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Even though Grand Theft Auto 5 was released eight years ago, its detailed systems are still able to outperform current games like Cyberpunk 2077.
There was a time last year when many people claimed that Cyberpunk 2077 was going to be next Grand Theft Auto 5, rising to the same level of quality. When the game was released in December 2021, it was a seemingly unfinished product and caused near universal backlash from developer CD Projekt Red. There were many problems that made Cyberpunk 2077 unplayable. That being said, the biggest problem isn’t with something that was missing, but in the so-called Revolutionary NPCs who couldn’t even resist. Grand Theft Auto 5‘s.
Upstream Cyberpunk 2077, many marketing materials indicated that the game was an evolution of heavy action shooters in the same way Grand Theft Auto 5 has been. However, it turns out that the highly anticipated game of 2020 was as problematic as the entire year had been for the gaming industry. Fans were especially focused on the NPCs, as they had bragged about them before the release. When the game was released, fans quickly realized that many systems were either broken or severely oversold depending on what had been promised in terms of the game’s systemic complexity..
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Interactions with NPCs in Cyberpunk 2077 vs. Grand Theft Auto 5
This is a very good test of the reaction of a game’s NPCs to running towards them with a pistol drawn. If they are truly present, the character can do something like yell, run, or pull out a gun in response. NPCs do this and more Grand Theft Auto 5, with characters in cars deciding to run over the player character if they fire a gun to close. Cyberpunk 2077 NPCs didn’t have quite the same level of reaction. If V were to point a gun at someone in a car when the game was first released, he could be hiding behind the wheel, but if not, wouldn’t react. This often caused traffic jams that would shame Los Angeles.
Another example is shown when a player walks up to an NPC going about their own business by Grand Theft Auto 5. The NPC will usually have a few nasty words to say before choosing to fight the player or leave the area. In Cyberpunk 2077, NPCs might take a few glances at someone invading their space, but rarely more than that. Perhaps the most striking example is how the police often overlook crimes that happened immediately before them. This whole series of issues with NPCs has led many fans to become more frustrated with yet another broken promise from CD Projekt.
NPC routines
Prior to the game’s release, it was widely reported that Cyberpunk 2077NPC’s NPCs are said to number over a thousand and take part in the daily routines around Night City. NPCs were marketed as having been handcrafted by the developers, each with their own goals and daily tasks. What was produced was a sad attempt in this direction, with many unsuccessful tasks as simple as walking down the street. Characters would often throw animations in the middle of nowhere, mimicking an action like inspecting a sign that isn’t there. It was as frustrating as it was confusing, and much less than what had been promised.
Grand Theft Auto 5 came out seven years before Cyberpunk. Although not as widely promised as Cyberpunk 2077, Grand Theft Auto 5 was always able to create a number of memorable characters who are much better at keeping up with their daily routines. In Grand Theft Auto, NPCs often watch street performers, visit ATMs, throw poolside parties, and line up at their favorite places. As well as being extremely reactionary, these events will also have an effect on their status in the world, such as killing someone after an ATM gives more money.
A great example of an NPC participating in a meaningful routine in Grand Theft Auto 5 takes the form of a dog that his owner misses. While playing as Franklin, players may stumble upon a grave in a graveyard that a dog will visit each day. The puppy visits the same grave, most likely to visit its owner’s final resting place. This is one of the more notable NPC Easter Eggs and could be a nod to an Edinburgh Skye Terrier who was known to do the same.
Cyberpunk 2077 NPC Updates
Fans were quick to call CD Projekt Red when they realized that many features of the games did not deliver what was promised, including NPCs. CD Projekt Red has sought to correct many issues and missing features in a series of fixes. The largest to date was the Cyberpunk 2077 1.2 update, and it boasted improvements in NPC intelligence, handling and preventing the game from crashing. In the update, NPCs would stop tripping over each other and the police would not send an army after V for ringing their car.
There’s also been a big boost in the animations, with CD Projekt Red increasing the variety so that the same NPC doesn’t look at a sign for three hours. After 1.2, players will notice that NPCs act best when in traffic, running away from a car that has hit them and not causing traffic jams when they are afraid. This is the first of many updates that may bring Cyberpunk The quality of 2077 goes up a notch. That being said, many don’t believe the game can achieve Grand Theft Auto 5NPC status due to its shortcomings.
While both games tell great stories with memorable characters, what happens in the background is just as important to creating a quality game. If the player can’t focus on something Jackie is saying due to the ridiculous NPCs in the background, the experience suffers. Yes Cyberpunk 2077 can raise the level of global interaction and reactions of its NPCs to that of Grand Theft Auto 5, this would go a long way in positively revamping the game.
Grand Theft Auto 5 is out now for PC, PS3, PS4, Xbox 360, and Xbox One, with PS5 and Xbox Series X versions also in development.
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