Well, the game has been out for a bit now.... And there is no denying that the launch was a mess...
I picked up the game for PC, and am happy to say that after 40 hours of play, I have not found or had a single game breaking bug. I have had however, hundreds of small little bugs. (more on that later*).
From what I understand however, the console release for both platforms is all but unplayable... <insert console peasant joke here>
I have only a rough familiarity with Cyberpunk 2020, and know almost nothing about the RPG reboot of cyberpunk.... Shadowrun has always been my flavour of choice for Cyberpunk RPGs. But as a computer game... For me at least it hits all the boxes.
This is a "true" RPG in the sense that you have all the markings of a RPG... you have player assigned stats that change the way you can play the game. There are skills that influence your ability to do things from shooting, to hacking, to even running...
Attributes can only be advanced by gaining a level (and later 2 or even 3 levels per attribute point). However skills improve just by using the skill. Found a really good shotgun, but didn't put any skill points into shotguns? No problem! just use the shotgun, and slowly level of the skill, and earn skill perk points for doing so!
The main plot of the story is exactly what you would expect from a cyberpunk story.. Convoluted, Twisting, Filled with double crosses, drama, and a splash of apathy.
The side missions are (so far) well written and fit well into the setting. There is a good mix of everything; Sneaking missions, combat missions, Looting missions, investigation missions..... And some that just present moral and ethical decisions...Most missions have multiple ways to complete them, so most play styles can finish a mission without defaulting to just "run and gun"... or you can do that too
Gun play is smooth, even a little frustrating at times (reasons later**). The Cyberware options add flavour and utility to your character, and come with obvious modification to your avatar. Meaning, as you get more and more augments, those augments are reflected on your avatar. Skills make sense, and there is not an overabundance of them, and each one provides a actual benefit to your build!
The city, and landscape actually feels alive! CDPR did a good job of making a crowded city feel alive and functional. Citizens walk the streets, talking and going about their lives. Traffic flows at all times on the streets filling them with a variety of vehicles. Every district has its own feel as well... from the graffiti and garbage filled streets of Pacifica to the clean, gleaming towers of Downtown... each area is unique, yet tied to the whole.
That was the good.... now the "Meh" parts.
The character creator. It's a "Meh" in the grand scheme of things. Sure there are option for things... even things that other games don't have...
In a first for a game outside of the VR porn industry, you get to determine the size of your "junk" (penis and testicles for males, breasts for females).... You can even mix and match. Put a penis on your Female avatar, or tits on your male avatar... or even go completely junkless on either!
512 hair colors... 30 hair styles... 512 eye colors.... 20 skin tones...
And none of this actually makes a single difference in game in any shape or form as you NEVER, EVER see your character in the world.... The game is entirely 1st person view (the only option for 3rd person is when in a vehicle). The only time you see anything more then your hands and forearms is in the Character Sheet, where you equip clothing and weapons, or when you look into a mirror.
Can't change your height, weight, or general build shape.
IMHO they could have saved some time and manpower here.... time and manpower better spent on polish...(this game needs some polish)
Fashion!
Apparently, in 2077 a disease has been unleashed on the world that robbed people of their fashion sense! Yes, I know its the future... but shiny GOLD Business suit jackets DO NOT go with Silver Booty shorts, and neon pink Combat boots on a Toon that weighs 400lbs and 2 spindly cyber legs.... (Its an image I saw on hour 2 of the game... and haunts me to this day....). Mind you, All my clothing says either "Levi", "Fox" or "Carhart" on it.. so what do I know.
Weapons!
At first, you go "Wow! There are lot of different weapon types in the game!" then you realize that in actuality, there are about 20 weapon skins that just get reused over and over again. And since weapons are a level affair, That "super awesome legendary quality" rifle you found might (and usually is!) weaker then that Common Quality weapon you just looted off of "Random gang thug #1,233,412,434" Fortunately, there is an upgrade option... if you use skill points and Attribute points in the right skill and attributes. (Which, if we are being honest, is not hard to do..)
The "Bad"
This game runs on a Hit Point system... with some enemies having hundreds of health... which leads to bullet sponges. In Some cases to insane levels. Nothing reminds you that you are playing a game then shooting a target in the head for the 15th time, and the enemy still has 3/4 of his health left.
Not going to lie to you... This game needed another year to polish even the PC release (and considering the Xbox and PS release issues...). Most of what I have encountered is small, annoying, and humorous bugs. The most common being people and cars just "popping" into existence. One second I am crossing an empty street, the next I am knocked to the ground by a spawned car... People popping in and out of existence happens too, and can get very unimmersive, especially when the exact same guy walks past you 4 times in 15 seconds...
Vehicles... what can I say about them...the cars you get to buy range from awesome to clunkers... just the way it should be. Driving in 1st person is almost impossible in some cars, as you never actually see the road! But some hybrid "straight ahead/sky" view that helps you exactly 0% to see what is actually in front of you or where the road is! Thankfully there is a 3rd person view for driving and that works well.
The AI controlled cars on the other hand.... OMG... I have seen better driving in Pakistan and India... and both those countries operate on the principle of "if you own it, you can drive it! No license or skill required! (Or at least seem too!) AI vehicles will miss corners, and run over civilians (and cause mass panic in the area). Smash into barricades (and cause mass panic in the area). Crash into each other. Stop in the middle of the roads, randomly change lanes directly front of you.... And other crazy AI decisions.
One Mission has you riding with a cop for 4km on the roads with him driving.... And I now know why The people of Night city hates cops... In 4km of roadway, he ran over 5 women, 6 men, and 3 kids. Smashed into 18 cars, and drove THOUGH 3 yards... (getting 1 kid kill a yard!).... And all he could do was drone on and on about how his sister hates him. Not a word for the multiple smashed vehicles, or run over civilians.... not even an "ooops"...
The navmesh is incomplete in some areas, leading to interesting encounters as cars "fall" through the pavement, before jumping back up to road level, often damaged, and in several cases, exploding.
Graphical bugs exist. The most common being Cars are not rendered, but the occupants are, so you see "sitting" people speeding down roadways on occasion.
Delays in commands is the most common bug I have found... Nothing like having combat start, and you CAN NOT draw a single weapon for 45 seconds, no matter how many times you mash the trigger (auto brings up your last used weapon.) or the weapon hot keys, or the draw weapon button....
Unresponsive clickables is another... "Have to click a button to get the elevator to move? Well we are not going to let you click that button! HA!!! Please wait 45 seconds... or reload the game and a save".
Some speech options are on a timer... great. I LOVE reading 8 sentences among 4 choices and making a decision in the 1.23 seconds I have left because of lag between the time of the prompt for the dialogue choices, and the counter starting... Which can lead to you dying instantly because you didn't respond in time, or picked the wrong choice because you didn't have time to read and understand the choices available in the SHORT time you had to make the choice.
Conclusion.
This is a good game, hampered by bugs. Once the bugs are gone, I would recommend this game to anyone that loves Shadowrun or Cyberpunk in general.
* As mentioned above, I have had hundreds of these little graphical bugs, none of them game breaking, and the most common I detailed above. But they are jarring, and breaks the immersion of the game to some degree.
** Combat can be really janky at times. At first I chalked this up to bugs in the code going a little haywire.. But after some time playing and talking to others who are playing, what is actually happening during these "janky" moments is that the NPCs are using cyberware enhancements.... Enhancements YOU don't have access to at this point in the game. And, some NPCs are so loaded with specialized cyberware, it makes some combat options just futile! Don't waste ammo from your LMG shooting a melee cybermonster.... he WILL dodge 90% of the lead you throw at him.... Conversely Nothing stops you in the later game from getting the exact same cyber, and thus dodging 90% of the lead thrown at you! (if you have the Eddies and the Cred for the ware that is...)
