CD Projekt Red is no stranger to greatness. The last game it produced, The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, has gone on to sell millions of copies and become one of the most respected titles of this generation. And now, with Christmas just around the corner, it’s set to shake things up again with Cyberpunk 2077, which will finally take its bow next month.
This game has a lot going for it. Most notably, Keanu Reeves is onboard as Johnny Silverhand, lending some weight to the proceedings. But even with his starpower, the game has a lot of content you’ll be able to dive into. In fact, don’t be surprised if you’re still playing it well into 2021, discovering new story arcs and parts of the city to overcome.
Three Different Stories To Tell
Rather than following just one particular path, Cyberpunk 2077 offers three for your character to choose from – Nomad, Corpo and Street Kid. With each of these, you’ll be able to take a
different route through various parts of the city, discovering new allies, gangs and torments that could very well shape the legacy you make within it.
Every decision you make in Cyberpunk will have some level of influence. Be nice to people and it could pay off big – or piss people off. Act a bit too cocky and you might gain some respect, but also trouble when you least respect it.
This really leans into the style of design that made Witcher so successful in its heyday. It’s territory that CD Projekt Red knows quite well, keeping the player intrigued as they continue to follow each of V’s decisions. That’s the driving factor with a game like this, making it infinitely replayable as you find a new direction or character to interact with, and really open up those awesome cyber abilities of yours.
What’s more, you can actually keep a close eye out for the little things, thanks to the Braindance sections of the game. With these, you use a VR device that can take a closer look at particular footage, rewinding and fast-forwarding as you see fit. The more you piece together, the more you’re able to uncover. This, combined with the game’s awesome melee and weapons combat, should keep you busy for some time. There’s also stealth, so maybe don’t quite go running into each situation guns blazing. Sometimes patience is the name of the game.
Skills To Pay the Bills
What’s more, along with the various dialogue and character choices available, there are five different skill sets in which to enhance your capabilities. These include Technical (with hacking and whatnot), Cool (being stealth-related and less pressured), Reflex (gaining speed), Intelligence (being smarter with dialogue and choices) and, of course, Body (your own personal strength). These can make a world of difference depending which direction you go, and with the various abilities and items that come up, you’ll spend hours trying to perfect yourself. And even if you think you’ve got it down, you can deep dive and go a different route and maybe even discover something new. It’s an amazing system that, again, will keep you coming back for more.
With these skills, you gain abilities and potential hook-ups that you didn’t even think you’d realize. These in turn can play out within the world itself, with new combat situations and
possible surprises to throw you a curveball. That’s CD Projekt Red, always surprising us with something new. (And amazing, of course.)
You can also customize your character however you see fit, right down to the genitalia (yeah, this game goes there). And once you’re done, you’ll see how your character behaves in the world, based on the decisions you make. It’s quite deep, to say the least.
So Much To Do, So Make Time
Cyberpunk 2077 is bursting at the seams with possibilities, with various paths and decisions to make; characters to interact with; skills and personality traits to divvy up; and, of course, killer skills to master. That, combined with the game’s lush visuals (based on what we’ve seen so far), killer audio and hours of replay value, should keep you busy well through the holiday season.
Seriously, you and Johnny Silverhand may become best friends for a while. (We’re sure you Keanu fans will be fine with that.)
And with additional DLC and multiplayer on the way, you might get even busier. You can discover the world of Cyberpunk for yourself when it drops on November 19 for Xbox One, PlayStation 4, PC, Xbox Series X and PlayStation 5. Pre-order it for Keanu.
