"Cyberpunk 2077," which famously launched with significant issues, has seen a remarkable turnaround thanks to CD Projekt RED's four-year effort to fix the game. The release of its major expansion, "Phantom Liberty," in 2023 further solidified its redemption, earning "Overwhelmingly Positive" reviews on Steam and cementing its place as one of the most successful comeback stories in video game history.
However, despite the game's vast improvements and its now rich, immersive gameplay experience, one particular detail continues to baffle players: why do the in-game food models still look like low-polygon assets from the PlayStation 2 era?
This discussion recently gained traction on Reddit, sparked by user Bottlecap_riches, who posted with a prominent title asking, "Out of all the detail they threw into this game, why couldn't they make the food look less... PS2-ish?" While the post ignited a lively debate among players, many mocking the comical appearance of the in-game food, some also offered simple analyses for the situation.
Among the responses, user u/kinomino commented, "My guess is that when the game launched and was a mess, they probably didn't have the bandwidth to deal with physics effects like food. But I believe if they weren't so rushed at launch, they could have done it, especially since liquid effects and drinking animations are quite fluid."
Other users drew comparisons to Bethesda Game Studios' Xbox exclusive, "Starfield," noting that while "Starfield" boasts highly detailed sandwich models, its gameplay experience is often interrupted by numerous loading screens. They suggested that while "Cyberpunk 2077" may lack such intricate food, players would rather accept "PS2-era" food models than have the game suffer the same fate as "Starfield" with its pervasive loading issues.
While "Cyberpunk 2077"'s food models might not be its strongest suit, the game still maintains impressive detail in other objects. For instance, the Braindance cartridges on Judy's apartment table reveal intricate details, including the box, cartridge, and even the packaging paper, when viewed up close using the photo mode.
As CDPR has already begun development on "The Witcher 4" (Project Polaris), whether the development team will prioritize improved food modeling in their next title remains a detail worth anticipating for players.