Cyberpunk 2077 will feature over 1,000 unique NPCs that have their own unique daily routines according to developer CD Projekt Red. The revelation, which further emphasizes the scale of Cyberpunk 2077, comes from a recent series of podcast interviews CD Projekt Red's Miles Tost and Philipp Weber.
GameStar, a German gaming-news website, hosted the interviews behind the a premium content paywall, but Reddit user Moraez translated and posted some of the highlights from the interviews revealing an in-depth look at the development of Cyberpunk 2077. Among this long list of new information, the Cyberpunk 2077 and Witcher 3 developers stated that the 1,000+ NPCs each have their own "hand-made" routine. The devs compared this to The Witcher 3 where some villagers in-game would not have daily routines at all. A "hand-made" routine could mean anything from washing clothes or visiting different locations at certain times, to simply rocking in a chair for the entire day.
While Moraez's post does not give any additional information about how NPCs will operate, or how intricate the daily routines will be, it does give players a look at how much detail CD Projekt Red is putting into their next triple-A release. The devs stated that the level design from The Witcher 3 to Cyberpunk 2077 is just as big an improvement as they were from Witcher 2 to Witcher 3. And apparently the melee fighting system that was showcased in the 2019 E3 trailer was nowhere near where the developers wanted it to be, so players can expect an overhaul to that combat system as well.
Hand-making daily routines for 1,000+ NPCs is no small task, especially considering the size of CD Projekt Red's previous titles. While The Witcher 3's map was larger in terms of its footprint compared to what Cyberpunk 2077 will feature it did not take advantage of the map's vertical space. Cyberpunk 2077 is set in a futuristic city filled with skyscrapers, each being occupied by unique NPCs. And while The Wicher 3's world by no means feels lifeless, having a large number of hand-tailored NPCs in a smaller environment would be an improvement to the overall feel of the world.
CD Projekt Red has consistently delivered highly-rated games, each far more ambitious than the last, and we hope they can keep their hot streak alive with Cyberpunk 2077 so it can live up to the hype.
Source: GameStar (via Moraez on Reddit)