CyberPunk 2077 officially launched on December 10th, 2020 on PlayStation, Xbox, and PC platforms. The game had a notoriously buggy launch that has been patched multiple times over. Throughout many updates including a next-generation update for the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S the game’s legacy continues to unfold every day. Let’s take a look at where the game is and where it can go next.
Two Years Later: Cyberpunk 2077
A Brief History
Conception for the game started in 2012 and is based on Mike Pondsmith’s CyberPunk series. Formal pre-production for the game began with CD Projekt RED in 2016 following the release of the final expansion pack for The Witcher 3.
After many delays, the game was released with a strong amount of hype, fan anticipation, and media coverage. Upon launch, the game was plagued with many bugs that made the game nearly unplayable on the base PlayStation 4 and Xbox One consoles. CD Projekt RED offered refunds to fans and the game was pulled by the PlayStation store temporarily.
After the rough launch, CD Projekt RED made a commitment to improve the game and allow gamers to explore Night City in all of its glory.
Making Improvements
Following the shaky launch of the game CD Projekt RED went back to the drawing board. The studio rolled out the “Commitment to Excellence”, a promise to fans to deliver the product that had been heavily hyped. The commitment included multiple patches that improved the many glitches that gamers came across during the launch.
Arguably the biggest patch came with the next-gen update. This allowed gamers to explore Night City in a manner that harnessed the full power of the PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X/S. Gamers were able to utilize ray tracing, shorter load times, and other performance updates on the next-gen consoles. The next-gen update came alongside patch 1.5 which added more features to CyberPunk 2077 such as the ability to buy apartments and change character appearance along with other changes to the game.
The latest patch 1.61 was released in November of 2022. As evident by the list of improvements made nearly two years after release, there is still plenty of work to be done in Night City to make the game bug free.
Where Do We Go From Here?
As mentioned previously, there is still work to be done to improve gamers’ experience inside the futuristic world of Night City. The game has drastically improved from the launch state but there is still more work to be done.
Although some DLC has come in the way of alternative looks for Johnny Silverhand, and other cosmetic updates, the first expansion for CyberPunk 2077 titled Phantom Liberty will be released later this year for next-gen consoles. Multiple teaser trailers have been released. Gamers will enter a new section of Night City as a story of espionage unfolds for V and gamers.
Read More: Upcoming Game Releases January 2023
Tie-Ins
Multiple tie-ins have been released to accompany the game. Dark Horse Comics produced a few different comic book series including Trauma Team, You Have My Word, Big City Dreams, and others. A ten-episode prequel anime series “Edgerunners” was also released on Netflix, giving gamers plenty of different looks at Night City.
Two Years Later: Cyberpunk 2077: In Conclusion
Cyberpunk 2077 will long be remembered for the hype surrounding the release and subsequent buggy launch. CD Projekt RED has done everything it can to make things right with gamers through patches and updates. There is more progress to be made but with the number of active players in Night City, it seems gamers are enjoying their stay in the futuristic world of Cyberpunk 2077.
Header photo credit – CD Projekt RED
Stay tuned to Last Word on Gaming for all the latest gaming news and reviews
