CD Projekt Red's 'Cyberpunk' inspired by System Shock, Blade Runner [Update]
The Witcher series developer CD Projekt Red is deriving its latest game, Cyberpunk, from the pen-and-paper game of the same name – but that's not where all of its direction is coming from. Cyberpunk draws inspiration from William Gibson novels, Blade Runner, the Ghost in the Shell anime and manga, System Shock and "the first part of Deus Ex," community manager Marcin Momot says.
Cyberpunk will remain faithful to its source material, traversing the world but focusing on a specific venue pivotal to the franchise, Night City. Cyberpunk will have an "open, living world" with more customization options than players had with Geralt in The Witcher games. Players will be able to change their stats, equipment, implants and more.
The role system comes straight from the pen-and-paper Cyberpunk, and "as opposed to the regular fantasy set-up with mages, warriors and archers, we're going for something different," Momot says. "In Cyberpunk, each character role will offer a set of special skills that will impact your stats in many different ways."
Update: Yes, what was first written in the interview as "Shellshock" was supposed to be "System Shock," and CD Projekt Red has altered the text to reflect this. If you don't believe it really said "Shellshock," ctrl+f the comments in the source. We were just as confused as you.