Review: CYBERPUNK 2077 May Be the Best Thing to Happen to Google Stadia
Cyberpunk 2077 was probably the most hyped game of the year. We’re now sitting roughly 2 weeks after launch and it has been a nightmare for CD Projekt Red. Well, the people over at Google Stadia were kind enough to supply me with a code to use on Stadia and I’ve actually been loving it.
I want to start with a giant disclaimer. Yes, I’m aware of the disaster the game has been on console. Yes, I know that it has so many problems for a large number of players. My review will be ignoring all of that and be solely based on my experience with the game. I’ve heard the horror stories and I’ve heard the rage and from what I can tell, it’s mostly deserved. This game has so much potential and is really fun when it works, but I’m worried that after the last couple of weeks, people won’t give it another try.
Cyberpunk 2077 sees you in a futuristic world where everyone has cybernetic parts and swears like a sailor. You play a mercenary named V and a lot happens to you including having to deal with a grumpy Keanu Reeves. The story is well written and very engaging. In the dialogue trees, they provide you a fair number of options to really help you create a unique character. It can be fun talking to people and deciding what attitude your V has.
Speaking of creating a unique character, this game’s customization is pretty phenomenal. You can change a lot of things about your character including what genitals they have. I find that they have a good mix of options. They use presets which do limit you to some degree, but that helps prevent option paralysis for some of us too which is nice. Also, they have a ton of presets to choose from, so it feels like you have a huge selection and you don’t feel very limited. My one complaint in the character creation process is that when you go to customize your nails, it doesn’t zoom in for you to get a better look.
The graphics for this game are really amazing. I have Stadia Pro which means I get up to 4K resolution, but my monitor is only 1080p, so that’s not as big a deal for me. As long as I have a decent internet connection, it even looks amazing on my Chromebook. This game is not lacking in the graphics department.
I briefly want to comment on the soundtrack. It’s practically perfect in every way. The team of P.T. Adamczyk, Paul Leonard-Morgan, and Marcin Przybylowicz have done an exceptional job.
The controls are pretty standard for a first-person shooter. I used a keyboard and mouse so I’m not sure what it’s like using a controller, but everything was very responsive. The only problem is when you get in a vehicle and have to drive. I hate driving with a keyboard. It’s one of the worst experiences in a game.
So, how buggy has the game been? Honestly, not very. I’ve only run into a couple of bugs and none of them were game breaking. Now, I haven’t been able to extensively play the game as much as I would like, and I have no doubt that there are plenty of bugs I didn’t run into and I’m even willing to bet there’s at least one that’s at least close to game breaking.
At the end of the day, playing Cyberpunk 2077 on Stadia has been a great experience and I think it’s possibly the only good press the game is getting. If you want to play Cyberpunk 2077 now, I would definitely recommend going through Stadia unless you have a $2,000+ gaming PC.
