Summary
It’s no secret that CD Projekt Red’s highly ambitiousCyberpunk 2077has come a very long way since launch. In fact, it’s not uncommon these days to hear many people say thatCyberpunkis one of, if not their favorite, RPG of all time, so it’s fair to say that the developers eventually succeeded in creating what many consider a classic of the genre, only a few years after its release.
However, this begs the question of what exactly makesCyberpunkso different and unique? After all, RPG games have been released on a consistent basis since the mid-1970s, so it can take a lot for one to stand out in this day and age. With that being said, though,Cyberpunk 2077still manages to feel like a breath of fresh air thanks to these aspects and systems, which help differentiate the game from its competitors.
7Dedication To Immersion
Night City And The People Living Within It Feel Eerily Realistic And Believable
While most RPGs will try to be at least somewhat immersive in their gameplay, considering how many systems and mechanics are often involved in this genre, there’s always going to be points where players are briefly reminded that they are playing a video game. However, when creatingCyberpunk, it’s clear CD Projekt Red dedicated an immense amount of time and effort to making the moment-to-moment gameplay as immersive as possible, and there are a few ways they achieved this.
While the first-person view definitely helps with this, another wayCyberpunk feels like animmersive simulator is through its animations.NPCsnever feel stiff or robotic as they are constantly moving around naturally in a way that makes them seem realistic and believable. There are a few other very small touches that add to the immersive factor, too, such as how the player’s vision will become blurry anytime they’re attacked due to their cyberware malfunctioning, or how there are barely any loading screens to speak of. All of this creates a game which feels it goes that extra length to suck players into its world, still being fun to play.
6Gun Types
Firearms Really Do Come In All Sorts Of Weird Shapes And Sizes In Cyberpunk
Anyone who has played afirst or third-person shooter gamewill be very familiar with the traditional firearm archetypes, like the pistol, shotgun, and assault rifle, butCyberpunktakes these categorizations to a whole new level. Sure, players can pick up a standard high-powered gun if they really want to, but there are also a few other weapon types that can help give them an edge in an intense combat situation.
For example, the Smart weapons will lock onto an enemy so the bullets hone in and follow them from a safe distance. Meanwhile, Tech weapons can be charged up to emit an explosive blast to take out anyone who gets caught in their radius. This is just the tip of the iceberg of the types of guns players can find throughout a typical playthrough ofCyberpunk, and it’s a neat way to make the traditional FPS gameplay loop of gunning down countless enemies feel just that bit more exciting to be a part of.
5Optional Pathways
Having Different Backstory Options Really Dials Up The Roleplaying Aspect
In the lead-up toCyberpunk’s release, CD Projekt Red promised that the game would grant players an incredible amount of freedom in terms of how they want to create their character. Of course, character customization is nothing new in the RPG genre, but the developers went a step further by also providing the option to choose a character’s backstory. Not only will this completely change the first hour or two of the game, but it will also allow players to use some unique dialogue options throughout the story.
For example, if players want to role-play as a high-ranking corporate suit who has been dragged back down to Night City and must build their way back up, or if they simply want to start as a street rat who goes from rags to riches, both of these options are available. Including this option helps to make therole-playing aspect of the gamemuch stronger and more immersive, and it’s something that developers didn’t need to include but decided to anyway, and it really helps to make the game stand out.
4Cyberpunk Setting
No Game Has Managed To Nail The Sleek And Gritty Cyberpunk Setting Quite Like This One
Though some games have tried to replicate the very popular Cyberpunk aesthetic, it’s honestly very tricky to incorporate this into a world, considering how difficult it can be to get right.Cyberpunk 2077,however, ensuring it lives up to its namesake, features what is undoubtedly the best representation of a cyberpunk setting ever seen in gaming.
3Calls
Chat With A Friend Anywhere In The World At Any Time
Players will meet a ton of interesting and compelling characters as they navigate their way throughNight City, but in most RPG games, they would then need to return to where they originally met these characters in order to interact with them again. Considering the futuristic setting ofCyberpunk, this can feel a little archaic by today’s standards, which is why the developers instead decided to include a call mechanic where players are able to have a quick chat with any of these characters anytime they want.
What’s interesting about this is that the characters on the other end of the line will actually interact with V differently depending on current events. For example, if players call up Judy in the middle of the Phantom Liberty DLC, she will comment on how tough the situation must be and how V has become a big target due to their affiliation with the president. This is just one of many examples of how this minor but unique mechanic can flesh out a lot of the characters seen withinCyberpunk 77’sstory.
2Graphics
Even Years After Release, Cyberpunk Is Still In The Running For Best Looking RPG Ever Made
Despite being a few years old by this point,Cyberpunkstill manages to blow a lot of RPGs out of the water when it comes to graphics. While this obviously applies the most to PC, wherethe game can look hyper-realistic, it still looks absolutely jaw-dropping on modern consoles too, whether it be in the bustling and vibrant Night City or the dusty dunes of the Badlands, which stretch for miles on end.
It’s not exactly a hot take to say thatCyberpunkremains as one of, if not the greatest-looking, RPG ever made, and it’s because the constant updates over the years have allowed CD Projekt Red to push the graphics to their absolute limit. What results is a game that is absolutely captivating from a visual perspective, keeping players' eyes glued to the screen from the beginning to the very end.
1Offensive Options
Outside Of Firearms, Players Have A Ton Of Unique Ways To Dish Out Damage
It’s honestly shocking just how many ways an enemy can be taken down in a regular playthrough ofCyberpunk. For example, players are free to whip outan SMG or shotgunto deal with common thugs, but they can also acquire a katana or really any melee weapon they think would be capable of dishing out some serious damage. On the other hand, players are also free to use their cybernetics to hack and even kill their enemies if they are advanced enough, which opens up the avenue to entirely new builds, which can be a lot of fun to experiment with and try out.
This isn’t even digging into the optional offensive tools, such as the lethal cyberwhips or the hand grenades that can be shot out from V’s wrist. With a setting this bizarre and wacky, CD Projekt Red was able to throw in a ton of different weapons into the mix for players to get their hands on, meaning that, unlike a lot of RPGs, players aren’t just restricted to only one or two weapon types.
