Frustratingly Imperfect, Cyberpunk 2077 is Still Worth Your Time

I’m probably like a lot of people in the way that I decided to engage with Cyberpunk 2077. Turned off and downright disgusted by the way the game was rolled out in such a haphazard, half-baked fashion, I decided to stay away. Then, after months of the development team working on the game, along with the Edgerunners update and next-gen console upgrades, I gave it a go. What’s underneath the buggy, still frustrating glitchy experience of Night City is an action RPG filled to the brim with incredible moments and exciting gameplay.

The tricky part is that many won’t get a chance to play the game. I guess it’s actually less about the ability to play it and the total rejection of the title after such a painful release cycle. There’s nothing that players owe CD Projekt Red after a Class Action Case and countless reasons to feel like the studio didn’t operate in good spirits. It’s even more confusing considering the love that the gaming community showed the studio during the heyday of Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. This was a 180 that we haven’t seen in some time, and it left a lot of people feeling less than willing to try a game that disappointed them so much.

If they do try the game, however, they might have an experience like mine. I expected bugs, of which there were many, and I even lost save files. Playing on Xbox Series X, I’m randomly booted from the Quick Resume feature for no reason, and I’ve had camera issues, dialogue audio disappear, and even the occasional inability to keep clothes on my character. Despite all of this, I’ve plugged along to the 26-hour mark. Thankfully, those issues aren’t enough to keep me from wanting to return regularly to the game.

There’s nothing that I feel can compare to Cyberpunk 2077. The stealth isn’t as strong as Dishonored. The RPG elements don’t feel as fun as Fallout. The shooting is a far cry from Borderlands and, well, Far Cry. All of that said, there’s an inexplicable love I have for spending time in this world. Night City doesn’t feel state-of-the-art in its liveliness or immersion, but it’s enough. The gameplay itself doesn’t even do what it sets out to claim in originality, ie the BrainDance mechanism, all that well. So what’s there to actually like?

What really sells the game as a whole is the cyberpunk lore developed in overhearing conversations and playing side quests. The main storyline isn’t bad, but there’s so much to love behind the scenes with background characters brimming with personality. There’s an infinite nature to the game’s scope that I appreciate. You’re not even forced to wait for it, possibly just 3 hours separate you from everything you’re able to do in the game.

That is, of course, except for your upgrades, which are a blast to progress as you move through the storylines, weaving in and out of your character’s personal odyssey. There’s a lot to uncover in the story between your character, V, and Johnny Silverhand, an AI replicant of a real person who died decades before you arrived in Night City. He’s a terrorist or a hero, depending on who you ask, and you’ll need to decide for yourself.

For a game so rooted in controversy from its release date to today, there’s a lot to love about Cyberpunk 2077. Its flaws do not diminish its strong points, but they do distract from the sense of conviction many large-scale AAA titles have. There’s something beautiful below the scars of CD Projekt Red’s poor judgment to rush the game to release, but if you’re feeling forgiving, it’s worth a look, and hours of wonderful gaming await those who are ready to move on. Cyberpunk 2077 is available now.