Cyberpunk 2077’s 2.0 replace modified a lot concerning the sport, it’d most likely be faster to record issues it did not contact than the techniques it tweaked or wholesale refinished. However probably the most impactful, I feel, is the ability tree revamp, which adjustments the way you construct V and what you are able to. I solely performed about two hours of Cyberpunk in 2020, so after I actually sunk my enamel into 2.0 I used to be shocked to look again at how the timber have been designed earlier than. There have been nonetheless cool abilities there, however with out the extra apparent construct paths and synergies in 2.0. I requested CD Projekt Crimson how that change happened.
“After we mentioned what enhancements we wished relating to perks in replace 2.0, the workforce investigated development techniques of varied video games, together with Dying Gentle, Borderlands, and even Dota 2,” gameplay design lead Karol Matyasik stated in an interview with PC Gamer. These are standard video games, and I can see why Dying Gentle and Borderlands 2, particularly, can be helpful reference factors for Cyberpunk 2.0. However what Matyasik stated subsequent actually is smart whenever you take a look at how CD Projekt modified issues up.
“With regards to the construction of two.0 perks, I feel the old-fashioned design of Diablo 2 ability timber, with their clear paths and progressively extra highly effective (and enjoyable!) skills, is what we regularly referred to in our discussions.”
The two.0 timber are crammed with significant decisions, and tons of recent skills that encourage experimentation and specialization—climbing a pair timber to the highest can actually make you are feeling like an elite hacker or enhanced-to-the-gills militech cyberpsycho. I notably like how some strikes that may actually change your playstyle are seemingly minor offshoots of main nodes—I beelined for the monowire finisher within the Intelligence tree, for instance, as a result of I wished to slice ‘n’ cube. Many of the perks on that tree are devoted to hacking, however tying within the monowire actually match how I wished to think about my V.
“For particular person perks, we at all times strived for the flexibility to role-play a sure character via skills by in search of actions and defining who a ‘robust solo’ or ‘cyberninja’ is, for instance,” Matyasik stated. “For a lot of fight skills, Doom video games have been amongst my private supply of inspiration, because of their high-speed, relentless, visceral, push-forward fight.”
Even the Cyberpunk: Edgerunners anime served as a direct supply of inspiration for the revamped ability timber. That is fairly apparent for those who pay any consideration to the perk icons—one of many first perks on the Physique tree is shotgun-toting Rebecca from Edgerunners. However I am charmed by the references going deeper than simply visible easter eggs—the highest of the Technical Means tree, for instance, is now “Edgerunner,” a ability that permits you to overload your self with cyberware and enter a fury state, identical to the anime’s protagonist. ability tree offers you cool skills to play with and decisions to make every step of the way in which—an excellent one does that whereas additionally making you are feeling such as you’re bringing some form of fantasy to life, and I feel Cyberpunk’s 2.0 replace lastly bought it there.