Is this the right time to play Cyberpunk 2077?
Cyberpunk 2077 received a massive update of over 60GB earlier this week called Patch 1.5 and was aptly referred to as a new generation update to the latest RPG from CD Projekt Red. Perhaps you’ve waited until you’ve had a PlayStation 5 or Xbox Series X to play, knowing just how terrible the game can be on previous-gen consoles. You might have wanted to get your hands on Nvidia’s very rare 30XX series of graphics cards. Whatever your circumstances in November 2020, if you’ve been waiting for a patch like 1.5 to jump right into Night City for the first time, we have you covered. And if you’ve started your journey through Cyberpunk 2077 but decided to wait until the game gets better, we’ll have you covered too. Is now the right time to play Cyberpunk 2077?
Too long and unread answer is simple. Yes. If you’ve been looking for a game that more closely lived up to the original promise of CD Projekt Red’s vision, now is the time to actually play Cyberpunk 2077. However, while this patch addresses many of the issues experienced by reviewers and players alike with the game, the core of Cyberpunk 2077 is still intact in patch 1.5. If you didn’t like Keanu Reeves’ Johnny Silverhand, wasn’t fascinated by the bigger narrative, or enjoyed the actual gameplay of Cyberpunk 2077, then this patch isn’t going to let you down. If you were looking for some coordination systems like better police networks, more responsive drivers, and more realistic NPCs who waltz through the streets of Night City, you’re in luck. Patch 1.5 contains most of the fixes you were looking for. Next few.
As someone who has invested over 100 hours into the release version of Cyberpunk 2077, I was particularly excited to drive back to the improved Night City. I felt familiar with almost everything in the game in November 2020, and after hours of playing this new generation update, I haven’t had a chance to take another look at the game’s main campaign. This update not only fixed a lot of things that made Night City feel unresponsive, it also significantly improved the way you actually play Cyberpunk 2077, although it felt more like a table setting than the original real-life living room.
I’m not saying gunshots change or get better all of a sudden (if you didn’t like them then you probably won’t like them now), but AI enemies are more responsive to player reactions and combat is more fluid. In-game maps are easier to use than ever. As a result, it is more organized, less complex and chaotic. While the economy has actually been redesigned to make buying a car sensible, previously the price was exorbitantly high, so you could buy a car you liked from the first play and use it throughout the game. It also goes on sale in Wilson’s weapon shop, making it even more appealing to customize your V with new gear. You can buy multiple apartments or you can buy a remodel to change the entire interior of the place you live in.
When I originally played Cyberpunk 2077, I actually had a pretty good time. I felt completely deceived by the marketing of CD Projekt Red. Its release on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One was honestly unacceptable. But the actual 100 hours I spent in Night City are a time to look back on the times I loved. Of course, Cyberpunk 2077 wasn’t a great RPG that would define the genre for years to come, but like dozens of other RPGs that I play every year and say “clean” after the credits go up, Cyberpunk 2077 gives me a good score. Time, though, the one that made me want a little more.
In many ways, Cyberpunk 2077 didn’t live up to the standards of open world games that came out years before its release. Why did driving feel scary? Why couldn’t I see properly outside the dashboard of my car or in front of the motorcycle? Why did the traffic react as if it were in a 2007 game and not a 2020 title? Why did Night City feel so lifeless? Hell, CD Projekt Red has already made the city bustling with more activity and life in the 2015 game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Why do you still want the features of Cyberpunk 2077 that should be the standard for open world RPGs? Alas, I still wanted to, but patch 1.5 provides a lot of such features.
All of this is that if you feel that Cyberpunk 2077 is years behind the competition, this patch may be for you. Cyberpunk 2077 on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X features both a 30FPS ray tracing mode with dynamic 4K resolution and a 60FPS performance mode with dynamic 4K resolution. Both look great, especially the performance mode shines. Still, don’t expect Night City to look like what you’d see in dozens of trailers or gameplay segments for chunky PCs with top-notch graphics cards. That’s not it. But expect a full cyberpunk RPG that plays just like any other first-person open-world game you’ve played before.
Cyberpunk 2077 won’t be the same as we all thought before launch. But at this point, it’s a complete game that runs and looks great and features a gameplay loop. A campaign awaits you in the city of night. If you’re playing on a newer-gen console, it might not be an amazing game you’ll experience on a max-spec PC, but it’s finally going to be a fun and wacky prank with an RPG that’s almost a year and a month old.
