Players agree: Cyberpunk 2077 is the only game where important open-world mechanics are absolutely unnecessary

The open world of Cyberpunk 2077 could do without one key element of sandboxes, at least according to many players.

If someone wants to point out a major issue with open worlds, they'll probably talk about the various headaches that come with their size. "Hundreds of square kilometers" sounds impressive in promotional materials and creators' statements, but sometimes this translates into problems such as repetitive locations, an abundance of "collectibles," and uninteresting activities (sometimes in the form of markers almost obscuring the map) or travel from point A to B taking far too much time.

This last problem is usually solved in a simple way, and it was no different in Cyberpunk 2077. However, some players believe that in this particular game, it is unnecessary.

Slow (?) exploration of Night City

Fast travel is an element known in games for a long time, but it is especially useful in huge open-world games. Even if developers create the most stunning and unique map, even the biggest fans of virtual landscapes don't always want to spend a bunch of minutes (or more) just to get to a far-off spot.

Cyberpunk 2077 also offered such "teleportation." However, apparently, the RPG is one of the few games where a big portion of players sees no point in using the fast travel system. This is indicated by a thread on Reddit, which, in truth, is hard to even consider a discussion.

Most people chiming in on the thread mentioned two main reasons they prefer not to use fast travel: the cool cars (especially after updates that made them less prone to blowing up and added the CrystalCoat system) and the thrill of parkour-style runs through Night City. In both cases, the cyberpunk city encourages exploration on foot with its appearance and design—whether it's admiring the views and listening to the radio behind the wheel or discovering parkour shortcuts like in the Mirror’s Edge series and looking at the world from above (literally).

Nevertheless, some players are pointing out that the fast travel system isn't really that appealing to use.

Some people also claim that the game map itself is "small," which in theory would also explain why players bypass the fast travel system. However, this is not entirely true. Although we do not know the official size of the Cyberpunk 2077 world, Night City alone is said to cover an area of over 20 square kilometers. This does not include: a) areas outside the city (which take up much more space) and b) the multi-level nature of the metropolis, where sometimes you can spend more time traveling vertically than horizontally.

Yes, you can find much larger open worlds in video games, including the one from The Witcher 3. But is it really a downside if the massive map in Cyberpunk 2077 is so packed with stuff that players don't even feel like using fast travel to skip locations?

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Cyberpunk 2077

December 10, 2020

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• sandbox
• CD Projekt RED
• cyberpunk
• Polish games
• RPG games