Cyberpunk 2077, what more is there to say? A game that had unbelievable amount of hype behind it that failed to deliver in peoples eyes. That would be the end of the story if I didn't go back and replay it recently, and I'm glad I did. Cyberpunk 2077 might be one of the best video games to come out this decade.
So let's get into the meat and potatoes of this thing, yeah? First off, the combat is nothing special. There are indie developers that do a better job at gun play than Cyberpunk 2077. But, you don't play CD Projekt Red games for the combat. No, you play them for the story and by god Cyberpunk 2077 has a fantastic story.
The story in Cyberpunk 2077 revolves around V, a no name merc trying to make a name for themselves in Night City. V goes on a very sketchy job stealing an artifact from one of the most powerful corporations in NC, but things go awry and V ends up with a chip in his head. Skip forward a couple of days and now V has a limited time of life left before the chip in his head completely takes over his brain. To make matters worse, a musician turned terrorist called Johnny Silverhand was the person who was in the chip in V's head. Johnny makes several remarks about V's choices in the story and will even open up more the further you get into the game. By the end of the game, Johnny seems less like a selfish psycho and more like a misunderstood friend. He is without a doubt the best part of the game in my opinion. I'm not going to spoil the end parts of the game, but there was one part near the end that is one of the most emotionally devastating moments I have ever witnessed in a video game. It all goes back to the main theme of the Cyberpunk, not just the game but the genre, and that is that the future sucks. It's very melancholy and throughout the game there is a sense of helplessness.
One of the other parts of the game that is very well done is the side quests, and there are a lot of them. Almost all of the main side quests introduce you to new characters and their stories. All of the stories give you something to deeply think about, especially a certain quest that I will not spoil but you will know when you come across it. The quest involves a politician and that's all I'm willing to say about it. There's also another quest where you team up with a detective to find his missing nephew, which is a very immersive and exciting part of the game.
The world of Night City is also massive and you would be doing yourself a disservice if you didn't drive to every main objective in the game instead of fast traveling. From the starting streets of Watson to the Japanese-inspired Kabuki, the city of Night City is diverse and beautiful. Periodically there will be weather effects that impact the look and feel of the game. These effects are usually rain, which is acidic according to a radio hosts lines, and dust storms which are massive in scale and vastly reduces visibility. If you have raytracing on during the rain then Cyberpunk 2077 seems like a completely different game, it's unreal.
Cyberpunk 2077 was scrutinized heavily upon release, and rightfully so. However, since then the game has improved in ways that not a lot of people will appreciate. At the core, Cyberpunk 2077 is a game about dealing with mortality and making a mark on this world even if it is meaning-less. The story is melancholic and dreary, but the side quests and various characters you discover through those stories make it all worth it in the end.