I’d like to premise this review of Cyberpunk 2077 with a couple of honest words. We been waiting for this game forever. Gamers remember where they were when Keanu Reeves popped up on the screen at E3 with the Cyberpunk 2077 team. The screams, the tears, the “take my money now.” Remember those days? After all of those delays? We’re finally here! I waited for the midnight drop, holding my PS4 controller with the kind of Christmas anxiousness I had when I was a kid. Audience, I’m disheartened. If I could describe the disappointment that fell upon my brow, it was similar to opening a present and seeing a PS5 box but inside the box is a PS5 keychain with a bunch of wrapping paper.
This game needs some insecticide, because the way Cyberpunk 2077 be bugging it feels like an infestation. This game was originally supposed to drop on the older gen consoles, so why are they the ones suffering the most? There are so many things I want to address. From the advertisement of being “what you want to be,” to the heartbreaking graphics, and the storyline, it is understandable when I see people having two completely different experiences.
Cyber Strands of Doom
Okay, so first let me talk to y’all about this character customization. This was the first sign that Cyberpunk was going to go through some trials and tribulations. Upon announcement of the game, it was advertised as if we would be able to have a plethora of customizations that adheres to various body types and genders. I want to say now, that you can customize your penis size, your breast size, and even your areolas but for some reason you can’t change your body size? The NPCs got varying body types, but your character had to be skinny? Don’t forget about the hair. Black folks, if you’re looking for hair representation, be prepared to stare into the void. They tried to make an afro, but it ended up looking like the hot comb oppressed your scalp.
Not to mention the very important aspect that there were no non-binary options. On the outside looking in people would look at the character customization might believe this is a step in the right direction for folks of varying genders, but gender goes beyond genitalia and how your voice sounds. Was choosing purple hair with heart eyes and plump lips fun? Of course! But the creators had the perfect opportunity to grant varying body hair, body shapes, and sizes, but they focused their attention on the superficial and ignored the obvious. Your gender was decided dependent on the voice you chose, and honestly just a simple non-binary option was available, and they ignored it.
Grandma Got Run Over and the Game Crashed
Now personally, game bugs do not bother me that much. At times, I find them funny, charming even. But if I can express the amount of bugs Cyberpunk 2077 brought to the table, there were too many to count. Civilians became speed ramps for your motorcycles, unintentional air guitars, and intimate scenes in which the person disappears were funny at first but eventually the game started crashing. Since the game launched midnight December 10th, I have experienced over 10 crashes, uncountable bugs, and at least four manual restarts as the game would not function as it should. It’s sad, honestly, considering the caliber it seemed they were going to bring to the table.
When you go back to the drawing board, you expect to come out with better plans. Yet, many players were so disappointed in the bugs that they found it unplayable. The graphics were disappointing. The frame rates were shattering. And for console players (especially PS4 and XBOX One owners) ended up getting the low end of the bargain. The beards look like they were drawn in with thick sharpies. Certain graphics were blocky. The faces of some characters would be distorted, completely unrecognizable. It also did not help that some of the functions were not calibrated, and you had to press a button multiple times for it to work.
This made the game unplayable at times despite its strengths. Overall, if you were impatient (and understandably so) playing would feel like a waste of time. Even though Cyberpunk developers promised patches for players, it still bears one question, how were they expecting to run multiplayer on this in the future?
Falling in Love with Cyberpunk‘s Night City
Honestly, I will not deny that Cyberpunk 2077 is fun. The story is hilarious, immersive, and when the game is doing what it’s supposed to do it’s an absolute joy. The different paths you choose, the relationships to characters, and the weapons, they’re great. V is a dope character, but Johnny Silverhand is what we came for. The storytellers managed to create something compelling and fun at every corner. The variety of interesting missions like “Sinnerman,” “Pisces,” and “Dream On” will have you finding comfort in these characters.
I loved Cyberpunk 2077’s reward system. You tend to find interesting weapons depending on the side jobs you do. Sometimes missions would seem rather simple, but then slowly they reveal to be more surprising than its description. The options for romance and seeing how decisions in certain missions affect the ending brings forth my favorite part about RPGs, the careful storytelling. I love seeing how options in discussion or dire choices actually affect how your story ends. There are missions that make you question morality, loyalty, and the depths of our psyche.
I truly believe that Cyberpunk 2077 had the basis of something beautiful. They knew the direction they wanted to go, and they held onto it strongly. Sadly, it was not convincing enough to make people stay. If you have a quality PC or gaming laptop, I believe you will enjoy the game if you can look pass the bugs. If you’re irritated by crashes, I recommend waiting for the patches to come through. For consoles a similar sentiment, but the graphics and overall game play will feel like you’re playing a well-developed throwback on the PS3 or XBOX 360. I loved playing the game, but honestly, they should have waited longer and took the special care that was necessary.
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