Cyberpunk 2077 first released back in 2020 and we all remember how that went. One of the most hyped and expected games of all time came out unfinished and poorly optimised, disappointing countless of excited gamers all over the globe. On that day I told myself that was the last time I ever preorder a game (I lied, GOW Ragnarok hype was too much for me to handle), even though I enjoyed the story.
Seeing as CD Projekt Red developed the Witcher 3, my favorite game of all time, I had all the trust in the world in them. An RPG set in a dystopian futuristic world seemed like something that would be right down my alley. And I was right! But even though the game was a let down at launch CDPR never gave up on it, so here we are. Could this be the greatest comeback in gaming history? Three years later I am prepared to take on the newly updated Cyberpunk 2077 and its DLC Phantom Liberty with a PS5 I bought a month ago. Let’s see if this is the game we were so hyped about three years ago.
How Was Cyberpunk 2077 On Release Day?
Release day of Cyberpunk 2077 was full of mixed feelings for me and I still remember it like it was yesterday. I preordered the game, got it predownloaded to my old, trusty PS4 and patiently awaited midnight so I could play it. I got into character creation, spent an hour creating my version of V, chose the corpo play style (corpo for life, fight me) and finally started to play. The first thing I noticed was my PS4 sounding like it was about to take off. That in itself didn’t bother me as much, I knew the game was made with next gen hardware in mind and some performance issue were to be expected. But still, it was marketed for PS4 as well, I didn’t expect it to be that bad.
But I found myself bored in the game whenever I was not doing main story quests. Night City, an incredible place full of opportunities where anyone could become a legend seemed empty. And even the main story felt short in comparison to other amazing games in the genre. Every side biz seemed the same and had zero depth to it. True, you’re supposed to be a mercenary working for money, no questions asked. But the Witcher profession is the same in principle, how did they manage to make it work there and not in Cyberpunk? Don’t even get me started on all the bugs, both game-breaking and visual.
But even with all its faults, Cyberpunk 2077 always had a special place in my heart and the main part of the campaign still made it one of my favorite games.
Is the Game Worth Playing in 2023?
Short answer: yes! CD Projekt Red never gave up on Cyberpunk 2077 and they acomplished what I believe to be the greatest comeback in gaming history. The game right now feels absolutely amazing and I’m having the time of my life replaying it! I have zero doubt in my mind that if this version of the game was released back in 2020 it would win the Game of the Year award by a landslide.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.0
Completely reworked perk system, changes to police AI (even though they are still quite dumb), major changes to cyberwear, and vehicle combat are just some of the things that the 2.0 update brought to the table.
From the moment I started playing I felt like I was playing a totally different game. Side quests don’t feel like a chore anymore and actually feel different from each other. Night City doesn’t feel as empty, as there are more people walking around and there is more traffic as well. Don’t even get me started on all the references to the Cyberpunk Edgerunners anime in the game, as you can optimize your build to become like David (I am trying to do this during my current playthrough). Even fighting cyberpsychos and Adam Smasher is changed and feels more epic compared to the original version. Oh, and there is the Phantom Liberty DLC as well, but I won’t be talking about it today as I didn’t play it yet.
One of the features I thought was weird to not have was apartment related. In the original version you could not customize V’s apartment, not even buy a new one if you wanted. But the 2.0 update chamges that, as there are multiple apartments for V to choose from. My tavorite one is the Corpo Plaza Apartment you can see below.
Cyberpunk 2077 2.1
Not long after the 2.0 update that brought Cyberpunk 2077 back to life, we got another one that made the game even more enjoyable. Metro is finally available in Night City as you can ride it and admire the futuristic scenery just like in the Edgerunners anime. There were some more features added, such as repeatable car races, pets, and my personal favorite: hanging out with your romantic interests.
Final Verdict
If you haven’t played Cyberpunk 2077 yet you definitely should. There is no doubt in my mind that it would be a worthy Game of the Year candidate if this version was released back in 2020. Heck, I think it would even give Baldurs Gate 3 a run for its money during this years race, although Baldurs Gate 3 was a masterpiece.
Even though it took 3 years, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the best RPG games out there and I am proud to have never lost hope in CD Project Red. It’s hard to say if it’s the best game out, with games like Elden Ring, GOW Ragnarok, Red Dead Redemption 2, and Baldurs Gate 3 available,m but in my opinion it is. It holds a spot on my favorite 5 games of all time and it’s going to take a lot to knock it out.
Now that Cyberpunk is the game it was supposed to be and the company is shifting resources towards a new Witcher game, I find myself in a familiar place again. A sequel to my favorite game is something that excites me even more than the first Cyberpunk announcements did. But only time will tell if the story will repeat itself.
