Introduction
In my experience, great open-world RPGs like The Witcher 3 or Skyrim aren’t defined by the strength of their main story, but by the quality of their side missions. With Cyberpunk 2077, developer CD Projekt Red has embraced this philosophy, crafting an entire game around it. While the central questline is surprisingly short yet utterly compelling, most of what you can do in Night City is entirely optional but still impactful. This freeform structure isn’t without faults, including numerous distracting bugs, but the strength of the missions—optional or not—and the choices you have within them make Cyberpunk 2077 one of the most exciting, emotional, and fun RPGs in recent years.
Character and Story
You play as V, a mercenary in Night City who ends up with the psyche of long-dead rockstar and anti-corporate terrorist Johnny Silverhand trapped in their head. Johnny, played by Keanu Reeves, is a wonderfully dislikable character, despite Reeves’ stiff performance being the weakest of an otherwise impressive cast. Johnny’s confrontational relationship with V and their eventual growth is the anchor of this story as they seek a solution to their shared predicament.
Immersive Intro
Cyberpunk 2077’s slow-burn intro takes about six hours before the logo splashes on the screen for the first time. This segment, while slightly restrictive, does an incredible job of investing you in V’s struggle, maintaining that investment as the main quests dial up the heat. Once past the intro, you’re free to explore the sprawling map of Night City, where different neighborhoods offer varying challenges and a plethora of side quests to keep you occupied.
Unique Structure
The structure of Cyberpunk 2077 differs from many RPGs, including CD Projekt Red’s own The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt. Unlike the traditional central trunk with branching paths, Cyberpunk 2077 is like a large bush, with dozens of tangled branches within your reach early on. Most quests are just a phone call away, allowing for an abundance of choice and less of a traditional scaling growth. This trade-off offers a unique style of discovery and abundant choice.
Exploring Night City
Night City’s single, unrestricted urban map means you won’t get the “wow” feeling of traveling to new open-world locations. However, the city is dense, diverse, and consistently beautiful, with opportunities to stumble upon unexpected sights. Whether driving through slums, corporate towers, deserts, or lush greenery, the scale and scope of Night City are stunning. The fast-travel system is convenient, but driving manually to soak in the sights is often more rewarding.
Engaging Missions
Cyberpunk 2077 feels like an RPG through and through, with rich, beautifully presented conversations and a vast amount of choices in dialogue, character building, and mission approaches. Choices have a significant impact on both V’s story and the characters around them. The missions themselves range from hilarious to deeply emotional, thrilling to intensely dark. The game’s ability to balance deep, affecting moments with lighthearted goofs and blaring ads is a testament to its storytelling strength.
Impactful Choices
Just because something is a side mission doesn’t mean it’s not important to the story. While mainlining the story took around 20 hours, additional side missions unlocked more endings and options. After reloading a save and spending another 20 hours on side missions, the story expanded with more choices and richer outcomes. The more time invested, the richer the payoff.
Player Control and Mission Structure
Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t about solving an optimal path but rather experiencing a variety of routes. The mission log can be messy, with no clear indications of rewards or relevance to the main story. This can create a sense of confusion about progress. However, once the system is understood, the frustration subsides, revealing a game where different players can experience vastly different versions of V’s story.
RPG Elements and Combat
The RPG elements in Cyberpunk 2077 are robust, with five primary attributes and perks that enhance various playstyles. Combat, while not overly complex, offers flexibility and control through unique weaponry and cybernetic augmentations. The game balances bullet spongy enemies with perks and unique combat options, making the experience more rewarding.
Soundtrack and Atmosphere
The soundtrack in Cyberpunk 2077 is fantastic, particularly the combat music, which drives the pace of firefights. The music, alongside the rich level design, enhances the game’s immersive experience.
Bugs and Performance Issues
Unfortunately, Cyberpunk 2077 is plagued by frequent and distracting bugs. Performance issues, messed up animations, and glitchy dialogue undermine the otherwise powerful moments. While a day-one patch may address stability, the game will likely be more polished in six months to a year.
Verdict
Cyberpunk 2077 thrusts you into a beautiful and dense cityscape with few restrictions. It offers a staggering amount of choice in character building, quest approaches, and combat, with decisions impacting the world and stories around you. Despite a shorter-than-expected main quest and frequent bugs, the game’s flexible design and rich storytelling make it a remarkable RPG.
