PUNKED

Cyberpunk 2077 was an epic game, but three years later, its biggest issues still remain

- 

I'VE LIKED CYBERPUNK 2077 SINCE LAUNCH. I NEVER HAD TO FACE THE GRIM DEPRAVITY of its last-gen console versions, and while not the best way to play, I enjoyed my time with it on a PC built in 2016. It was still an unwieldy, uneven game, though, one that shone despite its flaws, like a classic Black Isle or Troika game. After my first playthrough, I eagerly awaited the expansion that I knew could really make it sing.

Two years later, that expansion, Phantom Liberty, is still a way off, though Cyberpunk did get quests, gear, and quality-of-life changes on the order of The Witcher 3's celebrated free DLC. With the wave of goodwill for the game following the Edgerunners anime and its big 1.5 and 1.6 updates, now seemed the perfect time to revisit the dark future and get a character ready for Phantom Liberty.

I found the game I loved back in 2020 remains as engaging as ever, with fantastic quest design and a charismatic cast, but the additions CD Projekt Red has made only pick at the edges of my biggest issues with Cyberpunk: its stultifying, MMO-style progression and unreactive world.