Finally, a trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 was revealed. But instead of hype, the trailer sparked disappointment – at least for Cortyn.
Fans had to wait many years for serious signs of life from Cyberpunk 2077. Now at E3 2018, there were finally a lot of information, as there was a trailer of nearly 100 seconds that thrilled many fans. However, it didn’t knock me off my feet. What could be seen was an emotionless display of effects.
Cyberpunk 2077 – Just a “GTA in the Future”?
Many players who previously knew nothing about Cyberpunk 2077 asked themselves after the trailer: “Is this GTA in the future?” The question is as derogatory as it is justified, as that was exactly the impression the trailer conveyed. Quick camera cuts, no sequence lasts longer than four or five seconds. Everything explodes, dies, or is enhanced with technology. The world is garish, loud, and colorful.
The cool “night feeling” from the first images and trailers seems completely lost – brutality and action without pause are in the foreground. This is not what I expect from the creators of the best RPG of the last decade, but rather from the latest episode of Alarm for Cobra 11.
A trailer without emotional attachment
Cyberpunk 2077 has to endure some comparisons with The Witcher 3 – after all, it’s the last major title from CD Projekt Red. Every single trailer for The Witcher 3 emotionally touched me and made me feel connected to the characters or build a bond with the game world. Do you remember the trailer where Geralt takes out the soldiers who want to hang a woman? Or the monster hunt in the barn? Both trailers had a brilliant pull, drew me into the game world, and left me fascinated.
The Cyberpunk trailer doesn’t achieve that. The protagonist shown is unsympathetic to me in every way (flashy car, big weapons, causing chaos “for the Lols”).
Presumably, the trailer is much cooler if you’ve played the Pen & Paper Cyberpunk 2020 and recognize and understand all the many references. I don’t do that and have to extensively inform myself afterwards about what the inscription X in scene Y means. That doesn’t entice me, doesn’t appeal to me.
I can neither warm up to the characters nor to the shown game world. Not because it might end up being exciting, but because the trailer is completely overloaded, without explaining any details even in the slightest. It’s just “Wow, technology!” without soul.
Even CD Projekt Red doubts the trailer
However, even some people from CD Projekt Red seemed to fear that the trailer would convey a false impression of the game. At least that’s my interpretation of it, as they specially include in a hidden message:
“While the world is full of adrenaline, don’t be misled by the chases and weapons. Cyberpunk 2077 is a real single-player, a proper story-driven RPG. You’ll be able to create your own character […]”
All of this probably wouldn’t have needed to be mentioned if the trailer had conveyed an impression of how the finished game would eventually look. But the trailer didn’t do that. Instead, it was an action-packed ride through Night City, an adrenaline tour from one explosion and excitement to the next. That wasn’t a trailer for an RPG. That was a trailer for an action movie.
Conclusion: Damped hype, undeterred hope
Please don’t get me wrong. I have great trust in CD Projekt Red, as I now compare every game in my head with Witcher 3. I firmly believe that the guys and gals will eventually deliver one of the best RPGs of all time and I will celebrate Cyberpunk 2077 properly.
However, the trailer did not make me want to learn more about the game world or that I simply cannot bear to live without this game anymore. For my part, the developers can now happily take two to three more years – I’m not in a hurry.
What did you think of the trailer for Cyberpunk 2077?
New information about gameplay:
