Cyberpunk 2077 a year later - is everything so bad?

Cyberpunk 2077 was released in September 2022. Despite the long development, the game went on sale clearly unfinished: the optimization left much to be desired, and the number of bugs was such that Sony offered a refund to everyone.

The flurry of criticism and dissatisfaction that hit the developers has not subsided so far, and the negative reviews and reviews pouring in from everywhere are more and more reminiscent of the classic snowball effect. 

However, it should be borne in mind that over the past year the game received several major patches that solved almost all serious problems. In addition, the high expectations caused by the advertising campaign have subsided considerably, which made it possible to look at the game from a new perspective. For all its shortcomings, Cyberpunk 2077 is able to give a lot of vivid impressions.

But for the sake of objectivity, let's look at both the negative and positive sides of the game.

Cyberpunk 2077 Weaknesses:

Bugs. There are much fewer critical bugs, but minor annoying bugs can still spoil the overall impression of the gameplay. Flying cars and passing textures through each other will be an integral part of the gameplay until at least the next patch.

Physics. A lot of things work in an unforgivably hacky way in the game, from the mechanics of destroying objects to water, which is a realism connoisseur it is better to bypass it (fortunately, there is very little of it in Night City).

Driving. One of the most annoying shortcomings of the game. Cars and motorbikes are great for leisurely sightseeing trips, but as soon as you pick up speed, the carriage turns into a pumpkin, figuratively speaking. Oil tanker-like steering can in theory be compensated by drifting, but even careful use of the handbrake sends the vehicle into an uncontrollable skid. 

Interface. It's overloaded and not well organized. Parsing loot, crafting and reading chips turn into a real quest. A separate trouble — a city map that cannot be marked with more than one marker. 

Repetitive orders. Unlike side missions, almost all orders are typical "tower raids". Considering that the main plot is rather short, and there are not so many side missions, I would like more variety in the activities of the main character.

V. In an attempt to make the actions and motivation of the protagonist simple and close to each player, the developers obviously overdid it. The hero / heroine looks frankly boring, especially against the background of such bright personalities as Silverhand, Bestia, Jack Wells, Judy and Panam. Goro Takemura, Reaper Victor and Mommy Wells don't lack charisma either. Perhaps, almost all the main characters are remembered for a long time… except for V himself/herself. 

Cyberpunk 2077 Pros:

Visual design. At maximum graphics settings with ray tracing turned on, the world of Cyberpunk 2077 looks just great. Night City is detailed down to the smallest detail, from the imposing futuristic architecture to the outfits of the random NPCs. Iridescent neon lights of a big city, realistic reflections in wet asphalt, vast expanses of the Wasteland flooded with sunlight — the locations are incredibly cinematic and literally make you want to touch every wall, stone or car hood live. As for the style of Night City, it is one of the best in the genre: the notorious «High tech. Low life" visible at every step, but it is served very carefully, without excessive gloominess. 

Storyline. When it comes to the storytelling of the game's writers, there is nothing to blame. The plot contains a lot of external and internal conflicts, the characters are shown as interesting and multifaceted personalities with extensive baggage of the past. In terms of staging important dialogues, Cyberpunk 2077 is comparable to Hollywood cinema. Both the beginning and the ending evoke a lot of conflicting emotions, and a key part of the story raises interesting philosophical questions about the future.the food of humanity, class inequality and a crisis of values, about the nature of consciousness and subconsciousness, about the meaning of life and attempts to cheat death. The most diverse ideas can be traced in the statements of the characters: from classical hedonism and conformism to the Bushido code and anarcho-individualist ideals.

Minor quests. Dealing with the chip in his head, V manages to go through some interesting adventures along the way. Political mysteries and a mysterious conspiracy, a Silence of the Lambs-style detective thriller, a wild rock concert, aid to artificial intelligence and a clash with the new-found messiah — this is not a complete list of side content, which is just as good as the main story.

Soundtrack. The music in the game is diverse, but it all feels part of a single whole, a kind of continuation of the unique ecosystem of the city of Night City. Energetic tracks on the radio set the mood and entertain as you travel between the points of action, and the soundtrack to the key moments of the story amplifies the emotional moments of the game. Special praise deserves such strong compositions as "Been Good To Know Ya"; and "Never Fade Away by P. T. Adamczyk & Olga Jankowska.

Arsenal of weapons. The choice of weapons in the game is huge: powerful shotguns, efficient assault rifles, smart auto-guided sniper rifles, stylish pistols and revolvers, creepy praying mantis blades, classic katanas and tantos. Everyone will be able to pick up a killer arsenal here for their favorite style of play. There is even a shovel of the Keymaster, which migrated here from the third part of The Witcher.

Leveling system. And the last (but not least) plus of — it is an extensive character development system. Depending on the chosen style, V can be anything: a brilliant hacker who burns the synapses of enemies with a single movement of thought, a well-aimed sniper who skillfully uses cameras and smart technology, a tough cowboy with a revolver, or an elusive spy with melee weapons. It is this impressive variability, along with different endings, that encourages you to play the game again, and perhaps even more than once.