As reported by Screen Rant, ID@Xbox Director Chris Charla feels that Spiritfarer’s success may have had something to do with the bombastic nature of Cyberpunk 2077’s E3 2019 showcase. Specifically, Charla spoke about Keanu Reeves’ appearance on stage and how he energized the audience to an unprecedented level. Charla believes that Reeves’ charming appearance propped up the next game showcase that came after Cyberpunk, which was Spiritfarer.
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Spiritfarer may be Cyberpunk 2077’s diametric opposite, so it may seem like the two games couldn’t possibly have anything to do with one another, least of all being their respective promotional efforts. Charla, however, claims that following up the brutal, gritty realism of Cyberpunk 2077 with a somber transition to Spiritfarer was his favorite E3 moment. Reeves’ appearance at 2019’s E3 rapidly went viral, but attracted an immense audience as soon as the man appeared on stage. One could argue that such a huge following effectively guaranteed that there are as many eyes on Spiritfarer as there could possibly be, which would substantially increase its own promotional outreach, in return.
Following its successful 2020 release, Spiritfarer proceeded to add free content updates for the duration of 2021 and beyond, featuring new spirits, quests, and other assorted tidbits. The game was praised not only for its subject matter but also for the rendition of its female protagonist, Stella, and the manner in which she interacts with the magical realm she found herself in. Cyberpunk 2077, in the meantime, wasn’t quite as lucky.
The mishandled launch of Cyberpunk 2077 caused CDPR’s stock to drop 75% since the game’s release, and the game was widely criticized for its bugs and shoddy console performance. For all its hype, Cyberpunk ended up being a major mishap for the developer of the almost universally praised Witcher 3, and while it received a wealth of hotfixes and updates, there have been no major expansion packs just yet.
Whether Charla’s assessment of Spiritfarer’s success is correct or not, the title ended up being one of the most wholesome video games on the market. Players get to experience a serene version of the characters’ shared limbo, and help nudge them into the afterlife without any grudges, concerns, or other unfinished business. In that respect, it’s almost wholly unique, and getting as many eyes on it as possible was a stellar idea.
Spiritfarer is out now for PC, PS4, Stadia, Switch, and Xbox One.
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