![]() When the game comes across as try-hard, it is not a misstep, but the intended effect. My initial read on Cyberpunk was that of an edgelord diatribe, but 2.0 made me realize that my perception was the problem. ![]() Rare is the objective that didn’t give me pause. One unassuming side gig in Phantom Liberty takes V to an academy that experiments on children, not to save the kids, but to find evidence of tax evasion. In another, players infiltrate a snuff braindance studio to recover footage of a child being murdered. ![]() In one mission, a convicted murderer endeavors to capture a braindance (basically, a virtual reality recording) of his crucifixion. Yet, despite the early expectation-setting, missions still manage to shock and disgust. Technology has commodified human existence, and sexual and violent desires can be indulged at every whim. Night City itself looms menacingly as a place where criminal megacorporations reign supreme. The game never hesitates to dredge the depths of human depravity. The script does a lot of heavy lifting, too. It’s not just the presentation of Cyberpunk’s narrative that makes it so potent. Update 2.0 has given Cyberpunk 2077 a pulse that didn’t exist before I can distinctly recall a sense of claustrophobia as, from a cramped hiding spot, I witnessed a tragedy unfold, unable to move for fear of being seen. For example, tension inside the hotel room during the main story mission “The Heist” was palpable. Their performances are appropriately emotive, and always considerate of their surroundings as it pertains to mood and cinematography. This allows the game’s NPCs to chew up the scenery. Its narratives are presented in a manner evocative of the Half-Life series, where players maintain control of their character while events unfold around them. Coming off of Starfield, I was struck by Cyberpunk’s immersive storytelling techniques. The Witcher series established CDPR as master storytellers. The potential evident at launch has finally been realized, and its phoenix-like ascent makes it that much more of a triumph. Even after enjoying almost 150 hours of RPG-sized fun with Starfield, I sank immediately into the world of 2.0. It wasn’t until Phantom Liberty and update 2.0 that the temptation became impossible to resist. Certain patch notes tempted me to return, but still, I hesitated. Meanwhile, CDPR did not abandon its botchling. Years passed: Returnal, Deathloop, Shin Megami Tensei 5, Elden Ring, The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, Baldur’s Gate 3, Starfield. I invested well over 100 hours, every mission complete except for a single bugged side job about a guy with a malfunctioning penis implant.Ĭyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty almost corrects the past Playing on PC spared me from the debilitating performance issues that plagued the console version. Despite its issues, my experience with the game at launch was generally positive. Bugs were common, if not pervasive - one week after its release, it was pulled from the PlayStation Store. And then, in December 2020, the game launched.Ĭyberpunk 2077 became a punchline in the weeks that followed. ![]() The ensuing string of delays left me concerned but nonetheless optimistic. What’s more, its first-person perspective drew obvious parallels to the Bethesda RPGs occupying a permanent residence in my heart to say I was excited would be an understatement. With Cyberpunk, CDPR was trading a stuffed unicorn for Blade Runner’s origami unicorn. Now came the devs’ treatment of an open-world dystopian future. The Witcher 3 was appointment gaming, with its botchlings and sorceress impalement. Playing this game became a singular concern in my life, a climactic mountain that stood unmoving in the horizon, cloaking everything else in shadow.Īfter all, Cyberpunk 2077 was being developed by CD Projekt Red, the studio responsible for The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. All other thoughts, goals, and desires melted away like tender meat falling from the bone. ![]() Excitement pulsed through my body and poached my brain to an internal temperature of 170 degrees Fahrenheit. It wasn’t long into Microsoft’s E3 2019 press conference that Cyberpunk 2077 was showcased alongside the famously “breathtaking” Keanu Reeves. ![]()
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