Ideas for menus and immersive gameplay:
I just wanted to post this somewhere someone might see it. I know it’ll probably get deleted, I just didn’t know any other way to visualize what was in my head. I don’t know if it’s possible or if anyone even cares anymore. It’s been said before but, I don’t agree with the idea that locking players into first person perspective makes the game more immersive. I think the best choice is always to give players the freedom to choose how to experience your game, they will thank you for it. That’s the biggest grievance I have with the game. With all the character customization options, to only see your character in a mirror or on a bike makes having those options seem less meaningful. I know there’s a mod to achieve this and it’s awesome but that’s not the point.
I think creating the “illusion” that time doesn’t stop, giving true purpose and impact to decisions and preparation, and integrating those ideas into every aspect of the game is what creates immersion. For example, inventories, etc. shouldn’t be accessible during combat. This makes preparation more important. I think the game does these things well in some areas, but pausing the game with pop up menus to do simple tasks like make phone calls or send messages destroys that feeling of immersion. It’s 2077 for crying out loud, we don’t even have to lift a finger to play music on our phones in 2026! Granted I know some of these things have been addressed, but there was a real opportunity to handle menus and create that feeling of immersion in a better way that isn’t tedious and can also be replicated in many different mechanisms in the game.