COVID-19, bugs, and many more issues have kept CD Projekt Red from releasing its upcoming first-person RPG. One thing that is being worked on during the various delays is Cyberpunk 2077’s melee combat system.
In an interview with VG247, senior gameplay designer Pawel Kapala goes into detail about how the studio is not happy with the melee combat for the game.
“We’re spending a lot of time trying to perfect that, and we basically, we’re not 100 percent happy, mostly with visual feedback on the hits, on the melee,” he said. “So, we’re still working on it. We’re continuing to work on it. And I’m happy to say that, even right now, it’s much better than it was. And it’s going to get even better. And we acknowledge that this is something that we need to perfect, basically.”
A major hurdle for the studio is that FPS games usually struggle with a satisfyingly in-depth system for hand to hand combat, or with sharp or blunt weapons. The Polish company has experience with open worlds, RPGs, and melee styled fighting due to The Witcher trilogy, but with the perspective shift, it changes things significantly.
Once players get into this sci-fi world, traditional weapons like katanas will be available along with implanted weapons like the Mantis Blades. During demos, critiques have hit Cyberpunk 2077 for its melee combat. Maybe by the third episode of Night City Wire, CD Projekt Red’s show that delivers a more in-depth look into what we can expect could show us more on this system. Regardless, anyone playing when it launches will judge the final product for themselves.
Cyberpunk 2077 is coming on November 19 for PS4, Xbox One, PC, and Google Stadia, along with the next-gen consoles. Players will receive a free upgrade for the PS5 and Xbox Series X this holiday season when those consoles launch.
