It’s fair to say that CD Projekt Red’s ambitious futuristic FPSCyberpunk 2077didn’t get off to the best start. Riddled with bugs to the point that some thought it was unplayable and missing some promised or expected features at launch, fans quickly soured onCyberpunk 2077and its fate seemed to be sealed. But gamers also love a comeback story, and almost two years after the ill-fated launch,Cyberpunk 2077seems to have clawed back its player base with extensive updates and patches. It may take more to restore fans' faith in the studio, but CD Projekt Red has definitely been making strides in the right direction.
Despite the rocky launch and the various controversies around the game, players do have otherconcerns aboutCyberpunk 2077’s gameplay. It may be considered a great game now thanks to some transformative post-launch updates, but there are a few fans who think it’s best in its opening moments. Playing through the Prologue shows Night City at its finest, and some believe the rest of the game doesn’t quite live up to it.
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The Opening Prologue
Much was made ofCyberpunk 2077’s Lifepathsbefore the game launched. While it’s true that the decision between Corpo, Nomad, and Street Kid did give players unique openings and offered different dialogue options throughout the game, the differences were fairly negligible onceCyberpunk 2077really got underway. However, the Prologue was definitely the moment where the player’s choice felt like it had meaning, and it helped them create a backstory for their individual V and flesh out the character.
The Prologue also focused heavily onJackie Welles and his friendship with V– arguably some of the most heartfelt and authentic moments between characters in the game. Even though gamers didn’t get to explore the varied wonders of Night City to their heart’s content the way they would once the Prologue came to an end, it was actually really enjoyable to see a slice of the city through the more curated section of gameplay.
The Prologue was anaction-packed and intriguing start toCyberpunk 2077, and it effectively showed off the society, setup, and vibe of Night City while still giving players something to do and things to engage with. The dark tone was immediately established and players were introduced to the world ofCyberpunk 2077and shown their place within it.
The Wider Game
Cyberpunk 2077has a lot to offer outside the Prologue – it’s a vast, sprawling game with unique side missions and some thrilling main quests. However, the Prologue arguably packs a punch in ways that the rest of the game lacks. It’s the chance for the player to shape their V and establish key relationships, and even in a short space of time, it creates a believable bond between V and Jackie so that the latter’s death early on in the game feels like a genuine loss. Through the rest ofCyberpunk 2077, V seems like much more of a blank slate, even if they can establish relationships with other characters and engage in some entertaining back and forths withrebellious rocker Johnny Silverhand.
Having the freedom of Night City and the Badlands, as well as picking and choosing missions and seeing all that the settings have to offer, is a really fun aspect ofCyberpunk 2077. However, once players move past the Prologue, that’s when a lot of the technical issues and bugs started to appear asthe whole of Night City becomes available. Sometimes there’s also almost too much to see and do, and players long for the more hand-holding style of the game’s opening moments when they could still experienceCyberpunk 2077in all its glory, but through a much more focused lens.
Cyberpunk 2077is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
