Comment by everdrive
3 hours ago
>Wouldn't tech that could significantly shorten the timeline back to something closer to a few years like it was 20 years ago - while at the same time massively expanding the scope of the game relative to those - seen as a boost to share value?
Games are already too big and too bloated. I'm not excited for anything along these lines. The best outcome would have been if ballooning game budgets required people to dial back projects and spending so that games were smaller in scope.
If this plays out, we'll see the opposite. LLMs are used to offset the costs of games while they become bigger and dumber than they already are.
I'm more of a 'patient' gamer and this is a criticism I had quite a bit in the past... even GTA5 I lost interest about 25 hours in. A couple years ago I played Stray and was wowed by the art direction and tight if fairly minimal story and playtime.
Cyberpunk has changed my perspective on this. Started last August, now 84 hours in, and I plan to do a completion-ist run of at least 120+ hours. Around hour 50 I could have completed the main storyline which snuck up on me quicker than expected, so I'm trickling in the Phantom Liberty quest-line while chewing thru gigs and side jobs, many of which add a ton of narrative impact.
I remember way back when Sopranos ended and I was fairly sullen for a few months after... similar response to The Wire, Mad Men, Breaking Bad, BCS, Succession. Don't watch TV as a rule, but I immediately stopped what I was doing when a new ep of those dropped. Felt almost like I lost a loved one when each ended.
Pretty sure I'll have the same response to this game, I'm dreading leaving this universe. After that I'll get to Baldur's Gate 3 and probably have the same experience. Then after taking a year to finish that off, will likely move on to RDR2. Maybe by then I'll be able to play GTA6 on my Mac.
Basically, my thinking is that - a premium series is going to be roughly 50-60 hours, so if the story and immersion is there... which it certainly is w/ a game like Cyberpunk, the base game should roughly give a similar playtime. The fact that there is so much bonus content that is lovingly crafted gives players the option to stay longer if they so desire is fantastic given these things are now taking 10+ years to produce.