I did not follow the events leading up to the release of Cyberpunk 2077 with ardent fervor. In fact, it wasn't until a year and a half after the game released that I finally got around to playing it. Up until that point however, I noticed that very few people actually talked about the game, which stood in stark contrast to the overwhelming hype that seemed to radiate from people who desperately fell for an idealized imaginary game. You could pick up Cyberpunk 2077 and draw a simple comparison: it's like Deus Ex mashed with Grand Theft Auto. And I'd be inclined to agree with that comparison. But not for very long. The mechanical depth is so shallow, the immersive elements are almost entirely vacant, and the narrative cohesion is so skewed. Cyberpunk 2077 is a phenomenal game on paper. You can isolate each aspect and consider, "Hey, that sounds kind of good." And it kind of is. But the cracks in the facade grow into a substantial rend in what should have been something much greater. But I can't completely disregard this game. Obviously people worked hard on it, some may even have worked with a good deal of love in their hearts. But that excuse doesn't last long when you stand on a sidewalk of Night City, watching a traffic jam that resulted from an event that you may not have witnessed (or maybe you never could). UI elements remain on-screen long after they should have been dismissed, characters evoke very little emotion, cars drive awfully. Imagine a car that weighs only 40 lbs (or 18 kg), with tires that haven't had traction in years, and a speedometer that just does not work. The roads are often completely clear of traffic, police are a joke and seem to just spawn in behind you (nothin personnel kid), and each interaction is disappointment after disappointment. What is left? A hollow game. A game that compels you to spend your time doing anything else. Every choice you make is completely meaningless until the last hour of the game, and even then... Sigh.
