Cyberpunk 2077will be getting a sequel at some point, and it’s likely that CD Projekt Red will be taking a different approach to marketing this time around. Althoughthe developer redeemed Cyberpunk2077through regular updates, free content drops, and the well-received Phantom Liberty DLC, gaming audiences may not be so quick to forget the over-promising, under-delivering fiasco that was its initial launch. Taking a page out ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s andSaints Row’s playbooks might be a good, fun place to start the sequel.
Dragon’s Dogma 2released a character creator demo in early March that prospective players could download for free, leading to a slew of viral fan-made content. Something similar occurred with the ill-fatedSaints Rowreboot, and while that game didn’t quite land the way Volition was hoping, the free character creator certainly helped with publicity and hype.Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel, though wildly different from these two games, could benefit from a similar approach.
The 2022Saints Rowreboot isn’t the first game in the series to have a demo of this kind;Saints Row 3andSaints Row 4also launched pre-release character creators.
Why Cyberpunk 2077’s Sequel Could Use a Character Creation Demo
Transparency Will Be Key to the Next Cyberpunk Game’s Marketing
If all the viralcharacter creations that came out ofDragon’s Dogma 2’s demoprove anything, it’s that giving players the keys to a small portion of a game early can lead to significant marketing gains, increasing organic word-of-mouth promotion to a significant degree. In truth, most games with some sort of in-depth character customization could probably make use of this approach to marketing. It not only spreads awareness of the game pre-release, but also gets players hooked and excited to actually play as their avatar.
Cyberpunk 2077’s sequel probably won’t need too much publicity—visibility will likely be through the roof no matter what—but it will have to contend with the issue of credibility. Even at launch,Cyberpunk 2077had a lot going for it, but its strengths were dwarfed by its myriad technical problems and performance issues, particularly on consoles, with the pre-release marketing simply not being representative of the final product. The game has come a long way since, but the stain of its obfuscated release and misleading marketing won’t be washed away for a while. Launching some sort of demo ahead of the sequel, even if it’s just a character creator, would be an act of good faith.
Cyberpunk 2077 Is Uniquely Suited to the Character Creation Demo
While fans can hope for a more comprehensive playable demo ofCyberpunk 2077’s hotly anticipated sequel, the character creator on its own would still be valuable.Cyberpunk 2077’s world is all about modification, with the genre’s themes of transhumanism and invasive technological advancement shining through the varied and visually striking designs of V and the NPCs. It’s appropriate, then, that players are given a wide range of options when it comes to customizing their player-character, able to go beyond the typical staples of hairstyle, complexion, et cetera, and add decidedly sci-fi implements like robotic eyeballs and various facial modifications. Even so, the game’s character customization options arguably don’t go far enough, as players can’t truly make their protagonist look like the most outlandish, chromed-out NPCs scattered across Night City.
The nextCyberpunk 2077can realize its RPG potentialwhile pulling back the curtain on one of its most powerful role-playing features byreleasing a character creator demolikeSaints RowandDragon’s Dogma 2. This sort of pre-release marketing strategy could bolster public faith in the nextCyberpunk 2077and give players a taste of what aesthetic and tonal secrets CD Projekt Red has up its sleeve.
Cyberpunk 2077
WHERE TO PLAY
Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action-adventure from the creators of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, CD Projekt Red.Set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification, you play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality.Upgraded with next-gen in mind and featuring free additional content, customize your character and playstyle as you take on jobs, build a reputation, and unlock upgrades.The relationships you forge and the choices you make will shape the story and the world around you. Legends are made here. What will yours be?
