You Don’t Need Implants to Scan the Hidden Tidbits
The 48-minute gameplay demo for Cyberpunk 2077 was so jam-packed with secrets that it’s only natural to miss some of the finer details. A closer look past the neon and debris will reveal several smaller details with greater gameplay implications. There are quite a few needles in this haystack, so I decided to compile the observations I found interesting with the groundbreaking implications behind certain aspects of the Cyberpunk gameplay. Note, however, that not every detail will be listed in order of appearance. Let’s get started.
5 Details in the First 5 Minutes
1) Blink and you’ll miss the detail in the demo’s first frame, specifically V’s companion Jackie. His pistols are gold and he’s wielding both simultaneously, which leads me to speculate that akimbo wielding will be available to the player character. Speaking to the pistols’ appearance, the gold finish might foreshadow a deeper level of weapon personalization. I don’t think I’m alone when I say that weapon cosmetics would be a fun feature.
2) A few frames later, we can see the machete on Jackie’s back. It’s never used in the demo, but I doubt it is merely aesthetic. In an ideal Cyberpunk world, the same weapons in an NPC’s arsenal would be available to the player. Ideally, the player would be able to switch between holding a blade and wielding two guns. But I’m a dreamer, and I felt this little detail was worth a mention.
3) Just down the hall, the demo gives us our literal first interaction with an NPC. CD Projekt RED totes Cyberpunk 2077 as a seamless open-world experience without loading screens, so I was impressed by how a swift button lets V interact on the fly. The ability to interact with characters inside and outside of combat is something we seldom see even in top tier RPGs. Micro-interactions, as I call them, will do wonders for the immersion.
4) I also wanted to point out how every dialogue pop-up comes with yellow, blue, and/or white lettering. We see optional dialogue throughout the demo, and it lists the branching paths emphasized by the voiceover. In every interaction, the yellow lettering highlights a dialogue option that can lead to a unique outcome. Companion dialogue is distinguished by blue, and dialogue that solicits additional information comes in white.
5) When V sneaks up on her first “gangoon,” we’re greeted by a prompt that shows “lethal” and “non-lethal” takedowns. This might mean the player isn’t consigned to killing in order to complete missions. As hard as it is to imagine, the non-lethal takedown may be a clue that Cyberpunk 2077 lets you be the good guy, but I might be stretching. Also, the underwater assassination is an environmental kill. Will we see these throughout Night City? It looks like Jackie can perform environmental kills, too.