Few games have launched as badly as Cyberpunk 2077 did in December 2020, especially on older consoles. And few have recovered so completely. After years of patches, the 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty expansion in 2023, it is now one of the most impressive open-world RPGs available.
A chip in your head
You play V, a mercenary in Night City who takes a heist job that goes horribly wrong. You survive, but with an experimental biochip in your head containing the digital ghost of Johnny Silverhand — a legendary rockerboy and terrorist played by Keanu Reeves. The chip is slowly overwriting you, and the clock is ticking.
Night City
The city is the real star. Based on Mike Pondsmith's tabletop game Cyberpunk, it is a vertical maze of neon megabuildings, crowded markets, gang territory and desert badlands. At night, in the rain, with ray tracing turned on, it is one of the most beautiful places in games.
Build your own legend
The 2.0 update rebuilt the skill trees, police system and cyberware. You can be a netrunner hacking enemies from cover, a silent katana assassin, or a chrome-plated brawler throwing cars. Phantom Liberty adds Dogtown, a spy-thriller story and Idris Elba as agent Solomon Reed.
Worth it now
The anime Cyberpunk: Edgerunners brought millions of players back in 2022, and they found a very different game from the one at launch. If you skipped it then, now is the time.
