Cyberpunk 2077 released on December 10th, 2020. Unfortunately it is not exactly a completed product. Underneath the many bugs, glitches, and controversies is a great game. Even ignoring the technical issues, the adventure is not what everyone hoped it would be.
We do not know if CD Projekt Red will develop a follow up once the the dust has settled. If they do, below are ten things we sincerely hope they change or add. Here’s hoping they learned a lot of lessons from this debacle, and any future title from the company will have a smoother road towards release with fewer issues both internally and externally. Fans know CD Projekt Red is capable of much better.
10 Fewer Bugs
First and foremost, any future title from CD Projekt Red needs to have fewer bugs upon release. Gamers understand that glitches will squeeze their way into an open-world game, but the amount of technical issues in Cyberpunk 2077 is simply inexcusable. Next time, they should not announce a release date until they are 100% confident they know they can ship the game in a workable state. They have to be particularly efficient with this to earn fans’ trust again. As of now, anyone who has not bought the game is advised to wait until patches fix it.
9 Visible Cybernetics
The ability to upgrade V using cybernetic implants is nice, but these do not affect the way they look. It is a strange dissonance to see NPCs walking around with all kinds of implants, yet your avatar looks like they came straight out of 2020 even with all the implant slots filled. It breaks the immersion and ruins the opportunity to express a major theme of Cyberpunk literature - the melding of technology and humanity - through gameplay.
8 Choices Having More Impact On The Ending
While the story is great, its implementation into gameplay is a step back from The Witcher 3. You makes several choices towards the end that determine which ending plays out.
However, the variables are surprisingly few. Given the developer’s pedigree, we expected numerous choices throughout the game to affect an ending with numerous variables. They should absolutely fix this next time around, and even have side quests affect the ending quests.
7 Better AI
Sometimes it feels like the game cannot decide whether it is an RPG or a straightforward first-person shooter set in an open-world future. Regardless of how one plays or views it, one fact remains; the AI is terrible. Enemies do not feel like real people when they attack V, ruining the dynamic moments and chaos of gunfights many modern first-person games offer. This is the first time CD Projekt Red tackled a first-person game, so hopefully they can focus their efforts on AI and combat next time around.
6 A New City Or More Indoor Areas
Night City is huge and easily one of the most impressive parts Cyberpunk 2077. The tabletop RPG even takes place in this metropolis. We would want a sequel to take place in a new area to show us a different part of the dystopian future. If it does return to Night City, it needs to significantly expand upon it. One way to do this is by adding more indoor areas instead of just businesses and story locations.
5 Separating Armor And Clothing Options
The amount of armor options is impressive, but V always looks like a complete doofus when going for the clothing with the best defense. Even though the game is in first-person, the glimpses you get at V remind you of how foolish they look. To remedy this issue, the next game should have separate options for armor and aesthetics. This way you can shoot and hack in style while also taking advantage of the best gear.
4 Life Paths Having A Bigger Impact
The three life paths in Cyberpunk 2077 affect the introduction and dialog options. Many were expecting to have an even bigger impact on gameplay and the story.
What if the street kid had skills and strengths the nomad did not, and vice versa? Players would have to think harder about their choice while increasing replay value and making everyone’s play through more unique.
3 Better Melee Combat
Melee combat lovers are going to feel left. Not only does it feel janky, but it makes the game significantly harder when you are trying to run up to people only for them to take you out with just a few shots before you get close. It CD Projekt Red wants melee combat as a viable option, they have to make it more engaging and interesting. The abilities are all there, but it just is not fun to do in comparison to hacking and gunplay.
2 Better Driving
Previous games from the studio used horses for traversal. This is the first time you are driving the character around, and it sure shows. Maneuvering through Night City with a car is a clunky nightmare. Motorcycles make things a little easier, but it still does not feel great. The act of driving needs to feel joyful to the point of eschewing fast travel in favor or zooming down the streets.
1 More Dynamic World
The density of night city is impressive, but many of the activities feel so predetermined, reminding you it is a video game. We don’t expect it to mirror real life, but activities more organically integrated into the environment would go a long way towards increasing the level of immersion. Compare a Rockstar game like Grand Theft Auto 5 and Red Dead Redemption 2 to something like Ghost of Tsushima. The latter is a venerable adventure, but so much of the progression still feels like crossing things off a checklist. We want Cyberpunk to feel more like the former.
