Cyberpunk 2077 Almost Looked Completely Different
"Cyberpunk 2077" has had nothing but bad news since its rocky launch. The game came out the gate with numerous bugs and disappointing gameplay components, resulting in poor financial results. Another big issue for CD Projekt is that it has suffered from a number of leaks and hacks, resulting in tons of "Cyberpunk 2077"-related material being out in the public that was never meant to be out there.
One of the more recent leaks is a glitch compilation reportedly made by employees at CD Projekt Red prior to the game's release. The interesting thing about this bug compilation is that it shows gameplay from earlier in development, including things that didn't make it into the final product.
One of the differences between the final gameplay and some of the earlier footage is the police response to crime. As reported by TheGamer, one of the clips shows V run over some people, triggering a level one police response, which caused a radio call with V's last known location and the jurisdiction of the crime. This is different from the final version of the game, where police officers just spawn in behind the character whenever a crime is committed.
Tons of cut content
The difference in the police A.I. and response in the final product versus the early gameplay footage is obviously concerning, considering how upset people have been about police behavior in the game. The final version just spawns cops behind the player, which has been criticized for not allowing you to smartly commit crimes and escape.
Another bit of cut content that has been unearthed: Reddit user u/pablo397 made a compilation of all the unused locations found within "Cyberpunk 2077." The compilation shows a number of locations around Night City that have been fully built out, some with NPCs, but never got assigned any purpose within the final game. While plenty of games, especially open-world titles, have unused environments and buildings, the "Cyberpunk 2077" buildings are more developed and fleshed out than normal "inaccessible" buildings. If a building wasn't meant to be used, it seems odd that it would get a fully made interior and NPCs, leading to speculation that the buildings were meant for cut content.
CD Projekt has also shared how the game's poor launch and the refunds for "Cyberpunk 2077" has impacted the company overall. While the game moved millions of copies at launch, plenty of gamers returned their copy for a full refund.