Style or Substance? Cyberfashion Ponderings

In general, I don't worry too much about what my characters look like--stats are more important than looks, right?  On my (YIKES) third playthrough of Cyberpunk 2077, I was getting tired of V snatching up many of the same items (there's some variety in what you loot, but vendors have the same items--possibly barring some crafting plans) and looking like a goof throughout much of the game.  I decided it was time to have some fun and try to piece together some different looks for my most recent V.  By the time you reach the "turning point" mission, V's finances should be pretty plush (unless you've gone crazy buying cars or cyberware or only done the story missions).  I decided to make a manual save and blow V's bank roll on random clothing (there are some very expensive legendary pieces).

Let's be real, clothing stats don't seem to have much (if any) real impact on combat, damage reduction, or improving skills.  The best items are generally the ones that have more slots to install clothing mods.  So, with that in mind, if you want your V to look badass (and maybe not be rocking the most-uber gear), DO EEEEET!

I actually looted all the pieces in this pic.  Crazy, huh?

My corpo V wound up being way hotter than I intended (although, I've seen some pretty amazing V's floating around on the interweb).  I decided that my corpo V would need more of an "office appropriate" look--no vibrantly colored hair, over the top piercings, or gaudy cyberware (but, definitely some visible cyberware because corpo V isn't some sad peasant off the street...I mean, eventually he/she is....but, no spoilers!).  

Corpo V needs a corpo look in a corpo location.
Corpo, anyone?

I actually really like a lot of the corpo styles in the game.  They all give off a tailored, streamlined, but futuristic feeling.  V starts off in a pretty snazzy suit, but I was digging on this (super crazy expensive) golden dress.  Jinguji, an oasis of elegance (and minor cyberpsycho attacks and encounters with MaxTac).

Heywood style!

The gang with my favorite look is the Valentino's.  There's lots of gold, florals, and a sort of traditional Latin gang aesthethic that is fun.  Throw in some futuristic elements and you get the unique stylings that can be found on the streets of Heywood.

Street style (with not the best lighting).

There are some very cool jackets in the game that come in different varieties that tend to match the many gangs.  I found it more challenging to find nice looking shirts, pants and shoes.  Don't even get me started on headgear--I like many of the headbands but the vast majority of the head items are really over-the-top.  My V is way too hot to rock a gas mask and helmet (*but stats, remember, so when it's go-time it's gas mask and helmet time--good thing it's in first person....)

6th Street are true patriots...of corruption.

6th Street offers up a smorgasbord of pseudo-patriotic attire.  As far as I'm concerned, they and Gunner (their leader) can jump off a megabuilding, but I pieced together this charming 6th Street inspired look.  NUSA!  NUSA!  (I gleefully choke out these bozos in every playthrough)

When in Watson....you know, wear leather.

Corpo V would be a very unwelcome sight on the streets of NID--better find some punk pieces to fit in with the locals.  The Ded Zed store in the NID has some fun punk-inspired stuff--lots of leather with spikes, boots, and Maelstrom cast offs.

You need a special rig for the Badlands.  And a look to match.

The nomads are one of my favorite groups in the game.  They have a look that is tied to their lifestyle--lots of racing items combined with a sort of western vibe.  Even though the Wraiths are yuck, I do enjoy the colors of their gang.  Also, let's talk about my favorite car in the game--the Mizutani Shion "Coyote."  It's one of the spendier rigs (115,000), but it drives like a dream--smooth as silk on city roads and just as good when traversing the Badlands.  It could do with a little bit more flair (I like the art on the Aldecaldo's version), but it's worth every enny.

The fashion in Cyberpunk 2077 is something that I've enjoyed--I still need to piece together a Mox look.  I would highly recommend hanging on to any nice looking articles of clothing that you come across (for photomode fun times).  I don't think there are any limits to the number of items you can stash.

Cyber-Romantic Letdown?

Something that consistently happens while I'm gaming is that I will be trying to find a solution or some info and I will stumble upon an intriguing thread or series of opinions.  (FYI:  The Cyberpunk 2077 obsession is still going strong.  It feels weird to enjoy something so much that so many people find extremely disappointing--but I'm just gonna bask in my obsession until the feeling wanes) I was haplessly Googling if there was a bug with Judy's text messages (because in one of the exchanges you tell her to send pics and those pics never show up...I just want my damn Judy pics!) and I noticed a large number of threads about how disappointing many players found the romantic options in Cyberpunk 2077.  Romantic options in video games are one strange area that people seem to care A LOT about--I find that interesting, and, I will admit that it's also something that I enjoy.  I can't say that my initial reaction was to be disappointed, but I can agree with some of the arguments that many of the threads made.  However, I don't agree with all of the arguments.

One of the first things I considered was the nature of the story in Cyberpunk 2077.  Central to the story is the idea that V is living on borrowed time--a narrative part of the game that is conflicting (V needs to find a solution...STAT!  But, you know, not before he/she has done 900 gigs...it's definitely a part of the story where you have to suspend reality).  Does V have time for a big, involved relationship (which was an argument I saw over and over--that the romances lack depth)?  Sure, there was a part of me that wanted more interaction with my LI of choice (AKA Judy), but does V have the time to be arranging romantic dates and spending time doing non-mercenary activities?  Seems like a bit of a stretch to me, but we can all dream.  Let's let this be an exercise in an argument that doesn't make a ton of narrative sense.

Kerry and Us Cracks

Another major criticism was about the lack of romantic options and the need for more choices.  Players get one lesbian/gay choice (Judy for female V; Kerry for male V) and one straight choice (River for female V; Panam for male V)...and that's it.  Each romanceable character gets a series of side missions (Judy and Panam are also involved in the main storyline, so there are more interactions with them) that help establish backstory, establish the relationship, and then seal the deal with a sexual encounter.  I think it would be fun to have more choices--especially choices that seem to align with V's lifepath choices. 

Here are some other options floating around in my Cyberpunk addled brain:

1.) Another mercenary--maybe someone you bump into in the Afterlife or run into while doing a job.  Think of how much V and fictional LI mercenary would have in common?  They're trying to climb the NC mercenary ladder too; they're an expert at killing and/or light maiming (I prefer non-lethal options)--just imagine the possibilities!  Maybe it could provide some opportunities for joint mercenary work?  I like it!  Now, start piecing together your headcanon smokin' hot mercenary LI in your brain.  I picture a mission gone wrong, lots of gunfire, a well-timed rescue combined with some light flirtation...that's how it begins.

Theo and Brendan--a doomed friendship

2.) Theo!  Poor girl just lost her best friend (a vending machine with a powerfully tuned conversation algorithm that allowed it essentially become a therapist that could also dispense tasty drinks) and her current relationship seems to be falling apart.  She seems nice...maybe a little too nice for V, but I just feel bad for her.

3.) Characters with ties to specific gangs.  Maybe dating someone from Maelstrom or an Animal is too weird (Dum Dum does get those fancy teeth though....or maybe you have a special kink for roided out physiques...), but it could be interesting to find a Tyger Claw, Valentino, or 6th Street option.  Gang involvement could provide some decent story material and/or conflicts.

4.) A corpo.  It's the one option with ties to one of V's lifepath choices that needs a correlating relationship choice.  Corpos are all sorts of horrible, but maybe it could be one who's not a hopeless asshat?  Maybe someone who hires V for some sort of corpo espionage type thing and then gets attached?  For me, this seems like another narrative stretch, but I've seen lots of clamoring for this option.

Here are some suggestions I saw that I don't like:

Takemura is not 'ship material!

1.) Takemura.  Really?  I like Takemura as a character, but it's very clear he has one concern and one concern only--Arasaka and his loyalty to them.  He opens up to V and you get the opportunity to learn about him, but it's clear that his involvement with V is one of necessity...and that's it.  He views V as an idiot street thief who was dumb enough to try to steal from the most powerful corp in the world.  V is a means to an end and that's it.  (*If you rescue Takemura and then choose the non-Arasaka ending he leaves you a nasty holo message that you view during the credits--saving his life but sinking his beloved corp is a brutal end to your relationship).

2.) Misty.  Look, Misty is cute, sweet, and caring...bur she's your best friend's girl!  That's just wrong on so many levels.  It doesn't matter that Jackie's not around any more...clear that thought from your gonk brains!

A serious "romance in video games" topic that I think warrants more discussion and/or analysis is male LI's.  I've noticed a definite trend in RPG's that provide "romantic" scenarios that there are fewer male options and that those options tend to be fairly bland.  In Cyberpunk it's clear that Judy and Panam are the standout relationship options and they both get fleshed out storylines and a lot of attention.  River and Kerry get a chain of side missions, but nowhere near the level of detail as the female LI's.  I am curious as to why this is the case--I'm almost completely sure it's because the player base tends to skew male.  I did find it interesting that they made Judy the female-only choice as she's a fan favorite.

Personally, I would like to see some better male options (gay or straight) in video games.  It feels like the hetero-male relationship always falls along a "good guy" kind of storyline--River is the "good" cop; he's invested in his family--he's a stellar example. (*I will fully concede that playing Big Trouble in Heywood with River's niece and nephew is one of my favorite moments in the game.)  That archetype has been played out and I want some variety!  (This is where my fictional corpo could come in!) I find Kerry to be more interesting, but I don't have the background knowledge to say what makes a good gay option.

One part of the game (romance-wise) that I did feel disappointed in was the fact that most of the endings don't include a good sense of closure with your romantic partner.  V gets one phone call to tie things up...and, depending on the ending you choose, differing levels of closure.  (Buuut, is the game really about V finding love?  Should I care about this at all?  It seems dumb, but I think it says something about the quality of the writing and characters that it was something that I found myself concerned about)

The Cyberpunk Adventures of Bro V

After playing through Cyberpunk 2077 as female V, I wanted to see how different the male and female characters were.  I decided to roll a male V, choose a different life path (street kid), and check out a different set of skills (less stealth, more shooty).  I also had a few different story related goals--one was to check out the Panam romance option and the other was to unlock the hidden ending.

(FYI:  Some spoilers ahead...read with caution!)

Street kid V's story begins on the streets of Heywood in a booth in Mama Welles' El Coyote Cojo.  V takes a job (from a slimy feeling fixer-like character) to steal an expensive car from some nameless Arasaka corpo.  The scumbag assures V that it's an easy job--simply go to the garage, use some special security defeating device on the car, and then drive it back.  It feels a bit too easy though, so you know something is guaranteed to go wrong.

Poor V rocked this look for awhile.

V arrives at the garage, hops in the car, pops in the supposed wonder device....and is greeted with a gun to the head.  Is it security?  Is it the Arasaka corpo?  Nope, it's none other than Jackie Welles who is also trying to steal the car.  They have a brief exchange of words before the sound of sirens cuts them off--it's the police!  The cops roll up with guns drawn and V and Jackie find themselves getting arrested.  The Arasaka corpo makes and appearance and tells the cops to "get rid" of the street trash...things aren't looking good.

Fortunately for V, this meeting had some providence--Jackie and the cops know each other (because the cops in Night City are basically all crooked) and after some light beating, they let Jackie and V go.  Jackie and V, who had just been competing to steal the car, find themselves brought together--Jackie invites V to grab some food and their friendship begins.

Street kid V, as the name implies, is very street savvy and most of the dialogue options are V using his/her knowledge of how Night City works to his/her benefit.  There are several times where that knowledge is very helpful and can be used to talk around certain situations.  I actually really liked the street kid vibe.

1.) Judy's Happy Ending

I opted to romance Judy as female V (Judy's definitely my favorite character) so the relationship and ending was a bit different.  Judy's storyline doesn't differ in any way until you finish up the diving mission--if you romance her, she decides to stay in Night City.  If you don't (she's not an option for male V) she announces that she is leaving Night City and the diving trip was her way to say goodbye.  The nice part about V's relationship with Judy--either romantic or as friends--is that she still offers her apartment to V.  If you go back and visit her apartment you will also find a rare/iconic Mox-themed shotgun that she leaves for V.

Judy contemplates the future.

She will still message V several times after she is gone.  Her messages reveal that she is on a bit of a journey of discovery--her first stop is to visit her grandparents in Oregon (she sends a picture of a beach); she then sends an image of her van with a message about the road being filled with adventure; her last message is a picture of Seattle.  She states that she intends to check out a BD studio for a couple of days (but has no intent of staying because she doesn't want to settle down just yet) and then head east.

Her holo message during the credits is different--she thanks V for being such a good friend and implores them to leave Night City.  She also talks about how depressed she was and how leaving has made her much happier.  It's definitely a better ending for Judy than the majority of the options if she's V's romantic partner.

2.) The Basilisk = Cyberpunk stuffed unicorn (if you know, you know--winky face)

One of my goals for male V was to have Panam be his romantic interest--this is actually more difficult than I thought it would be.  In Panam's first main story mission, V gets the flirty option to suggest that he and Panam share a room in the hotel.  I was shocked when she agreed...and then dropped the fact that each room has two twin beds and it would save them some money.  V then explains that that wasn't what he meant--and Panam doesn't even bat an eye!  Not what I expected, but it did make me laugh (and respect Panam more because I assumed her impulsive nature would extend to sexual matters).

Panam looking intense.

Panam's storyline involves several more side missions and there are multiple opportunities to flirt.  Weirdly though, she doesn't seem very receptive.  Finally, toward the end of her story chain she reveals that she has been playing it safe with V--she does really like him, but for once, she wants to control her impulsive behavior so that she won't get hurt/lose V (*don't be put off by her seeming rejection--just keep flirting).  It's a surprisingly sensitive moment with a character who is pretty intense.

The final side mission with Panam involves taking the Basilisk out for a quick spin to check out its capabilities.  Like any hot date, you blow up some cars, and put the floating tank through some light navigational maneuvers.  Panam then drops a fact bomb--when hooked up to the Basilisk, the nervous systems of both pilots are intertwined...making for the opportunity for some intense sensations.  Things escalate from there (it's one of the crazier sex scenes...definitely reminiscent of Geralt and Yen on the stuffed unicorn).  It seems a bit too cramped for the sexcapades of V and Panam, but they make it work.

Romancing Panam gave me more respect for her character.  I liked her as a friend for my female V, but the way she deals with male V's flirtations gives her character more depth.  She's not as impulsive as she seems and has a bit of a sensitive side.  I don't think Panam quite gets as much fan love as Judy, but she's a solid character.

3.) Kerry gets revenge.

Somehow in my first playthrough I missed fully completing Kerry Eurodyne's mission chain by one mission (*remember that some missions are triggered by certain time intervals passing--Kerry's final mission is a 24 hour interval).  Kerry's final mission involves him getting revenge on his manager (the one who roped him into the initial deal with Us Cracks).  He asks V to show up to the marina and it sounds like a recreational opportunity to drink on a fancy yacht.  V boards the yacht, Kerry grabs a guitar and starts strumming a nice tune, and the Seamurai (oof, what a name!) sets out toward its unknown destination.  Kerry and V have some nice moments of chatting about the future--Kerry has decided to go on tour with Us Cracks and serve as a sort of manager and he actually seems happy about it.

The chill vibe of the mission changes when Kerry suddenly smashes the valuable guitar that he was playing on the floor of the yacht.  V is shocked and then Kerry reveals that the yacht actually belongs to his manager.  He asks V to join him below decks for some light vandalism--V can help Kerry trash fancy items.  Kerry's romantic trigger happens during the trashing as both he and V get close while trying to pull a lever that is stuck (since my V was team Panam, this moment passed).  Kerry lights up a cigarette and asks V if he will do the honors and set the yacht aflame.  Hells yeah!  V drops the cig and the ship erupts in flames.  Kerry and V jump overboard and swim to shore.  There's another opportunity for some conversation with Kerry as he and V watch the ship burn...and eventually explode (Kerry had a plan...that involved explosions).  It's a nice way to cap off V's friendship with a former rocker and rebel.

4.) Suicide mission. (SUPER SPOILERS!)

My ultimate goal with the male V playthrough was to unlock the hidden ending.  To make this happen you have to choose exactly the right dialogue options during the side missions that revolve around Johnny (there are tons of guides out there that lay it all out).  This is the only way to get Johnny's relationship with V up to 70% which is the requirement for the ending.  Once you've landed on the pre-final mission decision making point you have to choose a specific ending (that Johnny and Rogue should go) and then just sit and wait.  After about 3-4 minutes of waiting on the next dialogue selection screen, Johnny will finally recommend his option--that he and V storm Arasaka together...without any additional help.  Either V makes it to Mikoshi, or he goes down fighting.  It's the perfect option!

Sparkly cowboy hat V and the magical motorcycle.

V simply walks through the front door of the Arasaka building and starts shooting.  Johnny is there to provide some guidance as V tries to locate Mikoshi.  The major challenge of this option is that V cannot die during any of it or the game ends--basically V committed suicide.  V faces waves of angry Arasaka soldiers...all while his health is gradually dropping thanks to the continuing malfunction of the relic.  This ending definitely has the toughest combat of all of them.  There's also the looming threat of Adam Smasher right before V gets to Mikoshi.  I had upped the difficulty on this playthrough and it took me many times (the good news is that the game does autosave at several points during the mission, so you don't have to completely start over).

Once V has defeated Smasher, he enters Mikoshi and you get the same "Path of Glory" ending--V is the top merc in Night City.  The major difference with this ending is that no one dies--Rogue is still alive and as V heads into Afterlife to discuss the details of his final gig, he can share a drink with her.  She indicates that V is now top dog and that she's basically in retirement.  V still takes the space suicide mission...and it's game over.

It's worth it to play through this ending once just to have the experience.  All in all, it's one of the nicer endings--no one else dies and it lets Johnny go out with a bang.  I still went back and chose my favorite ending (The Star...plus, how could V leave Panam?  That would be wrong--but I do think street kid V's canon ending would be Path of Glory)

Take a good last look....

Is it worth it to re-roll as a different gender?

Even though it's arguable that there's not a ton of replayability to Cyberpunk, I found that playing through it again was worthwhile and would recommend playing as male and female V.  One thing that was much more significant in my second playthrough was the location of the tarot cards and how they tie into the characters and main storyline.  You'll find yourself going..."ohhhh!" and making the connections in a different way.  Pursuing other romantic relationships also gives you more insight into certain characters.  Plus, there are always small things that you'll find that you missed (I stumbled across a side mission that rewards a cool motorcycle).

So who's better--male V or female V?  I think this is one case where both the male and female characters are voiced very well and I didn't find myself with a clear preference (which is something that I have experienced with other games--FemShep in Mass Effect and Kassandra in Assassin's Creed: Odyssey are two that I've always felt superior to the male options).  Personally, I would lean toward a female V because, dammit, Judy. 

Cyberpunk Showdown--Panam and Judy

Cyberpunk 2077 is a game with some very deep and thought provoking questions lodged firmly into its core.  Is it better to live a long, quiet life or to risk it all to rise to the top with a bang?  Are you really alive if your consciousness isn't present in your body?  Are you really human if you're mostly made up of technology? These themes play out through many of the stories and are worthy of discussion.  What cracks me up though is the fact that fans would much rather debate the big question--who's a better romantic option, Judy or Panam?  I know what you're thinking..."whoa, whoa--what about River and Kerry?"  Sure, they're options too, but it's obvious that much more work went into designing Judy and Panam (and I feel like that's a definite trend in games that give players romantic options--there are frequently more female than male choices and the female choices tend to have more depth and/or variety).  They both get much longer mission chains and players are given more chances to interact with them.

One of the most popular posts I wrote was a discussion about the merits of Yennefer of Vengerberg vs. those of Triss Merigold (Yen is canon, but I am 100% team Triss).  CD Projekt are masters of writing relatable, flawed characters and Judy and Panam follow this pattern to a T.

*SOME POTENTIAL SPOILERS FOR JUDY/PANAM MISSIONS.  

Judy Alvarez (likeable/attractive traits)

+ If you looked in the dictionary for a definition of "cool chick," you would find a picture of Judy.  She's got all the textbook marks of coolness--an array of intriguing tattoos (that all have meaning tied to her story), a decidedly cool haircut and hair color, and an odd sense of style (she pulls off 90's style overall fashion well) that isn't exactly sexy, but does have a hint of sex appeal.  She's also cute, so that's something.

Concerned Judy in her BD studio.

+ They picked the right voice actor for her character--for some reason Judy's voice fits her personality like a glove.  Judy's dialogue is also well written and helps her comes off as friendly--someone who's versed in Night City street slang, but who can also talk tech as an expert (and seem enthusiastic about it and not condescending at all).

+ She's a nerd, but like, a cool nerd.  The entire reason that V meets Judy is because he/she needs someone who can teach them BD editing skills and it just so happens that Judy is the best in Night City.  As you progress through Judy's mission chain and gain access to her apartment you learn that she likes to tinker on robots in her spare time.  She's also into action movies and has a vintage collection of rare films in BD form.

+She's an introvert.  Players who romance Judy have the opportunity to stop by her apartment and have a few more conversations with her.  In one of them V asks Judy why she doesn't want to take the lead of the Mox--Judy bluntly states that she's "not much of a people person." 

Judy trying to cope with loss.

+ Her life hasn't been easy.  Players learn a lot about Judy during her last side mission.  She grew up in Laguna Bend, a city that currently lies underwater thanks to a corporate dam project.  Her father left before she was born and her mother died when Judy was very young.  Judy grew up with her grandparents who she loved, but she grew up poor.  During your diving adventure you can hear Judy's memories and they reveal the other kids tormenting her for being poor and not having parents (it pulls on the ol' heartstrings).  As a teenager she ran afoul of the law (for fixing up a fire engine that they believed she had stolen) and wound up in a group home.  After that, she fell in with the Mox (owing to her belief that they would actively try to improve things for the joytoys/dolls)--a gang of former sex workers who occupy the famous Lizzie's Bar in the Watson section of Night City.  The game doesn't really make clear her role/experience with the gang (and, quite frankly, the Mox don't get a lot of story time) but she does accompany V on the mission to find Evelyn and has some combat skills.

Obviously things get even harder for her as she deals with Evelyn's death and wrestles with her own guilt over the role she potentially played in it.

+ She's a true artist/creative with a natural talent in BD editing.  If you snoop through the messages on her computer you find out that several corporate studios are actively trying to recruit her...and she ignores all of them.  She refuses to sell out to the corps.

+ She's unapologetic about her work.  Yeah, she edits hardcore porn BD's and is really good at it.  Players can express surprise that Judy would engage with such a medium that is exploitative, but Judy tells V that all her actors enjoy it and aren't being exploited--it makes for a better BD experience.  Also, it pays extremely well.  It's not what she wants to do forever and she's more interested in using it for artistic expression.

Judy's apartment has some amazing views.

+ She's a good person who cares deeply about her friends.  She particularly has a soft spot and is very protective of the joytoys and dolls (sex workers with a special implant that enhances their abilities and also can block out the tasks they are performing...it's something that's a bit confusing).  A large portion of Judy's story missions revolve around the disappearance of Evelyn Parker (V's contact for the Arasaka heist and a doll who worked at Clouds).  It's clear that Judy and Evelyn had a close friendship and Judy is determined to do whatever she can to find Evelyn--this includes hiring/asking V to help track Evelyn down.  We all know how that story ends...  If you snoop through Judy's messages later on you learn that she tried to hire an expert to help fix Evelyn--something that didn't come to fruition.  Judy also reveals that she and Evelyn had planned to save up money (the Arasaka heist figured greatly into that plan) to leave Night City.

+ Regardless of your relationship with Judy (if you romance her or don't) she lets you use her apartment.  If she leaves Night City she continues to text V and check in.  If you romance her she sends some cute drunk messages.  Basically, she's a good friend/girlfriend.

+ The "Pyramid Song" mission is a much needed, quiet departure from the intensity of many of the other missions.  I've read quite a bit of criticism about the romantic options in Cyberpunk (and, I agree with some of them) and many people point out that the relationships lack depth.  Pyramid Song gives players a beautifully executed opportunity to connect with Judy.  (It's too bad the other LI's don't get a mission like it...what would Panam's romantic activity even look like though?  Sniping Wraiths over a bottle of wine?)

Flaws

Judy's biggest flaw is accurately described in her database entry--she's blindly idealistic when it comes to helping the joytoys/dolls of Night City.  Let's be real...her plan to take over Clouds is disastrously bad on so many levels.  Firstly, she lays her trust in Maiko, her ex and someone who is completely untrustworthy.  Maiko's involvement in the plan is shady from the get-go and even if V points it out, Judy is completely unwilling to admit it.

Secondly, the idea of having the Tyger Claws simply hand over control of Clouds is insane.  There's absolutely no way a powerful and well established gang would make any kind of deal with two reprogrammed dolls, a BD editor, and one semi-established mercenary.  This is another point that you can raise, but she won't listen.

The more you learn about Judy's history in Night City, the more you can understand the impact of her flaw--when you ask her about how she joined up with the Mox she shares that she hoped they would fight to make real changes for the joytoys/dolls in Night City.  That never happened...and won't.  Her relationship with Maiko also demonstrates more of this--when she takes V to Clouds to rope Maiko into the plan she has to override a panel to sneak into the building--V comments that she seems to have done it before and Judy replies "yep."  So Maiko was making her sneak through the backdoor and wouldn't even be seen with her?  That's shitty!  If you snoop through Maiko's computer you can read a series of messages sent between Judy and Maiko.  It's blatantly obvious that Maiko was using Judy to get ahead in her own career (Maiko started off as a doll, but Judy used her tech skills to tweak Maiko's doll chip to give her an advantage).  Judy will admit that her relationship with Maiko was a mistake, but she still is oblivious to the fact that Maiko is only concerned with one thing...Maiko.  She still insists that Maiko is trustworthy and someone who will help with her doomed revolution at Clouds.

I wish there was an option to talk Judy out of the entire Clouds debacle.  It's a big part of her character arc and plays into her desire to leave Night City.  None of her hopes have come to fruition and the failure at Clouds is the final straw.

Panam Palmer (likeable/attractive traits)

+ Panam's place in the dictionary would be under B for "badass chick."  She's a nomad, so therefore extremely capable in many different areas--she can shoot (sniper rifles, RPG's....take your pick), she can fix up and mod vehicles, she's tough and won't back down from a fight, and she drives a rockin' rig with a freakin' turret on it.  Seriously, textbook badass.

Panam doesn't quite get as much attention in the unique appearance department as Judy does, but she's still attractive (she 100% wins the best ass award) and rocks her own nomad style--racing jacket, jeans (with all kinds of confusing rigging and straps--which I strongly believe were added to accentuate the goods), and boots.

+ Panam's VA also did a great job.  Panam is intense and can seem a bit high strung at times, but she can also be sarcastically funny.

Early story Panam is having a rough go.

+ You meet Panam at a particularly low point in her life.  She got involved with the wrong people (she blames Rogue for that) and they robbed her of her vehicle (something that is extremely important to her nomad identity) and stole the items she was supposed to deliver for a merc gig.  It's a pretty embarrassing place to be for such a badass...she's had to resort to driving a stolen station wagon.  She's also having a bit of an identity crisis and has split off from her clan due to conflicts with Saul, the leader.

+ She's passionately dedicated to the survival of her clan.  The Aldecaldos have suffered a series of setbacks and seem to be on the way to extinction.  She and Saul butt heads over what the future of the clan should look like--Saul wants to cut a deal with a corp, which would provide continued stability, but would essentially strip the clan of freedom (which is core to the nomad way of life).  Panam wants the clan to continue with its traditional (but decidedly riskier) activities like smuggling and attacking corpo convoys to steal tech.

Always so intense!

+ She's a loyal friend who's willing to dive straight into danger to help.  When she finds out that members of her clan are unwittingly heading toward disaster (after you down the Kang Tao AV) she implores V to rescue them and is desperate to make sure they're alright.

My favorite ending is the nomad ending and it's another example of her friendship and loyalty.  V calls her and essentially asks for help with a suicidal task...and she agrees to it (all because she owes V a favor for helping her through her own problems).

+ She's cautious with her feelings--something you'll only discover if you romance her.  I completely expected Panam to be the quick hookup type, but was surprised when my male V's flirtations were repeatedly shutdown.  It's only once you've completed several of her story missions that she finally opens up and reveals that she legitimately cares for V and doesn't want to lose him.  It's a surprisingly sensitive admission and one of the few times when you get to see beneath the "badass chick" veneer.

Panam doesn't get as much backstory as Judy does, so there are fewer opportunities to learn more about her.  There aren't any computers to snoop through and Panam doesn't message as much as Judy does (which makes sense personality-wise).

A rare, quiet moment.

Flaws

Panam's biggest flaw is her hot-headedness and conflict with authority.  She impulsively left the clan (due to her continuing conflict with Saul) and landed herself in a heap o' shit while testing out the ropes of being a mercenary in Night City.  During the first story mission she basically forces V to accompany her to wipe out the hideout of the group of Raffen Shiv led by Nash (the guy who robbed her).  It's extremely dangerous and not part of the mission...  Every time someone seems to wrong Panam, she goes straight on the warpath (a trait that Rogue points out from the very beginning).  Her story involves leading the Aldecaldo's down the path that she views as being the correct one and ignoring the risks.  This lack of foresight has tragic consequences during the Kang Tao AV mission as she didn't plan for the loss of communications that would occur from the EMP blast.  The clan sends a crew to check it out and she has no way to warn them of the dangers (resulting in many deaths).  

Team Judy!

What's the verdict?

I find both Judy and Panam to be likeable characters--CDPR did a great job writing them.  I think Panam gets the short end of the stick when it comes to backstory and Judy's story is much more fleshed out.  Panam doesn't get a computer to snoop through or an apartment with items you can observe.  My personal preference is for Judy--she's the type of character that you just want to learn more about and the "cool chick" vibe really works well and makes her more appealing than Panam.  Neither character is perfect, but they both manage to be interesting in their own ways.

The Devil You Know or the One You Don't?--A Random Cyberpunk Decision

(Some story related spoilers for Cyberpunk 2077 ahead!)

As any seasoned RPG player knows, when replaying a game it's always a goal to try to change up the choices you make.  I mean, you at least tell yourself that lie.  In my most recent Cyberpunk adventure, I decided that I would take a different path for one decision--and it's one decision that I still feel torn about.  One of the major story missions involves the mysterious Voodoo Boys and their promise that they can help V deal with the malfunctioning biochip that is killing him/her.  The entire deal seems shady from the beginning--they are extremely tight lipped about how exactly they can help or what V's actual task entails--he/she is just supposed to track down a strange, disappearing vehicle.  As you progress through the mission you learn that the vehicle is part of some NetWatch (the corpo run net police) scheme.  Once V jacks into the van and defeats an Animals behemoth, he/she learns that there is a NetWatch agent running the show.  When V makes it to his little hidey hole in the cinema, he lays out the plain details--the Voodoo Boys are playing V and plan to use and then discard him/her when their goal is achieved (the virus is already installed and primed to zap V into oblivion).  The NetWatch agent then offers V another deal--he'll give V a shard that will get rid of the malware...and allow them access to the Voodoo Boys subnet.  Should you side with the corpo tools or with the gang that just tried to use you and end you?  I've sided with the Voodoo Boys in my previous playthroughs, but this time I decided that I would take the deal...and, I've got to say, I still feel torn (okay...torn-ish).

V might look like a goober, but she just offed the VDB.
Bow to the bunny ears!

If you do decide to take the NetWatch deal the last part of the mission does play out slightly differently.  Firstly, the VDB know that you've taken the deal and they're none too thrilled.  Placide confronts V and things get tense...but they're not about to give up on their big plans, so they agree to continue "helping."  (Ya'll should know why that's in quotes) V enters cyberspace, you go through the entire Johnny part of the scenario with Alt, and then things get crazy--when Brigitte tells V that he/she is going to cross the Blackwall, Alt announces that NetWatch has penetrated the data fortress and that she has no choice but to zap the VDB as a defense measure.  Yep, in one fell swoop, Alt ended the VDB leadership (and this is an eye-opening first glimpse at how an AI like Alt is frighteningly powerful).  Alt still agrees to help (that doesn't change).

When V wakes up from his/her little cyberpathic adventure, there are alarms blaring and you're greeted with the sight of all those VDB netrunners dead in their chairs.  It's an "oh shit" kind of moment that doesn't feel the same when V is in cyberspace.  Rather than casually walking out of the crypt, V gets to fight his/her way out--with the final scrap being a boss-style fight with Placide (who I choked out...I let the mofo live).

This version of the story felt satisfactory in some ways and not-so-great in others.

Satisfactory

1.) The VDB's plan was to use and discard V.  Having played through the VDB version of the story before, I knew that they would try to barbecue V's brain once they had the data from the NetWatch agent.  Don't they deserve to get played themselves?

2.) They had no intention of actually helping V.  Their entire goal was to use V (and by extension Johnny) to get to Alt so that they could do...all their weird netrunner things past the Blackwall.  It seems like they're very much interested in Soulkiller (isn't everyone!)

3.) They killed Evelyn Parker (not directly, but they are responsible).  She seems like such a minor character, but she's one who the more I play, the more her story feels like a tragedy.  All she wanted was to make enough money so that she could leave Night City and put her miserable life behind her.  If you snoop through Judy's messages on the terminal in her apartment, there's a chain that's basically the setup for V and Evelyn's first meeting with Judy.  One message in particular states how tired Evelyn is of her life--tired of being a doll, tired of not having any money, and tired of getting treated like shit.  Hence, the heist plan and Evelyn's subsequent disappearance (which is filled with even more horror for poor Evelyn).  Killing them feels like a small measure of revenge for Evelyn.

4.) The motives of the VDB seem dubious.  They want Alt...for what exactly?  Brigitte implies that there is some sort of impending AI/Net disaster that the VDB want to get ahead of, but it feels like everyone involved (NetWatch too) just want to get their hands on Soulkiller.

Unsatisfactory

1.) Too much death.  So, as I laid out above, the VDB are shady af...but, do they deserve to die?  (Although, technically if you stick with the VDB a whole slew of NetWatch agents get roasted--I guess it's just not the same when they're faceless names) A small part of me felt guilty about the net crew and then shooting my way out of the VDB hideout (even though I use the pacifist cyberware mod).

2.) NetWatch aren't exactly the "good guys" in this entire scenario.  NetWatch likes to pretend that they're the neutral net police who keep everyone in Night City safe, but all the corporations have their stubby, dirty little fingers in that cookie jar.  By helping them, aren't you by extension helping the corps?  Yuck.

3.) NetWatch's motives seem just as shady as the VDB.  Do you really want either of them messing with Soulkiller?

A part of CD Projekt Red's games and writing that I've always enjoyed is their ability to place player choices firmly in the grey areas of morality.  There's no convenient "paragon" or "renegade" option or traditional "good guy/bad guy" continuum--choices fall through the cracks and the outcomes are never everything you hope they'll be.  V's just a hapless participant in this bizarre cyberspace battle.

So, the devil you know, or the one you don't?  Who do you choose?

My Big Fat Cyberpunk 2077 Wishlist

I've played an absolutely insane amount of Cyberpunk 2077 and it's eating up all my thoughts.  My thought train derailed onto features I think would improve the game.  

Wish #1: Fix lingering bugs and issues.

(*I'm going to call this a wish, but quite frankly, I think CDPR has a duty to fans to fix its mistakes and try to restore some confidence in their products.) Since release there have been numerous badly needed patches which (unfortunately) are mostly targeted toward fixing the unholy mountain o' bugs and glitches that have plagued the game.  I am happy to report that I didn't encounter too many and that none of them were progress blocking or game breaking, but it's still not quite up to snuff.  There are minor annoyances like floating cigarettes or other objects, there are enemies who sometimes disappear below the ground or into objects, and often there are lootable items that you can't loot.  One bug that is silly happens during one of the endings (no spoilers!) when your character is all of a sudden naked (during a scene where they are in front of a large group of people...I mean, the game is in first person so you don't get to fully experience it, but it's still awkward).

Word on the street is that another (large--I think I read 38 GB) patch is in the works sometime in the next few weeks.  CDPR's roadmap for future content includes a desire to include free DLC (like what was added to The Witcher 3), but this patch will likely be more fixes and tweaks.

The Badlands offer a beautiful break from the concrete jungle.

Wish #2: A deeper system for street cred/side gigs that could include more rare/iconic items.

For me, the sloggiest part of the game (and, one that's totally optional) is trying to finish up the side gigs, activities, and scanner jobs.  There are so many and they get repetitive quickly.  I've been trying to puzzle out how doing them could be better or how they could be improved to give players more incentive to want to do them.  Sure, you get paid for completing them and your street cred improves which unlocks more jobs and does technically give you the ability to buy more items...but I want some better motivation.

Here's what I envision--more and better rewards tied to each district.  Each district already has multiple clothing and weapon vendors--how about as your rep increases in the district you can unlock specific themed rare/iconic items?  For example, say you're completing jobs in Japantown (Tyger Claws territory)--your Japantown rep increases and you can visit a clothing store and purchase Tyger Claw themed gear (if that's your jam).  Same deal with weapons--specially skinned for each district/gang and specific weapon types (i.e. Tyger Claws have katanas; 6th Street have baseball bats...like that).  I also think it would be cool if rather than purchasing vehicles, you could earn some as rewards (you do already get a few that way).  Maybe vehicles are the max rep reward?  Imagine rolling in a Valentino's style low-rider or on a Mox themed motorcycle!

There are very few rare/iconic clothing items and one of the aspects of personalization that I found a bit frustrating (and, maybe it's just frustrating in my head because you could hypothetically just keep upgrading items you really like...but the material cost of that is kind of bonkers) was clothing.  You'll often loot item upgrades and you have to choose between stats and looks.  With my hypothetical item reward system, it would offer more of a variety for V.  Your Watson rep increases, you want your V to have a punk inspired look--you head to the Maelstrom clothing store.  I really dig the nomads and would love to be able to deck my V out in sweet racing jackets.  I'm talking special items--more than what's just sold in the stores that already exist.

Maybe tie reward items to each fixer?  All of the fixers introduce themselves and tell V to come by, but visiting them is mostly pointless unless you just want to chat with them and learn about their background.

Windmill madness in the Badlands.

Wish #3: More depth for lifepath choices.

The lifepath you choose for V has very little impact on the story--basically the very beginning of the game is slightly different and you occasionally get special dialogue options.  I wish that there was more--maybe some side missions with ties to V's past (street kid V does sort of get one).  I think it would be great to see more of V's story or have it tie into encounters throughout the game.  I didn't follow the hype, but I think this was one area where people thought there would be more or that it would have more of an impact.  

Wish #4: More background or info about netrunning.

Netrunners are individuals who have specific skills and who can use specialized equipment to navigate cyberspace (which is a complicated affair in the world of Cyberpunk 2077).  They play a unique role as specialists who are adept at manipulating the myriad electronically linked systems that make the world run.  I found myself with many questions about netrunning (and I did actually read many of the info shards)--what exactly do they do in cyberspace?  How does it work?  You meet several netrunners and one of the main storylines has you dealing with the Voodoo Boys--a gang who is focused on cyberspace-related activities--but you don't really get a chance to find out what it's all about.

In one gig you rescue 8ug8ear who seems like one of the better known netrunners in Night City (you can pick up a shard written by her about the fall of the Net).  It would be fun to have some missions tied to the netrunners.

Wish #5: To chrome or not to chrome, that is the question.

Something that I found lacking in the story and interactions with the denizens of Night City was more discussion around the entire concept of adding technology into the human body.  The basic premise is that it's widely acceptable, mostly/semi-safe, and if you want V to be the combat badass that they were meant to be, you'll deck him/her out with an arsenal of chrome.  However, there's also the issue of cyberpsychosis--people with implants who seem to go crazy for unknown reasons.  Heck, there's a major side mission that involves tracking down the many incidences in the area.  There's only one character who really brings up the issue of getting implants--Claire, the bartender from Afterlife (whose story is complicated), who tells V that she doesn't want to be a machine.  I felt like that particular part of the world was lacking and could use more exposition.

Where the weirdos at?

Wish #6: More interaction with the colorful characters of Night City.

While it's true that throughout the story, V gets to meet many of the top players in Night City, I've found myself wanting some unusual encounters or some slightly more eccentric denizens of the city.  Take Lizzy Wizzy--she's one of the more colorful characters--a chromed out "artist" who is extremely popular in NC.  It would be fun if her mission chain was longer and involved even more weirdos from the art world.  If you watch the opening sequence (the one that plays every time you boot up the game) there are some interesting people portrayed in it...I wish you could encounter them in the game. (*You do get to encounter a few--like Ozob Bozo or poor Flaming Crotch Man, but I'm thinking something with a bit more depth like a short mission chain)

I also wish there was a bit more interaction with groups like Trauma Team and MaxTac.  The game makes a big deal about both of them, but your opportunities to interact with them are limited.  In my male V playthrough I stumbled across a random side mission where a cyberpsycho attacks the Jinguji store (while V is inside shopping).  V helps to stop the attack and MaxTac gets called in.  You finally get the chance to rub elbows with the NCPD's elite unit!  Then, you learn why you don't really want to be rubbing elbows with them--their leader calls V over for a little chat about the incident and she's way too weirdly excited by the details about the killing--freakily so.  The store owner calls V later (to say thanks and offer a discount) and reveals that he learned that she is a reformed cyberpsycho herself and that MaxTac is likely filled with others like her.  Best to steer clear of them (buuut, it does lend credence to Regina's mission that there's hope to reform cyberpsychos).

Wish #7: Simply put, more Cyberpunk.

I've fallen in love with Night City and know that CDPR planned to put out some free DLC.  Recently, many people have been pointing out the fact that according to the published "roadmap" for continuing development, the timeline when CDPR said they were hoping to deliver this DLC has passed.  It's my sincere hope that they don't decide to give up on Cyberpunk and move on to whatever the next project might be.  Some interesting recent news was that many digital storefronts which had taken down the last gen console versions of the game just started re-listing it...and, it was sitting at the top of many sales charts (this, despite the fact that there are still warnings about performance and issues on last gen consoles).  To me, this is a good sign that there's still interest and that could be a factor in any continuing development.  If there's still milk in that cow...I see them milking it for all its worth.

All the Small Things--What I Love About Cyberpunk

My mental state concerning my current obsession with Cyberpunk 2077 is deeply complicated--on one hand, I'm absolutely in love with the world and characters, but on the other, certain aspects of the game can be irritating.  I decided to go back and replay the entire thing to see how male V stacks up to the female character, to see how the street kid lifepath differs, and to maybe make some different choices (that's a hard maybe...we all know how hard it is to change up our choices).  I'm also focusing on some of the smaller, less significant parts of the game that I am enjoying. (*Potential light spoilers for some side content--nothing that's main story related though)

Street kid V and one of my favorite vehicles--Cthulu

Small Thing #1: Minimal Lurching

Doesn't it just irritate the bejeezus out of you when games give you an escort quest or ask you to follow an NPC and the walking/running speeds don't match?  You then get to engage in a movement that I call the "lurch"--poking the forward button sporadically while you awkwardly try to match speeds.  The good news--99% of the time your character automatically slows to walking speed if they're directed to follow an NPC.  The NPC continues their dialogue and it feels very natural to have walking and talking rather than your dopey character running, stopping, running...stopping--just thinking about it is making me cranky.

Small Thing #2: Smart Guns

In my first playthrough I didn't pay much attention to "smart" weapons and opted to stick with tech or power weapons.  Smart weapons will automatically target enemies and can shoot around cover--pretty freakin' awesome.  The downside is that you need to install specific cyberware to be able to use them (and, if you're planning on switching between smart and power weapons you can't fully utilize both due to that restriction).  It's easy to gain access to smart weapons as Wakako rewards you with some Tyger Claws themed cyberware for one of the first jobs you complete.  If you're out tangling with Tyger Claws you might discover that your smart weapons don't work so well on them--another function of the Tyger Claws mod is that it disrupts smart targeting--it's a good idea to have a more traditional option when dealing with them.  If you actually fully read the description for the mod that Wakako gives you it does state that it has a disruptive function (something I missed the first time around).

Small Thing #3: Small Details and Random Discoveries

Even though I mostly like to be thorough, Night City is huge and there are soooo many details.  I decided to be more patient and try to actually read the computer entries and to just generally pay more attention to things that seemed weird.  I've already inadvertently stumbled across a couple of random missions (that are totally chance--simply being in the right place and seeing bodies in weird places).  One involved a netrunner who was trying to direct some sort of orbital drop of gear (noticeable by the flaming car and netrunner corpse next tot he car in the Badlands) and was detected.  The mission directs you to the location of the drop and you can find some rare quality quickhacks and netrunning related items.  Word of advice--if you're running around the Badlads, keep your eyes peeled for random corpses that look out of place.  I found another body and it was revealed to be someone who was wounded while running from Militech--I got some nice loot.  The best discovery so far has been a legendary smart submachine gun that is hidden in a specific crate during the main story mission to hack the floats in the Arasaka warehouse.  I stumbled across that one by reading a message on a couple of terminals.

Small Thing #4:  Every assault/gig has its own story.

I've complained about the absolute glut of map marker tasks, but if you try to take your time with them you will discover that each has its own story and some of them are actually interesting.  Most assaults involve a small number of enemies and a bunch of dead bodies (loot those bodies--you can get lots of ammo and eddies)--once you've cleared out the enemies you will usually find a message shard on an enemy and a shard on one of the victims that will pain a clearer picture of what happened.  Some of the most disturbing ones involve corporations and their disregard for basically everyone--a homeless camp that has been decimated because they were looking for one person or dead workers in an industrial area who were killed because they were trying to unionize.  Screw the corps!

One of the side gigs that sticks in my head involves recovering a datashard from a woman who has stopped reporting to a fixer.  You enter the house and find that it's empty, but once you read through the computer messages you learn that the woman was caring for her sick sister.  The bad news is that the sick sister had numerous implants and seems to be suffering from cyberpsychosis.  As you explore the house more you find the sick sister...and the body of the woman with the data shard.  It's one of the sadder stories.

Interior details are amazing.  Especially lit up at night.

Small Thing #5: Vehicle details

Sadly, there aren't a ton of vehicle related missions (I hate to keep making the comparison, but it's inevitable--it ain't no Grand Theft Auto) and most of the vehicle experience in the game comes from either purchasing or stealing vehicles.  Basically, your vehicle is a unique way to get around the city and woo boy is there a futuristic boatload to choose from--from tiny, clown car-esque cars all the way up to sleek, luxury rides.  The only time you can switch to third person is while you are driving...buuut, I would highly encourage everyone to at least spend a few minutes in first person just to check out the interior details of the different vehicles--it's pretty amazing to see all the gauges and futuristic doodads in each car.  There's an achievement for purchasing all the cars offered for sale (which is bonkers because the actual cost of all the cars is much, much higher than what you earn by completing everything) and it's one of my goals to buy and drive them all.  (I know that some people are bummed that there's no vehicle customization.)

Small Thing #6: V's apartment gets some quest related flair

Some side quest related items in V's pad.

One gripe that I read had to do with the fact that other than quest related reasons, you don't need to spend time in V's apartment at all.  It's not an invalid point, but if you do return (especially later in the game) you will notice some changes.  A couple of different posters will appear on the wall next to the door--one is tied to the mission with mayoral candidate Jefferson Peralez and the other is related to the chromed out artist and celebrity Lizzy Wizzy (also tied to a side mission).  If you complete the activity where the bums sell you the laptop of a dead corpo (or, if you're a Street Kid--you convince them to give it to you) you will also see the painting that you find.  You'll also notice a box with diving gear that is a gift from Judy after you finish up her storyline.  It's not customization (again, something that people seem to want), but it is fun to see these small changes (*and, if you want to see the full list of items that can appear in V's apartment, I would recommend a quick Google.  I didn't realize how many changes there actually are!)

Another reason to return to V's pad is because items will be added to V's closet as you level up.  There's a mix of common, uncommon, rare, and even a couple of epic items (once you get to higher levels).  They aren't great, but they could tide you over until you get something better.

Rare/Iconic weapons get a special display in the stash.

I also like returning so that I can view the side room with V's weapon stash.  There are special cutouts where certain weapons can be displayed--these weapons are the special "iconic" weapons that are rewarded for quests and other activities.  I haven't come close to filling up all the spaces, but it's always interesting to see what shows up on the wall.

Small Thing #7: Bodily Fluids

Okay, that sounds grosser than it should, but if you look closely at the bodies of enemies that you kill sometimes you will notice a difference in what's leaking out.  Less chromed out enemies will be laying in a pool of blood and the more chromed out variety (your Maelstrom baddies, for example) will be laying in a puddle of...something white and apparently the fluid of choice for those who opt for life in a more mechanical form.  Explosive deaths can also leave the bodies of your enemies in chunky form.  Look closely at the chunks on chromed out enemies and you'll see mechanical innards.  Neato, right?

A Flawed World with a Great Story--Cyberpunk 2077

I've just spent 100 hours obsessively playing through Cyberpunk 2077.  I think it says something that the game has so firmly burned Night City, V, and Johnny Silverhand into my brain.  On the other hand, it's definitely not perfect (and unfortunately, thanks to the botched release, it's the subject of much scorn).  As a genre, I've always had a soft spot for cyberpunk--it's a fun aesthetic--futuristic and dystopian concepts twisted together into a perfect blend.

The 100 hours I spent in completing my first playthrough included the main storyline (*which included me playing through every single ending like a crazy person) and 99% of the side content (which includes side missions and all map marker gigs/tasks).  What can I say, I'm a completionist (which is also a bit of a masochistic trait).  The game could definitely be completed in a much shorter timeframe.

It's probably worthwhile to also preface this review with the fact that it was seriously a mistake for CDPR to release the game the way they did.  I wish they had delayed; I wish they had been honest about the state on the game on last-gen consoles--I wish that one of the few developers who I've felt to be very consumer conscious continued to stay that way.  I wasn't fully on the hype train so I don't know exactly what was advertised and then cut.  There are a lot of bitter people out there who feel extremely burned and likely have a right to feel that way. 

Pros:

Exploring Night City reveals some unique locations.

+ Night City manages to capture the cyberpunk feeling in a fabulous way.  It's a glowing, beautiful, dirty, and corporate ridden cesspool.  The city is broken up into many different districts and each has its own feeling and look--there's the grittier district of Watson; the massive, shining corporate skyscrapers and luxury apartments in City Center; the broken down, industrial feeling of Rancho Coronado; the vast, desert badlands that surround Night City.  There's much to taken in and it's fun just to drive through the city and take in the sights.

+ Memorable, well written characters.  V is a great character...one that you find yourself very attached to.  Johnny Silverhand (voiced and modeled after Keanu Reeves) is a lot of fun--an obnoxious character who grows on you as you play.  There's your pal Jackie Welles, a hardened gangster and V's best pal who has V's back but also takes the time to call his mom and so many more with great stories.  CD Projekt has always been good at crafting believable, likeable and flawed characters and there is an entire menu to choose from in Cyberpunk.

Judy Alvarez is one of the many great characters.

+ The main storyline and the scripted side missions are very strong (another tie to strong writing) and a lot of fun.  The story hinges around V (your character) and their quest to become an established mercenary in Night City.  Things go wrong when V takes a job to steal a valuable item from one of the many powerful corporations in Night City--V winds up with an unwanted passenger in his/her head...the digital construct of an infamous rocker and terrorist, Johnny Silverhand.  Silverhand's personality is slowly overwriting V and he/she must find a way to stop the process--this means siding with any and all factions in Night City--from the strangest gangs to the most powerful corporations.

There are also many great side missions that revolve around the backgrounds and stories of the many colorful characters you meet in Night City.  One of my favorites involved a vending machine that had become sentient and had basically become the best friend and therapist to his customers.  You'll also find some fun Easter eggs...I don't want to spoil much, but you encounter GLADOS (from Portal) at one point.

The length of the main storyline has also been chopped down (since many players of The Witcher 3 never finished it), so if you want to speed through the story, it's very doable in a shorter amount of time.

+ Voice acting is great.  Both female and male V are really solid and Keanu Reeves is great as Johnny Silverhand.  

+ The many gangs of Night City.  Each controls a different territory and has its own unique look and set of abilities.  One of my favorites is Maelstrom--a group that is obsessed with essentially replacing any of their meat parts with metal.  The first brushes with the gang can be a bit disarming as you realize that some of them have completely replaced half of their face with weird technology.

At one point, my V looked like this.

+ Oodles of different clothing items to give your V a unique look.  Gang members tend to drop items that match their look--for example, 6th Street gang members are sort of pseudo-patriotic, so you'll loot items like cowboy hats or flag decked vests.  You can also loot clothing from many containers and much of it captures the cyberpunk look--shiny, futuristic metallic items or punk inspired, spiky jackets.  I do wish there was some sort of transmogrification/item appearance option--there's some really awesome stuff out there, but you're limited by the item quality of what you loot (or can craft).  Clothing is largely an aesthetic choice and has a limited effect on gameplay, but there are a lot of fun items floating around in the game.

+ Many unique vehicles with cool interior details.  It's fun to just hop into any of the different cars and see how they differ in looks and handling.  Some are great...and some absolutely suck.

 + Adding "chrome" to your character that can enhance their abilities.  There are many ripperdocs located throughout Night City with a wide variety of tech that can do something simple like increasing your stamina all the way up to installing mantis blades that pop out of your arms.  It's a lot of fun to experiment with different pieces of tech.

+ Variety of weapons to choose from--melee weapons include items that range from crowbars to katanas.  Guns are pretty standard fare--pistols, submachine guns, assault rifles, shotguns--but certain guns have "smart" technology that guides bullets to targets (and requires specific body mods to use).  The gunplay felt surprisingly good.

+ Multiple endings.  You get to decide how V and Johnny's story ends and there is some variety.   

+ Photo mode offers a fun way to capture some fun snaps of your V.  Since the game is in first person you don't get much of an opportunity to view V in action, but photo mode includes a variety of poses, filters, frames, and backgrounds.  Plus, all your images are saved in an easy to find location that doesn't require additional searching or other unnecessary steps.

Cons:

- Crafting is a bit specialized and higher end items require a ton of talent points in tech.  It's also a bit confusing as you loot item components and upgrade components (which are used separately for crafting new items and upgrading existing items).  I did actually invest a bunch of points in tech and was annoyed at how time consuming it was to upgrade components--there's no option to do it in bulk, so you have to click a bajillion times if you're trying to pop out a bunch of upgraded components.  The good news is that you can loot many great items, but it sucks that crafting isn't better.

- Life path choices don't really change much.  The beginning of the game is slightly different depending on which of the three you pick and you do get some different dialogue choices throughout the game, but the differences are negligible.

+/- Main story length.  (This one could be a pro or con depending on your opinion about story length.  I know that one of CDPR's goals was to make the main story shorter than The Witcher 3 so that more people would actually finish it)  The stories are the best part of the game and I found myself wanting more.  It's a very sincere wish of mine that developers can figure out a way to find a better balance of side content and main content.  Any more it just feels like every open world game has to bury players in so many repetitive (and, let's be honest, almost completely pointless) tasks--and it can really feel like those tasks drown out the best parts of the game.

- The world can feel weirdly empty at times--if they were going for something Rockstar-esque...well, it's just not quite that.  You can be driving through parts of the city and encounter very little or no traffic (in some ways, it's nice to be able to drive like a maniac...but it just doesn't feel realistic for a massive city).  Pedestrian behavior is also kind of odd--people can walk through you at times and you're bumping into them at others.  People just randomly appear...and often you can see long lines of vanishing head and brake lights on the interstate for cars that aren't really there.  There's just something that's not quite right about how the open world works and populates.  Maybe it will get better with time and patches...  If you're hoping for a Rockstar level of detail in the way the world works, it's just not there.  

- Even though I'm not a frame rate obsessor, I felt like performance was a bit iffy.  I turned down many of the more demanding settings (the game still looks good--I don't have a 4k monitor, so it's 1080p for me) and still felt like my poor GPU was a bit toasty.  I noticed quite a bit of graphical sluggishness during rainy and foggy weather (and yes, I turned the fog details all the way down).  

Taking in the views of Night City.

- Open world activities/gigs get boring fairly quickly.  The map is absolutely scattered with different activities--fixers have tasks they need completed, the NCPD needs help dealing with criminal activity, there are side missions--typical of basically every open-world game out there, there's tons.  These tasks are how V can earn some extra money and builds up street cred (which allows the purchase of the best weapons and cyberware), and by skipping them there's a chance you could miss out on some of the better side missions.  I wish that there was more of a story tied into the gangs in Night City since you are mostly dealing with them during these side gigs.  At the beginning I had an idea that the gangs would attack my character on sight since V was essentially decimating their ranks...but it never happened.

The one positive thing I can say for all the open world activities is that each activity and location has a story.  Shards reveal the circumstances and can add in a bit of interest factor.

- Side activities are a bit meh.  Similar to The Witcher there are a couple of options for competitive tasks--one involves a strange type of armed racing and the other is boxing.  The racing quest actually has some depth and is worthwhile, but I highly disliked the boxing.  My character had more of a stealth build so I didn't invest many points in the body tree (the melee/physical stats category) so most boxing matches were my character absolutely getting one-shot.  Most of the fights were possible with a ton of running around, but that's just not enjoyable.  The only side missions I didn't complete were the boxing ones.

- Combat/stealth isn't anything to write home about.  The ability to use tech and hacking is fun, but everything else is pretty standard fare.  There are only a couple "boss" type of fights.   

-Bugs/glitches.  Anyone who can read and follows gaming knows about the disastrous release.  I waited for six months and to see how much the game improved before I bought it.  I didn't encounter anything game breaking, but things still aren't completely fixed.  There were moments when my character was firing an invisible gun, when my shadow wouldn't have a head, or when my character would randomly be missing clothing (or items wouldn't be visible).  The game was stable and I had no crashes, but don't be surprised if you do encounter some residual weirdness.  I was bummed that I did all the side tasks in the game but one glitched out so I didn't get the achievement for one district.

Some glitches are kind of fun though--one that I enjoy is when you summon your vehicle and it spawns in a line of traffic.  Shit goes flying in an amazing way and it's hilarious.

- People who like highly detailed character creation options might be a bit disappointed.  There aren't any sliders but there are multiple (up to 20 or more in some cases) different options for certain features when creating your V. 

- First person feels like a weird choice.  You spend time to create a unique character and then the game is in first person, so you only get to see your character on the character screen (and when you look in the mirror/take a shower).  The only time you can switch to third person is when you're driving.  I was hoping there would be some cutscenes where you get to see your character more (you do get to see your character during the end cutscenes).

Recommendation:

I absolutely fell hard for Night City and the great story and characters.  Sadly, I think many people will miss out or skip it entirely due to a couple of different factors--the first being the debacle that was the release and the second being the fact that the boring side content has a tendency to lose people before they've truly delved into the solidness of the main storyline.  Word of advice--don't get too focused on playing the map marker elimination game and try to pace out story and side activities to give yourself a break from the repetitiveness (this might be difficult on the first playthrough).

It makes me sad that Cyberpunk 2077 will forever be known for the horribly botched release because the main storyline and characters are great.  Night City is amazing.  The best parts of the game are those that are traditional strengths in CD Projekt games.  Unfortunately, the open world aspects of the game fall a bit flat.  There are still bugs and glitches that need to be addressed (and I'm hoping that CD Projekt keeps working to fix them).  I would recommend it, but with the caveat that if you're hoping for perfection (and that Cyberpunk would be everything the hype said it would be) you might be disappointed.