Cyberpunk 2077 – Set To Be A victim Of Hype?

When you’re the company responsible for one of the most highly rated, and beloved games of all time, is it possible to collapse under the weight of future expectations? CDprojekt Red released the Witcher 3, and it seems like there is no end to the acclaim the game has received. Though, it was certainly well deserved acclaim. With a truly engaging story, incredible visuals, and a satisfying combat system, there was little that the game did not do well.

But now the next CDprojekt Red game, Cyberpunk 2077, is on the horizon. It seems only natural that fans would be falling over themselves to get their hands on it, with hype reaching a near frenzied level. This is great it terms of free publicity, of course, but it also comes with a serious drawback. Can the game possibly meet player expectations?

The Long Wait

Currently, anxious fans are occupying themselves with online bingo in Australia as they wait for the eventual release. The game has been in production officially since 2015, which means it will have had a 5 year development cycle. This is standard for a large scale RPG, and certainly not out of the ordinary. But one delay has already occurred, pushing release to the end of 2020.

Of course, as development has drawn out, and new trailers have been dropped, hype has only continued to increase. This in itself can have an adverse effect. The longer fans wait, the more they have time further build up expectations.

The question is; can the game, when eventually released, meet what fans may have been building up beyond the point of what is realistically achievable?

A Beloved Developer

Another factor adds to the situation. CDprojekt Red have gone well out of their way to earn goodwill with customers. The studio is notorious for adopting only the most generous of return policies, and even going so far as to release their biggest games with no DRM software implemented. In a time when other big developers are only further irking fans by forcing loot box and microtransactions mechanics into their titles, it cannot be understated how much trust and faith CDprojekt Red have earned.

All good things, of course, but once again coming with significant drawbacks. With so much trust earned, the pressure is once again on for the studio to deliver. If the game happens to not meet expectations, the risk runs high that fans will turn on the company they once held in such high regard.

Waiting In Anticipation

But, of course, this is all speculation at present. As September draws near, and players prepare themselves to dive into another enormous RPG experience, the best that CDprojekt Red can do is hope that it all goes according to plan.

Though it certainly would be a shame if one of the bright guiding lights of the industry fell short, after doing so much to truly stand apart as the supposed good guys.