CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 is going to be a technical and visual masterpiece from The Witcher 3 developers. Fans are excited to see just how detailed the upcoming game is.
CD Projekt Red has become extra ambitious when it comes to Cyberpunk 2077. Aside from adding immersive gameplay features, the developers also want to ensure that the NPCs in the game feel as alive as possible. To make the NPCs more realistic, the developers asked the help of a third-party developer.
Facial animations at its finest
The facial animations in the upcoming game is going to set new industry standards. CD Projekt Red is achieving this new feat by partnering with Toronto-based JALI Inc. On the part of JALI, the developers were tasked with creating realistic lip-syncing without having to use massive facial capture of actors.
The technology that JALI used for the game has been showcased in a video. Based on what we’ve seen, the developers are able to create something far better than what was seen in The Witcher 3. Basically, the NPCs in the game will have faces that move as close to reality as possible.
This isn’t just a visual upgrade on the part of players. Such a feature could potentially improve the game’s immersion as well. Seeing as most of the game will be in first-person, players are going to witness the technology up close and personal.
The NPCs
Night City will be filled with a thousand NPCs. Each will have their own living schedules. This is one of the reasons why CD Projekt Red had to delay the game earlier this year. They wanted to perfect the NPCs so that players feel very immersed into the game’s world.
A lot of developers have tried to make a living breathing video game world. One of the most famous games that had such a feature was Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim. Players can watch from afar as the NPCs go about their day, doing their own tasks.
We’ve yet to see the extent of the NPCs’ programming in the upcoming game from CD Projekt Red. However, players are already expecting a lot from the developers of The Witcher III.
Cyberpunk 2077 launches this Nov. 17 for the PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and PC. The game will also have new-gen versions at a later date. It is one of the most anticipated titles of 2020, and fans are hoping that it is a major game of the year candidate as well.
Image used courtesy of Cyberpunk 2077/YouTube