Highly anticipated: When it comes to the video game industry, there are few developers as beloved by players as CD Projekt Red, and few games as highly anticipated as the studio's upcoming RPG epic Cyberpunk 2077. After over a year of waiting, gamers will finally be able to enjoy a fresh (but comparatively brief) look at the game in its current state: in just a few minutes, CD Projekt Red will be livestreaming 15 minutes of gameplay, followed by a developer-guided "Deep Dive" into the title's various mechanics.
For those who don't know, Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest open-world RPG from the makers of the popular Witcher video game franchise. The title is based on the Cyberpunk 2020 pen-and-paper roleplaying game from the late '80s, and it was first announced way back in 2012. However, aside from a brief CGI trailer (which acted as more of a recruitment tool than anything else), CD Projekt Red didn't give fans anything else to chew on for a whopping six years; when E3 2018 rolled around.
At the event, we were treated to a brief, in-engine trailer of the game, but still no actual gameplay – that was reserved for journalists and YouTubers who made it to the event in person. However, after receiving feedback from said members of the press, CD Projekt Red elected to release 48 minutes of gameplay to the public, which you can see below.
Still, as anybody who knows even a little bit about the trials of game development will tell you, things can change quickly as work on a project advances. Since releasing that lengthy demo, CD Projekt Red has overhauled many aspects of Cyberpunk 2077, from its character creation system to its visuals.
As such, the 15-minute demo we're about to see will likely look and feel much different than its longer predecessor. More importantly, though, it'll probably be more representative of the final product gamers will be able to get their hands on early next year.
As of writing this, the demo isn't up yet. The stream will start at 1PM CDT, which is in about 15 minutes. When it's finished, check back here for a written overview of whatever CD Projekt Red decides to show. We'll also be sure to upload an on-demand version of the gameplay as soon as the studio uploads it to their YouTube channel.
Update: CD Projekt Red has released the full gameplay clip (see below), and it's quite different to what many were expecting. Rather than being an edited – but continuous – stream of dedicated gameplay, the Deep Dive video is mostly composed of a series of quick cuts, which never show more than about 60 seconds of gameplay at a time.
The purpose of this, it seems, is to show off as many different systems and playstyles as possible. In the video, we see two main playstyles (which are far from your only options): a stealthy, hacking-focused "Netrunner" build, and a beefier, stronger "Solo" build.
The Netrunner gameplay segments show off lethal and non-lethal takedowns, long-range hacking with the whip-like "monowire," and several environmental interactions that are only available to a player with the appropriate hacking skills. For example, you can hack into a nearby access point and significantly raise the resistance of a weight machine being used by an enemy, causing it to brutally crush his neck.
Alternatively, you can go the Solo route, ripping open doors, punching the "Animals" – one of the hostile in-game gangs – in the face with sleek-looking metallic "Gorilla Arms." If melee isn't your forte, feel free to rip a turret off of its platform and rain fire down on your enemies, or grab nearby bad guys and use them as a human shield.
No matter what sort of character you want to play, CD Projekt Red assures players that they will have plenty of options to tailor "V" (the protagonist) to their liking. This is made even more evident with the expanded and revamped character creation system. Now, players don't choose from "Male" or "Female" gender options, but rather, they pick a starting body type and then mix-and-match features of both as they please. The voice they pick (which are feminine and masculine) will determine whether NPCs refer to them as "he" or "she."
Additionally, during character creation, you can choose from one of three distinct "Lifepaths": Corporate, Nomad, and Street Kid. Your choice here will unlock various dialogue and gameplay options over time.
For example, when temporary ally "Placide" attempts to jack into the player's wrist socket to explain a plan (which involves breaking into a nearby Animal-run mall to track down a rival hacker), a Street Kid can opt to yank their hand away before he gets the chance. A Corporate or Nomad, on the other hand, might not be gang-savvy enough to have that option.
If all of this sounds like your cup of tea, feel free to pre-order Cyberpunk 2077 now for $59.99 on your storefront of choice. It's available for the Xbox One, PS4, and PC, with a current release date of April 16, 2020.