A Futuristic Masterpiece with Flaws
Game Introduction
Cyberpunk 2077, developed by CD Projekt Red, is one of the most ambitious and highly anticipated games of the past decade. Set in the sprawling, neon-lit metropolis of Night City, the game immerses players in a dystopian future where cybernetic enhancements, corporate greed, and societal decay collide. Released on December 10, 2020, Cyberpunk 2077 promised to redefine open-world RPGs with its deep narrative, complex characters, and cutting-edge visuals. While the game faced significant criticism at launch due to technical issues, subsequent updates and patches have transformed it into a much more polished and enjoyable experience. This review delves into the gameplay, story, graphics, and overall experience of Cyberpunk 2077, highlighting its strengths and weaknesses.
Gameplay: A Deep and Immersive Experience
Cyberpunk 2077 offers a first-person perspective with RPG elements, allowing players to customize their character, V, in terms of appearance, skills, and playstyle. The game features three distinct lifepaths—Nomad, Street Kid, and Corpo—each providing a unique backstory and starting point for the narrative. These choices influence dialogue options and interactions throughout the game, adding a layer of replayability.
The gameplay is a mix of shooting, hacking, stealth, and melee combat, with a wide array of weapons and cyberware upgrades to suit different playstyles. Players can equip mantis blades, rocket launchers, or even hacking tools to manipulate enemies and the environment. The skill tree is expansive, with perks that enhance combat, hacking, crafting, and stealth abilities.
Night City is a sprawling open world filled with side quests, gigs, and random encounters. The missions are varied, ranging from high-stakes heists to emotional character-driven stories. Iconic characters like Johnny Silverhand (played by Keanu Reeves) and Judy Alvarez add depth to the narrative, with their arcs intertwining with V’s journey. The driving mechanics, while not perfect, allow players to navigate the city in a variety of vehicles, from sleek sports cars to rugged motorcycles.
One of the standout features is the game’s dialogue system, which offers meaningful choices that impact the story and relationships with other characters. The branching narrative ensures that no two playthroughs are exactly the same, encouraging players to experiment with different approaches.
Story Narrative: A Tale of Survival and Identity
The story of Cyberpunk 2077 revolves around V, a mercenary who becomes entangled in a life-or-death struggle after a heist goes wrong. During the mission, V is implanted with a biochip containing the consciousness of Johnny Silverhand, a rebellious rockerboy who died decades earlier. Johnny’s presence in V’s mind creates a tense dynamic, as the two must work together to find a way to separate before the biochip kills its host.
The narrative explores themes of identity, mortality, and the consequences of technological advancement. Johnny’s anti-corporate ideology clashes with V’s pragmatic survival instincts, leading to thought-provoking conversations and moral dilemmas. The story is emotionally charged, with moments of triumph, heartbreak, and introspection.
The game’s multiple endings are determined by the player’s choices throughout the story, adding weight to every decision. Whether you side with corporations, embrace the chaos of Night City, or forge your own path, the conclusion feels personal and impactful.
Graphics and Sound: A Feast for the Senses
Cyberpunk 2077 is a visual masterpiece, especially on high-end PCs and next-gen consoles. Night City is a sprawling, densely packed urban jungle, with towering skyscrapers, bustling streets, and seedy back alleys. The attention to detail is staggering, from the neon-lit advertisements to the grimy, lived-in environments.
The character models are highly detailed, with realistic facial animations that convey emotion effectively. The game’s lighting and particle effects are top-notch, creating a sense of immersion that is hard to match. Ray tracing support further enhances the visuals, with realistic reflections and shadows that bring the city to life.
The sound design is equally impressive. The game features a dynamic soundtrack that blends electronic, rock, and ambient music to match the tone of each scene. The voice acting is superb, with Keanu Reeves delivering a standout performance as Johnny Silverhand. The sound effects, from the hum of cybernetic enhancements to the roar of engines, add to the overall immersion.
Replayability and Content: A World Worth Exploring
Cyberpunk 2077 offers a wealth of content, with a main story that takes around 25-30 hours to complete and dozens of side quests and activities that can easily double that playtime. The game’s branching narrative and multiple endings encourage replayability, as players can experiment with different lifepaths, choices, and playstyles.
The side quests are particularly noteworthy, with many offering compelling stories and memorable characters. From helping a detective solve a murder mystery to aiding a struggling musician, these missions add depth to the world and provide a break from the main story.
The game also features a robust crafting system, allowing players to create and upgrade weapons, armor, and cyberware. The open-world nature of Night City ensures that there is always something new to discover, whether it’s a hidden alleyway, a secret stash, or a random encounter.
Verdict
Cyberpunk 2077 is a game of immense ambition and potential, but it is not without its flaws.
The Good
- Stunning Visuals: Night City is a breathtakingly detailed and immersive world.
- Engaging Story: The narrative is emotionally charged, with memorable characters and thought-provoking themes.
- Player Choice: Meaningful decisions and branching paths add replayability.
- Diverse Gameplay: A mix of combat, hacking, and stealth ensures varied gameplay.
- Sound Design: A dynamic soundtrack and excellent voice acting enhance the experience.
The Bad
- Technical Issues: Despite patches, some bugs and performance issues persist, especially on last-gen consoles.
- AI Limitations: Enemy and NPC AI can feel underwhelming at times.
- Driving Mechanics: Vehicle handling is not as polished as it could be.
- Overwhelming Scale: The sheer size of Night City can be daunting for some players.
Above mentioned Verdict is not based upon any kind of official review, it’s our self-rated verdict.
Buy Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is available in multiple editions, each offering unique content. The Standard Edition includes the base game, while the Ultimate Edition comes with DLCs and many more updates. The game is frequently discounted on digital platforms, making it more accessible to a wider audience. PC Gamers can Buy Cyberpunk 2077 Standard Edition for $29.99 and Buy Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition for $41.38. Playstation gamers can get the game to their library by just Buy Cyberpunk 2077 Standard Edition for $49.99, and Buy Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition for $46.14. For Xbox users game is available, Buy Cyberpunk 2077 Standard Edition for $59.99, and Buy Cyberpunk 2077 Ultimate Edition for $79.99.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available to be downloaded on Microsoft Windows through Steam, PlayStation gamers can buy the game which is available through the PlayStation Store, and Xbox players can purchase the game through the Xbox Store.
Genre and Platforms
Cyberpunk 2077 is an action RPG game set in a dystopian future. It was released on December 10, 2020, and is available on PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X|S, and PC via Steam and other platforms.
Cyberpunk 2077 System Requirements
Minimum
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: 64-bit Windows 10
- Processor: Core i7-6700 or Ryzen 5 1600
- Memory: 12 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce GTX 1060 6GB or Radeon RX 580 8GB or Arc A380
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 70 GB available space
Recommended
- Requires a 64-bit processor and operating system
- OS: 64-bit Windows 10
- Processor: Core i7-12700 or Ryzen 7 7800X3D
- Memory: 16 GB RAM
- Graphics: GeForce RTX 2060 SUPER or Radeon RX 5700 XT or Arc A770
- DirectX: Version 12
- Storage: 70 GB available space
This review is independently written based on thorough research and analysis, ensuring it is free from bias and not influenced by any external parties, including game developers, Publishers, or Google. All opinions and insights are our own.