Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying? Well, there is a lot to discuss and figure out the answer. Cyberpunk 2077 was announced in 2012 so it was in development for eight years. Even after such a long development time, it’s still not complete. The moment you look at Night City you know that the game has potential. It has one of the most detailed settings I have ever seen in an RPG. The city is lively and everything is so vibrant. The customization of character is also good with so many options to choose from. Even skill tree is highly customizable with a vast amount of options. Characters have good voice acting even when you are just doing the role-play. major NPCs have realistic voice-over making them look better. The gunplay is good and you can approach missions the way you want.
Hold on, it is not all a smooth ride because there are still flaws in the game. There are bugs in the game that can get annoying. The RPG mechanics are not that good as choices make little sense. Most of the things about Cyberpunk 2077 are true that includes both the good and the bad aspects of the game. The game indeed has problems and one can even say that it’s incomplete. It has optimization issues, performance issues, bugs, and some unnecessary RPG stuff. Most of the issues are fixable with patches and the game could be polished. It needed more time in the oven before the release. People have been waiting for it for a long time.
Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most anticipated games of recent memory so of course, it would receive backlash in case of failure. Underneath all the bugs and problems there is a good game. The only problem with the game is the state in which it has been launched. It makes you wonder Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying? Let’s find out.
The World of Cyberpunk 2077
The world of Cyberpunk 2077 is amazing. The moment you step into the Night City you are greeted with a detailed futuristic city. Colors are vibrant and accurate, pouring a fresh breeze of life into the city. Lighting is also good making everything look better. It is accurate and does not leave too bright or dark places on the map. Streets are jam-packed with people and props making the city livelier. The sheer scale and density of the city are quite impressive. You can see shootouts and different random events happening in the city making the city look more lively. Night City acts as a character in the game rather than just a setting. Combination of details and colors makes the Night City central one of the best setting have seen in an RPG.
The outskirts of the city are dead and feel like any other RPG game. Night City only feels truly alive when you are in the midst of it. The outskirts of the city are barren with less density. Story of Cyberpunk 2077 has a charm and add to the impressiveness of the city. The impressiveness of the setting also depends on the platform on which you are playing it. On PS4 and Xbox One, the city is less dense with many setbacks. The delivery of the city is exactly how it was promised in the events. It makes you ask is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying? Well, there is more to it.
Cyberpunk 2077 As An RPG
At its core Cyberpunk 2077 is an RPG, so all the aspects of the game revolve around role-playing mechanics. There are a lot of choices yet there are a limited number of choices. While conversing with NPCs, there are multiple dialogue choices. However, most of these dialogue choices are just illusions. Cyberpunk is giving players dialogue choices yet their choices have no meaning. Extra dialogue choices only give the player information about the topic at hand. They don’t provide any deep lore about the world making it a shallow experience. In the end, you only have one or two choices that can really make a difference. Most of the time there is only one choice even if the main dialogues are more than one. Such dialogue choices only offer the choice of selection without consequences.
In a sense, the game has an Illusion of choice rather than the Implementation of it. Don’t get me wrong some choices can change the story but they are limited. There are six endings and you can end up with one of the endings depending on what you chose in important dialogues. The endings of some missions are abrupt and it feels like there is more to them. It seems like there is content missing from the game both in dialogues and quests. Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying for its RPG mechanics? Well, there is more.
Clear Different Between NPCs and Major Characters
Some major characters are good and they act as an important part of the story. However, that is not the case for the majority of the characters. NPCs and minor characters are forgettable due to their presentation. NPCs are dumb because the way they react to certain situations is hilarious. The situation becomes even worse when bugs are involved as it could completely break the immersion. Major characters have good acting and every time they talk it seems like a cut scene. Their voice acting is good and the way they talk matches with what’s happening on the screen.
Story of Cyberpunk 2077
Cyberpunk 2077 is an RPG so it’s not a story-driven game. The story of the game is just there to support it. The story is not a total disappointment but rather enough to keep players going. The prologue of Cyberpunk 2077 is long and it could take the player quite some time to end it. The time it takes to complete the prologue also depends on the number of side quests you do. Even if you only complete main missions then it would still take five to six hours to complete the prologue. However, if you are a completionist then you will have to spend quite some time before the prologue ends.
Aside from the main missions, there are too many side quests for players who are interested in doing more activities. Side missions in the game are interesting and they have their own storyline. Side missions are different from the other activities as they have little repeatability. The side quests of Cyberpunk 2077 are similar to Ghost of Tsushima. They are not only rewarding but unique as well, making them a fun play. At times, side missions are more immersive and enjoyable than main missions.
Repetition
When it comes to extra stuff then the game is full of repeatability. Side missions are unique but anything extra on the map is highly repeatable. The map of the game is filled with such activities which can get annoying. Every time you travel even a little, new activities will start popping up on the map. Such activities include cleaning a location from a gang, helping with something, bounties, etc. It’s all generic RPG stuff that acts as nothing more than filling the game with content. If you are a completionist then the possibility of burnout is quite high. Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying? for its premise and quests for you.
Combat Is Good But Not Excellent
Combat of Cyberpunk 2077 is good when it comes to using guns. It has solid gunplay and each weapon has a different effect. Their reload style, firing mechanism are unique, similar to Borderlands 3. However, the implementation of guns in combat is good at most but not excellent. The way guns perform in combat is like any other RPG with decent combat. Cyberpunk is not a combat-driven game so the combat is enough to serve its purpose.
Melee attacks are just slashing with little variation. For me, using melee weapons was not a good experience but it could be different for others depending on the preferences. Stealth is not so great and does not sit well with combat. At times, stealth might even feel useless, making it a tiresome experience. You might want to go gun blazing every time due to the poor implementation of stealth. To top it all off, enemies have very poor AI making the stealth look even worse. Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying? for you for its combat.
Play The Way You Want
Cyberpunk 2077 lets you play the way you want. The game won’t force you into completing objectives the way it wants you. It lets you approach missions without laying exact rules of completion. It won’t tell you to use stealth, go gun blazing or use a specific path to enter. You will have different options and depending on your playstyle, you can complete the objective in any manner. The freedom of approach in Cyberpunk 2077 is opposite to the illusion of choice in the game. It really is an RPG when it comes to quests. You can complete quests by sniping and hacking as well. If you are in the open, then the entire mission can be complete using sniper only.
General Gameplay
The game has good physics though sometimes it can get annoying. For an FPS game, the way your characters move is good enough. Vehicle driving is good even though CD Projekt Red has never made a game with driving. At times, it can feel bouncy, and controlling vehicles can be difficult. However, it is still better than a lot of open-world games. In vehicular driving, you can shift to 3rd person perspective if you want.
UI of the game was horrible but the new update has made it better to some extent. The User Interface still needs a complete overhaul but at least developers are giving it a thought. Inventory management and navigation of UI is horrible. Cyberpunk 2077 uses an outdated style of inventory management. You have to drag and drop objects rather than just shifting them at the press of a button. It can get confusing in the beginning due to its unclear nature. Even when you spend hours with the inventory it can still get frustrating.
Using the phone or sending texts is a headache on its own. I spend 15 minutes just to learn texting in the game. It’s not like you have to write words but even sending pre-written texts is a drag. Even reading text is messy, as it can get difficult to read. Calling is also complicated just like texting, so the means of communications are all jumbled up. General gameplay is a mixed bag of candies making you think Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying?
Skills and Leveling Up
Leveling up in Cyberpunk is interesting and it is separate for each activity. The more you do something the better you become at it. GTA V has somewhat similar mechanics but Cyberpunk 2077 is taking it to a new level. If you keep driving then your driving experience will increase, if you are stealthy your stealth will increase, and so on. The way you play transfers to your skill which ultimately helps you in getting better. Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying? For such complications well, there is more to it than meets the eye.
There is also an overall level up in which you have to use attribute points. The overall level up system is similar to other games that let you upgrade characters through experience points. Attribute points are universal and you have to wisely choose where to spend them. Attributes include Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence, and Cool. Each attribute has a skill tree with different perks and abilities. There are too many modifications that can help you in getting the perfect spot fit for your play style. The skill tree of the game is complex yet entertaining at the same time.
Crafting and Attachments
Weapons attachments are good and you can use a single attachment for multiple weapons. The verity of weapon attachments in the game is also extensive. Every single weapon can be customized to some degree. Crafting is also a key part of the game and you can craft different items to help you in the game. Certain consumables are creatable on the go while others need special equipment. You can use cybernetics for body upgrades which will help you in getting new abilities. So modifications are not just limited to items.
Some enemies can be bullet sponges but it’s an RPG so bullet sponges are not a surprise. You can however compensate for it by leveling up. As you start to level up you will start killing enemies quickly, reducing the sponginess of enemies to some extent. In Cyberpunk 2077, you can make builds that match perfectly with your playstyle. There is too much customization which might not be good for some players but for others, it is a dream come true. I personally like the way customization works because I always like customization in games such as The Division 2.
The Dark Side of Cyberpunk 2077
Now let’s discuss how Cyberpunk 2077 messed up so badly. Up until now, I was discussing the general aspects of the game but now let’s discuss bugs. On my PC playthrough, I experienced a limited amount of bugs and glitches. However, players are reporting a large number of glitches. So glitches are different for different players. The 1.1 updates have fixed most of the glitches but no all since the game is full of bugs. Even with update 1.1, I experience glitches from time to time. New updates are creating more glitches. With the update, 1.1 a progression glitch has been introduced. The glitch won’t let you complete missions and can stop your progression altogether. I also experience crashes in the initial version of the game but crashes were rare.
Even if glitches and bugs don’t affect you they will break the immersion. A sudden drop in frame rate or a minor glitch can break your focus in immersion. In combat, even a minor bug or glitch can result in the death of your character. Glitches and bugs are impacting the perception of players regarding the game. It one of the main reasons for the backlash regarding Cyberpunk 2077. Glitches and bugs depend on your tolerance level for such problems. If you have a low tolerance of glitches and bugs then the game might make you angry. Based on what you have heard about the game Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying for you?
Performance On Xbox One and PS4
The situation is different on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. I would not want to play Cyberpunk 2077 on a base PS4 or Xbox One. Even on PS4 Pro and Xbox One X, the game does not perform that well. The resolution of games on PS4 and Xbox One is mostly 720 making it look bad. To top it all off the drop in FPS can nearly make it unplayable. The game has gotten better with updates but I still would not play it in its current state on the 8th gen consoles.
If lack of power really is the issue then I would not expect the game to run any better on PS4 and Xbox One. It has very poor optimization which is a fixable problem but I don’t know how much of it is fixable. Glitches and bugs are even more prevalent on the PS4 and Xbox One versions of the game. The chances of crashes are also higher on the 8th gen consoles and even a drop in performance can crash the game. Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying? if you have an 8th gen console.
Cyberpunk 2077 has Poor Optimization
If you have a PlayStation 5 or an Xbox Series X then you don’t have to worry about performance. The game runs in backward compatible mode on the PS5 and Xbox Series X. It runs on 60 FPS on PS5 while it has two modes on Series X. You can either run it 60 FPS performance mode or 30 FPS mode for a better graphical experience. Cyberpunk 2077 has an optimization issue even if you play it on 9th gen console or a high-end PC. You will notice that the game requires a large amount of GPU power even if the change is minimal. The drop in frame rate is expectable even on a GTX 2070 regardless of the setting. New updates have made it better but you should wait until it’s fixed.
Verdict
Cyberpunk 2077 was one of the most hyped-up games in recent memory. People were expecting a game that would change the perception regarding RPGs. Upon release, the expectations were shattered and all the promises started to look like publicity stunts. The game was not ready for release but developers just released it anyway. There must have been pressure on CD Projekt Red from investors and consumers due to immense hype. The hype that was supposed to work in the favor of the game but ended up backfiring. While playing the game you can feel that some content is missing. It has bugs and optimization issues which is breaking the immersion.
Underneath all the flaws and bugs there is a good game that needs polishing. The acting of some major NPCs is still one of the best I have ever seen in an RPG. Even though NPCs in general lack realism. The presentation of the city and culture is good with a sense of immersion. Developers needed more time to polish the game before the release. Updates have made it better but I don’t think that updates can help it on 8th gen consoles. The next-gen version of Cyberpunk 2077 will fix most of the issues if not all. Wait for the game to be patched if you are planning on buying it.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 Your type of Game?
Now let’s answer the question “Is Cyberpunk 2077 worth buying?” If you are a fan of games with a good setting then Cyberpunk 2077 could be the game for you. If you like games with a blend of good combat and RPG mechanics then Cyberpunk 2077 could the one for you. In case, you like games with good customization and build making then Cyberpunk 2077 could still be the game for you. It might also be the game for players who can tolerate bugs and glitches to some extent.
It is not the game for players who want a smooth experience with no bugs or glitches. Cyberpunk 2077 is also not the game for players who are expecting something exceptional. At the time of this writing, it is also not a game for players with weaker hardware or 8th gen consoles. In short, it is a game for players who has a limited expectation from games and can tolerate what it has to offer.
