During E3 2018, CD Projekt Red (CDPR), makers of the much-heralded Witcher series, announced Cyberpunk 2077. The game received so much hype and awe leading up to its eventual release some two-and-a-half years later, when our own Dillon Sweeney reviewed it. Spawning a limited edition Xbox One console and gobs of anticipation, it seemed obvious that CDPR had a hit on their hands. Many were crowning the game long before it even released. When it did, it was a really rough launch, to say the least, rife with all kinds of issues that are well documented with a quick Google search. Sony took the game off of the PS Store for six months, refunds were being demanded on all platforms — it was indeed a major mess, but underneath all of the roughness there was a great game there, somewhere.
CDPR has worked hard since that difficult release, and through the midst of the pandemic, to finally release a much anticipated update. There have been several major updates along the way to be sure, but this “v1.5” that was released a month ago officially brought the game to XSX and PS5, and brought along with it not only an innumerable amount of patches and fixes, but also a lot of additional content, too (and not just of the cosmetic fluff variety, either). From the very beginning, Cyberpunk 2077 has been a monumental undertaking — there just aren’t that many games with the scope of it, and even fewer studios that could harness this massive beast. While it’s hard to overlook the failures of CDPR between what they showed and promised, and what was first released, v1.5 goes a really long way to making amends. You know, if ESPN’s popular 30-for-30 documentary series ever stepped into videogames, covering Cyberpunk 2077 from first glimpse until now would make for a great show. But I digress.
Unless it’s a game I am reviewing, or the rare release I just can’t wait to play at launch, I typically give games a good six months after release to get patched up, updated, balanced, new content integrated, etc. Besides, with a backlog spanning decades of gaming history, and a full time life outside of gaming, and prices for games only ever getting cheaper after they launch, there’s really little harm in waiting to play. Heck, there are games from the GC/X360/PS3 era I have on my backlog that have already received remasters, and having missed the game at launch a decade ago has ultimately led to me playing the best version today, if that makes sense. But case in point, I intentionally did not play Cyberpunk 2077 until a month ago, when CDPR were kind enough to provide me a review code for the PS5. I knew this was the kind of game, caught in between generations, that deserved to be played on the best hardware (and I don’t have a high end gaming PC, and I’d prefer to not use the Stadia). I’m so glad I waited, but for those who didn’t, I would kindly suggest you take advantage of the free upgrade to v1.5 (whether you have the digital version or disc, which at times was priced at $10 or less).
Having spent a good chunk of time with Cyberpunk 2077 now, though not enough that I’m ready to put it down, I’m seeing its very best iteration yet, and it’s pretty darn awesome. I find the experiencing enthralling and the kind of game I really have to focus on. Admittedly, it’s a bigger, broader type of game than I am used to playing. It has more layers and complexity than a lot of what I play, and, well, there’s just a lot going on in the game’s HUD, menus, and gameplay in general. There was a learning curve for me in this game, well beyond the tutorials; not to mention, the game has its own lingo with terms like preem and gonk that you can either try to learn as you go or look up a translation guide online. I chose the latter, and also read about character builds a little bit, because there are just so many paths to go down in Cyberpunk I was concerned I would build wrong, or have choice paralysis. Not to mention, the UI and menus are pretty complicated, and not very well explained. Anyway, in a nutshell, the core gameplay is largely unchanged from first launch back in December 2020, but the sheer amount of technical improvements and bonuses is staggering. My reason for this article isn’t really to review the game all over again, but instead to talk about how far it has come since release, and to encourage players scorned by the original release to give it a second chance as it’s clear CDPR have worked their tails off to try to make this whole situation right.
To that end, it would be pointless for me to regurgitate what CDPR has made readily available on a really slick webpage, featuring a handy table (see above, and also directly here) showcasing changes based on platform, as well as page after page of what you can expect in v1.5. In addition to raytracing now being available for consoles, obviously exclusive to XSX and PS5, there are lots of gameplay changes, too. New apartments that share stashes are available for V to rent in the four main districts of Night City. Two all new weapons, new scopes, and lots of new attachments are included. AI has developed significantly, a lot has changed with the drive system, with nice details like better engine simulation and significantly better handling on motorcycles. Improvements continue across the board in the arenas of Cyberware, Combat, NPCs, your inventory, Quickhacking, the UI — I don’t think there is any aspect of this game that wasn’t touched in this gargantuan update.
In my time with Cyberpunk 2077 on PS5, I can happily report that I have not experienced any game crashes. Furthermore, the lackluster, empty-ish open world was something I remember lots of people complained about some fifteen months ago. With v1.5, there is a greatly improved sense of life and activity in all of Night City, making the game so much more immersive. There’s nothing quite like braindead, absent NPCs to ruin the sense of a busy, dangerous city setting, but with v1.5, that overtly missing flaw has been addressed.
Off the top of my head I can’t think of another game with a backstory like Cyberpunk 2077. It’s fortunate that CDPR were able to spend the last year-plus continuing development of the game, listening to feedback, adding content, and fixing tons and tons of issues. Many games would simply not have gotten the extra time and money spent that Cyberpunk got, but this time CDPR got it right. Now is the right time to play this game; I’m not saying it’s flawless and perfect, but it’s nearly so, for such an elaborate, massive game. This is the game we were hoping for back in December 2020, but I’m reminded of the adage ‘better late than never.’ And that certainly applies here.
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