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Just as with Elden Ring, I am bound to dedicate several more pages of words to Cyberpunk 2077 even after this podcast. It will be the next in what I’ve decided shall be a “Piece-by-Piece” series, and I will be playing the game more in order to obtain additional footage for screenshots.

In truth, I ought to be playing through any “Piece-by-Piece” game multiple times in order to be thorough. As discussed with Zach, there are evidently ways to “break” the combat as a quick-hacker that I never uncovered. Perhaps I needed to put more perks into hacking than anything else? I certainly discovered how broken it could be when my short circuit ability could one-shot a single mech.

Of course, my analyses aren’t meant to be “definitive” in any way, shape, or form. As all criticism is, it is rooted in my subjectivity. However, I try to work and see around that subjectivity to find something beyond my perspective and closer to a shared truth. With Cyberpunk 2077, I genuinely want to know what mindset or personality is required to find this game in any way even half as good as the hype had tried to make it out to be. Part of me recognizes that CD Projekt Red has potential to make a truly astounding game, but at the end of the day I find both The Witcher 3 and Cyberpunk 2077 to be acceptable Western AAA releases.

In other words, all the “inspiration” is mere smoke and mirrors to the otherwise bog-standard act of playing the game. As jank as the Yakuza games can be – and boy howdy was the third one jank – at least I can pick up a bicycle and smash it over someone’s head in a way no other video game permits. Even MadWorld wasn’t so satisfying, and that was a game whose entire gameplay loop was built around tossing people into turbines and shoving street signs through their skull.

You’d think I would not want to discuss the game further, but as Steve was not able to be present for this episode, we will continue our discussion into next week. Knowing him, we’ll likely have much more to say about the game’s narrative as Zach, as noted in the podcast, is far more interested in mechanics first.

What are your thoughts on Cyberpunk 2077? Feel free to leave a comment below or send us an e-mail with your opinions.

Opening theme music by Fallen Prophecy.