If one reveal during the Electronic Entertainment Expo (E3) 2018 has caused more waves through the internet then any other it has to be the long awaited showcase of Cyberpunk 2077 from developer CD Projekt RED. Most known for their work on The Witcher series of videogames, this new title is a different direction for the company and its fans as they take players to a new setting with a whole new perspective. Unlike their other titles, Cyberpunk 2077 has been revealed to be a first-person role-playing game (RPG) which leads to the question, why not virtual reality (VR)?

CD Projekt RED first revealed the title back in 2013 with a simply stunning teaser trailer that did not reveal much in the way of details, but set the tone for the project. At the time of writing that trailer, which you can view above, has been watched over 13 million times. The accompanying soundtrack – ‘Bullets’ – for the trailer written by Darius Keeler and Pollard Berrier has also become a hit and been listened to millions of times on YouTube alone. Since then, fans have had to wait for even the tiniest bit of information on the title from the developer. That all changed the other day though when the newest trailer was dropped at the end of Microsoft’s E3 2018 conference, and in the space of a few days has already passed 11 million views. This was the Cyberpunk 2077 fans had been waiting for.

Since the release of the trailer many publications have been able to get a behind closed doors demonstration of the title and see a number of the systems in action. The masses of information being released for the title has seen this become one of the most anticipated videogames of the generation but one feature stands out above the rest. First-person. Cyberpunk 2077 will be a completely first-person RPG, with third-person used for cutscenes and driving. This opens the title up to be a truly immersive experience, on a massive scale unlike anything players have seen before. The team that brought players The Witcher 3 and it’s stunning, beautiful open-world are putting players into a dystopian, cyberpunk city, in first-person.

You might think that a title such as Cyberpunk 2077 would not work in VR, given its planned size and scope. That is however, before you remember that The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim and Fallout 4 are both playable in VR from start to end. Two massive RPG’s with an oceans depth of content to explore. This means that Cyberpunk 2077 would not be investing the wheel, but have the opportunity to perfect it. With first-person gameplay, shooting and melee combat along with all manner of cyber attacks and digital warfare to use, players would have a wide range of options available to them on how to play.

CD Project RED have also confirmed that Cyberpunk 2077 allows players to build their character however they want. From the gender, appearance, personal background, outfit, equipment, class and abilities, every aspect of the player character is customizable. Players would be able to step into a ture digital avatar and live out their fantasies within a truly open cyberpunk setting, all while experiencing the fluid gameplay and engaging narrative, that CD Projekt RED have been known to deliver.

Once more, Cyberpunk 2077 has an opportunity to take VR to a new level. The title has been described by CD Projekt RED as being a ‘mature game’ with a ‘Noir’ feel, featuring a lot of adult themes in a world of violence, crime, poverty, and urban and cyber warfare. If Cyberpunk 2077 was to be made available as VR title it would bring that mature content over to the platform, opening the door to other gritty, real, mature videogame experiences which could attract a new audience to VR.

It is almost ironic that the E3 2018 trailer for Cyberpunk 2077 features a passing clip of a child enjoy a VR headset, only to then write about how experiencing that world in VR would be fantastic.None the less, Cybpunk 2077 is beautiful, ground breaking, and could be a title that changes the RPG genre forever setting a new standard. CD Projekt RED are the developer to pull off such a grand project and it will be amazing when it does finally release. Until then, one can still dream of a VR version to finally live out the dream of being a cyberpunk badass in total immersion, right?

Cyberpunk 2077 is planned to release ‘when it’s done’ and until then VRFocus will be sure to bring you all the latest, should a VR version be revealed.