Cyberpunk 2077 Developer Defends Focus on First-Person Perspective

Cyberpunk 2077 made headlines at the start of the month when news emerged that the game would focus primarily on a first-person perspective supplemented with the occasional third-person scene. While the news didn't diminish excitement for the game for everyone, some who were hoping to constantly see their customized character in a third-person perspective voiced their dissatisfaction with the decision. Cyberpunk 2077 creators CD Projekt Red responded to some of these concerns when the news first surfaced and had more to say about the first-person focus recently.

Speaking to Video Games Chronicle at Tokyo Game Show, level designer Max Pears was asked about the first-person perspective decision. Pears said "there is logic to our process" and said the decision to have the game play primarily from a first-person view wasn't a random one. The designer added that "a lot of thought" has gone into the decision.

Back when people got one of their first looks at the game during 2018's E3 demo, there were some third-person cinematics where players could better see the character they'd created. Pears added that, to his knowledge, those types of cinematics have not been changed to a first-person perspective. He did say that the levels he worked on "featured cut-scenes in a first-person perspective anyway," so it looks like players will see both types of cinematics, similar to what CD Projekt Red has expressed in the past.

Certain moments in the game, the developer said, would not be as impactful if they were shown in a third-person perspective.

"In last year's demo you saw the interactive dialogue system, where somebody pulled a gun on your face," Pears said. "I don't think you would necessarily get that same impact in third-person. It's moments like that which make it feel like it's your story and your character."

Pears also acknowledged that some people feel strongly about the first-person vs. third-person debate but reaffirmed that the team believes "that this is the right choice for this game."

A cinematic trailer released for the game during this year's E3 event showed a mixture of these first-person perspectives and third-person cinematics. It showed a male protagonist dealing with different threats and ultimately built up to the big moment where we saw that Keanu Reeves would be in the game as Johnny Silverhand, the companion that'll join players throughout their journeys. A behind-the-scenes look at that demo showed how it all came together.

Cyberpunk 2077 releases for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia platforms on April 16, 2020.