Cyberpunk 2077 review!

 Cyberpunk 2077 is the latest title from Polish game studio CD Projekt Red, the same company that brought us the successful Witcher series. Announced first in 2012, Cyberpunk 2077 went through multiple delays before it was finally launched on December 10 on Windows, PS4, Xbox One, and Stadia.

It would be an understatement to say that Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most hyped game launches in recent memory. While the initial announcement did happen in 2012, it wasn't until the developers showcased the game at E3 2018 when it suddenly exploded in popularity. Then last year, the studio announced that Keanu Reeves would be part of the game. Reeves appeared on stage during the Xbox E3 2019 event and ended up giving us one of the best memes of 2019. The game also finally got a launch date - April 16, 2020.

Since then, the hype train had been going full speed until it reached its first major hitch in January of this year when CDPR announced that they won't be making their April deadline and instead will be releasing the game on September 17. They said the game was complete but needed more time to polish. Then in June the release date was pushed back further, this time to November 19. Again, the studio cited the same reason for the delay, saying they need more time to iron out the issues and fix the bugs.

The final hitch came in October, where the studio once again took to Twitter to post what is now their infamous yellow text image to say that the game is being pushed back again to December 10. The delay was to further polish the game and work on the changes that would be going into the day 0 patch.

The hype train, which was still going strong at this point despite all those setbacks, ended up derailing itself on launch day. Turns out, the game wasn't finished, wasn't polished, and the bugs certainly weren't ironed out. While the PC and Stadia versions were still playable despite the bugs, the PS4 and Xbox One consoles were also burdened by severe performance issues that rendered them largely unplayable unless you had the next-generation version of those consoles or particularly low standards.

The reason for this preamble is that Cyberpunk 2077 is not your average game to review. Few games have received so much attention, curiosity, and interest before launch and managed to lose all of that in such a spectacular fashion immediately after launch. Other than the death threats, refunds, and negative reviews, the studio has also had to deal with Sony removing the game from its PlayStation store indefinitely along with multiple lawsuits.

But underneath all the drama there is still a game to review, the one the developers had been working on for so many years and the one they wanted you to play. After 65 hours on the PC version, there certainly is a lot to talk about because, underneath all its issues, Cyberpunk 2077 is a game that might be worth your time and patience after all.

Story and setting

Cyberpunk 2077 takes place in a fictional place called Night City in California. The world in 2077 is ravaged nearly beyond repair by multiple wars and climate change. Fresh food and water are scarce, most wildlife has gone extinct, and humanity has taken to extreme body modifications to survive and adapt to rising local and cyber attacks.

Night City is divided into multiple areas, each with a distinct look and identity. There are parts like Westbrook and City Center, where the rich and famous live and spend their money. The slightly less fortunate live in Watson and Heywood, places that still have that big city charm to them but where the streets aren't as shiny and the cars aren't as expensive. Those who are really down on their luck inhabit the streets of Santo Domingo or Pacifica whereas the deserts of Badlands have mostly been taken over by nomadic clans.

Night City is home to all sorts of people, from billionaire CEOs of mega-corporations that essentially run the city to celebrities, violent criminals, skilled hackers known as netrunners, mercenaries, sex workers, drug dealers, and the homeless. The city also houses several gangs, many of whom have claimed a part of the city as their own and don't take kindly to outsiders.

You play as V, a mercenary for hire. Whenever someone needs to get something or someone delivered, snatched, or just made to disappear, they call you. Depending upon the lifepath you choose in the game, V is either a corporate employee fallen from grace and trying to make their way back to the top (Corpo), someone who was raised on the streets of Night City and trying to rise up (Street Kid), or someone who once belonged to a gang of nomads but left wanting to become a big shot in the big city (Nomad). Regardless of how you start, your goal is the same, become a legend in Night City.

Since this is a non-spoiler review, I'm not going to get into the events that happen in the game. All I'll say is that things don't quite go according to plan for V, which puts them on a path to set things right and thus we have a game on our hands.

I really enjoyed the main storyline in Cyberpunk 2077. Although parts of it are influenced by the choices you make, the overarching story largely remains the same and is entertaining regardless of how you choose to play it. It has its usual twists and turns but also has a fair bit of emotional depth and ends on a surprisingly poignant note that I wasn't expecting. It's something that sticks with you long after you've finished the game.

To my surprise, the main story isn't actually very long and if you just focus on completing it then you will make your way to one of the game's multiple endings in about 20 hours or so. However, this is really not the best way to play the game and you would be missing out on so much the story has to offer, which really grows the more side-missions you do and get more side characters involved in your adventure. These people will later also influence the endings so make sure you take things slow, help others out, and not rush through the story.