Cyberpunk 2077 is solving the age-old problem in RPGs of both looking cool and having strong stats.
In most RPGs, there’s a delicate balance that every player has to make. Some gear looks good but doesn’t have the greatest stats, while some gear with phenomenal stats doesn’t look the greatest. It’s important that your character look as good as possible, but it’s also important to be a badass that can some punches while dishing out extreme justice.
There have been a number of solutions proposed over the years. In Monster Hunter World, Layered Armor exists which essentially allows you to place cosmetic versions of other armor over top of the actual armor you’re wearing. This allows you to retain the uggo armor’s stats while looking your best.
A similar solution exists in Diablo 3, where the player can transmute their armor to look like anything they want.
Cyberpunk 2077 developers CD Projekt Red are aware of the problem and are taking steps to find a solution. At the PAX West Deep Dive gameplay footage revealed last week, senior level designer Miles Tost addressed the issue head-on.
"It's really important to us for you to be able to realize your character. Of course, that comes in the character creation but also how you dress your character, right? We're aware that, in most RPGs, there's this disconnect between the stats on an item and the looks ... Let's just say we're aware of this conflict of interest, I guess.
"So, we're looking into how you would be able to make your character still look cool despite having the best stats of an item. It just goes to show that is really important to us. Of course, the whole role-playing aspect goes even further because we'll have customization options not only for the way you look but also for your guns."
It sounds like CD Projekt Red has a similar solution planned for Cyberpunk 2077.
In addition to the big reveal on cosmetics, the Deep Dive video also looked at Cyberpunk's skill trees by exploring two vastly different character builds. We also got to check out crafting, sidequests, and Cyberpunk's Night City map. Apparently, CD Projekt Red even hired real city planners to make their map as realistic as possible.
Cyberpunk 2077 arrives on April 16, 2020, for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia.