Cyberpunk 2077

7 January 2025

👍 Recommended (183.0 hrs on record)

Well, I finally finished it four years later. Version 2.2 is certainly a much better game than was released in 2020.

The worldbuilding and graphics are top notch. It's a very beautiful world. During the first few hours you can certainly lose yourself in immersion -- don't rush through Act I too fast. However, the veneer of immersion is paper thin -- the relative emptiness and sameyness of the world becomes quite clear after some repetition, especially the filler content with NCPD scanner hustles.

The story content is uneven. Act I is amazing, followed by multiple possible paths, some more interesting than others. The open world curse is here in full effect: with so many avenues to pursue, the red line of engaging plot is easily lost. Don't overdo side content at the cost of main story, or you might never make it to the end.

Phantom Liberty is quite clearly the best story arc of the entire game, being much more contained, so definitely play that content the moment it becomes available. I wish the rest of the game was on this storytelling level. The characters are somehow much better developed here, Johnny Silverhand very much included.

The game is way too easy on normal, at least when playing with a keyboard and mouse. Start on hard or very hard, otherwise you're going to be ridiculously overpowered very early on. Unfortunately stealth gameplay rarely feels worth it; it's so much easier to just use a silenced gun and start shooting. Apart from a few audio messages congratulating you after a gig, the game mostly doesn't care how you solve the challenges it puts in front of you.

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