Cyberpunk 2077 Giving Jackie more screen time would have been pointless, says Dev

No matter which origin and path you choose in Cyberpunk 2077, your best friend and partner-in-crime Jackie will always die in the intro of Arasaka-rof. There weren't too many gameplay segments with him, CD Projekt Red showcased the relationship with Jackie via a montage. While many of us may have wished for more time with him, Cyberpunk 2 director Igor Sarzynski thinks it would have been a waste of time.

Jackie was the guy who helped you take your first steps towards becoming a Night City legend. He was also V's best friend, and his death was a pivotal moment in the story, leaving V all alone with Johnny Silverhand on his mind. Although he was important to V's development, it wouldn't have made sense to spend more time on him, according to Sarzynski.

Jackie got enough screen time in Cyberpunk 2077

Sarzynski reflected on Cyberpunk 2077 opening hours in a lengthy BlueSky post (thanks, FRVR). “So would extending Act 1 (before the heist) in CP77 make the game better?” he said. “No it wouldn't. That's like saying we should spend more time on Tatooine with Farmer Luke before he got involved with all this Jedi stuff.”

“It's an open world game, some manage to squeeze 20 hours out of Watson. Pick your own pace,” he added. “The motivation/goal in this section of the game is pretty vague – 'get to the top' – which, drawn out and without stakes or pressure would result in meandering, unfocused experience.”

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As for the time spent with Jackie, Sarzynski said it all depends on your preference. I couldn't have cared less about Jackie's death, but others felt V didn't get to spend enough time with him. Based on that, the developer thinks they got a good balance. As for the mid-year montage with Jackie and V, it was always planned that way from the beginning, despite some fans believing it was based on cut content.

Released

December 10, 2020

ESRB

M for mature: blood and gore, intense violence, nudity, strong language, strong sexual content, use of drugs and alcohol