More than five years after its troubled original release, Cyberpunk 2077 continues to be one of the most relevant open-world RPGs of the modern era. Much of its success comes from the believable relationships it quickly establishes between its key characters and V, but the pre-disaster prologue with preem choom Jackie was never meant to go on for too long.
"It's like saying we should spend more time on Tatooine with farmer Luke before he got involved with all this Jedi stuff," said Cyberpunk 2 creative director Igor Sarzynski on his BlueSky account. This statement follows an influx of comments from the community suggesting that a longer Act 1 alongside doomed partner-in-crime Jackie Welles would have improved the game.
Considering how long the prologue already felt - though it's topped by other recent sandbox games' early hours for sure - we’re inclined to agree with Sarzynski here, though we also understand where some players are coming from. Cyberpunk 2077 condenses their time together into a quick montage that showcases highlights of their chaotic gigs and good times at bars, eventually leading to darker circumstances. And just to clarify, the "half-year montage is not cut content."
"The game cannot be infinite," the creative director also stated. "I think we struck a good balance." After all, Cyberpunk 2077's early beats were never intended to mirror the far more expansive experience that begins when the Relic comes into play, introducing a significant dose of Keanu Reeves. Players can roam around a bit with Jackie, but most would agree it serves as an on-rails introduction to Night City's underworld and Arasaka's family drama.
In any case, the ongoing debate about whether we should have spent more time with Jackie after half a decade and numerous discussions about CDPR finishing the game for real in late 2023 serves as a reminder of Cyberpunk 2077's remarkable staying power in the single-player realm. It has even outperformed The Witcher 3.
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