For most gamers on PC and newer consoles, Cyberpunk 2077 is absolutely worth giving a try in 2022 after substantial patches fixed the majority of bugs and technical issues that crippled its launch. While some jankiness still exists, the incredible futuristic world, compelling story and deep RPG systems now shine through to deliver a mostly smooth, immersive experience.
Night City oozes visual splendor and imagination that truly pulls you into its darkly fascinating dystopian realm. Since release, developers CD Projekt Red have clearly worked hard to redeem this ambitious project, slowly but surely ironing out flaws to realize its full potential. For fans of open world action RPGs, Cyberpunk 2077 now satisfyingly blends top-notch world building, gunplay, hacking, driving and branching narratives.
## The Rocky Launch and CDPR‘s Redemption
Cyberpunk 2077‘s December 2020 launch was notoriously plagued by glitches, crashes and performance issues, especially on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One. It garnered negative reviews and infuriated fans who felt deceived. Sony even removed the game from their PlayStation store for months. But developers CD Projekt Red resolved to fix their blunder, releasing major patches that have incrementally improved stability and playability. The massive 1.5 update in February 2022 was a real turning point, introducing hundreds of bug fixes and visual upgrades. Further patches like 1.6 continued smoothing things out.
Steadily, CDPR brought their ambitious vision back on track through diligent patching and refunds. While serious bugs still exist in forgotten corners, the overall experience is now mostly polished and playable. CD Projekt Red‘s redemption roadmap has largely worked to satisfy players. Ongoing updates show their commitment to keep building on strong foundations.
## Key Improvements and Enhancements
Here are some of the most vital fixes and enhancements from the major patches:
– **Stability** – Crashes reduced by 70% and game-breaking bugs squashed. Playthroughs are far less disrupted.
– **Console Performance** – Framerates doubled from 15-25 FPS to over 30, with major reductions in texture pop-in. Vastly smoother on last-gen.
– **PC Optimization** – Up to 60%+ FPS gains on PC depending on hardware. Ray tracing optimized. Load times reduced by 50-70%.
– **Driving** – Completely reworked driving model with improved vehicle handling and physics. Majorly upgraded.
– **Traffic and Crowds** – Pedestrian and vehicle counts boosted by 50-100% with new crowd AI behavior making Night City feel alive.
– **Gunplay** – Shooting feels tighter and tactical with new animations, balance tweaks and general polish on feedback.
– **Melee Combat** – Melee also received major animation and combat flow improvements for more fluid, visceral fights.
– **Other Changes** – Hundreds of other tweaks spanned UI elements, keymap customization, loot balancing, fast travel, perk changes, weather effects and much more.
| Patch | Bug Fixes | Optimizations | Content Additions |
|-|-|-|-|
| 1.5 | 500+ | 100+ | Transmog, apartments, etc |
| 1.6 | 300+ | 50+ | Vehicle customization, etc |
| 1.7 | 200+ | 20+ | AI updates, etc |
This table summarizes the extensive changelog across the major patches. With each new update, Night City becomes more immersive as CDPR checks fixes off their list.
## Renewed Hype After the Edgerunners Anime
CD Projekt Red‘s redemption was also aided by the release of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, the anime series by Studio Trigger that expands on the game‘s lore and characters in exciting ways. Edgerunners provides cool context for the world that renews interest in playing the game and exploring Night City again.
In the weeks after Edgerunners debuted on Netflix in September 2022, Cyberpunk 2077 saw a [**470% surge**](#) in Steam players, jumping from under 10k to over 50k concurrent users. The show inspired fans to revisit Night City and experience locations and themes portrayed in the anime. It also attracted new players intrigued by the gripping story and unique setting.
Edgerunners and the 1.6 patch aligning with its release generated great buzz and traction for the game‘s revitalization. Cyberpunk 2077 has recovered from its fall from grace to become one of Steam‘s top played games in the latter half of 2022. The anime crossover is a huge bonus for breathing new life into Night City.
## The Definitive Experience on PC
Cyberpunk 2077 looks and runs best on a powerful gaming PC equipped with modern hardware:
– High-end CPUs and GPUs like Ryzen 7/Core i7 and RTX 3070/Radeon RX 6800 and above
– 16GB+ RAM
– SSD storage
With these specs, you can achieve 60 FPS+ gameplay in 1080p and 1440p resolutions with maxed graphics settings and ray tracing enabled. Visually, PC showcases Night City‘s sublime neon-noir ambiance the best with its extra details and effects.
Furthermore, mods can enhance graphics and gameplay via the Steam Workshop. There are mods to adjust vehicle physics, reshape gunplay balance, alter character appearances, improve crowds, optimize HUDs and much more. Mod support significantly expands the possibilities.
However, PCs below the recommended specs will still run into some stuttering and limitations, especially with ray tracing features enabled. Adjusting graphics settings is key to smoothing performance based on your hardware. Overall, PC provides the definitive Cyberpunk 2077 experience that consoles can‘t quite match yet.
## Consoles – Smoother But Downgraded Visuals
On PlayStation and Xbox consoles, while the game is more stable and very playable now, graphical compromises had to be made. Crowd density, reflections, shadows and draw distance are lowered significantly. Textures and assets are also downgraded. Performance is capped at 30 FPS.
These cutbacks allow the aging PS4 and Xbox One to basically run the game smoothly, whereas before it was borderline broken. PS5 and Xbox Series X fare better with their upgraded hardware, resolution bumped to 1440-1700p and more visual effects enabled.
But across all consoles, it still feels like a visually downgraded version of the PC experience, despite solid 30 FPS lock and acceptable loading times now. Consoles essentially trade polish for playability. Those desiring the full visual splendor ought to play on a tricked out gaming PC if possible.
## Is Cyberpunk 2077 Worth Playing in 2022?
For gamers on PS5, Xbox Series X/S or a well-equipped PC, Cyberpunk 2077 is absolutely worth playing and stands as one of the most impressive open world titles in recent years.
Despite the rocky launch, Cyberpunk 2077 today in late 2022 is now in a state where I can comfortably recommend it to most players. On capable hardware, it delivers a mostly smooth, engrossing RPG shooter with stunning world design and multiple compelling stories to follow. Lingering rough edges exist, but game-breaking frustration is rare now.
Night City oozes an unparalleled futuristic atmosphere and visual style that pulls you into its gritty underworld. The characters and writing bring maturity and nuance to the brilliantly crafted dystopian reality. There is incredible substance beneath the surface.
However, base PlayStation 4 and Xbox One owners may still wish to wait for more optimization patches before diving in. Budget PC gamers should also check their specs match minimum requirements. But overall, Cyberpunk 2077‘s redemption arc has succeeded in reviving its sullied reputation. Tread carefully into Night City, but take the plunge – the hazy neon heights and grimy depths ahead are calling.
## Tips for Getting the Best Experience
– **Use a controller** – smoother driving, shooting and general movement. Keyboard works but controller is ideal.
– **Focus your builds** – don‘t spread skills thinly. Specialize in melee, hacking or guns to feel powerful.
– **Take it slow** – savor the sights and sounds. Explore off the beaten path.
– **Adjust driving settings** – default sensitivity is quite high so lower for more control.
– **Enable ray tracing** (on capable PCs) for next-level visuals.
– **Try on Hard** – enemies are damage sponges otherwise. Consider Very Hard if you want a challenge.
– **Do side jobs** – some of the best content lies outside the main story.
– **Manual saves** – hard save often manually in case any glitches occur.
– **Graphics settings** – PC players should fine-tune settings for optimal visuals and performance.
– **Mods** (PC only) – further enhance visuals, mechanics and immersion via Steam Workshop.
## The Road Ahead for Cyberpunk 2077
CD Projekt Red has committed to keep refining Night City over 2022 and 2023 while also developing major expansions. These paid DLCs will add new districts, story quests, characters and weapons to broaden scope. Exciting features like vehicle customization from Edgerunners may get incorporated too. If they deliver substantial expansions, Cyberpunk 2077 could keep growing into an even deeper RPG shooter.
Upcoming next-gen console ports for PS5 and Xbox Series X/S should also provide the coveted 60 FPS gameplay at higher resolutions missing currently. And more patches will continue tweaking and building on strong foundations.
While the disastrous launch will always haunt its legacy, Cyberpunk 2077 seems to have mostly recovered in 2022 with the potential for an even brighter future. There‘s still work to be done, but Night City is now clearly worth visiting again. Just don‘t forget your VR shades.
