Cyberpunk 2077 is one of the most ambitious open-world RPGs of its generation.

Set in the futuristic metropolis of Night City, the game puts players in control of V, a mercenary attempting to establish a name while becoming involved in a much larger story involving technology, corporations, identity and survival.

What makes the current version particularly interesting is how much the experience has evolved since launch. The free Update 2.0 significantly reworked core systems, while Phantom Liberty added a major new storyline and district. Later updates continued expanding and refining the game, including Update 2.3 and Patch 2.31.

The result is a far more cohesive RPG experience.

Story

Cyberpunk 2077 follows V, a customizable mercenary trying to make a name in Night City.

After a job goes wrong, V becomes connected to Johnny Silverhand, a rebellious musician and former terrorist whose digital personality becomes embedded in V’s mind.

From there, the story becomes much more personal.

The relationship between V and Johnny is one of the strongest elements of the game. Their conversations gradually reveal more about both characters while raising questions about identity and what it means to remain yourself.

The main story is complemented by numerous character-focused quests.

Some of these optional storylines are among the most memorable parts of the entire game, giving Night City considerably more emotional depth.

Gameplay

Cyberpunk 2077 combines RPG progression, exploration, dialogue choices, driving and a wide variety of missions.

The game gives players considerable freedom in how they develop V.

The revamped progression systems introduced with Update 2.0 made character development substantially more focused, with redesigned perk and cyberware systems. The update also reworked the police system and other core mechanics.

This creates a stronger sense that V is actually developing throughout the adventure.

Different builds can also change how players approach missions, allowing the RPG systems to influence the overall experience.

Exploration

Night City is the real star of Cyberpunk 2077.

The city is enormous, dense and visually distinctive.

Different districts have their own architecture, atmosphere and personality, ranging from wealthy corporate areas to industrial neighborhoods and crowded urban streets.

Exploring the city is rewarding because there is constantly something happening.

Side quests, characters, shops, activities and unexpected encounters make Night City feel considerably more alive than a simple mission hub.

The addition of AutoDrive in Update 2.3 provides another way to experience the city, allowing owned vehicles to travel to selected destinations or take V on a more relaxed tour.

Graphics

Cyberpunk 2077 remains one of the most visually impressive open-world RPGs available.

Night City is packed with neon lighting, reflective surfaces, enormous buildings and detailed environments.

The game’s visual identity is particularly strong at night, when the combination of advertisements, architecture and lighting creates a distinctive futuristic atmosphere.

On modern hardware, the game can make extensive use of advanced lighting and ray-tracing technologies.

The PS5 Pro version received additional visual and performance improvements, including PSSR and enhanced ray-tracing options.

The result is a world that can look spectacular even years after its original release.

Audio

Audio plays a major role in Night City’s atmosphere.

The city is constantly filled with conversations, vehicles, advertisements, environmental sounds and music.

The soundtrack also contributes heavily to the game’s identity.

Radio stations provide different musical styles while driving, while the score adapts to story moments and different environments.

Johnny Silverhand’s presence also gives the game a strong musical connection through his character and performances.

The result is an audio experience that makes simply traveling through Night City enjoyable.

Performance

The current-generation versions benefit significantly from modern hardware.

Cyberpunk 2077 received substantial technical improvements after launch, with the current version supporting PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC alongside other platforms.

Update 2.3 added VRR support on PS5 and Xbox Series X|S, while PC received additional technologies including AMD FSR 3.1 Frame Generation and Intel XeSS 2.0.

The game also became available on Nintendo Switch 2 and Apple Silicon Mac through later releases and updates.

On capable hardware, the difference between the original release and the modern version is substantial.

Characters

Cyberpunk 2077’s characters are one of its biggest strengths.

V is customizable, but the supporting cast gives the world much of its personality.

Johnny Silverhand is particularly important, with his relationship with V developing throughout the story.

Other characters also receive substantial individual storylines, allowing players to build relationships and learn more about life in Night City.

These characters help transform what could have been a typical futuristic RPG into a much more personal experience.

Night City

Night City feels different from many conventional open worlds.

Instead of being primarily a collection of empty spaces between missions, the city is extremely dense.

Buildings tower over the streets, advertisements compete for attention and different districts have their own visual identities.

The density of the environment is especially impressive when exploring on foot.

There is a sense that the city existed before V arrived and will continue existing after the story ends.

Progression

The progression system is one of the areas that benefited most from the game’s post-launch overhaul.

Update 2.0 redesigned the perk trees and cyberware systems, creating a more focused RPG structure.

V can develop different capabilities throughout the game, allowing players to shape their character according to their preferred style.

Cyberware also plays an important role in progression, making customization an integral part of character development.

The system feels much more coherent than the original launch version.

Phantom Liberty

Phantom Liberty significantly expands Cyberpunk 2077.

The expansion introduces Dogtown, a new district of Night City, alongside a separate espionage-focused storyline involving V and FIA agent Solomon Reed.

It launched on September 26, 2023 for PS5, Xbox Series X|S and PC.

The expansion also works extremely well alongside the redesigned systems introduced by Update 2.0.

For players who want the most complete version of Cyberpunk 2077, the Ultimate Edition combines the base game with Phantom Liberty and the major post-launch improvements.

Side Quests

Cyberpunk 2077’s side quests are often much more interesting than typical open-world activities.

Many introduce new characters, locations and storylines rather than simply asking the player to complete repetitive objectives.

Some side quests can also influence relationships and provide additional context for the main story.

This is one of the main reasons exploration feels worthwhile.

Night City is filled with stories that exist independently of the central campaign.

Replayability

The RPG structure gives Cyberpunk 2077 considerable replay value.

Different character builds, dialogue choices and quest decisions can lead to different experiences.

The game’s multiple endings also encourage players to revisit the story.

Phantom Liberty adds additional narrative possibilities, while the large number of side quests provides even more content for subsequent playthroughs.

Players can also simply return to Night City to experiment with different character setups and explore content they missed.

Accessibility

Cyberpunk 2077 includes a broad selection of settings that allow players to customize aspects of the experience.

The game provides options related to controls, display, subtitles and other elements of presentation.

The ability to adjust these settings is particularly useful in a game with such a large amount of dialogue and environmental information.

Playtime

The main campaign can take approximately 25–35 hours, depending on playstyle and how much optional content is completed.

Players who explore Night City extensively and complete numerous side quests can easily spend 50–70 hours or more with the base game.

Adding Phantom Liberty can push the overall experience considerably further.

For completionists, the amount of available content can reach well beyond 100 hours.