Y'know even before I had even considered playing The Witcher 3, I had heard about the plans for Cyberpunk 2077. The few paragraphs of text that were featured in those interviews a decade(?) ago made it seem like the dream RPG. Ultimately I decided to dodge the launch bullet thanks to the lack of actual gameplay footage leading up to release, but I am happy I finally did pick it up in 2023 because (now), it is a hell of an RPG.
As much as I adore the gameplay (I'll get to that in a bit), the thing that truly kept me going all the way through the game is the world-building, writing, and performances. I suppose having seen Edgerunners prior helped to introduce the world, but the way people talk, the slang, the environmental story-telling through broadcasts, logs, etc. all paint a very vivid picture. Night City feels like a real place in the not-to-far-off future where corporate power and influence are stretched to the absolute limit.
It's a bleak world, and as you play as V and carve your way through it, you get to know a lot of interesting characters and play a role in their fate. The main story itself is quite short, and more to serve as a vehicle to introduce the player to different characters/factions, who you can then choose to continue on with in their own side quest arcs. Many of these also lead to romance options and what endings you have available to you once you reach the climax. It all feels very seamless, though I did only commit to one playthrough so I have not fully seen behind the curtain of what matters and what doesn't. Still, I felt pretty convinced that the conclusions I saw was pretty unique to how I went through the game.
I previously mentioned character performances as well, and I really do have to applaud the performances of Gavin Drea (Male V) and Keanue Reeves (Johnny Silverhand). They truly kept me invested in the plot all on their own, and they have a fascinating dynamic. Johnny in particular has a presence in most of the game's plot and even some side quests, and it's really impressive how much he added to the experience.
As for the gameplay, there are two main components that let you build out your character. The first is the skill tree with your 5 main stats (Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence, and Cool). Each stat governs a major playstyle as well as a couple of weapon types. By the end of the (base) game, you'll have enough of a spread to have 3 of these stats maxed. I had the DLC installed and I went for Body/Reflexes/Tech as my main 3 with Cool most of the way. It's a pretty good system, there are a lot of satisfying abilities to choose from in each. Maybe one little gripe I have however is that the game feels borderline unplayable without heavy investment into Reflexes. This tree makes movement more fluid, a dash (and subsequent air-dash), and just makes the game feel like a joy to play on top of the already pretty-good shooting. On one hand, I respect tying something so vital to be an option you have to invest in. On the other, the experience without that investment really isn't much fun.
The other component for character builds is your cyberware tree. Pick your augments a-la Deus Ex. Many of them are more passive (e.g. do more damage vs. robots, better armor) but some of them are key features like double-jump, the ability to use "Smart" weapons effectively that can track and see through walls, what comes out of your arms when it's time to put up your fists, what your eyes can see, and most importantly your OS. Do you want to be able to upload hacks to enemies or cameras? Or do you want a Sandevistan that lets you slow time (this is the correct answer)? They heavily govern your abilities in (and out) of combat, and you will be upgrading them and swapping them out all game as you see fit. It's pretty satisfying and can allow for some wicked set-ups that allow you to never die or be in slow-motion constantly.
I mentioned previously, but the game isn't focused all around the main story. There are some set-piece missions, but a lot of the meat actually comes from the side quests. These can be story arcs for major characters, or some one-offs that can lead to some quirky R*-like encounters with weirdos. These can feature just as many choices, and even have some bearing on the plot. Beyond that, there are also gigs (smaller scale where you will have a quick chat with that area's fixer and clear out a building), and NCPD scanner calls (usually just go kill 5-10 dudes). I ended up doing all of it because I enjoyed the gunplay and driving around that much, so the variety is there for those who crave it.
Speaking also of driving, it feels better than I was expecting (most of the time). It's pretty arcadey, and some cars slide around like pinballs, but some feel really good as contrast. There are a ton you can buy and call to your position aside from being able to pull people out of any car on the street. As you might expect, running over civilians (and sometimes even fender benders!) can lead to wanted ratings just like in GTA, but unfortunately the police AI falls apart the moment you step out of the car and off the main road. They don't/can't seem to be able to follow you very well, so most of the time it winds up as a minor inconvenience. Still, it adds to the immersion I suppose.
I would also take a moment to talk about the soundtrack, besides the radio which has a good mix of electronic, EDM, rock, and jazz stations, the actual original score is outstanding. The battle themes in general really got me fired up for each encounter. One of the ambient tracks while driving around got on my nerves, but the rest of them totally set the tone.
Performance-wise, at least in it's current state on the PS5 it feels pretty good. I think I saw a frame drop one time, and only a handful of technical glitches/bugs (cars spawning in the ground, stuck animations, that sort of thing). They seem to have really cleaned it up in the 3 years since launch.
2077 really has it all. A good sci-fi/cyberpunk setting, some respectable RPG elements, a great story, and fun FPS gameplay, this is absolutely worth a pick-up now (at least on modern systems/PC). I highly recommend, especially the complete edition if you can as Phantom Liberty is also excellent.
As much as I adore the gameplay (I'll get to that in a bit), the thing that truly kept me going all the way through the game is the world-building, writing, and performances. I suppose having seen Edgerunners prior helped to introduce the world, but the way people talk, the slang, the environmental story-telling through broadcasts, logs, etc. all paint a very vivid picture. Night City feels like a real place in the not-to-far-off future where corporate power and influence are stretched to the absolute limit.
It's a bleak world, and as you play as V and carve your way through it, you get to know a lot of interesting characters and play a role in their fate. The main story itself is quite short, and more to serve as a vehicle to introduce the player to different characters/factions, who you can then choose to continue on with in their own side quest arcs. Many of these also lead to romance options and what endings you have available to you once you reach the climax. It all feels very seamless, though I did only commit to one playthrough so I have not fully seen behind the curtain of what matters and what doesn't. Still, I felt pretty convinced that the conclusions I saw was pretty unique to how I went through the game.
I previously mentioned character performances as well, and I really do have to applaud the performances of Gavin Drea (Male V) and Keanue Reeves (Johnny Silverhand). They truly kept me invested in the plot all on their own, and they have a fascinating dynamic. Johnny in particular has a presence in most of the game's plot and even some side quests, and it's really impressive how much he added to the experience.
As for the gameplay, there are two main components that let you build out your character. The first is the skill tree with your 5 main stats (Body, Reflexes, Technical Ability, Intelligence, and Cool). Each stat governs a major playstyle as well as a couple of weapon types. By the end of the (base) game, you'll have enough of a spread to have 3 of these stats maxed. I had the DLC installed and I went for Body/Reflexes/Tech as my main 3 with Cool most of the way. It's a pretty good system, there are a lot of satisfying abilities to choose from in each. Maybe one little gripe I have however is that the game feels borderline unplayable without heavy investment into Reflexes. This tree makes movement more fluid, a dash (and subsequent air-dash), and just makes the game feel like a joy to play on top of the already pretty-good shooting. On one hand, I respect tying something so vital to be an option you have to invest in. On the other, the experience without that investment really isn't much fun.
The other component for character builds is your cyberware tree. Pick your augments a-la Deus Ex. Many of them are more passive (e.g. do more damage vs. robots, better armor) but some of them are key features like double-jump, the ability to use "Smart" weapons effectively that can track and see through walls, what comes out of your arms when it's time to put up your fists, what your eyes can see, and most importantly your OS. Do you want to be able to upload hacks to enemies or cameras? Or do you want a Sandevistan that lets you slow time (this is the correct answer)? They heavily govern your abilities in (and out) of combat, and you will be upgrading them and swapping them out all game as you see fit. It's pretty satisfying and can allow for some wicked set-ups that allow you to never die or be in slow-motion constantly.
I mentioned previously, but the game isn't focused all around the main story. There are some set-piece missions, but a lot of the meat actually comes from the side quests. These can be story arcs for major characters, or some one-offs that can lead to some quirky R*-like encounters with weirdos. These can feature just as many choices, and even have some bearing on the plot. Beyond that, there are also gigs (smaller scale where you will have a quick chat with that area's fixer and clear out a building), and NCPD scanner calls (usually just go kill 5-10 dudes). I ended up doing all of it because I enjoyed the gunplay and driving around that much, so the variety is there for those who crave it.
Speaking also of driving, it feels better than I was expecting (most of the time). It's pretty arcadey, and some cars slide around like pinballs, but some feel really good as contrast. There are a ton you can buy and call to your position aside from being able to pull people out of any car on the street. As you might expect, running over civilians (and sometimes even fender benders!) can lead to wanted ratings just like in GTA, but unfortunately the police AI falls apart the moment you step out of the car and off the main road. They don't/can't seem to be able to follow you very well, so most of the time it winds up as a minor inconvenience. Still, it adds to the immersion I suppose.
I would also take a moment to talk about the soundtrack, besides the radio which has a good mix of electronic, EDM, rock, and jazz stations, the actual original score is outstanding. The battle themes in general really got me fired up for each encounter. One of the ambient tracks while driving around got on my nerves, but the rest of them totally set the tone.
Performance-wise, at least in it's current state on the PS5 it feels pretty good. I think I saw a frame drop one time, and only a handful of technical glitches/bugs (cars spawning in the ground, stuck animations, that sort of thing). They seem to have really cleaned it up in the 3 years since launch.
2077 really has it all. A good sci-fi/cyberpunk setting, some respectable RPG elements, a great story, and fun FPS gameplay, this is absolutely worth a pick-up now (at least on modern systems/PC). I highly recommend, especially the complete edition if you can as Phantom Liberty is also excellent.