Is Cyberpunk 2077 good now? Has CD Project Red redeemed its game after years of updates and a new Expansion? We try to answer that question here.
With the release of the Phantom Liberty expansion and the 2.0 Patch, the game is in the best state it ever has been. And credit where credit is due, in an industry that loves to leave titles behind that got pushed out too early it is nice that CD Project Red never gave up on Cyberpunk 2077.
But is it the redemption arc everyone has hoped for? Is Cyberpunk 2077 finally a good game or have we been wrong all along? Let us take you don’t to Night City and have a chat.
Is Cyberpunk 2077 Good Now?
Your mileage of Cyberpunk 2077 may vary depending on what you expected throughout its almost 8-year hype cycle. It’s clear that throughout its development CP2077 went through many iterations before it ended up as what it is today. A perfectly capable FPS RPG with a huge world for you to explore and gripping stories to live through.
Being V, being in Night City, and trying to make a name for yourself is an experience that no other game comes close to. The bugs are mostly gone and the RPG system no longer feels tagged onto what was a capable if not a little bland shooter a few years ago. The game always offered different ways to approach missions but now you actually have to pick and stick to a playstyle.
Last year in the wake of the release of the Edgerunners Animes I bemoaned that Cyberpunk 2077 felt like a promise it couldn’t have possibly delivered on. And still, the game feels like it’s set up to be this extremely complex RPG until you notice the wallpaper is slowly coming off.
This is not supposed to be a dig at Cyberpunk 2077, it is a game that tries to be many things at once but can’t really decide on what to focus on. The story is amazing and features some really well-written characters and fleshed-out locations only to be let down by the lack of actual Roleplaying present outside of combat.
It’s one of the reasons why the Bethesda RPG still works. You can’t just sit down in Cyberpunk 2077 and take in the city and you can’t have long and meaningless conversations with many of the people you’ll meet. But you can ask for their opinions or let the moment sink in after crucial story beats.
On launch CP2077 was a mess with a great game hidden underneath, not with all the mess cleaned up CP2077 feels like a great game that fails to realize its full potential. And I hope that CD Project Red will let us return to Night City, maybe dial down the scale a little, and fill the city with things that make it feel alive.
Is Night City finally worth a first or second visit?
Outside of the reworked systems, the core of CP2077 remains the same. The expansion adds another district for you to explore with a set of missions that are about as good or better than the ones you find in the main game. While I don’t think Cyberpunk 2077 will ever completely please on a gameplay front, it does pass the vibe check.
Night City is one of the most impressive locations to ever be put in a video game and you can find the experience of a lifetime here if you let it work its magic. It tells very human stories about people just living their lives and getting burned in the process. And think that’s something worth checking out if you’re up for it.
For more on Cyberpunk 2077 check out our other content all around the new Phantom Liberty Expansion. Learn what to do with the new Cyberware and Perk System, how to use the Relict Perks properly, and How to enter the new Expansion.