Cyberpunk 2077 is still being talked about eight months after its release, and CD Projekt Red's much-hyped sequel to The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt had a rough launch, especially on consoles, and was more of a buggy and perilous experience than a genre-defining hit. It was a riddled and perilous experience rather than a genre-defining hit. The Cyberpunk 2077 1.3 patch addresses some of the game's lingering problems and adds some free DLC. But while CD Projekt Red's commitment to fixing the game is commendable, the window for Cyberpunk 2077 may already be open.
CD Projekt Red discussed the Cyberpunk 2077 1.3 patch during a Twitch livestream, which left fans feeling rather apathetic. During the livestream, Cyberpunk developers introduced the latest free DLC. These included an alternate look for non-player characters, two new jackets for the main character V, and a hideous orange car called the Bandit. For fans who played the game when it debuted, bugs and all, there's not much reason to come back.
The good news is that patch 1.3 is now available and addresses a huge number of issues. It would take too long to go into detail about each and every change in the patch, but basically the game is more stable, looks better, and is easier to play. These are all good changes, and it is commendable that CD Projekt Red has worked so hard to fix them so long after launch.
However, "long after launch" is the appropriate phrase here. The buzz surrounding Cyberpunk went from "intense anticipation" to "general disappointment" to "mild anger" to "silence." Those who really wanted to play cyberpunk probably already had.
This puts CD Projekt Red in an awkward position. If the company doesn't do everything in its power to get to the last patch, fans will accuse it of charging $60 for an unfinished product. Even if the company puts in a tremendous amount of time and resources to perfect the game, it may yield little.
Retailers, at least, may not have much hope for Cyberpunk 2077's replay. Yesterday, the Xbox One and PS4 versions were available for just $10. Now back at $40, this $10 promotion was in contrast to the $60 for the PC version. Generally speaking, the console versions of Cyberpunk 2077 have not been fixed as quickly and as frequently as the PC version.
For now, CD Projekt Red is still committed to getting Cyberpunk 2077 right. However, the road is still long and the weight of cosmetic DLC is limited.
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