Upcoming cyberpunk shooter No Law is all about letting you play in a world that reacts to your choices, though that doesn't mean you should push that to the fullest. For example, you could kill every NPC you come across, but that would make life very difficult.
Speaking about the game as part of an interview with the Future Games Show at Gamescom, Neon Giant delves into the studio's approach to designing the NPCs that populate its world.
"Every single NPC in the game can be killed," one developer says. "Not saying you should. But death is always permanent. So, if you kill a shop owner, a shop is pretty much effed and has to close down. Because there's no staff around."
Another adds: "If you take out every single weapon vendor in the city, you no longer have a way to buy guns."
Now, we all know what players are like. Neon Giant clearly does too. Considering that going on an NPC killing spree "can definitely put you in certain predicaments," the developers have added a fail-safe that will warn you that you're about to kill a crucial NPC who won't be able to help out if you put 'em in the ground.
Of course, if you really must, you can still go right ahead. "That's our way of saying, 'it's your responsibility now," a developer says. "You can't go on Reddit and say 'I don't know what to do.'"
Think of it this way. You're free to do as you'd like, but you're also free to live with the consequences.
No Law is due to hit PC and consoles next year.
If you're looking for more excellent games from today's Future Games Show, have a look at our official Steam page.
