DarkGriffen
2020
"A thing of beauty, will never fade way."
There's a lot to talk about, and I don't think anyone can talk about this game without at least mentioning its disaster of a launch.
I recall pre-ordering this game before launch, getting super hyped due to my previous experience with all of CDPRs prior works, and whilst the main story didn't disappoint me personally, the open world, RPG mechanics, and overall buggy state of the game (not even talking about how broken the console versions were) left a lot to be desired and felt like a betrayal to a lot of gamers for good reason after the years of overhype and overpromising.
But CDPR never gave up on the game when a lot of other devs and publishers would've, and over nearly 3 years from launch, they continued to work, polish, refine, and eventually gave us the game that we all wanted back in 2018.
And hoo boy, is this game with both the 2.0 update, and Phantom Liberty, a genuine gem that should be experienced, especially for people who love thought provoking and dark narratives.
The old skill/perk system was completely thrown out and rebuilt from scratch with skills having more worth and sometimes giving you new abilities and features like being able to air dodge, leap from cars into the air to get a drop on an enemy, or God of War style finishers to restore HP.
The loot and equipment system was also retooled from the generic Borderlands-y bigger numbers RNG bullshit into a more tier based upgrading system, meaning you can keep a favorite weapon or three, continue to upgrade them throughout the game, and actually build around them instead of ditching weapons every other fight for something that has +5 DPS.
The music was also always top tier even in the base game, and Phantom Liberty managed to add even more amazing tracks, some becoming personal favorites.
Characters are well written and the main highlights of both the base game and expansion, with most of them feeling like real, flawed, broken, but also likeable characters, with even the most hardshelled and volatile ones like Johnny Silverhand having understandable reasoning as to why they are the way they are.
I think one of the few flaws the game still has and will always have is the amount of junk feeling open world content in the base game, whilst they did improve on the way they were designed in the expansion, the gigs in the base game feel a bit detached, with there not being much communication with your client or fixer outside of an email giving background lore on the jobs which you can entirely miss out on. Which makes me feel less invested in the stories behind the gigs than I'd like, especially in comparison to the ones in Phantom Liberty, or the contracts in Witcher 3. The NCPD busts are also entirely junk open world content that feel just there to pad out the map with shit to do.
Hopefully with the second Cyberpunk game, they manage to match the gig quality with the ones in PL, and add more interesting things to do around the city like Yakuza/GTA style minigames, friend hangouts, or stuff like that.
Overall, this is a game I can't recommend enough, and as time goes on, it only becomes even more of a personal favorite of mine that is near and dear to my heart, and it is very commendable that the devs were given the chance to save this game from being a complete failure like so many in this industry end up being.
That being said, it should've never released in the state it did, and I can only hope going forward that CDPR has learned their lesson and won't do this again, as I don't think you can pull this off twice. And as we have learned from recent industry failures, the rest of the gaming industry sure hasn't learned anything
There's a lot to talk about, and I don't think anyone can talk about this game without at least mentioning its disaster of a launch.
I recall pre-ordering this game before launch, getting super hyped due to my previous experience with all of CDPRs prior works, and whilst the main story didn't disappoint me personally, the open world, RPG mechanics, and overall buggy state of the game (not even talking about how broken the console versions were) left a lot to be desired and felt like a betrayal to a lot of gamers for good reason after the years of overhype and overpromising.
But CDPR never gave up on the game when a lot of other devs and publishers would've, and over nearly 3 years from launch, they continued to work, polish, refine, and eventually gave us the game that we all wanted back in 2018.
And hoo boy, is this game with both the 2.0 update, and Phantom Liberty, a genuine gem that should be experienced, especially for people who love thought provoking and dark narratives.
The old skill/perk system was completely thrown out and rebuilt from scratch with skills having more worth and sometimes giving you new abilities and features like being able to air dodge, leap from cars into the air to get a drop on an enemy, or God of War style finishers to restore HP.
The loot and equipment system was also retooled from the generic Borderlands-y bigger numbers RNG bullshit into a more tier based upgrading system, meaning you can keep a favorite weapon or three, continue to upgrade them throughout the game, and actually build around them instead of ditching weapons every other fight for something that has +5 DPS.
The music was also always top tier even in the base game, and Phantom Liberty managed to add even more amazing tracks, some becoming personal favorites.
Characters are well written and the main highlights of both the base game and expansion, with most of them feeling like real, flawed, broken, but also likeable characters, with even the most hardshelled and volatile ones like Johnny Silverhand having understandable reasoning as to why they are the way they are.
I think one of the few flaws the game still has and will always have is the amount of junk feeling open world content in the base game, whilst they did improve on the way they were designed in the expansion, the gigs in the base game feel a bit detached, with there not being much communication with your client or fixer outside of an email giving background lore on the jobs which you can entirely miss out on. Which makes me feel less invested in the stories behind the gigs than I'd like, especially in comparison to the ones in Phantom Liberty, or the contracts in Witcher 3. The NCPD busts are also entirely junk open world content that feel just there to pad out the map with shit to do.
Hopefully with the second Cyberpunk game, they manage to match the gig quality with the ones in PL, and add more interesting things to do around the city like Yakuza/GTA style minigames, friend hangouts, or stuff like that.
Overall, this is a game I can't recommend enough, and as time goes on, it only becomes even more of a personal favorite of mine that is near and dear to my heart, and it is very commendable that the devs were given the chance to save this game from being a complete failure like so many in this industry end up being.
That being said, it should've never released in the state it did, and I can only hope going forward that CDPR has learned their lesson and won't do this again, as I don't think you can pull this off twice. And as we have learned from recent industry failures, the rest of the gaming industry sure hasn't learned anything
2023
13 years, I have waited 13 long years for this game.
And after all of that time, I was concerned it'd disappoint like many games in development hell do.
It didn't, it was more than I ever could've expected.
Thank you Sam Lake, you goddamn mad man.
And after all of that time, I was concerned it'd disappoint like many games in development hell do.
It didn't, it was more than I ever could've expected.
Thank you Sam Lake, you goddamn mad man.
2023
Oh man oh man, where to begin with this game.
To put it simply, even with some of the bugs and technical issues Act 3 has, this is one of the best games and best RPGs I have ever played. There has never been a single RPG going off of memory that has nailed the characters, the main story, the world that you explore, the side content, and the sheer amount of interactivity and choices available here, all at once. While the game definitely has some smaller flaws and isn't perfect, with some QOL for the inventory system being needed, and one companions storyline needing a more proper conclusion. this game is a landmark achievement for CRPGs, and will be talked about and used as a benchmark for many years to come.
-Update 30/11/2023
Since posting this review, Larian has gone far and beyond and fixed a majority of the issues already. If you have been waiting on playing the game, this is the time
To put it simply, even with some of the bugs and technical issues Act 3 has, this is one of the best games and best RPGs I have ever played. There has never been a single RPG going off of memory that has nailed the characters, the main story, the world that you explore, the side content, and the sheer amount of interactivity and choices available here, all at once. While the game definitely has some smaller flaws and isn't perfect, with some QOL for the inventory system being needed, and one companions storyline needing a more proper conclusion. this game is a landmark achievement for CRPGs, and will be talked about and used as a benchmark for many years to come.
-Update 30/11/2023
Since posting this review, Larian has gone far and beyond and fixed a majority of the issues already. If you have been waiting on playing the game, this is the time
2018
One of the most creepy, disturbing, and outright punishing games I've played in a good while.
This game is absolutely drenched in a miserable atmosphere (in a good way!) that will make you feel entirely hopeless as you crawl through its never-ending dungeon, as its denizens continue to crush, slam, and dismember you into bits over and over again.
At times, the game feels more like a rogue-like/survival horror early in rather than a RPG. Not a game I'd recommend to someone with little to no patience to learn, but, if you are able to take your time, be patient, and learn the systems and ways to get around Fear & Hunger, you will be able to make it through, and it is one of those games that you will feel immense satisfaction conquering
Some of the main downsides to the game really have to be related to minor issues like bugs, typos in English, some potential freezes and crashes here and there, and maybe the RNG systems being a little too much at times.
If you are into dark and disturbing horror along the lines of Berserk, or maybe Lovecraft, this game is one of a kind and worth the shot considering how cheap it is. Do note not to take the content warnings lightly though, This game does feature graphic depictions of gore, sexual violence, and nudity. Not for the faint of heart
This game is absolutely drenched in a miserable atmosphere (in a good way!) that will make you feel entirely hopeless as you crawl through its never-ending dungeon, as its denizens continue to crush, slam, and dismember you into bits over and over again.
At times, the game feels more like a rogue-like/survival horror early in rather than a RPG. Not a game I'd recommend to someone with little to no patience to learn, but, if you are able to take your time, be patient, and learn the systems and ways to get around Fear & Hunger, you will be able to make it through, and it is one of those games that you will feel immense satisfaction conquering
Some of the main downsides to the game really have to be related to minor issues like bugs, typos in English, some potential freezes and crashes here and there, and maybe the RNG systems being a little too much at times.
If you are into dark and disturbing horror along the lines of Berserk, or maybe Lovecraft, this game is one of a kind and worth the shot considering how cheap it is. Do note not to take the content warnings lightly though, This game does feature graphic depictions of gore, sexual violence, and nudity. Not for the faint of heart
An amazing political cop thriller, and one of the best written video games i have ever played. It is very dialogue heavy, and it may not be to everyones taste, but throughout my 43 hour playthrough it was never boring and i was captivated from every witty, funny, and depressing conversation from beginning to end. Worth a try if you are into more story driven CRPGs, or maybe even choice focused VNs