Why would anyone want to skip the car rides in Cyberpunk 2077?

My good friend Jackie Welles has taken control of my vehicle. He needs it for something and has promised to give me a ride home in exchange. We have been working together for years, and I trust him. Since it has been a long day, I agree to the trade. Unfortunately, we are unexpectedly attacked by armed thugs. I dislike it when such situations occur.

After successfully hitting several headshots, we use our charisma to navigate through a roadblock and make our way home. Jackie is rambling about something, but I'm not paying attention. Instead, I'm gazing out the window, observing Night City as we drive by. V has been living here for a while, but I haven't yet explored most of the city, so I'm trying to absorb as much as I can. I notice a neon sign for a brothel, an energy drink advertisement with suggestive imagery, another neon sign for a sex shop, a massive billboard featuring a glowing woman, and yet another neon-lit brothel. It's evident that Night City has a fondness for intimate encounters.

My immersion is interrupted by a prompt to skip the car ride. It seems that the game shares my opinion of Jackie's conversational abilities, but the message abruptly pulls me out of the gaming experience. Although the scenery was becoming somewhat repetitive, with the constant reminder of the city's sensuality, I was still exploring Night City through my own eyes. There were no non-playable characters obstructing my view, no distractions attempting to divert my attention, and no bothersome quest markers spoiling the scenery. It was just Jackie driving and me observing the world passing by.

There is absolutely no chance that I would skip a car ride in Cyberpunk 2077, and I believe nobody should. The city is constantly buzzing with activity, always offering something new to discover. Even though I am still in the early stages of the game, I can't imagine ever wanting to skip a journey. Taking a taxi from one of my friends is already my preferred method of transportation, and it helps me become more familiar with navigating the city as well.

In my regular navigation, both in the virtual and physical world, I typically rely on pubs as landmarks. However, in Cyberpunk, I rely on advertisements for orientation. While they may appear slightly different when I'm on foot, I still recall the path Jackie took and use it as a reference to determine my location.

This aspect of car journeys not only serves as a convenient means to engage in crucial story conversations while on the move but also immerses you further into the world of Night City. It feels fitting that I navigate this dystopian world through billboards, as it mirrors the capitalist nightmare it represents. All of this experience is derived not from the minimap or fast travel options but from sitting in the passenger seat, listening to Jackie's ramblings about gangs, drugs, or any other topic that enters his strong-willed mind.

I understand that the prompt is there for fast travel purposes, but its implementation is done in the least immersive way possible, and it significantly detracts from the overall gaming experience. While having the option to skip certain elements can be appreciated, I personally don't comprehend why some people choose to do so. It may not be as detrimental as skipping conversations or cutscenes, but exploring Night City from V's perspective is crucial to truly experiencing its essence. Night City just doesn't feel the same if you don't take the time to explore it fully.