Back when Cyberpunk 2077 was first announced, fans of developer CD Projekt Red were quite excited. At the time, the presiding thought was that the new project was going to be quite a bit like The Witcher 3 but set in the future. As it turns out, it appears the new game is unlikely to ever be what the community hoped it would be. That doesn't mean it can't eventually be a very good game, but it's unlikely whatever the finished product is will look like what was expected.
One of the biggest things people were hoping for in the new project was that Cyberpunk 2077 would have the same kind of the third-person point of view as The Witcher 3. There apparently was a period of time when that was the plan by CD Projekt Red, but eventually, the company decided to go a different route. It wanted to offer players the ability to see the game through the main character's point of view. That POV does offer some benefits, but that decision along with various details revealed in the last year or two before launch were also the first signs that the game wasn't to offer everything the fanbase was clamoring for.
Cyberpunk Problems Persist
At this point, there are other things standing in the way of Cyberpunk 2077 reaching what some thought was its potential. Since its release, CD Projekt Red has spent quite a bit of time on bugs. To its credit, the company has not been shy about admitting the problems at launch, but the very fact there were so many problems at launch was concerning. At one point, Sony removed the title from its digital store and its still not available there.
There are signs that, in the future, Cyberpunk 2077 could get help stomping out bugs with new tools. Until those tools are available or the performance is up to snuff, the company is going to be trying to fix the game the old fashioned way. The company had a roadmap as to when it was going to have things at least moving in the direction of "improved," but the pre-launch hype and magic is gone.
Still Ways To Improve
When it comes to a game that fans were looking for, Cyberpunk 2077 mods are moving closer for some. There's even one mod that does allow users to play in that famed third-person point of view. Even without those mods, it's important to point out the latest CD Projekt Red title isn't a disaster. There are plenty are things that make the game fun to play when it's possible to ignore the bugs and glitches.
When talking about Cyberpunk 2077 never being the game fans thought it was going to be, that doesn't mean there's no chance to make a comeback. Gamers might forget nowadays, but The Witcher 3 wasn't anywhere near the game it is now. It also wasn't nearly as popular as it is now. It's possible that falling behind and then making a dramatic comeback when it comes to delivering on some promises is what CDPR is best at. The fact of the matter is though, even if the game does manage to eventually make its fans happier than they are now, it seems extremely unlikely it will ever be what the community thought it was getting on its release.
Cyberpunk 2077 is available now for PC, PS4, PS5, Stadia, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X/S.