Why Cyberpunk 2077 put me off pre-orders for good – Reader’s Feature
A reader explains why he’s losing faith with big budget AAA games, as he struggles to get excited about Elden Ring and Starfield.
The countdown to Elden Ring is nearly over, Starfield is on the horizon, and there’s a new Battlefield entry barely three months old.
Five years ago, all three would have been on my pre-order list but now there’s that gnawing feeling that expectations need to be reined in. The search for the AAA sweet spot seems to have stifled the creativity that has marked the best of games through the years.
I started on a Spectrum 128 and though now I’m currently an Xbox Series X owner the PlayStation has also occupied the spot next to the screen in its various incarnations. So after 40 years perhaps some fond nostalgia might be understandable. Or perhaps in my late 50s I’m just too jaded to appreciate today’s innovations and trends.
That may be part of it. But it’s not so long ago I loaded up The Witcher 3 for the first time and that gaming feeling hit me in an instant. You know the one where you just smile, knowing that over the next hundred hours plus you’ll be lost in a beguiling world that will drive you mad with frustration, extend your waking hours in the week way beyond what’s good for your employment, and generally bring what you call your social life to a grinding halt.
I call it gaming wonder.
In 2016, I was a late arrival to The Witcher series and I know I played a refined and polished product, missing the teething issues that others experienced, but the comparison with Cyberpunk 2077 is stark. I bought the new generation console to play it after the mess I encountered on the first playthrough on the old Xbox. On finishing the game I had two main thoughts:
No more pre-orders. Ever.How can Projekt Red Read more on metro.co.uk
