Even though Cyberpunk 2077 is first-person, character customization is still playing an important part of the game. The title is being developed by CD Projekt RED, the acclaimed studio behind the Witcher games, and CDPR has now explained exactly why it feels that customization is still necessary in this adaptation of the tabletop game Cyberpunk 2020.

Although Cyberpunk 2077 and The Witcher come from the same creative team, the two franchises are very different. The use of a player-created character is a big change from Geralt of The Witcher, as well as the first-person viewpoint, but the setting swap from a fantasy world to that of a grim future shows that the studio is going for something very different. Not content with this challenge, CDPR is also aiming to create a game world far bigger than even The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt.

Players will have much more control over their own character's design in this game world, too, and Cyberpunk 2077's quest designer Patrick Mills has been on hand to explain exactly why CD Projekt RED thinks this is important. In short, the developer wants players to feel as though the story they are playing through is their own.


In part, this comes down to the game's emphasis, and its roots in a tabletop game where the player is able to build their own character. "It’s an RPG before it’s a shooter," said Mills, "and it’s really about making a character and inhabiting that character and living in this world and making choices from not just the point of view of that character but also of yourself." It's in important distinction to make, and it certainly ties into that impressive trailer that gamers saw earlier this year.

Equally, Mills explained the difference between Cyberpunk and The Witcher, and the importance of Geralt as a character. "With The Witcher, you had Geralt, and Geralt had a history," explained Mills, pointing out the books, games, and comics that The Witcher has received - as well as the upcoming television series. With Cyberpunk 2077, however, the story is meant to be a new one that the player can experience as their own creation.

Exactly how much difference the character customization in the game will make to the overall story will be an interesting thing to find out. However, gamers could be left waiting a while longer. Apparently, the gaming community should not expect a Cyberpunk 2077 release any time soon, so there's still a while yet to find out more about how the game will operate.