyberpunk 2077 will release on November 19th 2020 for PC, PlayStation 4, Stadia, and Xbox One.