Something to look forward to: If the wait for Cyberpunk 2077 is too long for you to bear, CD Projekt Red has a different RPG that might tide you over - Thronebreaker, a Gwent-themed, standalone title with 30-40 hours of gameplay. The game will feature tough moral decisions, exploration, unique card combat mechanics, and multiple ending "world states."
If you've been a fan of CD Projekt Red for as long as I have, the wait for the company's next AAA RPG, Cyberpunk 2077, is probably starting to feel like an eternity.
While that wait certainly isn't going anywhere, the developer does have something that could tide us over in the interim: Thronebreaker.
If you aren't up to date on CD Projekt Red-related news, you might not have heard that name before. If so, here's the gist - Thronebreaker began as a single-player campaign for the card-combat game Gwent.
It would have included the same high-quality story-telling players have come to expect from CD Projekt Red, but it was still going to be relatively small in scale.
However, as Thronebreaker's developers forged ahead, they quickly realized the campaign's scope was far beyond what they'd initially aimed for. As such, Thronebreaker is now a fully standalone, singleplayer RPG that is set to have around 40 hours of content.
Though the game will still feature Gwent-like card combat as a core feature, there will be numerous twists on that formula. For example, many battles will implement puzzle-like mechanics that are unique to Thronebreaker; similar to what you'd find in a Hearthstone singleplayer adventures.
Thronebreaker will let players take on the role of Queen Meve, the ruler of Lyria and Rivia. Facing an "imminent invasion" from the Nilfgaardian Empire, Meve's journey will take her through war-torn lands fraught with all of the perils and tough moral decisions players have become accustomed to in CD Projekt Red's games.
In terms of gameplay, players will wander throughout the world from an isometric point of view. They will acquire resources, train recruits, and unlock new skills and abilities for Meve and her army. The game isn't open world, but CD Projekt Red says exploration will still be important.
If Thronebreaker sounds like your cup of tea, you can pre-order it right now exclusively on GoG, CD Projekt REd's own digital distribution platform. The game will run you about $29.99, and it's set to launch on October 23.