No, I did not watch the anime on Netflix. I was already planning to give this game another chance once I had a next-gen console. Originally I bought it for PS4 so my plan was to play the free upgraded version once I had a PS5 but well...those are still hard to come by. So in the meantime I got a Series X, bought a used copy of the Xbox One disc for $15, and upgraded that version instead.
And I'm happy to report that this game has taken a huge leap in quality on more powerful hardware. The PS4 version was "playable" after a few major updates but they made a ton of sacrifices just so the game would run at a non-headache-inducing framerate. On Series X it almost feels like a whole new game. Night City actually feels alive; the streets are packed with people and cars at all times and it was always running at a silky-smooth 60 fps. Visual bugs were few and far between; about 40 hours in I started to see some amusing sights like NPCs walking on top of traffic dividers or pathing errors for cars. But it was nowhere close to what we were seeing at launch. Visually the game is just stunning and I can see why it would be perfect for an anime adaptation in the first place.
I'm bumping up my score by one star this time since the game is finally in the developer's intended state. I had a lot more fun this time around. But it still can't reach that coveted 5 stars for a few reasons:
A: It's hard to forget the state of the game's launch. Sure it's working now, but maybe it should've been delayed a couple more years and cancelled for PS4 and Xbox One altogether.
B: While a fun RPG in its own right, this isn't the next big step in the genre that the CDPR higher-ups wanted us to believe it was going to be. Essentially this operates similar to Bethesda games with a shiner coat of paint and a dialogue system that falls somewhere in-between F3 and NV's skill checks and F4's streamlined button wheel.
C: Adding on to the Bethesda comparison, while the world feels more alive on Series X, it fails to have that same natural progression that past games have captured so well. Mostly it comes down to two things: NPCs and quest-givers. The former I was already well-aware of on PS4; NPCs are really just set-dressing and aside from hostiles they can't really be interacted with outside of shopkeepers and alike. They only exist to walk around sidewalks and fill up space. Quests are given to you through the holophone; when you cross the neighbourhood borders in game there is a chance someone will call you and offer you a job/quest to complete. Now I understand this choice since your character is a mercenary, but I do wish there were more natural encounters within Night City. Very rarely will a quest begin through a random encounter; there certainly are a few but at least 95% of the time you're given something to do through a phone call. At least on Series X I was more inclined to explore the city and drive around rather than just fast-travelling everywhere to avoid all the graphical weirdness on PS4.
Overall I did enjoy this game, far more this time around in fact. It still falls short in a few areas but I don't think the developer's hard work should go to waste. Yeah, the launch was a disaster and a perfect symbol for the state of the AAA gaming industry, but I can look past the corporate aspect and just accept art for what it is. It's a little ironic, considering the story's subject matter. And with a (free?) DLC expansion on the horizon, I think the Cyberpunk franchise has a bright future ahead of it. Just...take your time, CDPR. For the love of god, let the devs have all the time they need.
And I'm happy to report that this game has taken a huge leap in quality on more powerful hardware. The PS4 version was "playable" after a few major updates but they made a ton of sacrifices just so the game would run at a non-headache-inducing framerate. On Series X it almost feels like a whole new game. Night City actually feels alive; the streets are packed with people and cars at all times and it was always running at a silky-smooth 60 fps. Visual bugs were few and far between; about 40 hours in I started to see some amusing sights like NPCs walking on top of traffic dividers or pathing errors for cars. But it was nowhere close to what we were seeing at launch. Visually the game is just stunning and I can see why it would be perfect for an anime adaptation in the first place.
I'm bumping up my score by one star this time since the game is finally in the developer's intended state. I had a lot more fun this time around. But it still can't reach that coveted 5 stars for a few reasons:
A: It's hard to forget the state of the game's launch. Sure it's working now, but maybe it should've been delayed a couple more years and cancelled for PS4 and Xbox One altogether.
B: While a fun RPG in its own right, this isn't the next big step in the genre that the CDPR higher-ups wanted us to believe it was going to be. Essentially this operates similar to Bethesda games with a shiner coat of paint and a dialogue system that falls somewhere in-between F3 and NV's skill checks and F4's streamlined button wheel.
C: Adding on to the Bethesda comparison, while the world feels more alive on Series X, it fails to have that same natural progression that past games have captured so well. Mostly it comes down to two things: NPCs and quest-givers. The former I was already well-aware of on PS4; NPCs are really just set-dressing and aside from hostiles they can't really be interacted with outside of shopkeepers and alike. They only exist to walk around sidewalks and fill up space. Quests are given to you through the holophone; when you cross the neighbourhood borders in game there is a chance someone will call you and offer you a job/quest to complete. Now I understand this choice since your character is a mercenary, but I do wish there were more natural encounters within Night City. Very rarely will a quest begin through a random encounter; there certainly are a few but at least 95% of the time you're given something to do through a phone call. At least on Series X I was more inclined to explore the city and drive around rather than just fast-travelling everywhere to avoid all the graphical weirdness on PS4.
Overall I did enjoy this game, far more this time around in fact. It still falls short in a few areas but I don't think the developer's hard work should go to waste. Yeah, the launch was a disaster and a perfect symbol for the state of the AAA gaming industry, but I can look past the corporate aspect and just accept art for what it is. It's a little ironic, considering the story's subject matter. And with a (free?) DLC expansion on the horizon, I think the Cyberpunk franchise has a bright future ahead of it. Just...take your time, CDPR. For the love of god, let the devs have all the time they need.