The Cyberpunk 2077 launch has been rocking the gaming world lately, but not in the ways that CD Projekt Red may have intended. Although the PC release of this highly anticipated futuristic open-world game received widespread praise for its detailed worlds, engaging storytelling, and wealth of side-quests, the home console versions didn’t go over quite as well.
Before recent updates, Cyberpunk 2077 was nearly unplayable on base PS4 and Xbox One. Unfortunately, however, the game is still in a very rough state. CD Projekt Red has promised substantial updates to the console versions, but until then, gamers may be better off waiting on Cyberpunk 2077 and instead, focusing on some other games this winter season until a holiday miracle comes around.
10 Assassin’s Creed Valhalla
Most people did not have the chance to wrap this game up before Cyberpunk 2077 released, but Assassin’s Creed Valhalla is not to be left in the dirt. This recent iteration in the long-running Assassin’s Creed series, Valhalla sees players entering the epic era of the Vikings, where you can raid and pillage to your heart’s content.
Valhalla is one of the richest and most detailed Assassin’s Creed games to date, and it’s worth the extra time to fully complete.
9 Hades
This surprise Game of the Year nominee at the 2020 Game Awards, Hades is a rogue-like action game where players take control of the son of Hades as he tries to escape the Underworld by battling his way to Mount Olympus.
Players have fallen in love with this randomly generated and addictive indie gem, and thousands of runs are in store for this game as people wait to play Cyberpunk.
8 Doom Eternal
A 2020 Game of the Year nominee, players are still shooting and tearing through demons in Doom Eternal. This sequel to the reboot, Doom Eternal is receiving its second wind with The Ancient Gods DLC packs, giving players even more graphically gorgeous and terrifying scenarios to battle demon spawn.
This game was praised for its genuine difficulty and pure variety in weapon and ability choices, as well as its enthralling second-to-second gameplay that will keep players’ blood pumping for the foreseeable future.
7 Spider-Man: Miles Morales
Whether on PS4 or PS5, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is more of the good Spidey stuff. A continuation of Insomniac’s excellent Spider-Man game, Miles Morales focuses on the titular character in an engaging and heartfelt story.
An unexpected positive of the game is its shorter length. Consequently, the story is more focused and effective, and the gameplay is broadened in the side objectives. Whether you have a PS4 or were speedy enough to snag a PS5, Spider-Man: Miles Morales is a spectacular choice.
6 The Outer Worlds
If someone needs their first-person shooter fix but Cyberpunk 2077 isn’t doing it for them quite yet, The Outer Worlds should not leave peoples’ radars. With recent DLC packs, this planet-trodding adventure has only gotten bigger and better.
The Outer Worlds follows the lead of the Fallout series and blends fun shooter gameplay with branching dialogue options that make multiple playthroughs a fun time. Amazing landscapes and incredible characters make for a lovely galactic adventure.
5 Detroit: Become Human
Until Cyberpunk 2077 becomes the quintessential cybernetic/sci-fi experience, Detroit: Become Human is the reigning king of building that world. Detroit: become Human focuses on three android characters on diverging paths to find freedom and justice in an unjust future.
This story-driven decision-based game creates a fascinating world that feels infinitely changeable based on the gigantic dialogue trees available to players. While not for everybody, Detroit: Become Human is an intense futuristic thrill ride that needs to be experienced.
4 Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity
Following in the footsteps of the plot of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild and continuing the Dynasty Warriors spin-off series, Hyrule Warriors: Age of Calamity lets players take a look back before the events of Breath of the Wild by putting them headfirst into the epic battles that took place in Hyrule before Link was sent to a 100-year sleep.
The gameplay is just as intense and chaotic as ever, and the quest to fully complete this game will last a ridiculously long time (if you aren’t STILL completing the first Hyrule Warriors).
3 Animal Crossing: New Horizons
Most players haven’t stopped playing the Game of the Year nominated Animal Crossing: New Horizons long enough to have to truly “go back” to it. This intensely addicting game took the world by storm (and released at a time where everybody needed it) and players are still carefully crafting their towns to their liking.
As winter freezes on, the holiday updates are giving players some new cozy cosmetics to spice up their homes. Everyone needs a moment to step back and relax, and Animal Crossing is the prime example of how to do it.
2 The Last Of Us Part II
2020’s well-deserved Game of the Year winner, The Last Of Us Part II was riddled with controversy upon release, but unlike Cyberpunk 2077, it was controversial for its subject matter over its performance.
However, many players loved the game and the mature story it had to tell, while the gorgeous graphics and tragic characters tie it all together into the perfect package. With the many different game-changing accessibility options available, The Last Of Us Part II is well worth another playthrough.
1 Cyberpunk 2077 (On PC, Stadia, or PS4 Pro/XBOX One X)
What better way to wait for an anticipated game to function than to play the actual game you’re waiting for? Cyberpunk 2077 is currently functional if you have a good PC, but the game still functions decently well on the Google Stadia and the 4K editions of the last-gen consoles.
Despite the rocky launch, Cyberpunk 2077 still highly succeeds at its core. Immense detail, solid gameplay, and playable stories have been making gamers swoon with joy. As gamers wait for the coming updates for the base consoles, it is still important to remember that the game was made by an extremely passionate developer who poured their heart and soul into this world. Hopefully, in the near future, that vision can be experienced to its fullest potential.
