Cyberpunk 2077 has officially removed all traces of third-person perspective from in-game cutscenes.
CD Projekt Red (CDPR), the game’s developer, recently announced that the decision to remove third-person perspective from cutscenes was based around the idea of enhanced player immersion. By never leaving the first-person viewpoint, players will theoretically be more invested in the world they have created.
To be fair, it is certainly a world we can’t wait to explore, but we can’t help but be a little disappointed in this announcement. Given that the game allows for incredibly deep player customization, this decision seems to severely impact how often we will get to look at our painstakingly crafted character. A tweet earlier today from Marcin Momot, Global Community Lead for CDPR, does indicate that there are still a few instances where the player’s character will be viewable, such as in the inventory screen, during driving sequences, and… in mirrors. Looks like players will be spending more time in the bathroom in Cyberpunk 2077 than we originally anticipated.
Naturally, the gaming community is up in arms. Some people have even gone as far as to say they won’t buy the game anymore. Others are curious as to the true motive behind the adjustments. Many Reddit users are saying that the change was made because of the vast customization options. Allowing players to wildly modify the main character could have caused some animation and clipping issues with the cutscenes; by including only the first-person perspective, the developers can avoid these massive technical headaches.
With the game’s release date of next April rapidly approaching, this might have been a necessary cut in order to make the deadline. And, in all honesty, it probably will increase immersion in the game world. While it would have been nice to have the option to view the cutscenes in third person, we trust what CDPR is doing. After everything they have done to make The Witcher series such a success, they have earned a bit of our trust. If removing the third-person perspective from cutscenes allows them to craft the world they want us to explore and deliver a cinematic experience like no other, then they have our full support.
Source: SpielTimes