Had high hopes for Cyberpunk 2077 based on having enjoyed The Witcher 3, which really impressed with its gritty moral realism, ambiguity, and intriguing open-world exploration. The Witcher 3 had enough of a narrative arc to keep you engaged, but you never felt like you were on rails. You could travel where you wanted, when you wanted, and make your own decisions about how the story unfolds. The variety and depth of the main characters and their long-running relationships with Geralt were quite appealing as well.
Cyberpunk starts out promising, with the protagonist V befriending earnest, charismatic Jackie, but Jackie is killed as a plot device in the first major mission, and the game never really recaptures that hint of magic. Sure, you can still go where you want, when you want, but over the long run I felt like I had very little freedom to decide where the story ultimately went. I had to deal with Johnny, and I had to confront mega-corporation Arasaka. Neither of these major narrative threads proved particularly interesting, despite my best efforts to go along with what the developers wanted me to do (even when that wouldn't have been my ideal choice).
I won't even go into the well-documented bugs, except to say that my game did crash pretty much every session after about 1-2 hours. I just expected it and reloaded, enduring the rather tedious wait times. I didn't even start playing the game until a few months after release and it had been patched multiple times, but the crashes still happened. Overall, though, this review is based on the "best version" of the game -- assuming no crashes and all bugs worked out.
Night City is huge and dynamic -- you can't fault the developers for lack of ambition. But I was surprised how unlikeable and/or one-dimensional most of the main characters seemed to be. The voice actress for Panam must be the same actress who voiced Triss -- a character and voice that were much like fingernails on a chalkboard to me. On top of that, Panam was incredibly selfish and immature -- to the point where I just didn't want to help her at all after a few outings. The developers seem to count on sexy curves and hormones compelling you to do her bidding, but I actually got more pleasure from saying no and warning her clan leader. Then that entire plot line fizzled and disappeared -- other than the occasional bitter text message from her telling me what a **** I am. I did my best to stay on high ground and just ignored her.
Perhaps the most likeable NPC is actually a malfunctioning taxi service AI, which says a lot about how the NPCs are too shallow. The only NPC side plot I finished was River Ward, because he seemed like a well-meaning guy in a tight spot. The story of his missing nephew, unfortunately, turned out to be shockingly dark and disturbing. I was appalled in a way no game has ever made me feel before, and that's really saying something. To make matters worse, River wanted to get drunk and hit on me after it was all over -- ew! Alcohol is the aphrodisiac of the pathetically immature. Was it my bad for expecting better from a video game? Actually, no: Dragon Age did a fantastic job handling romance with delicacy and dignity.
I liked Judy somewhat, but the more I followed her story line, the more I found myself rolling my eyes and wondering whether I really should help her take over the "hospitality" business. I mean, she seemed to care about the well-being of those in "the profession," but I also felt a little like I was being used. I didn't want money or items in return, but just a sense that I really was doing the right thing, making Night City a better place, and maybe a little heartfelt gratitude. All of these sentiments were really hard to come by in Cyberpunk 2077. Hence, bleak.
There didn't seem to be too much of a connection between the way I leveled up my character and my ability to get through the story on my terms. Most encounters devolved into meat-grinding shootouts (or blunt-outs, since I often just swing a pipe willy-nilly to get through enemies). I tried stealth, I tried hacking, I would have liked to try talking or negotiating, but basically the game forced me to go thug mode in order to get through almost every encounter or mission. Other than the occasional satisfying sniper rifle pick-off, the gun play went from being choppy but mildly entertaining to ridiculously tedious and repetitive as the game wore on. I actually found myself running as fast as possible through the seemingly endless final mission just to avoid having to spend literally hours gunning down floor after floor of Arasaka security guards.
My original plan was to play the game through just trusting my gut and trying to finish the story without worrying about being too thorough, and then play it again as a different character with more of a completionist mindset. The first playthrough, I was a male Nomad new to Night City. In an effort to reach a satisfactory conclusion, I worked with Hanako Arasaka as much as I could, thinking that seemed to be the most sensible approach. But when she ultimately had her dead father's consciousness overwritten on her brother's mind, I was disgusted that I had been made an unwitting accomplice to such a despicable crime. The game didn't really let me do anything about it, although I had the feeling that wasn't the direction the developers thought most players would go. I think they assumed most players would want to nuke Arasaka to the ground (again), like Johnny did 50 years prior. That seemed like a childish solution to a complex problem that doesn't, in fact, solve it, as proven by the fact that Arasaka is still going strong 50 years after Johnny's desperate act. He changed nothing.
The second playthrough I started, I tried being a female Arasaka employee wrongfully dismissed. After a few hours, though, I realized my heart just wasn't in it. The selfishness and pettiness of the Night City NPCs (including Johnny) just wore me down to the point where I just didn't enjoy the thought of spending any more time with them. If this is the future, I want no part of it.
After spending the past month or more reflecting on the myriad failings of Cyberpunk 2077, I found myself questioning whether The Witcher 3 really was as good as I remember. Then I think about the Bloody Baron -- what a character! What a story! Fantastic dialogue voiced with unforgettable gravitas. Every time I solved one problem and peeled off a story layer, two more hair-raising issues were revealed. I couldn't decide whether I hated the guy, respected him, admired him, or felt sorry for him. All of the above, at one time or another. And the story -- yikes! I was riveted from beginning to end. There were no clear black-and-white solutions, just a muddy human problem. And I loved every minute of it.
Hopefully, the developers can learn from the mistakes of Cyperpunk 2077 and get back to crafting gritty, compelling narratives populated by complex, intriguing characters.
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Free PS5 upgrade (Not till 2021).Launch PS4 consoles may have more bugs, glitches and frame rate issues compared to playing on PS5 at game's launchSetting/StoryFirst person shooter taking place in the futuristic Night City where cybernomic body augmentation is the norm, and gangs/factions/corporations take control of the city. A more violent and edge take on Blade Runner in terms of themeYou play as V who's looking for a body augmentation that grants the user immortality. Biggest clue you have is Johnny Silverhand (played by Keanu Reeves), an anti-corporate rockstar who died years before the start of the game, has his memories downloaded into a chip Black Mirror style. Chip is inserted into your brain, and he gives you tips along your journey as you're the only one who can see him.Gameplay to cutscene appear seamless in most scenarios; similar to God of War, but in first person. You do see some 3rd person view like when driving and in certain cutscenesGame is divided into 6 districts. Each of which have different cultures, and law enforcementMap/world is smaller than Witcher 3, but more densely packed. Shorter traversal, less empty spaceDriving can be switched from first and third person--Character CreatorFirst you create your backstory: Choose between Nomad, Street Kid and Corporate. Basically poor, middle or rich social class. Nomad live in outskirts of city and making your way in. Street kid been living in the city for a long time knowing it's in and outs. Corporate: higher up in society, have insider knowledge of what's happening globally and decide to go rougeDepending on what you choose; you start off at a different location, and loadout. Same NPCs will react to you differently also.Also the body type and voice you choose have effect on romance optionCertain dialogue choices are only accessible depending on your backstory selectionAppearance: various sliders to customize how you lookPut attribute points earned by leveling to upgrade perks in the following categories: Reflexes (handguns, rifles, blades), Cool (assassinations, nerve, sniper rifles), Technical (engineering), Body (melee, shotgun, asethietics, two-handed), and intelligence (hacking).Perks have their own level system depending on how much you use themTraditional leveling up system where you gain exp and attribute pointsAlso able to level up street cred making you more influential in the world opening up new vendors, side quests and body upgradesCrafting system where you're able to craft shards for shards for body upgrades, weapons, and consumables.Fluid class system. Depending on how you play; the game will put you into the following classes:Solo (strong solo, fast solo): traditional run-and-gun, melee typeNet Runners/techie: focus on hacking and stealthStats: Armor, health, and stamina. Based off clothing, level and perks--Combat:Weapon types:Power Weapons: Traditional weapons in FPSTech weapons: high fire rateSmart weapons: homing missile bulletsMelee weapons: close quarters combat. Like other open world shooters, not that great, but serviceable as they tend to do more damageAble to see enemies through walls, ricochet bullets, block bullets with katanaBullet time through perk upgrade or consumable itemDouble jump, jump off walls,and side strafe with cyber legsUse mantas (Mortal Kombat Baraka) blades to attach to walls, stealth kill enemiesAble to take cover behind objects, but they're not sticky cover. When behind cover, able to lean down sightsDifferent weapons have different attributes like homing bulletsControl spiderbot named flathead. Missions specific--A lot of branching pathsSide missions where you spare a bosses life, may show up in the main mission later on. Able to do a non lethal playthroughFixers are quest givers: able to take on main quest, side quests and street storiesLoot varies by locationPolice (NCPD) put out bounties where you can take on-- Gangs and Corporations:You can ally or go against these gangs/Corporations, but there are perks/consequences to your actions. You are able to gain favors for these gangs/Corporations,, but not able to join them permanently :Voodoo Boys: Best hackers in night cityMaelstrom: Overdo body modificationsValentino's: traditional and one of largest gang in Night City6th Street: veterans of the 4th Corporate War who NCPDMoxes: small gang around Lizzie's BarTyger Claws: small gang around Japan townAnimals: Physically buff bang who juice and use body augmentation. Highly melee focusedScavengers: kidnaps people and harvest their cyberwareNetWatch: Police the world's AI and hackersMilitech: Corporation/military contractor that make advanced weaponsArisaka: Corporation that deals with corporate security, banking, and manufacturingKang Tao: Corporation dealing with smart weaponsNight Corp: public works development companyTrama team international: Armed EMT/ambulance type faction that come in and save you if you pay upCyber Pychos: tough side bosses in game, not part of any group. Individuals who overdo cyber enhancements making them insane. You personally not able to overdo cyber enhancements making them hard encountersThere are bugs in the game. If anything like Witcher 3 (same developer as this game) will all be patched out overtime. For those who could wait, i would for a better immersive experience. Game should have been delayed until 2021, but seeing it's the end of the console generation (X1, PS4) they probably wanted to release it during the holidays to capture the most audienceMultiple endings, more then the 3 backstories you start off with. My first playthrough main lining the story (with some side quests) took around 20 hours. Not your typical 50+ hours main line story, but there is good pacing and minimal filler. Game has tons of post game contentMay be one of the most immersive open world game I've played. Hype is warranted; not the greatest game of all time, but is one of the best games of the year/console generation (X1, PS4)
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Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 15, 2021
Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 29, 2021
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Ethan Mulholland
PS 5 upgrade
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on September 19, 2022Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
Amazon Customer
Region locked
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on October 15, 2022Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
William
ESRB and not PEGI (no free ps5 upgrade)
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on December 18, 2022Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
J̵̨̪̹̤̽̇̽̃̍ͅ
Updating to 5 star! AWESOME game!!!
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 7, 2022Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
J̵̨̪̹̤̽̇̽̃̍ͅ
Reviewed in Canada 🇨🇦 on May 7, 2022
Sorry, I promised no more after the 4th, but I’m doing one more. Had a chat with a bud and he didn’t like the game, after chatting with him he had some very valid reasons.
Ok, gonna make this short *laughs to himself*;
Life-paths make no meaningful changes to the story, it’s true. But they are still entertaining to people who like RPG world exploration. There’s SOOOO much to explore in this mind-blowingly detailed game. I would suggest you just sit and just crawl through the MANY blocks and back allies and look through different areas. There’s so many Easter eggs, references, secrets and details you just can’t help but appreciate the almost inhuman effort that went into this game. Did they bite off more than they can chew? Absolutely! HOWEVER, that doesn’t mean that they didn’t give it a darn good try and create a game that still had a lot of positives. Far more positives than negatives.
Also, if you “fast travel” to all the missions in the game, YES!!! It is shockingly short. When I did “nomad” I didn’t FT once. But I used it as much as possible doing a run as “street kid” And the main story was over so disappointingly quickly, I can see the complaints as very valid.
But, just like my first review revealed to me, you just have to change your expectations and RPG strategy to better enjoy this genre-bending game.
I’ll reiterate again, I HATE FPS, but I only use smart weapons for complex missions, and upped my tech gear to suit the stratagem I felt comfortable with. Made things much more enjoyable and let me have a chance to practice my VERY poor skill in an FPS capacity.
By the end run of street kid I’m able to understand how to use weapons properly. So the game does provide a method to hone your skills. That’s the weird thing; this game is a cross of many different styles of game, which causes it to have a very steep learning curve, which I stand by. The first time you pick up this game you won’t necessarily enjoy it. But just stick with it and it’ll reward you.
If you’re playing this for the first time my advice would be to ignore FT points and drive EVERYWHERE!!!! … OH! And use a motorbike. Once you get the hang of the game’s physics of drifting, the motorbikes are very easy to navigate and articulate through the streets very quickly. The physics with 90% of the cars are really annoying! … Unless, you can steal a cop car, they handle very similarly to the motorbikes, and deeeeyyyyaaam, is it fun. But obviously, that’s not going to work for very long.
So stick to the motorbikes, ignore the FT points, … what else … OH! Game guides mean nothing in a lot of missions. I have to say it’s something that is annoying initially … but as the game progresses, it’s quite refreshing that a majority of game guides are incorrect. And that’s not the game guides fault, nor is it a bad thing. There’s something very interesting going on with this particular game engine, the REDEngine®, that changes dialogue outcomes, to the point where you can’t really rely on those guides 100% like you can in other games. So again, giving CDPR another well earned pat on the back, this game still has a very random feel to it which is unlike any other game I’ve ever experienced.
So yes my friend’s dislikes of the game are very valid. But, I am sharing with you how I was able to pull an incredibly enjoyable experience out of this game.
Just wish that the censors hadn’t decided to muddy a lot of the explicit content. As a lot of other explicit content, which you’d think would’ve been edited, wasn’t. I’m of the belief that it’s either “all OK” or “none of it’s OK”.
And again this game was rated “mature” so kids shouldn’t be playing this anyway. We’re allowed to watch R rated and explicit movies without censure. But all of a sudden games fall into a different category of morality, ridiculous.
OH! one more thing just for a general statement, nudity is very different from pornography. As adults I think we can all draw the difference between the two. We were all born nude and we all deal with ourselves nude every day and (if we have one) our partner’s nudity too. So, why nudity, and sexual graffiti in the game, is being edited on such a grotesque level, is incredibly regressive as far as I’m concerned. “$&@% or get off the pot”, as they say.
Oh last thing! Get Johnny up to 70%. Important!!!!!
THIRD AND FINAL UPDATE:
Well after doing my first play-through of “Nomad” and wracking up over 66 hours of play, I have to say I was wrong. Cyberpunk 2077 is a 5 star, awesome game. Extremely enjoyable to play after the very messy prologue.
The learning curve is incredibly steep and CDPR really just chuck you in without any explanation of how to use the fundamentals of this genre-bending title properly.
Regardless, it’s a solid game on the PS5. Looks beautiful, sounds beautiful, plays beautiful. Only 2 glitches, neither of them game-breaking.
I do have to say, as I progressed through the world of Night City, I was extremely disappointed to see there was blatant censorship everywhere. After some searching online it seems the popular theory is that “warriors” of no discernible affiliation got their claws into this shortly after release and literally left their cumbersomely placed redactions and edits hanging around for all to see. Seems to have been a big issue without being talked about very much. I think that may have been another reason the title was taken off the PlayStation Store for so long. As with most things these days, one answer is rarely ever the whole truth.
Kind of glad the devs let the players know how ridiculous the heavy-handedly censorship went by doing such a slap-dash, and sometimes laughable, job of covering it. To my knowledge, only PC users with their own mods can junk some of these changes. But not nearly all of them. Would have loved to see the game as it was meant to be seen. Oh well, at least we don’t live in Japan.
Anywho, not entirely CDPRs fault. Symptom of the wild and wacky times we live in. Off to try a play-though as “Street Kid” now.
Older reviews are below.
UPDATE FROM ONE START TO FOUR STARS:
Ok, the first 15-20 hours of this game are utter garbage. But then it gets soooooo gooooooood.
Minus 1 star because the prologue and a few hours after it are ridiculous and unenjoyable. But it’s picked up very nicely. Doesn’t even feel like the same game. LOVING it on the PS5!
Definitely on my list of must buy games! I highly recommend!
Older one star review below.
This is most definitely not an RPG. I hate FPS because if how they make me feel while playing. Cyberpunk 2077 makes me feel exactly the same. Tension. It’s just one gun battle after another.
Even after all the horrible reviews and every other crime CD PROJEKT RED has committed since its release, I was still hoping beyond hopes that there would be some sort of draw there, like with The Witcher 3. Sadly, no.
Graphics work great on the PS5. Story so far is awesome too.
Copy came relatively undamaged with some lame, paper-wasting maps and postcards.
Definitely a disappointment. Glad I cancelled my full price preorder and waited for it to go to $29.
Won’t preorder from this developer again.
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Jay Mckenzie
It's an alright game wouldn't say its the best and definitely over rated
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 10, 2022Platform For Display: PlayStation 4Edition: StandardVerified Purchase
