Part of being a critic isn't just to criticize (though that is right there in the name) what went wrong, but also to expound upon what went right. With a polarizing game like Cyberpunk 2077, the job of a reviewer is harder than ever because many fans want to insist that this is the worst/best game of all time. Certainly, there are pieces of the game that, if they receive a disproportionate amount of focus, will make it look like it is indeed a legendary or a garbage addition to the industry.
A forest is never more important than the sum of its trees. It's important to quantify what makes the game beautiful and fun so that those elements can stick around and be built upon while also remaining aware of what makes the game terrible and boring so that those portions can be scrapped or evolved. CD Projekt Red will undoubtedly be looking to their fans for input on what is working and what isn't. So far, these are the hottest topics generating most of the love and hate during the experience so far.
10 Stay The Same: Night City
There is no doubt that the side gigs are nowhere close to as detailed as they were in The Witcher 3, but gamers haven't been complaining. This might be because even though every side gig is essentially the same, the environment makes it feel new.
Players will notice as they complete every Agent Saboteur gig in the game that it never feels tedious to go from place to place. The roads, even if gridlock, are stunning. And there are always neon lights, rolling sand dunes, and towering skyscrapers consistently establishing this breathtaking environment.
9 Change: Glitches And Bugs
V might be able to knock out the Both Sides, Now questline with no problems. Or the quest givers might spawn inside of a wall, start pulling out grenades in the middle of a conversation, or begin walking to a checkpoint and then stop for no reason.
While PS4 and Xbox One players have gotten the worst of it, even top-of-the-line rigs have countless bugs and glitches in a single playthrough. They are at every turn and players can do nothing more than cross their fingers and hope that it doesn't impact their core experience.
8 Stay The Same: Gunplay
Sometimes a zone is so hot that it's not recommended to go in guns blazing, like when trying to beat the Tapeworm questline. But that won't stop players from trying because stealth is alright, but shooting is just so cool.
The sniper rifle is a one-hit death machine, the SMG unleashes a firestorm of bullets, and the pistol feels sleek and handy. There is a justifiably heated debate about which gun reigns supreme due to the love players have for a favorite piece that fits their playstyle perfectly.
7 Change: Experience
V can finish the entire Sinnerman questline and never once level up. The developers have decided that the best way for players to level up is by utilizing skills, encouraging them to branch out and use a variety of them.
There is no complaint about that idea, but the amount of experience it takes to level up increases way too drastically. Players who aren't aware of the mechanic will likely never max out a skill tree, but even gamers who are aware of this can do every gig in the entire game and they still won't be able to max out a second. This forces V to focus on only one skill, which is too bad because they are all worth a shot.
6 Stay The Same: Enemy Difficulty
Scaling enemies has been a feature for many open-world games for a long time, but it makes items quickly get irrelevant and penalizes players who level up. It was an excellent decision to get rid of that concept entirely.
There are, of course, low-threat, high-threat, and boss targets that help guide the experience, and that's fine. But if somebody is thinking about adjusting enemy health and damage to scale with player level, they should drop it.
5 Change: Money
There is a healthy debate over whether Final Fantasy VII: Remake or Cyberpunk 2077 is the better futuristic RPG, but if it's a question of economics, the former's Gil absolutely destroys the latter's Eurodollar.
The money V makes is absurdly low. It's nonsense because players can loot mansions and corporate accounts and still not have enough money for a car. Completionists can barely afford everything they want by the end of the game, everybody else has no chance at all.
4 Stay The Same: Character Creation
There is bound to be DLC on the horizon in Cyberpunk 2077 that will address many questions the fans have, but if the DLC removes any variety from character creation, it will be met with anger and resistance.
Really, if anybody wants to touch the process, they should add more; provide additional body types, give V the ability to get a haircut, and add a color wheel. But they should not change the overall process of making V, which gamers have loved.
3 Change: The Endings
The endings can be ranked from good to bad, but, without spoiling anything, they are all "bad" in the traditional sense of the word. Night City is a tough place to make a living and no matter what V does, the outlook when the credits roll is bleak.
It feels a great deal like fake choices that make no difference. Indeed, the game can be continued after the credits, but the experience and dialogue options pretend that the ending has never occurred. The conclusions all need some variety and relevance to the game.
2 Stay The Same: Powerful Equipment
There are probably a few items that the team will look at re-balancing. This is only natural, some of the strong cybernetics and weapons are powerful enough to wipe out high-threat targets in a single hit.
But players have designed V's build around these unbelievable items. Any nerf to them will wreck someone's entire playthrough. There is a solid green light to boost some of the weaker iconic selections but leave the good stuff alone.
1 Change: Driving
The driving did not score well among reviewers before the game's release and it didn't get better afterward. The cars themselves are designed very well, but the overall experience behind the wheel feels clunky and non-responsive.
It's led to most players choosing to walk instead unless they absolutely have to make the trek to the desert. With a whole achievement dedicated to collecting all of the game's vehicles, it would be wise to fix up the controls here so that driving feels at least tolerable.