The Craft of Game Design
For those who have yet to experience the emotional depths of 2015’s acclaimed single-player game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, a word of caution: spoilers lie ahead. For those who have journeyed through its narrative, the heart-wrenching moments are likely etched in memory. After an arduous quest to find Ciri, Geralt and his companions find a momentary refuge at Kaer Morhen, where camaraderie flourishes amidst lighthearted banter and shared stories.
However, the tranquility is shattered by a pivotal moment that resonates deeply with players. Paweł Sasko, the lead quest designer and current associate game director on the upcoming Cyberpunk 2, recalls the reaction in the development room when he proposed a shocking twist: the death of Vesemir, the beloved witcher-grandfather figure. The room fell silent, eyes widened in disbelief.
Despite the initial shock, CD Projekt Red embraced the challenge of crafting this poignant scene. Sasko faced numerous hurdles in bringing this moment to life. “I prototype meteors, rifts opening in the forest, Wild Hunt pouring out of them,” he explains. Yet, the process was fraught with technical difficulties and unclear quest flow, leading to negative feedback that necessitated a complete rebuild.
Through perseverance and iteration, the scene began to coalesce. “Pieces start to hold,” Sasko reflects. “I begin to see why something works and why the thing next to it does not. Through repetition, I truly start understanding the craft.” This pivotal experience not only shaped the narrative of The Witcher 3 but also laid the groundwork for the emotional weight found in Sasko’s subsequent projects, including Cyberpunk 2077 and its expansion, Phantom Liberty.
Sasko’s enthusiasm for the creative process is palpable. “Designers are showing each other ideas in the team room. Someone solves a problem, someone else builds on top of it, someone else innovates and iterates. We are playing. We are putting cool things into a game we love,” he shares. Yet, the bittersweet irony remains: in crafting these unforgettable moments, they also orchestrated the demise of a cherished character, leaving players to grapple with the emotional fallout.
