Justifying Bugs in Video Games

People are livid over the performance of Cyberpunk 2077 on PS4 and Xbox One. Even on the PS5 and Xbox Series X, performance is worse than compared to a PC. That last part isn’t surprising, most games work better on powerful PCs than consoles. What is surprising is just how rough this game runs on the consoles for which the game was originally developed. Others have pointed out that Bethesda games are famously buggy, but where do gamers draw the line?

It seems the line is drawn somewhere around the point of unplayability. That makes sense, it’s funny to see characters glitch in Fallout if it’s just for a split-second or so. Cyberpunk players on PS4 and Xbox One are having a hard time even getting through the game’s most basic elements. PS5 players are even reporting system crashes that keep reoccurring at different points in the game. CDPR is offering refunds but many waited years for this game. How willing are people to wait for patches coming January and February?

It appears as if the game underneath all the bugs and issues is still good. It’s a true RPG with the detailed systems that many of us enjoy. The real issue here is the credibility of the game. I have no doubt that by April 2021 we’ll be praising the game and slowly forgetting its rocky start. The problem isn’t what happens down the line. The real issue is the fact that this game launched with the knowledge of how broken it was on current-gen systems. It’s why reviewers weren’t allowed to use footage of current-gen consoles ahead of launch for reviews. That’s like the reddest of red flags.

I can forgive bugs, as can other players. Ubisoft is known to need a few patches to get a game right post-launch. Bethesda, as mentioned, is almost at the point of players expecting bugs when their games launch. CDPR didn’t just miss a few bugs this time around. They knowingly launched a game, with 8 million+ preorders, to players who owned consoles that couldn’t handle what they were buying. It’s leaving a really bad taste in my mouth. I’d love to know what you think. Sound off in the comments about your thoughts on the Cyberpunk 2077 release!