Cyberpunk 2077 2.0 REVIEW

One of the most "improved" games post-launch ever.

By Ameer Ammar

256 Hours is how many hours I've spent in the world of Cyberpunk 2077 across PS5 and PC with 3  full playthroughs and every quest completed, This marks the third time I review the main game of Cyberpunk, and to say this game has come far since my first review is an understatement

I started my original review in 2020 with the quote "it's a shame to play the unfinished version of what could be one of the greatest games ever.", I am happy to say that not only is that finished version here, It has exceeded my own expectations in how much CDPR would set out to update and improve. Frankly every single aspect of the game has been touched up that it's almost impossible to list out all the changes and my thoughts on them in this review, Instead these are my thoughts on the current experience as a whole. First I have to iterate this, Cyberpunk is a story game first and foremost, this isn't a Night City life simulator nor is it GTA in the future, even if it has come really close to that with 2.0 in it's open world

Story Cyberpunk 2077 has one of the strongest storylines told in gaming, from all the characters, the side quests and especially the main missions, you can really tell the folks who gave us The Witcher 3 are behind these stories, Judy, Panam, Johnny, V, and so many others are so fleshed out and will genuinely move you to tears with the major story events and plot twists, V especially as both male and female is a major standout, despite the fact you rarely see their face due to the locked first person perspective, you become incredibly attached to them over time. Keanu/Johnny's constant presence as this ghost in your head causes for some hilarious commentary and frankly elevates almost every single moment of this game, a simple investigation in an old forgotten apartment turns into hilarity as Johnny begins to complain about being stuck in V's head of all people, Keanu delivers a stellar unforgettable performance here, as does the entire cast tbh, Cherami Leigh as female V is a major highlight too, her acting elevates V for me as a character, and honestly reminded me of the GOAT performance of Arthur Morgan by Roger Clark. Gameplay Cyberpunk is a blast to play, pretty much every quest is designed in an almost immersive sim structure, you are rarely forced into playing a specific way, with 2.0 and all the new skills, there's frankly countless playstyles to choose from, Stealth is fantastic especially, hacking really elevates so many of these playstyles as an added depth, whether that's combined with all out combat or used for stealth, it is fantastic.

Gunplay feels great, with the damage adjustments done post-launch Cyberpunk has entirely lost that bulletspongey feel that it had before, even the weakest guns from early on hit HARD, it's a far cry from dumping countless magazines into one enemy as it was before, and some of the way these weapons are animated gives them such unique identity, the spinny gun tricks and melee done with the Malorian are 10/10. Melee is pretty much as good as you can get from first person, being able to block bullets with your Katana never ceases to feel cool, Punches hit hard, Mantis blades are awesome and with the new upgrades to blunt weapons, you can be throwing enemies' bodies at each other, it is wild how offensively of a playstyle you can play here, I also love how satisfying the new knives throwing playstyle is.

The Police System is great, it feels pretty much ripped out of GTA 5 with it's 5 star system and MaxTac at max level and that's not a bad thing at all, the chases are a blast and facing them head on is insanely cool with the new combat skills.

World While graphically Night City has always looked stunning, interactivity wise it falls flat and while huge strides have been made here with so many more NPCs having conversations that you can listen in, random gang fights, car chases etc, I will say to not expect that much from the world, Police behave realistically and patrol the streets, but general NPCs are mostly lifeless, I do wish they invested more in immersive aspects like sitting at bars, hanging out with friends, going to resturants etc, but Cyberpunk is just not that kind of game, it now more than ever encourages you to constantly be on the move, Immersed through it's story and quests rather than it's open world interactions Music Cyberpunk's Soundtrack is frankly stellar, with tracks like V's theme and The Rebel Path being actual gym bangers that I use while excerising, it is fantastic and the composers here absolutely COOKED, I also love the radio stations music, The Dirge, Body heat & Morro Rock radio are my favs and offer various bangers, Music from Edgerunners is all taken from here

FINAL VERDICT

Cyberpunk as it stands, is one of the most fun, engrossing and breathtaking games you can play on your PS5/XSX/XSS/PC, With incredible writing, fun gameplay and a gorgeous world, It is a must-buy and with over 3 years of updates and improvements behind it

Cyberpunk 2077 - 10/10 - MUST-BUY