Cyberpunk 2077 “pretends to be GTA” with the glitz and glamor of the intro, but the RPG’s lead quest designer says CD Projekt Red was “trying to trick you.”

Cyberpunk 2077’s opening hours go to great lengths to show V and players the thrills of a crime-filled life. Fast cars, expensive weapons, a new crib, drunken bar fights with his best friend Jackie, and high-speed chases parade through the game’s intro montage – but lead quest designer Pawel Sasko explains that developer CD Projekt Red intentionally pulled the rug out from under players with its intro.

Pawel Sasko, then designer and now director of Cyberpunk 2, tells TheGamer how the neon sponge RPG begins by making players believe they’re embarking on a Grand Theft Auto-style adventure about the highs and lows of being a criminal. “Cyberpunk starts and masquerades as GTA,” he says. “You’re going to become a legend. And it’s about getting money and cars and becoming a person in Night City.”