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Is Cyberpunk 2077 really that bad?

Why I think it's awesome!

By Joseph Roy WrightPublished 2 years ago 6 min read
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Is it really that bad?

We all know how awful this game's launch was in 2020, the game released in a very poor state which many gamers found appalling! There were game breaking bugs and glitches where the graphics would devolve into a pixelated mess. You would often clip through solid objects, walls and even fall under the map. Not even the story could be saved; as dialogue would often skip or not play, characters within the campaign would often glitch out and look hilariously awful during emotional cutscenes. I could list off all the bizarre and frustrating glitches in Cyberpunk 2077, but we would be here all day! However, it's been way over a year since the game originally released, it's had many updates, patches and even a next gen upgrade. With all of these fixes, can we now finally appreciate this game for what it truly is? Or is Cyberpunk a doomed game regardless.

Cyberpunk's rough release made the game infamous.

Unfortunately (at least on PS4) the game is still quite buggy (Patch 1.52), however the glitches you will encounter in 2022 are very minor inconveniences, that may be immersion breaking, but ultimately; they rarely get in the way of your enjoyment of the game. I started a new play through on patch 1.51 and so far all I've seen is the rare glitch here or there when you drive way too fast; the graphics will become untextured and the frame rate will drop. When you smash into objects and civilians; that can often get loose debris clipping into and sticking to your car, making it flip around uncontrollably, fly up into the air, or (worst of all!) crash the game. So no, the game still isn't fully polished. However if you can look passed all of these errors; you will find that beneath all this dirt, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the deepest role playing games you will ever play.

The game is still a bit rough, but in a much better state overall.

Thanks to the latest patch; I can finally play this game properly, without growing frustrated. Enough about the bugs, here's why I love the game:

Cyberpunk's story is genuinely fantastic, it has 7 different endings and the narrative is complex. Like many RPGs; you'll be making a lot of important decisions throughout your play through. You can romance with many of the characters you will meet; Judy, River and Panam (just to name a few) and these love stories aren't just for fun either, they effect the ending! Your relationship with Johnny Silverhand (Keanu Reeves) is also important, as his opinion of you can affect how the story unfolds. It's not the deepest RPG story-wise, but there are still plenty of reasons to replay this game multiple times. There are a lot of emotional scenes throughout, which admittedly got me teary eyed. Keanu Reeves is a great choice for Johnny too and every main character is well written and acted (Rest in Peace Jackie Welles - a stand out character in the game). I immediately started a second play through after getting the Arasaka ending, which left me feeling heartbroken (no spoilers) as I desperately wanted to see how differently things could have ended. After beating the game, it's very clear that the talented writing staff behind The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, had a hand in creating such a compelling story that could only be told through the media of gaming.

Cyberpunk's story is well told, I left wanting more!

Not only is the story in Cyberpunk 2077 a masterpiece, but the gameplay is also incredibly fun, vast and addictive (although repetitive depending on what character build you go for). Character customisation goes much further and deeper than merely picking V's (Player character) gender, race and appearance. You have 5 separate skill trees to invest into: Intelligence, Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability and Cool. Each perk levels up to 20, so you won't be able to level up to the max in a single play through, so you'll lean towards a specific play style. My first round was as an all rounder (which is boring to be honest) but on my second play through; I'm role-playing as a Netrunner (a Cyberpunk Hacker) where I hack into enemies cybernetics and then go in gun blazing when they're all weakened. However I could've been a stealthy hacker who goes in sneakily and hacks through enemy bases undetected. Even when you choose to be a hacker, you'll need to build other perks around your play style too, so every play through will be unique and different. You could deny all cybernetics and become a max level athlete who only uses melee weapons if you wanted to. Or maybe you want to be a Terminator like character who has a lot of health and enough strength to run around with heavy guns and take a lot of damage. You can turn yourself into a monstrous cyborg with Mantis or Gorilla arms (robotic limbs) and the double jump ability. The way I go about combat situations changes every time I restart the game, as I want to try out all the different play styles. Cyberpunk's open world has plenty of opportunities to level up each perk in a very fun and entertaining way. These methods can become a bit of a grind however when you want to reach the higher levels, but leveling up should never be too easy anyway. Even the cars and motorcycles I've unlocked on my second play through are different too! Thanks to all the new lovely updates from CDPR; they've added a lot of new content which only serves to make the game even deeper than it already was to begin with. The side missions, gigs and random events throughout Night City are sometimes even more fun and intriguing than the main story itself! Much like Elder Scrolls and Fallout by Bethesda; Cyberpunk's main course is in it's side content, there is a lot! I've poured over 100 hours into this game now and even on my second play through; I'm still discovering new quests, Easter eggs and hidden content throughout the entire map. I've barely even touched the surface of what this game has to offer!

Despite the bugs, Cyberpunk is a huge and highly entertaining game that I simply can't get enough of.

Although not a perfect game by any means, Cyberpunk at it's core has a fantastic gameplay concept that is honestly brilliant. The flexible narrative, the addictive level building and impressive perks make this a RPG lover's dream. Unfortunately it is bogged down by hideous bugs and glitches that (even to this day on patch 1.52) can make this game a chore to play! I've gotten more than used to the bugs by now and they rarely bother me. However it is still incredibly frustrating to have the game occasionally crash, or a get a rare bug that glitches the quest or mission I am on, meaning I'll have to reload an old save from sometimes hours ago. Cyberpunk 2077 still has a long way to go before it is bug free, but considering that the game has been out for over a year now and it still has these rare, but annoying glitches, I don't think we'll ever live to see that day. Of course, I only have the PS4 version, so maybe it fairs better on PS5 and PC.

I love Cyberpunk 2077, but the flaws are too hard to ignore.

Cyberpunk is a deep game, but the broken state it is still currently in is almost criminal. I'm used to the bugs now, but I nearly refunded the game when I first bought it on patch 1.31, as the game simply felt unfinished. Luckily you can buy the game fairly cheap (due to it's poor reception), so if bugs don't bother you too much, then I guarantee you'll have a good time... Eventually.

Cyberpunk 2077 is a 7/10 game

It's almost perfect, but still needs a good clean up by the developers to get rid of those pesky bugs! Cyberpunk 2077 is a 7/10 game in my opinion.

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About the Creator

Joseph Roy Wright

Hello there!

My name is Joseph Roy Wright, the British author of 12 Independent novels!

I like to write about movies, pop culture, fiction and horror! I review all the latest films (and classics), I also like to write short stories.

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