Few games from the last couple years were as highly anticipated asCyberpunk 2077. It released in the same calendar year asFinal Fantasy 7 Remake, a complete reimagining of one of the most acclaimed games ever, as well asThe Last of Us Part 2, which was going to generate interest from Naughty Dog’s reputation alone. CD Projekt Red made a name for itself withThe Witcherseries, but it didn’t capture mainstream attention until that series' third entry. A new adventure in the pre-existing Night City was to be a video game adaptation of a tabletop classic by the company, bringing to lifepersonalities like Johnny Silverhandand the protagonist, V.
Promotional material boasted the stuff of dreams, but whenCyberpunk 2077released in Fall 2020 it bore little resemblance to what was advertised. The quality was simply not there, both on the initially promised PlayStation 4 and Xbox One systems as well as the new generation of hardware. Since its launch,Cyberpunk 2077has improved significantly as the developer desperately tries to restore its usual lofty reputation, and the release of anime spin-offEdgerunnershas made strides to making this a reality.Cyberpunkand CDPR are now in fans' good graces as a result of almost two years of hard work, but this whole saga shouldn’t become an industry norm, and the Polish outfit still has work to do to win the hearts of all the players it lost.
RELATED:How Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Leads Into Cyberpunk 2077
The Rise, Fall, and Return of CD Projekt Red
Today, CD Projekt Red is an industry leader in open-world game design, and one of the few who have challenged Bethesda’s strong grip on the western RPG genre. This is due in large part to the overwhelming critical praise of 2015’sThe Witcher 3: Wild Huntwhich saw Geralt of Rivia traversing the gorgeous landscape of the Continent, taking on engaging side activities and getting lost in the setting’s beauty, all while the main campaign unfolds throughout. It’s a special game, and one of the best examples of the power of the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One hardware. A follow-up inThe Witcherfranchise has been confirmed, but the company decided to takea detour to Night Cityin 2020 before it returned to theWitcherworld.
Cyberpunk 2077had the near-impossible task of following upThe Witcher 3, and it came to pass that the project couldn’t live up to the somewhat unrealistic expectations.Cyberpunk 2077released in an almost unplayable state on the PS4 and Xbox One, and while the slight hardware upgrades of the PS4 Pro and Xbox One X were decidedly better, it quickly became clear that the game was made with the latest consoles and powerful PCs in mind. Looking to the future undoubtedly affected the present, but almost two years laterCyberpunkis a far more stable product, doing well to help restore the developer’s reputation that is otherwise unblemished.
Cyberpunk’s Post Launch is Making Up Lost Ground
Updates and fixes are always welcomed, andCyberpunk 2077’s transformation has done so much to improve the experiencefor existing players as well as aligning closer to the promotional material for new audiences. Night City is prettier than ever, and the recent announcement of DLC will surely make the title even more worthy of its now-reduced price tag. However, this newfound popularity is the direct result of a poor launch, andCyberpunk 2077is making up the ground that was lost on release.
This isn’t something that should be replicated by other companies, and developers shouldn’t look toCyberpunk’s resurgenceas a viable business plan. Be it Ubisoft withAssassin’s Creedor EA withStar Wars: Jedi, it would be all too easy to see the current success of CD Projekt Red’s latest title and think a long-term approach and unfinished game at launch is suitable. Gamers shouldn’t be fooled into thinkingCyberpunk 2077was perfect when it released because of its positive reputation today, and companies of a similar status to CD Projekt Red shouldn’t adopt a similar philosophy.Cyberpunk’s redemption story is great to witness, but would be unpleasant to see again.
Cyberpunk 2077is available on PC, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.
