On Dec. 10, we saw the release of CD Projekt Red’s newest RPG, or role-playing game, “Cyberpunk 2077.” Beginning its development after the studio created the last expansion pack for “The Witcher 3,” fans of CD Projekt Red had been excitedly waiting for the game’s release since the first date set back in April. After three delays and years of teasers, fans finally got their chance to explore the open world of Night City and meet the colorful characters this game has to offer.
In “Cyberpunk 2077,” you play as V, a lone mercenary, embarking on a quest that challenges the ruling class of Night City as you strive to go from a nobody into a legend.
One of the best measures of a compelling RPG is not just how good its main storyline is, but how captivating the side quests are. As a player, you can go ahead and barrel through the main questline to complete the story; however, the side quests you do decide to play have a huge impact on the story. In fact, most of the game’s personality comes from the available side quests, with the main story taking only roughly 20 hours to complete.
Side missions vary from different types of jobs clients can give you, to more personal interactions with side characters. The quests have a variety of options you can choose from that result in some of the most exciting, emotional or downright hilarious conclusions. Whether you want to try your hand at a diplomatic approach to resolve conflict or would rather strong-arm your way through it, “Cyberpunk 2077” gives you the chance to do that.
In terms of gameplay, how you play depends on your dialogue choices and what attributes you choose to specialize in. The different attributes are body, reflexes, technical ability, intelligence and cool. My first playthrough had me as a streetwise, cool net runner able to talk or hack myself out of any situation. My second run opted for a less diplomatic approach, more so relying on pure muscle. The RPG elements drive most of the gameplay, and as a result, decide which of the seven possible endings you can end up with.
Unfortunately, “Cyberpunk 2077” was released with many technical bugs. Some of these bugs were more silly small ones; for example, enemies might t-pose to assert dominance, while others were more frustrating and stopped the progression of quests.
Since its release, CD Projekt Red has released a series of patches meant to address these issues, with two big patches promised in the coming months. Depending on the system you play on, you may not encounter some of the most glaring issues, optimization and visual bugs. On strong PCs the game runs fine, but on lower-end hardware or older consoles, visuals can be slow to load, requiring you to wait a bit for everything to appear.
Overall, “Cyberpunk 2077” is a game with a lot of heart. The story is one of the most emotionally captivating stories I have played, driven by a strong cast of characters, such as Johnny Silverhand, who accompanies you for much of the game. The characters all have their own stories and development throughout the game and serve to make the world feel realistic. Night City is a city you can get lost in, exploring various locations and taking in the smaller details.
Written by David Cuervo
