The sequel to CD Projekt Red’s action role-playing game, Cyberpunk 2077, may feature a thorough branching narrative unlike the original.
Speaking during episode 2 of the AnsweRED Podcast, CD Projekt Red discussed the contrast between Geralt in The Witcher series. who is a defined character, and V in Cyberpunk 2077, with whom things can branch out. Narrative director Philipp Weber mentioned that there are elements in the latter, such as the life paths, that give you the promise of having a branching narrative with different kinds of characters, and that this is an example of something the development team would like to improve upon in the sequel to Cyberpunk 2077.
According to Weber, Cyberpunk 2077 begins in a very specific manner. While you can be a Nomad, a Corpo, a Street Kid, this choice of Life Path tends to take a backseat, as all three branches converge together after the prologue. Then, there are times where you can pick a dialogue choice that correspond to your chosen Life Path. He mentioned that, in retrospect, given more experience and time, the development team would make it a bit less muddled than how it was implemented in Cyberpunk 2077.
Quest designer Błażej Augustynek, who also worked on Cyberpunk 2077, stated that, with the Life Paths, it’s the life that you leave as V. According to him, the way Life Paths play out in the game, it’s like you come from a certain kind of life, and that life has ended. It’s in the past, and now you’re living this new life, which ends in the prologue, and then you have to deal with the consequences.
A branching narrative more akin to games like Disco Elysium or Baldur’s Gate 3, where your choices matter in the overarching narrative, would certainly make for a more compelling sequel to Cyberpunk 2077. There isn’t much known about the latter, besides the fact that it’s in an early, conceptual phase of development. It’ll probably be a while before we hear something substantial about possibly the next chapter in V’s story.
