When Cyberpunk 2077 was first announced, many suspected it would be the next big thing. After the massive success of The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, many believed that CD Projekt Red’s next big title would be innovative and game-breaking, redefining the RPG genre. Then during Microsoft’s press showing at E3 2019, Keanu Reeves took to the stage to reveal more information about the game; this information included the role he would play in the game. In fact, Cyberpunk 2077 was arguably the most anticipated game of 2019. Despite previously announcing a release date, the game would be delayed multiple times throughout 2020. Sadly, the game would launch on December 10th, 2020, on the PS4 and Xbox One with a variety of bugs; this would result in a lawsuit and the game and developer’s name being tarnished.
Earlier this year, CD Projekt Red kept to its word and released Cyberpunk 2077 for the Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. The next-gen version of the game was released on February 15th, 2022; we originally planned to review the game upon release but suffered a setback. Despite the circumstances that happened, we are kind of thankful that we took our time with this game. Yes, there are many other Cyberpunk reviews out there, but this comes after the Cyberpunk Edgerunners announcement. So without further delay, let’s jump into our Cyberpunk 2077 Xbox Series X review.
Gameplay
Retrying Cyberpunk 2077, we were a bit nervous that the bugs we experienced during our Xbox 360 playthrough would return; during that playthrough, the game broke 10 times within the first 30 minutes. Thankfully, during this playthrough, we did not experience any game-breaking bugs. Yes, there were still some issues, but nothing like the original release. Most of the game’s bugs were comical. Guns spinning through AI’s arms, enemies floating, and random spawns.
At times, the gameplay can be rather frustrating. You can attempt to help the police takedown criminals but one stray shot and you’ll be a fugitive of the law. Rather than exploring Night City thoroughly, we took a more direct path to the game’s end. Yes, this did limit our experience, but we plan to return to Night City in the future. The only time we did not do the main storyline quest was when story progression was blocked. During those instances, we would just roam the streets doing random encounters. Just from the encounters we experienced, we can easily expect a lot more sidequests and random events in Cyberpunk’s world.
At the end of the day, each player’s Cyberpunk 2077 story can be different from someone else. Each choice the player makes impacts the overall plot of the game and can who lives or dies. This is clearly evident based on the game’s multiple endings. Depending on the route the player takes, key characters can appear in the final chapter and V’s relationship with Johnny can be drastically different.
Choices
Character customization in the game allows players to create a character they would enjoy looking at for hours. In fact, we spent over an hour designing our character. The customization in the game was exciting but didn’t feel like it was a landmark system. At the end of the day, our character’s body and face were covered by equipment. As far as we could tell, the only customization features equipment has is mods. Weapons on the other hand can have attachments and mods.
As previously mentioned, the player’s choices can drastically change the outcome of the game. Each choice can improve or destroy a friendship, build a romantic relationship, or save a random stranger opening a future questline. The player’s decisions can even impact how they play the game. Yes, this seems like a no-brain thought, but depending on the background the player chooses and the abilities they level, can impact each player’s gameplay. This means you can choose to be a run and gun player, a swordsman, a hacker, or an unstoppable tank.
Hacking in the game can be rather difficult at first but eventually, it is easy to overcome. Depending on which hack you attempt can give different rewards.
Graphics/Audio
When comparing Cyberpunk 2077‘s Xbox One vs Xbox Series X graphics, it is almost a night and day experience. Visual effects appear like they are supposed to with very little bullet lag. While playing, we noticed only a few issues where NPCs would randomly spawn or despawn, but this was typical of no consequence. The game bugs have drastically dropped compared to the previous generation and even some of the bugs early on have also disappeared. Playing with all the settings on allows the player to experience all the game’s beauty.
Players can choose to change their visual perspectives. This allows the player to drive either in first person or third person. This makes getting around Night City a lot easier since you can’t always see what’s coming.
As we were playing through the game, we noticed only a few instances where the audio and video didn’t synchronize properly; thankfully, this did not ruin the scene and was corrected by waiting to give a response to the AI. Most of the game’s radio channels and songs are easily forgettable and it is more enjoyable to listen to the random street sounds and special effects than the game’s soundtrack. The game will still have issues where phone calls will sometimes override gameplay dialog.
Controls
When it comes to the game’s controls, they are similar to most modern first-person shooters. Excluding the left bumper, the main controller buttons do what you expect them to do in shooters like Halo, Call of Duty, Destiny, and Outriders. The left bumper controls the player’s hacking abilities and augments. The directional pad controls the game’s cellphone feature, the summoning of vehicles, and healing.
When it comes to controller layouts, this layout allows gamers who have played Fallout, Mass Effect, and even Skyrim to access the game with ease.
Replay Value
Like many other RPGs, Cyberpunk 2077 offers the players a variety of activities to complete. Most of the side missions feel like they have much significance to the overarching story but allows the player to form new relationships while strengthing others. Despite the game having multiple endings, players are not required to restart the game to see the alternate endings. In fact, after completing the final mission the player can make other options or do side quests in order to unlock different endings.
Players can play through the game in a variety of ways. Each playthrough can be different or exactly the same. Thank god there is no Stealth archer class.
Verdict
Going into Cyberpunk 2077, we were a bit concerned that some of the problems from the last generation would carry over into the Xbox Series X and PS5 versions of the game. Thankfully, the wait for the next gen did not disappoint. For the most point, the game ran smoothly with very minor issues. The music on the game’s radio is easily forgettable; players should replace it with music they actually enjoy or just listen to the game’s environment.
Playthrough Cyberpunk was made easier due to the similar controls of other popular shooters and RPGs. Players who are looking for hours of gameplay can find themselves easily lost in this game either through side quests or by trying out different fighting styles. Overall, we enjoyed our time with Cyberpunk 2077 and it is worth giving the game a second chance.
We will revisit this review once the multiplayer is released…. if ever.
