Gaming

‘Cyberpunk 2077’ is buggy AF, but it’s a lot of fun – except for one thing

Don’t believe the hype!

December 18, 2020

And just like that, everything has changed. There was a time when CD Projekt Red could seemingly do no wrong. They were pro consumer, about to release the most anticipated game ever, and seemed to have a pulse on what gamers wanted. They even had Keanu Reeves on board!

The release of Cyberpunk 2077 has caused possibly irreparable damage to CDPR. They over promised and under delivered, lied to their fanbase, and have become a laughing stock overnight. It’s not a new thing in the world of gaming. Just ask Bethesda and Bioware. But it seemed like it would never happen to this Polish gaming studio.

Sony Interactive Entertainment has pulled Cyberpunk 2077 from their online stores, and is processing refunds for every customer who purchased the game digitally from Sony.

Cyberpunk 2077 finally released and somehow it’s even buggier than the most pessimistic projections. Here’s the thing: I’m playing on the base PlayStation 4 and have had very few bugs. No T-Poses or private parts hanging out of my pants; no nude drives around Night City and my PS4 only crashed once.

cyberpunk 2077

Sure, when I look in the mirror to see the glorious hair I created, I can’t since I’m bald for some reason. Yes, I have to change my settings every single time I log in since the game doesn’t save them. I’m sure there should be some sort of sound on the crafting menu instead of the silence I’m treated to.

And yes, CDPR definitely over hyped their game. Red Dead Redemption 2 and Persona 5 look better. Cyberpunk is not the next evolution of open world gaming; it’s more of a lateral move where the size of the map is more dense than expansive.

To be fair, what the game does well, it knocks out of the park. I don’t think I have encountered a single cutscene. Everything is just unfolding in front of me, giving a real sense of immersion. Characters are well developed and even though the death of a major supporting character was spoiled for me in a trailer, even though I knew it was coming, it was still impactful and left me feeling genuinely sad.

'Cyberpunk 2077' is buggy AF, but it's a lot of fun - except for one thing

The quests are fantastic and have ranged from me helping a suicidal car to breaking up organized gangs. There’s a true sense of progression. My early attempts at stealth almost always turned into large gunfights. Now, I can wander through a multi-level warehouse filled with bad guys without ever drawing a weapon.

But there’s one thing that really stands out as awful. There has been one part of Cyberpunk where I’ve wanted to stop playing. This has nothing to do with my skill or lack of progression. It is poor game design that completely takes me out of the game.

The driving in Cyberpunk 2077 sucks.

For starters, the cars are way too floaty. As soon as you start driving, you’ll notice it. It’s as if each car weighs next to nothing. Barely touching either the left or right directional on the controller will have you weaving all over the road. There are some differences to each vehicle, but every single one will have you yearning for a long stretch of straight road.

'Cyberpunk 2077' is buggy AF, but it's a lot of fun - except for one thing

Even worse is the minimap. Using it while driving is possibly the most frustrating thing about the game. It’s almost pointless to set a destination since the map never pulls back. It does point you in the right direction, but the turns come up at the last possible second unless you’re driving extremely slow. There’s no time to seamlessly turn into them like in Sleeping Dogs.

True, this is not a game about driving cars, but they are an important part of the game. Some quests are pretty much impossible to do on foot. It’s not a problem if you are just free roaming; but if you have a specific place you want to be, the map will annoy you.

The less said about first person driving, the better.

Despite all the hype, Cyberpunk 2077 did not end up being the best game ever. It is not even the best game of the year or even the month. Its release has been a mess that has ruined CD Projekt Red’s once sterling reputation. For those of us that have been able to play, it is a hell of a lot of fun. Now, if they can just fix the driving.