I know I’m late to this but guess who managed to get their hands on a copy of CD Projekt Red’s Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition? If you said me, then you are spot on. Even though this game was released back in December 2020 and then made its way to the newer generation consoles in February 2022, your boy over here has somehow managed to not get around to playing Cyberpunk up until I was kindly provided with a code for the Ultimate Edition which comes with the DLC.
Not going to lie, when this game first was released, I was about to pick it up, and that was until I saw all the reviews and gameplay which put me off it. Though like most games nowadays they are released with bugs and gameplay issues and then get glow-ups throughout their lifecycle and if anything, I’m glad that I waited until now to dive into Night City and begin my Cyberpunk 2077 story.
For those who are like me and maybe haven’t got around to playing this game or might not even know what it’s about I will give you a brief overview. Cyberpunk 2077 is an open-world action RPG video game developed by CD Projekt Red. Set in a dystopian cyberpunk universe, you assume the role of V who is a mercenary in the fictional city known as Night City. Do whatever it takes to make a name for yourself.
It plays through the first-person perspective which surprisingly works. With RPGs, I do like playing in third-person as you get to see your character but I didn’t mind this in Cyberpunk 2077. The Ultimate Edition comes with the core game and the amazing Phantom Liberty DLC pack which offer an additional incredible storyline to play through and hours more of content.
Cyberpunk does a brilliant job when it comes to character customisation both in the character-building stage and throughout the game while you are levelling yourself up. I love the level of detail that has gone into V as a character and the way the characters interact with one another.
The first-person combat is truly amazing and I love a good gunfight now and then but I’m the idiot that would bring a knife to that gunfight while in Night City. The progression with your character allows you to tailor towards your preferred playstyle and the fact that your decisions have such a big impact on the game’s story is awesome.
The early hours of the game can feel like a grind but once you are let loose the world is your playground and so much is on offer. I find all the weapons, upgrades and Cyberware fascinating but I can’t help but feel that this is where humanity could be heading when it comes to AI and robotic advancements. The driving is the only area that I feel could use a bit more work compared to the likes of GTAs’ driving mechanics but overall, the whole thing played out amazingly and I was pleasantly surprised by just how much I enjoyed my time playing Cyberpunk.
The game starts to become a lot better towards the middle and end when you start getting more weapons, have explored the world and get a good feeling for all your perks, cyberware and controls. I love being able to hack into things, make people burst into flame and the intense gunfights when you get into a gang shootout. Cyberpunk quickly made its way to being one of my favourite games that I have played to date and to think I almost wrote it off completely.
Graphically Cyberpunk is amazing, it runs surprisingly well on my PC and to high specs too. It runs smoothly with the odd frame drop/lag here and there but nothing too major. There are still bugs that make themselves known but some of them are quite comical rather than game-breaking. Audio is on another level in Cyberpunk from the huge names they have doing voice acting to the combat music and overall vibe Night City gives off.
It’s not hard finding yourself getting caught up in it all and I was truly blown away with my time playing Cyberpunk 2077. I didn’t know how I would feel after coming from The Witcher and Skyrim but this game does a fantastic job at being a first-person RPG.
With it being an RPG there is plenty of replay value when it comes to Cyberpunk 2077, this is done by the DLC, side quests, and multiple play-throughs that you can do. I love playing as V at the moment but will try playing as the Male character on my next playthrough but for now, I want to continue experiencing Night City with V. Like most RPGs you get out of them what you put in. If you are just going to run the quests and not take in the world then you are probably playing Cyberpunk 2077 wrong. Take the time to do side missions and just explore and you won’t regret it.
Closing Statement
So how does Cyberpunk fare three years on? It has done a “No Man’s Sky” and bounced back and improved massively. I don’t have much to compare it with as I never played it on release so thankfully my time with this game was all the positives with very few negatives. Cyberpunk 2077 was worth the wait. Night City is beautiful and offers so much for the player to do with few restrictions.
There is plenty of choice when it comes to building your character (in my case V) but not only this the approach the game takes when it comes to quests, enemies, and the world around you makes you think twice before doing anything as it will have a knock-on effect with the world around you as well the people you meet and interact with. The main storyline is shorter than I thought but thankfully there are plenty of side quests to help bulk out the game and offer incredible little side stories and questlines.
It was amazing to see that everything you did in Night City and towards the main quest lines affected the end-game conclusion. The combat is smooth and seamless and the overall environments, settings, and audio are brilliant. There are still some frustrating bugs and occasional frame drops and lag but overall my time in Night City is one that I can see myself being invested in for many more hours to come and for that reason, I’m giving Cyberpunk 2077 a well-deserved 9 out of 10.
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