Cyberpunk 2077 hit shelves five years after The Witcher 3, and while it has improved significantly since, it doesn’t come close to the same quality. Night City isn’t as engaging as the sprawling landscape of the developer’s previous game. Its commercial success was guaranteed long before it released, but with critical reception being poor this time arouund, there are questions around what the Polish company will do in the future as turns back to The Witcher.
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CD Projekt Needs to Avoid Becoming a One-Trick Pony
One great game can elevate a developer to unimaginable heights. ConcernedApe’s Stardew Valley sold wildly, and fans are anticipating the release of Haunted Chocolatier. The same can be said for the likes of Toby Fox with Undertale, or Beethoven and Dinosaur with 2021’s The Artful Escape. CD Projekt Red has a history dating back to 1994, but in that time only one of its games has been truly revered. Other Witcher titles are enjoyed, but Wild Hunt stands among gaming’s best.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is a game that uses a pre-existing formula, but improves upon it in many ways. The open-world exploration and intricate leveling system is something players had become familiar thanks to Skyrim and Fallout: New Vegas, and have since enjoyed in Horizon Forbidden West and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey. It’s an ambitious format, but one that is popular in the AAA space in-part thanks to the success of The Witcher 3. While continuing to make the western RPG genre better would play to the company’s strengths, it would be all too easy to slip into being a one-trick pony. CD Projekt Red has shown it can find success, but needs to diverse in its offerings to stay relevant.
Cyberpunk 2077 Tarnished a Stellar Reputation
With the news that a new Witcher game is on the horizon, fans feel more confident about the developer. However, while this is great for those who enjoyed Wild Hunt, it leaves others disappointed that there’s nothing beyond Cyberpunk 2077 to get excited for. It’s critical for the company to appeal to more than just Witcher faithfuls if it wants to stand alongside Naughty Dog, Nintendo, and Square Enix. Forgetting the disastrous launch of Cyberpunk 2077 will take more than the fourth entry of a pre-existing franchise for many, so bringing something new to the table is important.
CD Projekt Red has to restore its standing among all gamers, not just those who had lofty expectations for Cyberpunk 2077 because of their love of The Witcher 3. Promising a new entry in the latter series is commendable, but broadening its catalog of games would show that it is capable of building something new that is also of high quality. Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t reach the heights of fan expectations. There’s no telling what CD Projekt will do with the Cyberpunk license in the future, but what remains clear is that it can’t maintain a positive reputation with just The Witcher to fall back on.
The issues surrounding Cyberpunk 2077 show that CD Projekt Red isn’t the un-tarnishable industry titan many believed it to be. The Witcher 3’s indefinite next-gen delay could be a blessing in disguise, as it gives the company an opportunity to really hone in and rebuild the fractured relationship it has with its audience. Using that time to forge something that stands alongside its other games would be wise, showing that CD Projekt Red can be known for its diversity as well as quality of just one franchise.
The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt is available now on PC, PS4, Switch, and Xbox One. PS5 and Xbox Series X/S ports are in development.
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