Buckle up kids, it's time for me to gush about this damn game again.
For the longest time, I've always said that Mass Effect was my favorite game (series) of all time. But, after finishing another playthrough of Cyberpunk with the release of the new DLC, and the new 2.0 version, I think Cyberpunk has taken the top spot. It's good. Really, really good.
The 2.0 patch is a general update to the base game, which overhauls vast portions of the game. The skilltree has been completely overhauled, they added vehicle combat and a much better police system. They also nerfed some of the more OP playstyles, and allowed other to be more viable. All in all, it feels really well balanced - stealth is still super powerful, but it's no longer "the one". Going balls to the wall with a katana or shotgun is now also a good option.
Does that mean the game is 100% issue free? Well no, but... which game is? There are still some minor nitpicks, of course.
Stealth might no longer be the only powerful playstyle, but the game still has some areas where it's highly recommended. And while it's doable with a low stealth skill, it's a bit... goofy. "Nicely done sneaking into this compound undetected, V!" said the NPC to the gigantic, muscular, more-metal-than-flesh creature with rocketlaunchers for arms.
There are also still a few glitches. In terms of weird object behavior, I only had two instances of a car being somewhere they're not supposed to be. I also had some audio issues, mainly with sentences cutting off near the end or mouthflaps not lining up properly - but to be fair, I was running some mods that impact that area. So that may just be my own fault.
But that's merely annoyances, small issues which are really not that big of a deal, once you look at the full picture. Because the game is
good.
The gameplay is great. The new updates make different playstyles fun. It was amazing to roam through an enemy camp, flinging knives at heads and watching them drop like flies. Activate the bullet-time mode, and run in with a shotgun to blast enemies point blank. Then switch out to a long-range precision rifle, and put a few heavy rounds through the heads of the remaining enemies. Turning the difficulty up to Hard is probably a good idea: it makes the enemies hit hard enough for things to no longer become trivial, but not too much of a bulletsponge for it to become annoying.
The base game story didn't really get much changes, obviously. The story was never the problem to begin with. It's still a great story, and the voice acting and characters in it are just as amazing as ever. There are sentiments in the voice acting world that say we should hire voice actors for voice acting, not flood the already cramped market with already famous actors, but... Damn if Keanu Reeves (and now Idris Elba) do a great job.
And then you hit the DLC. It has one of the most gripping stories I've ever seen in a game. I said before, it would make an
excellent movie. The twists, the characters, the choices... Everything hits just right. And yes - choices matter. The DLC has 4 major endings, which hinge on 2 major decisions. Decisions that are hard to make, because both paths are completely valid.
And the setting! Ah man, Dogtown is such an amazing place. I always loved the "futuristic decay" vibe, and Dogtown fits it so damn well. Giant, decadent monuments to opulence, abandoned and lost to time. Massive spa complexes, overrun by gangs and graffiti. It hits all the right spots. I enjoyed just running around, taking in the sights just as much as I enjoyed playing through the story.
I used to say that this game would be recommended if available on sale, but now? It's worth the price. There is a review saying that it's "great to see the game finally release after 3 years of beta!" which hits the nail on the head. If the game was released in its current state, it would be an absolute shining star of what the medium can do. And now... well, it still is - it's just that it's still €90 for a 3 year old game + DLC. Is it worth it? I'd say it is. But it's not as easy to sell to some people.
Even still... it's really, really pretty (these were all taking using the ingame photomode. Not edits):
