Just in case you do, in fact, live under a rock, the game that was years in the making is finally here and making waves. Sadly, it’s mostly for all the wrong reasons. Cyberpunk 2077, the most anticipated game of the year finally hit the shelves on December 10th. Yet at the time of this writing, the game has been pulled from digital stores and refunds are being issued to anyone unhappy with the game they bought.
Now, you might be thinking, how can a game with a star-studded lineup, production value through the roof, and a development team that was behind 2015’s game of the year, The Witcher III: Wild Hunt, go so horribly wrong? Well, that is exactly what we aim to explore as we look at what we think are the five key reasons that lead to the calamity that was Cyberpunk 2077’s launch.
#1 – Far From The Finished Article
Despite CDPR delaying this game twice before the eventual release, this game was still noticeably incomplete at launch. Even on the highest spec PCs out there and next-gen hardware, this was plain to see. Glitches, bugs, crashes, and game-breaking issues became a common problem for anyone trying to finish a full playthrough for this title. So, as we all went in droves to purchase this game, we had a right to feel short-changed.
#2 – Developmental Crunch
A bit of crunch can spice up a gourmet meal or add a new layer to a tasty soup. However, in the development process of games, this is almost always a terrible thing. Employees of CDPR were required to work around the clock to finish Cyberpunk 2077, with six-day weeks months before launch being a mandatory requirement for all staff. This, of course, was something that CDPR promised staff they wouldn’t have to endure, yet they did, leading to overworked personnel and resulting in a rushed and poorly optimized game.
#3 – Last Gen Was An Afterthought
For many playing on next-gen hardware, the Cyberpunk experience, although far from perfect, has been an enjoyable one. However, for last-gen players, this game has truly left a sour taste. This version of the game has been critically and publicly panned for laughable visuals, countless unplayable sections, and showed overall that CDPR was only interested in getting this one out the door and servicing the next-gen and PC community.
This was even confirmed by a leaked press conference transcript showing that CDPR was aware of the last-gen version’s flaws. Pretty shady stuff.
#4 – A Marketing Mishap
Although the marketing campaign for the game had worked like a charm initially, it soon became apparent that this game was marketed without the inclusion of the last-gen version gameplay in any of the trailers, screenshots, or other media covering the game. Plus, the content shown was not a true and accurate portrayal of what the player would do within the game. In short, the player was promised the moon and the stars, and didn’t even make it past the clouds.
#5 – Crashing The Hype Train
Lastly, we have the fact that this game gave itself a pretty big mountain to climb. One whose summit was never really within reach, at least not realistically. The hype around this title has only been seen in the industry a handful of times before. The game “No Man’s Sky” springs to mind.
So, when the game finally arrived, it really didn’t matter how great it was as it would never be good enough to live up to the hype. This game was put on a pedestal, touted as the game to revolutionize the medium, and in essence, set itself up for failure. Hopefully, they’ve learned that it’s better to have your customers pleasantly surprised rather than unexpectedly disappointed.