Cyberpunk 2077 turned out to be controversial – it is a project of two extremes, containing both truly innovative, impressive and frankly weak ideas. Today it is already known in what pains Cyberpunk was born and what the developers had to go through to bring the project to release.
Endless rework, poor management, incredible ambitions of the project, driven into the framework of prohibitively short deadlines and, like the cherry on the cake, an inflated PR campaign. CD Projekt Red’s advertising campaign not only raised the expectations of fans, but also ran into the consequences of negligence on the part of management – as a result, some of the promises had to be returned, and in retrospect, some of the words of the PR people at the game’s release looked like outright lies.
The result of all this disgrace can be considered a naturally disastrous release of the game. But not from the point of view of sales, everything was more than fine with them, but from the point of view of reputational damage – the company’s shares fell significantly, a number of law firms filed class action lawsuits against it, social networks exploded with angry reviews, and YouTube was flooded with collections of bugs of all stripes. The removal of the game from sale on the PS Store, to put it mildly, did not do any good either.
A toxic environment has formed around CD Projekt Red and Cyberpunk 2077. Not all players could forgive the disgusting past-gen port and the abundance of bugs.
However, the company’s management promised that Cyberpunk 2077’s problems will be fixed in the near future. At the time of writing, five months have passed since the release of the game, and its version has changed from 1.03 to 1.22 – two major patches released. About how much the technical condition of the project has improved and whether it’s worth returning to it now to finally play normally – read more.
We will be talking about the PC version.
v.1.03 -v.1.22
If you describe the technical condition of the release version of the game, then the rating “unsatisfactory” will be quite accurate. In essence, the players received a project devoid of post-production. That is, the development stage, when it is customary to test the build for performance, optimize it for current hardware and platforms, and also identify and correct errors.
This is not to say that there was absolutely no polishing, because Cyberpunk 2077 was released after all, and it was even possible to beat it, but the feeling that the player took part in early access lasted from beginning to end. Literally from the beginning – even at the character creation stage the game managed to break.
Further is no better. A list of the most obvious problems that a player could encounter during the passage: frequent visual and sound bugs, lack of any complex AI of the civilian population, collision and animation errors, low frame rate, noticeable loading of textures, broken scripts, inability to pick up loot, sudden deaths from stairs, etc.d. But the funniest thing is the massive police spawn behind the player during offenses and, as a result, the lack of chases in the open world.
The latter, by the way, can tell us even more about the development process of Cyberpunk 2077 than journalistic investigations. It’s hard for me to imagine a situation where a game director, watching how the police in his project simply spawn behind his back, would say: “It’ll do, let’s leave it like that”. Considering that these things were implemented correctly back in 2001 in GTA III, and that there is not a single game anymore where it was done differently.
That is, the development of Cyberpunk 2077 was so stressful that there was not enough time even to implement ordinary things, not to mention the AI of the city population or fixing bugs.
Unfortunately, we can predict that the game is unlikely to ever be completely fixed, because its problems lie in the foundation. For example, the same police system works in such a ridiculous way precisely because NPCs, as is often implemented in MMORPGs, are tied to the spawn location. And instead of reworking the game logic, the developers simply changed the parameters of the police appearance – frequency and range. In other words, CD Projekt Red is not treating the source of the disease, but its symptoms.
However, the latest version of the game is quite noticeably different from the release one.
Cyberpunk 2077 still has technical problems, but the density of bugs has become noticeably lower – mostly minor visual bugs, with even more rare interface and sound problems. Objects sometimes hang in the air, sometimes the player’s shadow is displayed incorrectly, the texture may not load in time, or small loot will appear in such a way that it will be impossible to pick it up. But needless to say, compared to what it was, this is a drop in the ocean.
Overall, the game has become much more stable, and you can easily complete it without fear that something important will break in the process. Even though something can break to this day.
I was pleased with the optimization. You shouldn’t expect global positive trends, but in terms of performance on my hardware configuration, everything has become noticeably better. The frame rate has become more stable, and in difficult scenes, where previously there were significant frame drops, the game feels more confident. Even with higher graphics settings. Apparently, the declared memory optimization in the latest patch notes is not empty words.
How much better Cyberpunk 2077 began to work on other configurations is difficult to say. Most likely, performance gains will vary significantly from case to case.
Overall version 1.22 is noticeably more stable than the release version of the game, and even though after five months of waiting I would like to see more in terms of solutions to technical problems, it is impossible not to note the work done. “Satisfactory”, that is, a strong C, goes to CD Projekt Red’s record book.
Gameplay
Regarding game mechanics, players, judging by numerous reviews, have not reached a consensus. Some people think that they are not sufficiently developed, while others like everything.
Indeed, if you look at the gameplay in detail, you can notice many shortcomings. Here you have a broken balance with unnecessary perks in the leveling branches, and rather primitive implementations of stealth, hacking and melee.
Most often, Cyberpunk 2077 is usually compared to the Deus Ex series, where similar elements work noticeably better, and the level design is highly detailed. However, there is one significant difference between the games – CD Projekt Red’s project is more of a role-playing game and not an Immersive Sim.
One of the distinctive features of role-playing games is the more tangible role-playing of a character, which can be achieved in one single way – by providing the player with space for this very role-playing. If the gameplay of Deus Ex is aimed at depth, where each mechanic is inextricably linked with others, then Cyberpunk 2077 compares favorably with its breadth of possibilities, without worrying too much about balance.
There are really a lot https://nokyccasinos.org.uk/review/spins-heaven/ of implemented mechanics in Cyberpunk 2077, which players sometimes don’t notice, taking it for granted. And it’s not surprising that compared to the chamber Deus Ex they don’t look so well-developed. We will analyze each of the mechanics separately.
Shooter mechanics
For first-person shooters, two things are primarily important: well-developed AI of enemies, so that shooting them does not seem like a simple shooting gallery, and the impact of shooting, which includes both visual accompaniment, that is, a wealth of animations of weapons and opponents, and sound.
And in Cyberpunk 2077 there are no problems with either one or the other. If the artificial intelligence of the civilian population of Night City is implemented practically in no way, then the AI of opponents, surprisingly, works perfectly. Enemies often hide behind cover and do not hesitate to change positions from time to time, are actively repelled by grenades if the player sits too long in one place, flank him, use the capabilities of their implants, etc.d. That is, the range of their capabilities is large enough to maintain the illusion of confrontation.
For shooters where a role-playing system is implemented, that is, characteristics are primarily important, the problem with hit impact is relevant. Enemies in these games are usually called "bullet sponges" because they can withstand dozens of headshots. In Cyberpunk 2077, too, especially at high difficulty levels, opponents are sometimes in no hurry to die from heavy shelling, but the visual support fully compensates for the costs of the role model. The results of enemy hits are richly animated: enemies fall, stumble, are thrown back, and are stunned. Reactions to hits are quite frequent, and dismemberment and plenty of blood are a pleasant addition to the feast for the eyes.
There is no particular point in writing something separately about the animation of weapons, their reloading and firing sounds. This is sex. Just sex.
Driving
As in the case of shooting, the implementation of vehicle control was new for CD Projekt Red. Roaches don’t count in The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt for obvious reasons. But unlike the first, and especially if you compare this aspect with the Grand Theft Auto series, the result of the work turned out to be uneven.
On the one hand, the physics of cars in Cyberpunk 2077 is decent – the cars react physically authentically to obstacles, behave differently on the road, and most of the fleet is pleasant to drive. My personal favorite is motorcycles. Not only because the character is visible when driving around the city, which adds advantages to the immersion, but to a greater extent because of the physical model.
On the other hand, the game features almost uncontrollable sports cars. Deluxe cars are simply unpleasant to drive. I can’t help but remember the first Watch Dogs – not the best association in the context of discussing machine physics.
However, given that this is the first CD Projekt Red game to feature this feature, the result is excellent. Although some awkwardness is felt, this is already a matter of experience. The first pancake from the same Ubisoft, as for me, was basically inedible.
Hacking
Hacking Cyberpunk 2077 is implemented as follows. There is a cyberdeck – a key implant that determines the potential of your capabilities as a netrunner. There are various kinds of skills, in the game they are called scripts, with which we replenish this very cyber deck.
There are two types of hacking: protocol hacking and quick hacking. At the beginning of the game, hacking the protocol is limited to only one icebreaker, that is, bypassing the protection, reducing the memory cost of sending scripts. Skills in this category are called demons. It is noteworthy that the protocol can only be hacked if the enemies are connected to the network – to cameras or special nodes. In this case, it is applied to all objects at once.
In fact, protocol hacking is a preliminary operation before combat operations, when we break the enemy’s network protection. Hacking is accompanied by a small mini-game.
Quick hacking is sending pre-prepared scripts to the enemy. Some can provoke suicide, others – a grenade explosion, others will cause damage, and others will not allow the enemy to raise the alarm. There are quite a lot of similar skills in the game that exactly affect the gameplay, including banal manipulations with CCTV cameras. And the frequency of their use, recovery speed and other characteristics will depend solely on your level, the level of your enemies and the power of your cyberdeck.
Is it interesting to implement hacking?? Undoubtedly. The only problem with hacking in Cyberpunk 2077 is that at first it is meager – limited to a couple of the simplest skills. Only in the process of pumping up the corresponding characteristics and perks does it open up and begin to bring not only benefits, but also pleasure.
Other game features
Silent passage, stealth, is implemented in several ways in Cyberpunk 2077. The first is the classic one, when the player can go behind the enemy’s back, stun or kill him, and then hide the body in the nearest box. The second is aggressive, using a firearm. Having upgraded the critical damage parameters, as well as a number of others, you can shoot enemies at a distance by first putting a silencer on your weapon. And the last, third, is tied to hacking. This can include actions such as turning off cameras and inflicting lethal damage with scripts.
Stealth becomes truly interesting when you combine different options based on the situation here and now.
Implemented in the game and melee combat. Knives, katanas, mantis blades, baseball bats, various batons – the range is wide, but the mechanics themselves feel clumsy and are not very interesting to play. However, what is much more important here is that it exists, and if the player has a strong desire to play a cyber samurai with a katana, cutting up all the enemies in his path, Cyberpunk 2077 will provide such an opportunity.
The game also features: customization of cyber implants, crafting, scanning the environment in the manner of the witcher’s vision from The Witcher 3, grenades that differ from each other in functionality, an extensive arsenal of weapons – from pistols and revolvers to heavy machine guns and anti-tank sniper rifles – a simple but variable level design.
The breadth of gameplay is the key difference between Cyberpunk 2077 not only from Deus Ex, but also from other modern games. This is one of the parameters that makes the game unique.
Ways to immerse a player in the world of Cyberpunk 2077
You can immerse a player in the world of the game in countless ways, because this characteristic is individual. There is even a separate concept, Immersive Sim, which describes a number of features that trigger the immersion effect. Cyberpunk 2077 also belongs to Immersive Sim, but not quite. I won’t go into depth, but the methods of a classic dive simulator are not so obvious here. CD Projekt Red’s project achieves impact in other ways. We will talk about them.
First person view
One of the fundamental characteristics of Immersive Sim is the first-person view. Cyberpunk 2077 not only succeeds in this regard, but also takes the concept to the next level.
One of the problems when you need to direct a scene from the first person is that the character’s face is not visible and, accordingly, emotions need to be conveyed in some other way. Cyberpunk 2077 is the only game in the genre whose production can be called no worse, and perhaps even better than projects where the emphasis is on direction, stage, characters and their actions in the frame.
CD Projekt Red gets things done with two solutions. Firstly, detailed animation: V, the main character, during scenes can eat, drink, actively gesticulate, look around, examine some things in his hands and carry out other actions.
Secondly, directing the plan. Most first-person games are quite static, while Cyberpunk 2077 has a VR feel. Here one reads inertia, responsiveness. The player sees not only weapons and hands, but also legs and torso – the view will vary depending on the scene. Coupled with the detail of the animations, there is a feeling of novelty, a feeling that the first-person view in the game is different from what you have seen before.
Graphics, art design and music
At the moment, Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the few, if not the only, next-gen games. Since I myself am not very versed in technical intricacies, I draw such conclusions based on the words of the author of the Digital Laboratory channel, who specializes in such issues. Cyberpunk 2077 may reawaken the long-forgotten feeling that the game is designed for growth. The mass player will be able to appreciate all the beauty of the picture only later.
But, of course, what is much more important in the matter of visual perception is art design – what artists draw.
Night City looks fantastic and is, without exaggeration, the most detailed and beautiful open world in existence. It’s hard for me to imagine how many artists it took to recreate all this aesthetic, but the atmosphere of the game is unrealistically immersive. The features of both “Blade Runner” and “Ghost in the Shell” are recognizable here, and the corresponding soundtrack once again emphasizes the beauty of the metropolis.
This factor also affects immersion, so you want to stay in the game just because its world is so beautiful, so different. With its numerous advertisements, brightly lit roads and monumental high-rises, Night City truly makes you fall in love with it.
I’m not a big expert on music, but I can say something. The scene where Johnny Silverhand storms the Arasaka Tower, exploding corporate heads through the walls with precise shots from a revolver, and The Rebel Path by composer Piotr Adamczyk begins to actively play in the background, is so powerfully etched in my memory that when I subsequently replayed the level, I was most looking forward to this passage.
And the music in Cyberpunk 2077, in principle, is all like that – powerful, atmospheric and different. I often listen to both the official OST and songs played on the radio. Of the coolest, I’d probably like to highlight Been Good To Know Ya by Marcin Przybyłowicz.
Submitting a story
Unlike other role-playing games, Cyberpunk 2077 has not only an atypical first-person direction, which stands out even compared to other first-person projects, not necessarily role-playing ones, but also a unique presentation of quests.
Here you can more clearly see the influence of the last parts of the Grand Theft Auto series, where the interaction of the protagonist with the characters sometimes took place at a distance, over the phone. Except that CD Projekt Red went even further.
Story and side quests, unless they are orders or some other type of additional activity, are multi-stage and consist of several phases. It is impossible to start the next phase of the quest immediately, because most often the trigger for its start is not the player, but some other character. After some time he himself will call or write.
As a result, a situation arises that no matter what quest you complete, you interact with different characters for a long time, while simultaneously communicating with them at a distance. It’s very different from other RPGs in that you walk up to an NPC, pick up a quest, and immediately complete their arc. There are exceptions, and often the quests of important characters are also divided into phases, but in scale it still looks straightforward.
In Cyberpunk 2077, also due to the non-standard narrative, you get the feeling that, firstly, the world does not revolve around you, you are not its engine, and, secondly, that even if the character’s personal story is over, this will not stop him from writing you in private messages or calling.
This also immerses the player in the world of Cyberpunk 2077.
Gameplay variability of the game
As in the case of scenario variability, not everything is so simple in Cyberpunk 2077. Rather, heterogeneous. While there are some branches in the story campaign, there are different paths the player can take to complete the task, but for the most part the levels are fairly linear.
Another thing is orders for fixers, where a different approach to solving problems is prescribed at the level design level. They are more like small sections of Deus Ex, only in a slightly simplified version. However, the breadth of gameplay allows for interesting solutions.
For example, there was one quest where V needed to eliminate one not-so-nice person in a nightclub. An additional condition is the absence of alarm, that is, secret passage. The problem in my case was that all the ways to approach the goal required skills that my character did not have. But I still wanted to go in secret. Then I remembered that in the game there are shots through different surfaces, I found a secluded place on the second floor, put a silencer on the barrel and simply shot through the glass behind which the person I needed was standing. And it worked! The additional condition was met even though V did not have the skills required by the level design.
This is precisely the key feature of Immersive Sim, where your method of completing a level may not have been prescribed by the developers, but due to the interaction of various systems you could complete the scene in a unique way. It’s hard to say how deep this option is in Cyberpunk 2077, but the abundance of different abilities encourages creative solutions.
Thus, it turns out that Cyberpunk 2077 is able to immerse the player in the process not only by ordinary methods, but also by a number of unique ones – atypical first-person directing, broad mechanics and a unique narrative. I would especially like to note the language in which the game is written. Due to the abundance of obscene language and sometimes redneck, straightforward dialogues, the characters are perceived, excuse the cliché, as truly alive. Without theatrical pomposity.
At the same time, the more classic, obvious techniques that have a positive impact on the perception of the game have not disappeared: beautiful pictures, atmospheric music, choices and their consequences, scenario variability.
What is Cyberpunk 2077 about??
The key theme of Cyberpunk 2077 is human principles. I have already analyzed its endings in the previous material on the game, describing why they were like that, and why the story is about principles. In short and without spoilers, the game’s slogan “Quiet life or death in glory” fully describes this concept. The player is placed in aggressive conditions, in Night City, and is given a choice in the end. If the player does not learn the lesson, then there will be a bad ending. If you get it, then it’s good. It is described very simply, but, in general, it works exactly like this.
It is noteworthy that a similar technique was implemented in CD Projekt Red’s previous game, The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Only the theme was different, as was the lesson learned by the player.