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Tag: Cyberpunk 2077

  • REVIEW: ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ is Trigger at its Best

    REVIEW: ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ is Trigger at its Best

    Trigger is a household name in the anime industry, and they’ve also built up quite the reputation for the kinds of projects they put out. So, many were naturally quite excited when it was announced that they are actively working on an animate adaptation of Cyberpunk 2077, which was for quite some time considered the most anticipated game release of all time. Sadly, it didn’t quite manage to stay true t that promise. A lot has happened since, but the anime under the title Cyberpunk Edgerunner revived the Cyberpunk hype. And that’s for a good reason.

    From the moment Franz Ferdinand‘s “This Fffire” plays, you know you’re in for a dark tale. The opening doesn’t hide what’s about to come and sets you off perfectly for what’s about to unfold. Yet, there’s this glimmer of hope and optimism this series continues to hold throughout its run. In a way, it encompasses the game’s core philosophy better than even its original medium. Trigger’s greatest strengths are at play here bringing us their likely most “grounded” story yet.

    We explore the story of David Martinez and the tragedy that unfolds his life as he finds himself in the underbelly of Night City. Even if the game wasn’t well-received, there’s definitely something beautiful and fascinating about the world they’ve created. Once you’re trapped in the nightscape of Cyberpunk, you can’t help but want to see more stories explored in this world.

    It’s also very bloody and shows no restraints; just adds a little splendor to the already extremely well-animated sequences. The use of CG is also quite well-done as outside of some vehicles here or there, it was extremely well implemented into the more traditional animation. Though the highlight is the character details, something that they certainly made use of in a world filled with cybernetic enhancements.

    Speaking of, they make good use of the world to tell their story and characters. We get some of the best insights into characters’ minds through the concept of cyberpsychosis. Episode 6 is a standout and heartbreaking in many ways that just adds so much to the concept of how this is familiar but also different. At the core of this story, it’s about these characters and their lives. And it does it wonderfully with the only complaint being that we don’t get more than 10 episodes.

    There are some standout characters and the show knows you’ll get attached to them. Emi Lo‘s subdued Lucy offers something alluring and dangerous at the same time. You don’t blame Zach Aguilar‘s David for falling for her and taking a leap into a new world. Probably the biggest standout was Alex Cazares as the trigger-happy but delightful Rebecca, who commands the scene every time she’s around. You’ll get attached to this crew quite quickly.

    There is a bit of a jump after a specific episode that feels like it could’ve used more time. While it made sense given how they were approaching the story, its 10-episode story structure felt a bit restrictive in how much time we could spend and how fast some aspects seem to pass by. You want to spend time with these characters and when the show starts taking jumps it sometimes can be distracting especially if characters go through some major overhauls in-between episodes. This isn’t House of the Dragon level of time skips but for one case it felt a bit surprising.

    While Cyberpunk Edgerunners tells its own self-contained story throughout this season, it would be a shame not to tell others. There’s something gripping about this world and Trigger seemed surprisingly at home here. We get a glimpse of this world and it feels like there’s just too much to explore. Yet, at the same time, this series feels perfect as a one-time release, and wouldn’t really say I#d be mad if that was the only one we get. It had me laughing, and crying throughout; what more can you ask for?

  • ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Reports 13M+ Sales Even With Refunds

    ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Reports 13M+ Sales Even With Refunds

    It has been quite a turbulent ride for Cyberpunk 2077. Just recently, we took a closer look at the drama surrounding the game’s release. The game was continuously delayed, faced a very buggy launch and even with phenomenal pre-order numbers had to start a refund campaign. Still, many wondered how exactly this could affect their sales numbers, especially with investors even threatening to sue them. So, CD Project Red revealed their latest sales figures to highlight

    According to their latest press release, the game has sold over 13 million copies. These sales numbers cover all platforms and also factor in refunds. The statement also seems to highlight that this being made public is primary to support investment-related decisions. So, this might be CDPR taking action to ensure their investors that even with the bad press, their game has still been selling amazingly.

    Those sales numbers are, of course, fantastic. Any game developer would be happy to boast those numbers. They have shown a strong digital sales funnel, which is a major advantage for CDPR to ensure a bigger cut. Right now, the sales are phenomenal but they could see a quick slowdown with many still waiting to check out the game until most of the bugs have been fixed.

    So, if they are able to fix it with the upcoming major patches that are planned, there is a good chance they can see another boost, especially as many are still waiting for the next-gen upgrade for PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X. The only question is, how much has their reputation been hit by these events and news coverage. For now, only time will tell but the game’s foundation will still be a draw for many to return.

    Source: CD Project Red

  • Taking a Closer Look at the ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Controversy

    Taking a Closer Look at the ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Controversy

    Cyberpunk 2077 was considered one of the most anticipated games of the decade. It even won the Gamescom 2020 RPG of the Year, Best of Gamescom, Best PC, and Best PlayStation Game Award long-before it even hit store shelves. Everything seemed to be going CD Project Red’s way as they started to prepare for the game’s imminent release. Now, just a little over a week later, the company may be facing legal action. It seems that a Warsaw-based lawyer and investor in the company, Mikolaj Orzechowski, has started exploring options to sue the gaming studio for misrepresentation to secure funds. New York-based Wolf Haldenstein Adler Freeman & Herz LLP also intends to take legal action to represent shareholders. With everything going on so far, it might be a good idea to take a closer look at what has happened with one of the most anticipated games of the year.

    When Cyberpunk 2077 launched, it got rave reviews with a Metacritic average of 87 on PC. Yet, the reviews started to reveal some strange pre-requirements for the review’s release. Tom Marks states in his review for IGN that they weren’t allowed to use their footage, and were only provided with the PC version to review. So, shortly before release, there was a notable absence of the console version.

     

     

    There was also quite a bit of controversy surrounding some of the few negative reviews. Most notably surrounding one major problem the game had in its approach. Game Informer shared a piece regarding the game that highlights how it includes epileptic triggers. This issue started to make the rounds, as there were no disclaimers included. Once the review embargo lifted, there were many findings of the game’s standing. Various PC bugs were starting to pop up, such as floating assets, UI issues, and many more. What pushed it even further was the issues surrounding last-gen games, which couldn’t hold a candle with the PC version. When IGN released their updated review for consoles, it got downgraded to a 4/10.

    There is a general trend with recent releases facing multiple bugs and issues, but all this didn’t stop CD Project Red to have a successful launch from a financial standpoint. They took to Twitter to announce they had 8 million pre-orders with 59% on PC alone. These were massive numbers for the company and quite a success. Yet, as the issues started to pile on, they released a statement a few days later highlighting that they would offer refunds to players facing these issues. Sony even stated to lower their usually strict refund policy to allow players to get a full refund. Not just that, they even pulled the game from the PlayStation Store while Microsoft added a warning into their store. In a web call with investors, Board meetings with CDPR did not help matters, as VP of Business Development Michal Nowakowski stated regarding how the game passed Sony and Microsoft’s certification process:

    In terms of the certification process and the third parties – this is definitely on our side. I can only assume that they trusted that we’re going to fix things upon release, and that obviously did not come together exactly as we had planned.

    Bloomberg also shared an article highlighting internal issues, as the development team dropped blunt questions in an internal call. They discussed unrealistic deadlines, the immense requirement of overtime building up to its release. It got delayed three times that led to an additional necessity for crunch. Some reports even stating the development team went through all year. It even got delayed after the game had “gone gold” in October, which means that the game’s final code was up for certification. As such, the team had to work more overtime. The issue was that the company claimed it was against these business practices and offered humane working conditions.

     

     

    How does this all lead to investors seeking legal action? Well, the consequences of these controversies have led to its stock plunging by a third. Their reputation has been strongly affected and led to the company’s founders and investors to lose around $1 billion in stock. It’s future development also heavily depending on how they manage to fix the bugs. It may pushback the planned release of a multiplayer component. As such, the initial plans for 2021 are vital to avoid further plunges in their stock. For now, these lawsuits seem to be just considerations without actually being brought to court. So, only time will tell if actual consequences follow but this seems like a current reaction towards recent investor calls and statements.

    There still does not seem to be an end in sight for now, as a recent save corruption bug was uncovered. Still, the bones are there for a great experience and game, especially with the beautifully futuristic world that was built. CD Project Red has highlighted they will be releasing major updates in January and February to address as many issues as possible. These patches will especially try to fix the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions of the game. Hopefully, these can address the major aspects so players on the console can share the experience that PC players are having. If you have been facing issues so far, they have uploaded the Hotfix 1.05 on all platforms, so you can check out what has been fixed here:

    Source: Game Medium, The Hollywood Reporter, The New York Times via PC Gamer and EuroGamer, Metacritic (PC), YouTube (IGN), Inverse, Happy Gamer, Twitter (IGN), Twitter (Pre-Orders), Twitter (Sales Split), Twitter (Refund), The Verge, EuroGamer, Gaming Bible, Bloomberg, Polygon

  • Sony Players Supposedly Receiving ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Refunds

    Sony Players Supposedly Receiving ‘Cyberpunk 2077’ Refunds

    So, I confess I haven’t covered Cyberpunk 2077 as I wanted to. The game has been on my radar for some time, but looking at it graphically, I felt like it was something I wanted to reserve for my next-gen experience. Now that I was not able to get my hands on a PlayStation 5, my plans got delayed even further. From what I’ve gathered, the release has been far from what people expected. CD Projekt RED received great scores from critics, but only for the PC version. As the IGN review pointed out, they weren’t given a console version and couldn’t use their recorded footage. Shortly after release, the console’s reception by fans ended up at a 2.8 on PlayStation 4 and 3.6 for Xbox One. Cyberpunk 2077’s sales were 41% on consoles, so a substantial part of their player base was affected. Many players then took to Twitter to share their frustration with the game’s issues.

    Now, it looks like the game’s reception has hit a boiling point, as Sony is officially issuing refunds for the PlayStation 4 and Playstation 5 version. This kind of refund only occurs in extreme cases on the console, as Forbes points out. It is especially prevalent as they do not have a return policy. I have heard that there are issues even on newer consoles, and the PC version is littered with enough bugs as well that can hamper some experiences. I still want to give the game a chance, as the world you are presented with and the story sounds intriguing. It is strange to see such a high-profile release face these kinds of issues once again.

    Many recent releases, such as Assassin’s Creed Valhalla and Watch Dogs Legion have faced bug-related issues. In some way, it felt like Marvel’s Avengers was just the beginning of the pandemic showing its influence on the development cycle. Even Spider-Man: Miles Morales had a variety of bizarre bugs even with Insomniac’s history of polish. Cyberpunk 2077 could have fallen victim to a similar issue that has been a growing trend as of late. It’ll be interesting to see if 2021’s early releases will also be affected moving forward or developers were finally able to adjust to the current situation.

    Source: IGN, Metacritic (PS), Metacritic (Xbox), EuroGamer, Twitter, Reddit via Forbes, EuroGamer, GameCrate, EuroGamer, NerdBot, The Verge, Forbes