Why Now is the Time to Start Cyberpunk 2077 if You Haven’t Already!
Cyberpunk 2077 launched back in December 2020 (I just had to double check the date because that didn’t seem right!) to a muddled reception. For years, the hype-machine had been rolling, ever gaining in momentum. The game was delayed multiple times and its development had been known about since way back, when its first announcement trailer was dropped by CD Projekt Red in 2013.
By the time 2020 rolled around, a full nine years later, expectations were high. Since Cyberpunk’s first announcement, CDPR had launched a little game you might have heard of called The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. As everyone is aware, the Witcher 3 was heaped with critical acclaim and pretty much cleared up shop with Game of the Year awards. To this day, people still go nuts over it, regarding it as one of the greatest games of all time.
Unfortunately, the Witcher was probably Cyberpunk’s greatest downfall. Because it had been received so well, there was the expectation for Cyberpunk to do the same. Unfortunately, Cyberpunk launched at an unusual time, right smack bang in the middle of a console transition. Unwilling to commit to being a next-gen game, CDPR opted instead to make 2077 a cross-gen one, focussing primarily on the last-gen consoles where the bigger market lied.
Now, you can’t really blame CDPR for picking a potential market of near enough 200 milliion console owners, over the measly 2-4 million who were lucky enough to nab themselves an elusive PS5 or Xbox triple X (or whatever Microsoft actually called it, honestly, I can’t remember at this stage) at launch.
The issue stems from the fact that, whilst Cyberpunk 2077 ran fine on high end PCs, it was too big and too ambitious for the PS4 or Xbox One to handle (especially the original launch consoles.) The result: a glitchy, slow, bug-ridden mess of a game that resembles most Bethesda games. (Side note, had Bethesda themselves launched Cyberpunk, I imagine people would have simply ignored the bugs in much the way they do with any Elder Scrolls or Fallout game.)
Over a year later, after countless delays, CDPR released patch 1.5, effectively re-launching the game, overhauling it, and optimising it for PS5 and Xbox Xtreme X-edition. Finally, the game is what it should have been at launch. And if you’re opinion of Cyberpunk 2077 was tarnished by its messy launch, enough to put you off ever playing it—well, I am here to change your mind!
Now, quick disclaimer: firstly, I never played the original PS4 version of cyberpunk. Despite my excitement for it when it launched, I resisted, deciding right from the start that I wanted to experience it for the first time on PS5. Second: its a controversial opinion, but I’m not that fussed on the Witcher 3. It took me years to finish. The game was far too large, the controls never quite gelled right, and despite the fact that I’m a fan of the books and the Netflix series, I was never fully taken in by the story or the characters. Sure, I had my fun with it, but I was relieved when the credits rolled, and I have never had any desire to go back and play any of the free DLC.
That said, I’m in love with Cyperpunk. I’m a busy person, or so I tell myself. On top of my job as a landscaper, I write books, and effectively run a business as an indie author. The rest of my time is occupied with commitments to my local drama club, my fanatical exercise regime, trying to read as many books as possible, and all the general adult issues a homeowner entering their thirties has (plus maybe a few more.) And so, playing an open world game these days is a big, often multi-month affair!
To use a Dark Knight reference: Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t the game I deserve, but it is the game I need right now. There’s plenty that’s not perfect with 2077. The gunplay is average. The hacking is basic. The driving is... well, I don’t quite understand why, but I actually quite like the driving; probably because haring around in first person perspective on a motorbike whilst effectively wearing blinders due to the POV, is pretty exhilarating. Its not the prettiest game, nor does it have the greatest story of all time, but I tell you what: everything just seems to come together in a perfect cocktail that keeps me coming back for more!
I love the world. Night City is, to use a cliché term forever associated with open world games, alive! It is grungy, and grimy, and dystopian, and yet also shiny, and sleek, and utopian. Its buzzing with activity. Every NPC looks as if they belong there. There are just the right number of cars on the roads, striking the balance so that the city doesn’t feel empty, but likewise, you don’t get stuck in traffic whilst dodging through intersections, speeding around from job to job.
All the content is interesting. Nothing so far has felt repetitive to me. Like the Witcher, the majority, if not all, of the side missions are on par with the main story quests in terms of their quality of writing. Even the stuff that is obvious busy work, like hunting down cyberpsychos, doesn’t feel like it. There’s always an opportunity for me to go mindlessly shoot stuff if that’s what I want to do, but I’m also amazed by the sheer quantity of quests which are solely roleplaying and dialogue.
The characters really shine through. Everyone is memorable, and there are some really heartfelt emotional scenes throughout. I love quiet roleplaying sections in games. Mass Effect is my favourite series of all time, and Dragon Age ranks up there, but if the story and characters aren’t engaging, sections like these can get dull fast. I’m never bored whilst talking with the inhabitants of Night City; even the slang everyone uses, terms like “biz,” “flatline,” and “eddies,” all add flavour.
And best of all, whilst there is loads to do, the game isn’t ridiculous in size. Its big, but realistic for a casual player to tackle. I hit the point of no return last night in the main story after about 40 hours of play. It snuck up on me! I immediately turned around and walked in the opposite direction, because I’m not ready to finish the campaign yet. I’ve still got so much side content to do, and for once, I want to do it all, happily knowing that I can head back at any time I want to wrap things up.
If like me, you want a game to get lost in and sink your teeth into, but you don’t have the time to commit to a 200-hour epic, pick up Cyberpunk 2077. Just make sure you by the last gen version and claim your free upgrade to current gen!