Cyberpunk 2077 is CyberJUNK 2077

Blog post by: Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24

Cyberpunk 2077 is arguably one of the most hyped video games since Grand Theft Auto V back in 2013. The success of The Witcher 3 on PC and all major consoles left big boots to fill when it came to CD Project Red’s (CDPR) next adventure. Fast forward to December 10th 2020, and after Cyberpunk’s multiple delays the gaming universe was finally graced with the release. Sadly that release has fallen flat on its face and us gamers are not happy. Cyberpunk 2077 has been branded “a buggy mess” and even more so on base Xbox One and PS4 consoles. It warrants the question; why did CDPR bother releasing such an ambitious game on base consoles? Why not exclusively release on the PS5 and Xbox Series S/X? I believe money is the most obvious answer. Not everyone has been able to acquire the latest generations’ consoles which would have meant a very large portion of the market not being able to play Cyberpunk 2077.

So here we are, two days after launch as I write this! I have been live streaming Cyberpunk on my PS4 Pro. The textures seriously lack, rendering takes quite a few seconds (especially on vehicles), the city feels drastically empty and the combat is very lethargic. In summary, I completely agree that Cyberflunk is a broken mess. Gamers unable to see the console performance prior to launch too. All previews and reviews showcased PC footage. CD Project Red also provided reviewers with the actual review footage. That’s right!! The embargo did not allow reviewers to capture their own gameplay. That is a red flag right there. I would go as far to say that this is very misleading in the marketing of Cyberpunk for console gamers. To cap it off Cyberpunk 2077 is rocking an eye watering and painful Metacritic score of 2.3 on PS4 as I write this. For a game studio as big as CDPR this is unacceptable. In fact I believe it is heartbreaking for gamers that are trying to play on base consoles. With most other game developers I would be worried that the game would be broken forever but as we know, CDPR are a dev team that show long term support for their games.

Hot Fix 1.04 launched yesterday which cleans up a lot of the issues around stability and bugs. There is definitely a long way to go before Cyberflunk truly becomes the enriching Cyberpunk experience we were led to believe in. Besides from stablity and bug fixes here is what I would like to see evolve in Night City:

• Increased draw distance
• More NPC’s on streets
• More vehicles on the roads
• Increased NPC interaction
• Added detailing on the streets (more graffiti, litter etc)

These are just a few changes that I would like to see brought in over the next month. For me it would certainly make Cyberpunk feel more alive and fleshed out and less like a Fallout 3 launch game. For now there are some minor work-arounds that I tweaked to improve the visuals I turned off film grain and motion blur. Whilst these tweaks were not game changing; Cyberpunk become more palatable to play. Consider making these changes on your consoles.

On the plus side it seems like my six hours playtime has not been anywhere near as bad as some gamers. I’ve strangled invisible enemies, witnessed a police car appear before my eyes and noticed ten second freezes mid-scene. This seems like nothing compared to what other gamers have had to battle. 

#Cyberpunk2077 #Cyberbug2077 @CyberpunkGame @CDPROJEKTRED @AdamBadowski I can understand the many bugs in the game but THIS, i mean... i literaly EVEN CAN'T START to play your game :). PLZ SEND SOME HELP OR PATCH THIS SH*T. pic.twitter.com/CZAbMt9FRg

— El Cuarentener (@El_Insulter) December 11, 2020

This is not acceptable. However, I have every faith that CD Projekt Red are going to fix it. I am choosing to stand by the game and I will continue to live stream my ventures throughout Night City and beyond. Afterall, lets not forget how Hello Games pulled back No Man's Sky.

​Blog post by: Gemma @ Juicy Game Reviews / TheGebs24

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