Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Explains Three Playstyles

As Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action-RPG, you are expected to approach the game and its many challenges in a variety of ways. During the Cyberpunk 2077 deep-dive livestream, developer CD Projekt Red detailed the game's various playstyles and how they function in Night City.

In the 15-minute deep-dive gameplay video, CD Projekt Red showed off two distinct ways to play Cyberpunk 2077: a Netrunner build, intent on stealth, hacking, and battlefield control; and a Solo build, focused on blunt force and immediate action. Though not showcased in the gameplay video, CD Projekt Red talked about one more playstyle called Techie, which hones in on Night City's various hardware.

Netrunners can use their exceptional knowledge of cyberware and hacking to get around enemies and obstacles without a peep. You may hack the environment so it does your dirty work, or you can hack enemy implants from a distance to disrupt their functions. Almost everything is connected to a network, which means you, as a Netrunner, have free rein to hack and take advantage of it all.

Quest design coordinator Philipp Weber said Netrunning skills give you "opportunities to be creative in how you play the game." After breaking through access points, you are given the ability to use quick hacks on them. In one instance, you can use cameras to scope out vantage points or turn them off completely. In another, you can take control of turrets to make them fight for you. There are other "fun things" you can do as a Netrunner, like hacking a robot training dummy or vending machine to cause distractions. While stealthy by nature, Weber said the Netrunner is not "just a stealth character," as there are "cool, aggressive Netrunner abilities" you can add to your build. For example, you can use main character V's nanowire to hack an enemy's hand to do things like shutting it down or blowing it up.

Solos prefer a direct approach, using their superior strength and weapon efficiency to plow through enemies and accomplish tasks. As such, you can rip the gun off turrets and force open doors to live out your Terminator power fantasy. As a Solo, you will gain access to melee cyberware and specialized skills, like using enemies as human shields, as the story progresses.

Lead quest designer Pawel Sasko said the Solo build comes in a plethora of flavors. A Strong Solo can "shove people into trash bins and pick up heavy guns," while a Fast Solo will be able to "double jump to access places and slide around using your katana or nanowire." Solos offer a more straightforward, brute-force approach to Cyberpunk 2077, giving you the opportunity to theoretically melee everything to death.

As the name suggests, the Techie specializes in the physical technology in Night City. As a Techie, you'll be able to "dabble with cables and whatever [else that] drives machinery," said senior level design Miles Tost. Techies get access to a companion called Flathead, a spider-bot that's really just "very sophisticated military hardware." It's an autonomous robot that listens to your commands, which allows you to send it out to manipulate devices or cause malfunctioning objects to fall on enemies. Flathead is added on top of the various skills afforded to the Techie, which CD Projekt Red didn't divulge too much of.

The Cyberpunk 2077 deep-dive livestream featured a few other notable details. Weapons come in three distinct varieties: smart, tech, and power. Though there are different weapon types and varieties, you will have to option to play through Cyberpunk 2077 non-lethally. The game will include more organic sidequests, with CD Projekt Red establishing a brand-new team dedicated to them following The Witcher 3's success. And Cyberpunk 2077's character creator sounds surprisingly deep and varied.

Cyberpunk 2077 is set to launch on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on April 16, 2020. The game is also scheduled to release on Google Stadia some time in 2020.

PAX West is here, and there is surely more news to come out of the event, so check out our hub for more Cyberpunk 2077 news and more.