What is your work within the study?
Basically, I'm in charge of direct the designers who work in the narrative aspect, implement quests in the game...add all the content related to the story in the game. Also we work in the sides missions where I give them feedback. We do brainstorms I select the ideas I consider interesting and we work from there. Of course I play the game regulary and give feedback to the desingners about what problems could they solve, how the game could be better and how they could implement it. Well, I also do little stuff like talking with other departments and different directors and so on.
Where is Lady Gaga?
We have her in our basement. In that case, if Lady Gaga read this, I would be happy to meet her.
How different is the game compared to the gameplay demo shown last year?
As we know, the game is still in development and obviously I want it to be the best it could when it's ready. We are constantly polishing and thinking how make the game more interesting, who make the gameplay more cool and, well, the demo shown last year was only a small fracment of the actual game. There wasn't a clear picture of how the game fits into an open world or how it fits into a larger image of the game. So, there are many stuff that we didn't show yet, there are many things that we are still working on. I would say that the game is pretty different to what we shown last year but there are many details that we are currently working on.
How does the first-person view fit with the RPG genre?
To begin with, you can see your personalization items in the inventory, not only as icons, but also in your character's model. There would be places where you could see your outfit but, of course, the game is a FPP to make the expirience more inmersive. Our principal objetive is to make this game the more inmersive it could be, in the sence that you are more "you" in the game, there is no camara looking behind you (like a TPP). The second is that we haven't any intentions to break that idea in any moment. As you could see in the demo, all the dialogues are in fist person, also all the scenes and so on. We are trying to develop it the most immersive way it could be because is "you" who is interacting with the world. Being the engine of what is happening in the game. And the scenes are interactive too, so you have some control of the camera and that kind of thing. All this combines with the feeling of continuity. You basically progress through the game, from the same perspective, creating that immersive feeling.
Also, there are other aspects of the game, like the shooting mechanics for example. To us, it was best to implement the first person point of view before a TPP because it makes more sense. There had been a long debate in the study when the project was starting on how the view should be. We were constantly talking about it and the decision was well receive by all.
Do you feel the pressure to connect with players after offering weighty characters like Geralt, Ciri and others?
The creation of characters was of course one of the most important features of the previous games. As you said before, there have been characters that have connected with the public and obviously we wanted to achieve this in this new project. So there is a strong insistence on characterizing in a good way our NPCs of more importance in the plot. Then, we are definitely making a big effort in this. I can not go into details right now, but I think we have very good characters in this game, which the audience will remember
Describe the title as if you saw it in the cover synopsis
"I would say that
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open world game with a strong narrative component set in a dark future. It is an RPG with decisions and consequences where everything you do matters. Well, I do not know how much more I can put in the box, it depends on the source we use. I would say that there are many ways to play in terms of gameplay and it offers a wide variety of options depending on how you want to play the title and allows you to enjoy the way you want to play. I think that's how I would describe the title. Would you buy it? "(Of course)
The futuristic world that Ciri goes to in The Witcher 3 isn't Cyberpunk, but Could we see some easter eggs?
I would say that each of our games has easter eggs and this will not be any exception. Although it is a complicated question, since Easter eggs are part of a stage near the launch of the game, we currently have some in mind, but right now it would be difficult to know how many of them there are. However, we have a great creative team and the easter eggs and references are something that is added later in production, usually when people want to leave some reference for themselves, and I am sure we will have a good amount of them. I think we are known to have many of them. In Thronebreaker for example we have many.
What do you think are the key points of the missions in Cyberpunk 2077?
We still have the elements that have appeared in previous games. As I mentioned before, we have decisions, consequences, good characters, etc. I think the new thing in this project and that takes it to the next level is the non-linearity of the gameplay, which we will realize when we play through the missions. Which means there are many ways to complete missions based on how you've created your character, tools you use, etc. And I think this is something that makes our game different from The Witcher. Because in The Witcher we had a basic loop in the gameplay, finding non-linearity in the missions section. This time the gameplay will also have a non-linear character. I think this is where the big difference lies in terms of the complexity of our missions, compared to The Witcher.
Is the studio thinking of a sequel in case Cyberpunk 2077 is successful?
As you know, I can not represent the board of directors and now our team is focused on finishing this game, since we are still at the time of its launch. We still have work to do and we want to do our best, but there is always a possibility of course. For now we are mainly focused on this game and we will discuss when from the direction they tell us what to do. We'll finish and we'll see.
What does Cyberpunk 2077 offer in terms of gunplay and combat mechanics that highlights the infinity of FPS in the market?
I would like to make a reference to one of the previous questions and that is that our game is mainly an RPG, then the combat in the first person is something added to this genre. In this way, the gameplay in
Cyberpunk offers a variety of ways to complete the missions and I think this is the biggest difference because it not only matters the shooter side, but also how to incorporate this aspect in your way of playing through the title. And we have a good amount of mechanics that are based on this concept which we have not yet shown, so stay tuned.
In addition to this we are working on bringing good and fun combat mechanics and I think we have a wide range of weapons that will make our game stand out. I do not know if you remember in the previous demo that there were smart rifles and this is something that I have not seen much in the current FPS. Also, I think that in terms of gameplay we have some ideas and things that are not ready yet and that we are trying to implement, because they will be very good.
Would you describe the gunplay in Cyberpunk 2077 as realistic or something more arcade?
I think it would be something in between, because it is an RPG and we have statistics, damage and so on. And as you know, enemies also have stats, then it is not super realistic like a World War II title where a shot means to be dead, but I would say that it does not reach the level of arcade like the examples you have described (In this case they were Borderlands and Bulletstorm). Here you still need to cover yourself, then you can not just jump and avoid enemies. Although there are ways to play the title in this way using for example the melee weapon we saw last year, the katana. And if you move in this direction you will achieve a more arcade style for your character. In short, I would say it would be something in between.
What games have inspired you in the development of Cyberpunk 2077?
For my part, personally, Vampire Bloodlines, I do not know if you've heard of him. In terms of what is a RPG in the first person and the way in which its non-linearity is built in the gameplay and dialogue, so this one of course. We are all players and we enjoy different genres but as a personal question I would say Vampire Bloodlines. Specifically because it is the perfect example of a first person game and RPG that I personally enjoyed.
Of course then there is The Elder Scrolls, although it is more difficult to compare it with the latter because it is fantasy. And I would also say the Deus Ex franchise, especially the original Deus Ex. This one had a great impact on me as a developer and player back when I played it for the first time many years ago. And what I really liked about that game was completing the missions in many ways. It was not only based on dialogue decisions, since you also had the things that were on the map and its different points of entry that allowed you to get into buildings, as well as elements that opened different paths in history. In short, both Vampire Bloodlines and Deus Ex are my two biggest inspirations.
How is the development of the game for the next generation?
Well it's hard to say. It will happen of course but ... When? I think it's early to talk about this. We are currently focused on the current generation and our goal is to launch it on PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
What do you think about the controversy with the exclusivities of Epic Games?
Well, as you know the theme of exclusivities is not something new and I'm not surprised. I am not a supporter of this controversy in general. It has been happening for years in the different platforms that have existed and as I said it is nothing new for me. Although from the user's point of view I would like to have all my games on one platform and not have to download all these different applications to play my games.
On the other hand, speaking from the point of view of a developer, everyone wants to cover more users for their games through the creation of new platforms, so I can get to understand both sides, both the user and the user. Developer In fact I think the same about the series. It's a bit annoying since you have to have Netflix, HBO, Amazon and I can not have everything in one place.
For me it would be perfect for someone to develop a place to access all the content offered by these companies. In general, that's what I think. I do not have a strong opinion about it at the developer level, because as a developer that works above all on the quality of the game and so on, this does not impact me too much. For me the most important thing is simply to make a good game and given the controversy, here of the only exclusivities that we are going to talk about is PlayStation 4, Xbox One and PC.
As for the exclusivities in consoles, it certainly has an impact on sales. This is the reason why I opted for PlayStation 4 for example, because it has many exclusive titles and everyone wants to play them and could not do otherwise. The same reason for
Switch, so I can play Zelda for example.
Is the team working on some post-launch or DLC content?
As we have already mentioned, we are focused on the main game. The whole team is working on the base game. And Gwent.
What do you think are the keys to success at an E3 conference?
I think they are still very important for the player community. I think everyone has their eyes on this event because as you know there are many announcements normally in E3 and everyone wants to know what is next. So, I think it still matters and in terms of being successful, it depends on your goals. If you're announcing your game for example, I think it's important to have something good to start with, a gameplay or a certain type of trailer. These things always help. It worked with us previously with demos that we could show and I think that if you play your cards well in terms of what you are showing, it can greatly benefit your game and get a marketing boost. We will be there and of course we will have something cool to show.
What do you want to achieve with Cyberpunk 2077?
For me, our games have always been to try new things, push the limits of this medium and so on. For example, in The Witcher 3, we heard again and again that you could not combine a title with a strong narrative component with an open world and be successful. We took this as a challenge and well, we succeeded. With
Cyberpunk we try to push that limit a little more even, and as I mentioned before, we try to go further in terms of immersion either with first person sight and so on. The second thing is that we are trying to catch what worked with The Witcher and also work on the variety and non-linearity of the gameplay. I think this is the biggest step for us, not only personally as a mission designer, but in pushing the limits once again. And yes, in the company we have many people with their own ideas who know how to show something never seen instead of just doing something very similar again. From my perspective I would say that that is our goal.
Do you think Cyberpunk 2077 would fit Google Stadia?
I'm really interested in knowing how Google Stadia will work from the point of view of a player and developer, and I think that I do not know much about this technology in more detailed terms to talk more about it now. But it really could be revolutionary if it is well thought out. As for
Cyberpunk, it's still early to talk about it and we have not even focused on Stadia, so at this point I do not know. At some point in the future who knows. As we have repeated before we are focused on PC, Xbox One and PlayStation 4. I am very curious of course, but I am not the right person for these matters, but for the board of directors.
Do you think your REDEngine 4 engine is ready for the next generation?
As we still do not know anything about it, it is difficult for us to answer that, because when a new generation comes onto the market you have to know the specifications, if the engine can be adjusted to it, etc. Normally it is not so simple to prepare and start it, since you need to make certain modifications to make it work. We certainly do not know if it will be ready, we will have to see it once the next generation arrives. And since we do not yet know when this will happen and when we will have information about it, it is difficult to answer this question. But of course we will follow this topic closely, I suppose that every developer will do it, since it is normal when this kind of thing happens ".
This version has many improvements over previous ones, from themes of rendering and graphic themes to features that allow us to work extensively in the gameplay section, missions, etc. It has a multitude of improvements in the own tool in terms of how we are working on it, then there are many things that make our life easier. In addition, as it has been rewritten, there are many other things that we have iterated since when new tools are provided to developers, there are failures, problems and requires effort to polish everything up to the level of being able to work without any interruption. And this new version is not an exception either, but it gives us many tools with which to work and allows us to do things that with previous versions we could not do.