Cyberpunk 2077 Had High Expectations – A Year Later, the Game is a Worthwhile Experience
Cyberpunk 2077 was first teased in the summer of 2019 with an initial end-of-the-year release scheduled. Expectations were high. After all, this was the team that brought us the The Witcher 3: The Wild Hunt. Then it was delayed until spring of 2020. Expectations rose.
Then the world went into a pandemic lockdown. What a great time to release the game. It wouldn’t have been just what the world needed. But it was delayed again … indefinitely.
Needless to say, by the time Cyberpunk 2077, was released in the fall of 2020, expectations were high. So high really, that they were unrealistic. How could the game ever live up to expectations?
It couldn’t. And it didn’t, at least not to many. It was filled with bugs and disappointment, but the developers kept at it, kept updating and continue to do so, improving gameplay and promising the DLC to come.
Truth be told, I did not have any of the issues, My version of the game was not particularly buggy. It did shut down a few times unexpectedly, but other than that, gameplay was gorgeous and smooth.
I liked Cyberpunk 2077 from the get go. I found the story compelling, the characters interesting, the options worthwhile, and the gameplay extremely fun.
Would I have like to see things play out a little differently in some regards? Sure. I don’t know why the appearance of the user created V, matters – the character is never actually seen during gameplay, and none of these choices come into play, not even remotely.
I’m not really sure that the armor or weapon ratings matter all that much as they never stopped me from moving forward and finishing my initial run through with relative ease and speed. Similarly, outside of a handful of core necessities on the skill tree, I’m not certain how much any of the others actually seemed to matter.
My biggest complaint was that the streets of Night City, were underwhelming and empty that first time through. However, after a recent replay, I found this to be changed. I’m not sure if a patch updated this element or if I just had a different experience the first time around, but now the streets of Night City are abundant with people and vehicles.
The graphics are beautiful and there is plenty to look at and even more to do on this second play through. Initially, I was focused on the story — and this is a fun story, with emotional ties to the characters, and choices that affect the outcome.
The second time through, I focused on the city, the side quests and developing my experiences as V. It was a much more rewarding experience.
Overall, this is a solid game and a fun to play. I look forward to digging further into the world of Night City and into the mind of V as DLC is released.
Gordon’s Grade: B+
