4/5 ★ – hadleyallday's review of Cyberpunk 2077.

A good deal of people have already put into words their problems with this game: glitches/bugs, cultural appropriation, transphobia, and otherwise complete lack of coherent direction. These issues exist, and are present throughout the game in various levels (I played this on a PS4Pro for reference), but the game still succeeds in spite of itself. The sum of its parts make an enjoyable experience for those who are able to play it. But despite enjoying my time with it, I want to discuss one aspect of the game that hones in on its faults, in more ways than one. The relationship system in the game, for all its poignant moments (with some characters), reinforces countless stereotypes and limits of cohesive vision. There are four characters you can have a meaningful relationship with in the game, and they have varying levels of quality writing. Unfortunately, you can see who the developers were most invested in and who they left out to dry (I'm looking at you, River.) These are not just personal preferences; this is a reflection of the length of time devoted to their quest lines and character development. This is not the part that is ultimately troubling, though. What strikes as a grievous error in a game that is meant to present player choice as one of its main selling points, is the fact that characters are so locked in their sexuality. This failure matches well with the disappointment that was the character creator. If you are playing as a queer woman, you have to be with one character. If you are playing as a straight male, you have to be with one character. Why, in a world that is supposed to be so open to modifying and changing who you are, are all the characters so one dimensional? This would not be a problem if there were more characters to romance, to build relationships with. I was struck by one character encountered late in the game who you do a quest for, and you can see a spark there. In some way, you see that with most characters. An invisible wall put up between the player and the NPC that prevents them from getting too emotionally attached to anyone outside the "main four (five if you include Johnny, but that requires an entirely different response.) Again, if they were pressed for time, they could have made the characters available more flexible. It is inexcusable not to have bi or non-binary representation in these characters. In fact, one character is so blatantly written to be bisexual, that is jarring when the character pulls away suddenly and proclaims there is nothing there. This issue might seem miniscule in comparison to everything else going on in this game. But, it hones in on what plagues this game most of all. A complete and utter lack of imagination for its world. When I took my first steps outside of Night City, I thought to myself "wow, this is so exhilarating - when can I see more?" The answer, sadly, is almost never. For some reason, you will find yourself going back to the same locations that are similar to most you have been to. Night City seems so blandly similar to our own world, we want to escape it as quickly as we came into it. Funny enough, CD Projekt Red did not have this issue in their previous game, The Witcher 3. The main city in the game is always interesting, and you find yourself being more invested in it as the game progresses. Why the developers were not able to replicate that, especially in a setting that would have made it easier to do, is certainly a fascinating question. The relationship options share similar banalities to the real world, while ignoring what it makes it special as well. I truly did enjoy my time with this game, and the "best" ending (clearly the ending the developers wanted you to chose), put a perfect cap on the story. But what of the many issues prevalent in the game? That, I cannot give a definite statement on one way or another. Your mileage with this game truly will vary. A more focused, and polished game, would have been rightly seen as a remarkable work in the video game industry. As it stands, Cyberpunk 2077 is a magnificent mess that often succeeds in spite of itself and its many failures.