Cyberpunk2077 (pS5)

I began my Cyberpunk2077 adventure like many others did as it was first released.  The reviews were in, it was a disaster.  I experienced the same dismay and heartbreak as many others, but still found myself playing through this bug-infested game in Night City.  There was something about it, how it still looked, as long as I wasn’t fighting at least, that was incredibly brilliant.  The story still grabbed my attention and had me wanting to know where we were going next.  Then, as the game was further worked on, it kept drawing me back in over and over again.  It was then I realized, I liked this game as a bugged game, and I love it now.  Let me tell you a few things about this game that really have me returning to this world over and over again.

My first real experience with this game was the most horrid visual displays, leading to one of the most entertaining reasons I played.  I had gotten into one of the games “fights” in a ring against an opponent.  The game was so laggy that once the fight started, I was frantically pushing my attack button, only to see an assortment of colors on my screen, not knowing if I had even won the match.  I joked about it to friends, being the most ridiculous fight I had been in, and somehow winning.  I return to that same fight today, and it has become a polished masterpiece.  I can dash, dodge, block, counterattack, all smoothly within the game.  My gorilla arms addition really makes me feel powerful, that I have a real impact on the world around me.  This simple mechanic is amazing to see, and I still like to play the game and even participate in these same fights as a character that usually couldn’t stand in these scenarios.  This is because the game itself keeps building more and more, giving the players more time to interact with their world, play with different abilities and playstyles, and still have so much more to try every time.  While it started with this horrible feature, it still grew to be an amazing experience that I still play to this day.

The story of this game is what truly got me involved in this game.  With the before-mentioned graphics errors, many people didn’t even give the story a shot.  I don’t blame them though, playing a game that obviously wasn’t ready for release hurt the initial thought, but it still stands today with the story intact from where it was.  Additions have even been made to the game, adding more complexities to who and what you can affect all over Night City.  I have gone from moments of gun blazing heroics, to stunning displays of calm and tranquil scenes, each pulling me into the moment.  Everything felt so real, from the tear-jerking heartbreaks to the glorious victories.  As the player delves deeper into the story, you are pushed into so many different scenarios, like being face to face with gangsters who intently don’t care if you live or die.  It isn’t shy about these moments either.  Each variation of the playable character has their own confrontations and pasts that need to be dealt with in one way or another.  While these are not major differences in the overall story, it still adds a unique nature to the character you are playing.  

While the story has continued to grow, the gameplay itself has completely changed from where it began.  There is a quote from the game, “style is king in Night City.”  For most of us that began this game the rule was more, “any 4 socketed piece of equipment with 4 armadillo mods is king.”  The joke here being that you can place very high pieces of armor in any clothing you wanted just to be near invincible.  This was how the game was until the revamp came, making it finalized that your armor is only dictated by your own mods, mostly.  This opened up the game so people could just pick the style they liked best, without having to consider if a piece of clothing is an upgrade.  These were changes I found extremely pleasant to have.  The game itself hasn’t lost any of the initial wonder I had, and now it only continues to enhance the experience more.  We even saw the introduction of Dogtown with the Phantom Liberty DLC, which knocked it out of the park with an exceptional new story for the player to delve into while still maintaining their search for survival.  You are no longer on your couch or chair, but in this town, on these streets, interacting with these people.  All of these experiences were magnificent, and the updates finally came to a completion.  

Let’s take a look at more of the day to day things that can really make the game shine.  While you travel through Night City, you will encounter many people, some of which the character actually gets to interact with and witness their stories move forward.  You feel like you are friends with this person, you feel their pain when failure hits them, and happy for them when they succeed.  It adds a personal touch that you don’t get in many games.  Even more than the characters, the soundtrack for the game is incredible!  Each radio station having different songs playing, and each station bringing its own flavor to the Night City ambience.  Even after all these additions, we weren’t prepared for what happened next.

Cyberpunk Edgerunners dropped, and I was there for it.  Not only that, but it brought me right back into the game.  When I returned, I was not disappointed.  References from the show have already been added into the game, but just enough to add more flavor in this world.  You get a greater feeling of the world around you, especially when you can actually visit parts of the show in the very game yourself.  It almost rejuvenated the game alone with this series, bringing new players along with those of us who played from the beginning.

This game will continue to hold a place in my heart as a favorite.  Even with that said, I could never give this game a perfect score, just noting how the game itself was released.  However, I will say that the game in its current state is amazing, and most definitely worth the price of getting it.  If you just want a simple play through, then I admire your will.  I wasn’t able to resist multiple playthroughs, and don’t plan on stopping any time soon.  4 Luckies =)