Topic: Cyberpunk 2077 OT

@LordSteev aww man, I’m loving it! I’m about 90 hours and just found Skippy. It feels like a nice lighthearted reward for focusing on pistols. The game just keeps on giving. I truly do not understand the hate. I’ve got Skyrim on deck, along with Ghostrunner and 13 Sentinels, so I’ll see how I feel after Cyberpunk about jumping straight into another massive open world right away. Night City is just awesome!
Edit:meant to say 90h, not 80h

@Jimmer-jammer
I still haven't run across 'Skippy', which I'm guessing by your context is a pistol of some kind. I'm playing mostly as a hacker, and while the weapon I'm carrying most often is a silenced pistol, I haven't had to pull it very often. Using legendary versions of hacks like contagion, I've found the gun mostly useless, except after everyone's down, I'll sometimes scan them to read of their crimes and sometimes, if I deem it necessary, I'll use the pistol to administer final justice, lol.

So you pulled the trigger on Skyrim? That's great to hear! Truly, as much as I enjoy Cyberpunk, I'd probably give it a B- compared to all the things you can do in Skyrim. Skyrim's only downfall at this point is it's starting to look visually dated, but it still holds up reasonably well in that department, considering it's age. From the limited time I've spent with Bloodborne, I'd say they both are holding up about the same, visually speaking.

All this is my roundabout way of saying 'come on, man, hurry up, play it!', since if you look up 'Skyrim Fanboy', there you'll find my picture grinning like a dope back at you.

@LordSteev I just assumed I was dense for not finding it sooner, hopefully I didn’t spoil anything for you. I guess it really is a huge game. Needless to say I had a pretty good chuckle when I found it. I’ve focused on pistols, sniper rifles and hacking, I just unlocked the ability to craft legendary hacks but haven’t used any yet. I really wasn’t expecting to enjoy the gunplay as much as I have.

I’m stoked to give Skyrim a try! I’m really not too concerned about graphics so no worries there. I might ask you some questions though, as much as I like figuring things out for myself, it all sounds a bit overwhelming.

Just some random and meandering thoughts as I continue my play through.

I’ve been moving through this game at a glacial pace, and it’s all the better for it. Every area of Night City, from the inescapably industrial Santo Domingo to the daunting advertisement laden skyscrapers of the city centre, feels unique and purposeful. Night City and it’s world building is truly it’s magic, and one of the most impactful open worlds I’ve personally ever experienced.

Night City is like my Tupperware cupboard. Inside that cupboard are containers. Opening one reveals another smaller container inside, with another inside that and so on until you reach the smallest container. Each district of NC is broken into smaller sub districts with each sub district being broken into smaller well crafted areas which are yet again broken down into individual buildings and properties to explore, each with their own mini stories to unravel; fascinating on their own but more importantly, unique brush strokes of a much larger painting.

I love that I’m anchored in this Matryoshka doll by ‘fixers’, morally ambiguous busy bodies who act as a catalyst for what makes NC tick: selfish ambition. They both embody the vigilante spirit of NC and act as the catalyst for it, and it’s all so well written. These fixers understand NC better than anyone.

It’s all a sham. A facade. A city that hangs the carrot of “making something of yourself” in front of residents faces so close that they can’t see the meaningless of it all; a rat race with no outcome outside of personal gains at the cost of more corporate power. They accept this and revel in it.

I feel that CDPR understands the punk in cyberpunk better than they’ve been given credit. Being ‘punk’ is about anti-corporatism, about individual freedom and expression, about standing against greed, about not conforming to the masses and about taking action by not being bought at a price. Inevitably, punk has lost its teeth. It became a subculture dominated by fashion and surface level appearances, a caricature of itself. True punk isn’t about looks or the type of music you listen to, it’s an ideology. Enter Johnny Silverhand.

Everywhere I look in NC I see our world taken to the extreme: trash littering the alleys and blowing into the streets, violent and overtly sexual advertisements bombarding everyday life, telling us what to buy and how to feel about it, technology welcomed into our lives with the promise of convenience and progress at the cost of privacy and control.

Technology is NC’s undoing and a strong cautionary tale for ourselves, but it is also NC’s potential saviour. Johnny Silverhand is a true radical, a true visionary, a true punk. He understands that real change takes real sacrifice. Much like the real life punk movement, he has been immortalized in popular culture for all the wrong reasons.

CDPR gives a taste of the endless, cyclical and unfulfilling lie of selfish ambition and then offers a way out. By using the corps controlling technology against them (how punk is that), you the player literally embody Johnny and begin to understand his ideology.

The metaphor is obvious: the central punk ethos can be carried on generations later, away from the meaningless sub culture caricature, to enact real change. To stand up to corporations in a way they don’t see coming. To use their own technology against them and stand against corporate greed and control: Cyberpunk.

I’ve been at the ‘point of no return’ for a spell now, and I’m still finding so many details and stories all contributing to the larger whole. This game is brilliant. It’s easy to stare at my cupboard and see a cupboard, but open it up and start digging and there is so much more than meets the eye.

@Jimmer-jammer Man, that is just beautiful!

I don't know if the guys at Pushsquare comb through these threads or not, but if it were my site and I had read that, I'd offer you a job.

Cyberpunk is unique in that the slower you go, the more you are willing to invest in peeking around corners and exploring, then the deeper the story becomes. It's delightful when you find something that most people will probably never see, and it actually contributes to the fiction as a whole.

You mention Industrial Santo Domingo, and I was struck by how creeping around through there was markedly different than doing the same in China Town or Japantown. They successfully tied together all of these different locales into one sprawling city, and it's like nothing I've ever played before. They seem to get zero credit for that! What bothers me is why would they go to that much trouble ever again with the 'thanks' people have shown for this amazing act of worldbuilding?

Hey, somehow I missed your post above this one. If you ever have any questions about Skyrim I would of course be more that happy to give you probably more information then you ever bargained for!

I'm serious, you have a way with words that most people can't even approach. If you've ever thought about a career as a writer, you should jump on it!

@Jimmer-jammer @LordSteev Well said guys! After 145 hours and seeing a couple of the endings, I am done for now. I do plan to go back after the PS5 version patch drops to try and go for the platinum trophy. By then there should be dlc for it too.

@JohnnyShoulder

So, what did you think of your time in Night City?

They said they were going to drop another big patch by the end of February, so if we can take them at their word, (admittedly debatable) I'm guessing that means Friday the 26th. Every patch has made a positive difference for me and my pathetic ps4, so I'm hoping for more of the same. Can't wait to see what the free dlc is going to be. I have high hopes. I believe they are embarrassed by the reception the game has received, and want to win back some fans. I think it may end up being a good deal more than just some skins for cars or new outfits. Hope I'm right!

@LordSteev @JohnnyShoulder I keep reading critiques about how empty and soulless everything is but in actually playing the game, I feel that couldn’t be further from the truth.

It’s all there: the gangs and their interpersonal conflicts, the history of Night City, the cyber psychos who were once normal people with their own hopes and dreams, the irony of reconciliation park being built over a toxic landfill...I understand how easy it is to gloss over this stuff but reading every shard, drinking in the detailed environments and taking your time understanding why you’re doing what you’re doing and where you’re doing it is so beneficial in this game. A lot of effort has gone into making every location feel meaningful on both a micro and macro level.

Once I finish, I’ll be taking a break as well and then jumping back in for the PS5 version, hopefully with some DLC. There is so much content here that I want to revisit. For example, I’ve read about this crazy crucifixion that never happened in my game. All I got was an angry phone call from the social media parasite saying he wasn’t following through. I’m assuming there’s lots of little things like this that will make another play through even more worthwhile.

Perhaps if it was marketed differently, the backlash wouldn’t have been as bad, but I do feel some of it rests on people’s unrealistic expectations. Yes it would be nice to get a hair cut, or customize my car (the absence of this does baffle me), or eat at any restaurant but at the end of the day, it’s a stealth action game with light RPG elements. I’m okay with that. It doesn’t destroy all of the things the game gets right, for me anyways.

I’m hoping the next patch fixes crashing for those who are having it and general stability improvements. I’ve not had many issues, but there is definitely work to be done. Also, I may be crazy, but as I clear out areas I feel that they become more populated with civilians. Don’t know if this is intentional or just psychological on my part.

Also, @LordSteev thanks for the kind words! That really made my day.

@Jimmer-jammer @LordSteev @Jimmer-jammer some interesting stuff guys, I’ve always had the intention of playing this when the PS5 version/patch eventually lands but this recent discourse has actually caused me some genuine excitement to play CP2077, something I haven’t felt for a while.

@colonelkilgore there’s some really great stuff going on in it. In this case, waiting for it to patched up will be totally worth it. With expectations in check, there is a lot of fun to be had and a really well fleshed out world to explore, if you’re willing to take the time.

@Mpquikster I started focusing on each district and dealing exclusively with the fixer for that area before moving on to the next. There are a lot of interconnected stories that flesh out each district, and Johnny shows up a surprising amount, even when I thought it was a nothing job.

@Jimmer-jammer I’ll be sure to let you know how I found everything after I’ve popped that plat. I expect to consider it around the 8.5 kinda level... but I’ve played and thoroughly enjoyed many games considered around the 7 mark by the general gaming community.

@LordSteev If I could choose one word to describe my time in cyberpunk 2077, it would be 'immersive'. It has to be one of the most immersive experiences I've had in gaming, up there with likes of Bioshock, Skyrim and Metro Exodus. And yeah, I'm keeping an eye on the updates. I'm a bit rubbish in jumping back into games I've finished, but I'm determined to dive in again.

@Jimmer-jammer Oh that was a good side mission, but you won't know it goes that way by the description or how it starts. My favourite is either the serial killer one in River's quest line, or the Chinese festival mission.

I just realised I probably won't be given the platinum a go as one of the characters died in my playthrough, so I am locked out of one of the trophies. Not a fan of doing multiple play throughs of games, and I don't have a save that far back before the character dies. Oh well, will try to get the majority of the other trophies.

@Mpquikster Yeah, there is a trophy for buying all the cars. Probably will be a good one to do when going for when completing all the jobs. I managed to grab a fair few of them, so think I only have the ones that cost over 100k.

@Jimmer-jammer Those words might be kind, but they are also deserved in my opinion. Fully merited.

One thing about Cyberpunk that I keep mulling over is how people want to compare it to GTA games, when in reality it has virtually no similarities in gameplay with that series. If you try to play that way, you are going to experience the absolute worst version of Cyberpunk possible. The slower and more thorough you go through each area, the more immersive it becomes. Yes, it has cars, but really, the city is so sprawling you need them just for basic transportation. Some of the overpasses and underpasses are virtually inaccessible on foot. But driving isn't and never was the main focus of the game. If I can walk, I do walk. And climb! I've found so many perches above the city with great views, and usually, even if they were hard to get to, I've found something up there as a reward, too. I feel like a whole lot of this was done by hand and with obvious love for the craft.

It's interesting what you said about more pedestrians and traffic after you've cleared an area. I felt as time progressed in the game, I was seeing more cars and people, and they were behaving with more sense than early in the game. I put it off to my imagination or a patch improvement, never thinking to tie it to how much of an area I'd cleared. As I think over where I've seen improvement, I think you might be on to something there!

I think I've still got over a hundred hours left in my playthrough before I even want to meet up in Embers (point of no return). Once I finish, I may give it a rest until I can get a ps5, too. Once I do get one and they release the version for it, (I'm still convinced that right now it runs better and crashes less on the 4 than the 5, even if resolution is lower,) this will be one of the first games I go back to. Just visually I think it will be night and day.

There are a few things I would change about it if I could, but they're mostly small. Food and drink is, imo, just completely useless and doesn't need to be in the game at all. The time it takes to either sell it or break it down is not worth the money or the parts you get from it. The crafting in general is very basic and the interface is not intuitive. These are such small gripes when taken along with the rest of the game that I happily overlook them, but they are things that could have been handled better.

Over all though, out of all the releases I've played in the last 2 years, the only one that hit me with more impact was The Last of Us 2. And even with it's initial impact, I haven't spent a third of the time with it as I've put in to Cyberpunk.

@colonelkilgore

Not to be a killjoy, but if I already had a ps5, I think I'd wait for the ps5 version. From everything I've read, the ps4 version, though poorly optimized on release, was actually made with the ps4 in mind, not the five, and I think that's why crashes seem to happen more often on the 5, even if the framerates and resolution are higher. That said, if you don't mind a little jank in your games, I'd recommend this higher than any other game I've played in the last 2 years!

@JohnnyShoulder I agree. Makes me forget I'm in my living room. Also like your choices of other immersive games.

@Mpquikster Yep, a trophy for buying all the cars. That's one of the ways I can tell how much time someone spent with the game, too. It seems overwhelming, but there IS a finite number of cars, and eventually you stop receiving all the annoying phone calls from car salesmen. My enjoyment of the game shot way up once I wasn't receiving car sales calls during important conversations!

@LordSteev yeah I’m in no rush, I’ll wait to get it at it’s best.

One of my fave side stories is Raymond Chandler Evening where you have to tail the Coyote Club barman's wife because he think she's cheating on him and Johnny narrates it all like an old noir movie. It's a classic CDPR side quest, simple but very memorable.