Cyberpunk 2077: The Ultimate (Edition) Review

hey there and welcome to a time where billionaires own everything human lives are worth less than profit margins and everybody is below the poverty line it's not 2023 it's 2077 and we're diving into the neon soaked world of cyberp punk for its thirdd anniversary we've got our hands on the next gen release the latest updates and the Phantom Liberty expansion we're going to be going through it all the history the hyp and the Redemption of cyberpunk 2077 [Music] as a quick forward here the majority of the video will contain minor spoilers we'll show another spoiler warning towards the end of the video prior to discussing the game's various endings so without further Ado let's begin cyberpunk 2077 is a game that had gathered tremendous hype prior to its release the Polish developer C project red had already begun to gather a cult following for their acclaimed Witcher series before announcing the new IP in 2012 alongside this announcement the studio released a fully CGI trailer showing off a gritty World dripping in style and potential as the years unfolded the studio achieved Monumental success with 2015's game of the year The Witcher 3 and 2016's RPG of the Year expansion blood and wine CD project red had transcended the status of an upand cominging star and firmly established themselves as industry leaders the era of BioWare and bethesda's Reign was waning making way for the ascent of the new polish Monarch the anticipation for cyberpunk was nothing short of immense with players eagerly expecting to be the Studio's crowning achievement then E3 of 2019 catapulted everything into the stratosphere please welcome Ki Reeves all right I got to talk to you about something I mean we got to talk you about something CD project red cyberpunk 2077 do you guys want to know um when there's uh when the release date yeah all right then check this out ready now on December 10th 2020 the game finally landed in Gamer's hands but what should have been a moment of Triumph was quickly soured by disappointment the game's launch tired by multiple delays unfolded as a well documented Saga of technical hiccups and game crashes despite these setbacks a glimmer of greatness lay beneath the surface acknowledged by Discerning players however the overwhelming tide of negativity online was relentless CD project red publicly conceded to the tumultuous state of the release issuing apologies and urging players to seek refunds in the aftermath of the launch an optimistic few hoped cdpr could still make good on their promises in the days following the notorious cyberpunk launch cdpr persisted behind the scenes determined to salvage their creation swiftly updates 1.1 and 1.2 were deployed addressing technical glitches though the hunger for missing features and gameplay depth lingered a year later the transformative update 1.5 arrived marking a significant Turning Point major bugs were squashed and a host of quality of life features were seamlessly woven in slowly but steadily players were recognizing the once diamond in the rough had evolved into the polished experience promised at launch the journey didn't end there update 1.6 brought additional features and coincided with the release of the wildly popular cyber Punk Edge Runners anime bringing fresh players to the game and rekindling enthusiasm for the old with a promising DLC being announced and the true commitment to Improvement cdpr had sparked A Renewed hype that had eluded cyber Punk for years fast forward to September 2023 a pivotal moment marked by the release of both the 2.0 update and the Phantom Liberty expansion virtually every element had undergone enhancement The Wanted system underwent a complete overhaul the perk tree saw a comprehensive rework and the bugs were now nearly non-existent beyond the technical revamp the game had a fresh story to tell so now in the Twilight days of 2023 with all that's been said and done for the game was it worth it wait the [ __ ] up Samurai we have a city to burn when launching the game for the first time you'll be asked whether you want to start the story as per normal or jump ahead to the start of the Phantom Liberty story line for now we'll be sticking with the bass story line and talking about Phantom Liberty when it would naturally arise within the game if you want to jump straight to talking about Phantom Liberty hit the timestamp on screen from this point you'll be asked to pick a backstory for the protagonist V while you might expect these to be a core component of the story what you'll mostly find is that these backstories only offer variety to the game's intro only play playing out as one Mission and the occasional dialogue option be can start off as either a nomad smuggling goods across the border a corpo who loses their job or a street kid who's returning to their old life in Night City given the game's themes and possible endings each life path offers some context to inform your choices later in the game but does little to force your hand as every ending is possible from every other life path it's arguable that the street kid life path makes the most sense when considering the overarching story but I'll discuss that further into the video in the spoiler section after the backstory Mission he'll fast forward through 6 months of mercenary work as V and Newfound friend Jackie try to break into the major leagues act one culminates with v and Jackie attempting to Heist a biochip called The Relic from the son of a mega cor pader unfortunately this Heist is struck with catastrophe as yobu arasaka murders his father in C blood and Frames his murder as an external assassination V and Jackie are able to escape security but Jackie is fatally wounded and V is forced to insert the biochip in order to protect it biochip don't do it for me as a result of these events V is betrayed by the fixer who hired them for the job and shot in the head V manages to survive but only as the bioch chip activates bringing them back to life in doing this the barod ship also began the process of overriding V Consciousness with that of a digital construct of Johnny silverhand an old Legend Of Night City played by Kean Reeves V only has days or weeks before they'll be completely overridden by Johnny and cannot remove the chip themselves as it would kill them thus Begins the game's main plot searching for a way to safely remove the baroch chip before V's death while there isn't a literal in-game timer you will be reminded in game that V's time is running out and forced to watch as V's conditioned to deal Ates having seizures blackouts and migraines V is now also stuck with Johnny who appears as a hologram to comment on an attempt to sway these actions Johnny is dripping with attitude and Charisma and I as the player was often swayed to his opinions K Reeves is outstanding here and compelled me to agree with the ghost terrorist living in my V's head this feeling is actually Eerie when you consider that V's mind is slowly becoming Johnny's and this can be perceived as V losing control of their own actions despite this V and Johnny have a rocky relationship often with conflicting opinions about how to handle a given situation act one works as a very compelling premise for the open World adventure the game sets out to achieve all V can do is scramble to survive as Johnny Whispers influence into their ear come on got our iron in your hand got to put it to someone's head pull the trigger despite having an overarching plot to progress mission to Mission the player holds a decent amount of agency you will have to make meaningful choices about who lives and dies and how you want to go about handling things this goes double for the side content these story lines have wildly branching options the main plot is divided up into various quest lines and you can do these in just about any order you want you'll have options for speech checks secret ways to finish missions and options for getting around certain objectives both your conscious and subconscious decisions will play into how things unfold for your V and it does wonders the RPG aspects of the game you can choose to go in guns blazing opting to focus on health and DPS or apply the sneaky touch and platform your way past enemies this play style will be made far more viable as you spec into the relevant skill trees and unlock new gameplay mechanics like the ability to hack a greater variety of items or new vulnerabilities on enemies to do bonus damage having your abilities and choices so consistently play a role in the way missions Branch off into new options actually reminded me of prey 2017 although not quite as emergent as prey cyberp Punk definitely captures some of the player agency present there on top of your attribute choices and skill choices you'll also be able to augment your body with cyberware special mechanical body parts to replace your standard abilities you can get stronger legs to double jump or military grade eyewear to see through walls in one of my playthroughs I ended up relying on my wrist mounted rocket launcher to carpet bomb an area when I was overwhelmed the core of your cyberware is your operating system this is a piece of equipment that everything else runs through and offers the most powerful abilities the main choices here are the Cyber decks which Grant you the ability to hack both enemies to do damage and apply certain effects or the send Dean which grants you the ability to slow time for everyone but yourself on top of all of this you can spec into various kinds of weapons to make yourself extremely potent with them for instance the build I mentioned earlier was a katana wielding Sevan user who would gain more explosives whenever they were near an explosion encouraging my run and Slash play style as I rush to enemies and let myself get caught in my my own explosions the various builds cyberware and weapon options give the game play a similar level of variety if not more than the story options as it's hard not to love the feeling of a powerful character unlocking the next even more powerful ability then you have to test it out which lets you experience and on and on the loop goes as you're playing you'll be able to swap out or upgrade your weapons through customization and crafting within the game World you'll be able to would gather crafting components of various qualities as well as Weapons clothes and cyberware which can be dismantled into components while the crafting isn't necessary to keep up with most enemies it certainly feels right to keep your favorite rifle up to scratch with the best specs it could have while out in the world you'll also earn and gather Eddies the game's currency this will create its own feedback loop where you'll typically finish off a mission and use the edies gained to purchase some new cyberware or weapons and then you'll want to use the new gear to earn more edies you can also purchase new clothes cars Health items apartments and even the ability to use your money to persuade NPCs in Mission specific dialogue all of this takes place in Knight City a lawless Paradise for shady businesses corrupt police and criminal gangs Knight city has weathered various corporate Wars resulting in thick layers of neon painted over Grime and death it's all the appeal of Las Vegas painted over the poverty and horror of Akira for those unaware Akira and the cyberp punk genre is a genre of sci-fi that explores futuristic technology impact on society corporate control and dystopian life living under the poverty line night city is no exception to this and the contrast between the beautiful neon lights and the garbage filled underbelly form a juter position that runs through the entire game a beauty with a rotten core the game is a graphical and artistic masterclass boasting Ray tracing on consoles and the upgraded path tracing on PC sometimes I would find myself choosing to drive to the next mission simply to enjoy the environment As you move through the world you'll be offered side quests which will more often than not start a small quest line or will feature returning characters to missions later on this gives the city a feeling of interconnectivity that keeps it feeling alive you can take on small contracts start crimes stop crimes visit specialty shops talk to numerous NPCs purchase cars and new apartments as of the 2.0 update The Wanted system has been completely revamped and now has a tier five which calls in the ever looming threat of Max Tac choosing to just cause chaos and fend off the law has a similar feeling to doing so in a game like Grand Theft Auto with the added bonus of a pseudo boss battle at the end Max Tac is specifically designed to be the answer answer to a cyber psycho a person who succumbs to Insanity after installing too much cyberwar the quest line to track down and subdue these psychos often reveals harsh details about life in n city as the psychos represent the extreme end state of life in n city their presence serves as a stark reminder of this City's harsh realities amidst the chaos night City emerges as a remarkably immersive and lived in game world where every corner exudes a unique narrative the attention to detail creates an environment that feels not just like a backdrop but a character in its own right this quality manages to surpass the literary notion that a narrative can either revolve around a character or around the world they inhabit cyberp Punk successfully accomplishes both of these ideas anticipate dedicating 20 to 30 hours for the main quest alone with side content and additional playthroughs easily doubling that the Phantom Liberty expansion contributes approximately another dozen hours to the experience Phantom Liberty's narrative unfolds somewhere in the midst of the game triggering after concluding the voodoo boy quest line a distress call pulls you into the new area Dogtown to save the president's life as you enlist as a spy alongside Idris ala's betrayal of Solomon Reed The Narrative delves into a character focused drama of betrayal questions of loyalty and themes of morality playing out like the best parts of a cyberpunk Bond movie The expansion offers multiple story paths differing wildly in the last third but I'll save that for the spoiler section just know these endings hit me harder than any game has in years I couldn't help but watch the entire credit sequence in quiet contemplation you'll embark on a diverse range of missions in the expansion ranging from explosive battles against machines to Espionage field infiltrations in high-rise casinos the DLC introduces engaging Random Encounters including supply drops sparking minor faction battles some of which demand strategic navigation through dog Town's environment encouraging exploration the expansion unveils a new perk Tree in The Relic requiring the discovery of data caches to level up although simple the abilities offered prove to be powerful additions to your gameplay options as you delve into Dogtown you'll discover a densely layered environment surpassing even KN City with its abundance of little details hidden areas new vendors and NPCs Phantom Liberty feels like a distilled highlight reel of the Bas game reminiscent of cdpr's exceptional blood and wine expansion for The Witcher 3 just as blood and wine was hailed as a pseudo Witcher 4 Phantom Liberty continues this tradition refining and building upon the best elements of the game okay we're about to enter spoiler territory if you don't want every possible ending spoiled for you skip to the timestamp on screen now if you haven't finished the game yet do not watch this section come back when you're done okay ready ready let's go I don't know a happy or ending for everyone involved here for folks like us wrong City wrong people as Phantom Liberty takes place partway through the story and has the first endings that can be reached we'll talk about it first to provide a quick summary of phantom Liberty's events Songbird a skilled Netrunner recruited into the N USA by Reed was tasked with executing Reed 7 years ago and has since been exploited for illegal access past the black wall a barrier holding back the Rog eyes of the web in a move of desperation Songbird arranges a deal with Colonel Hansen to take down the president's ship as song needs Hansen's help to access a piece of technology capable of curing her black wall induced terminal illness V is then recruited as a backup plan with promises to cure their bio chip condition V is subsequently enlisted into the N USA service by Meyers and Reed when song appears to be captured by Hansen the culmination of these events occurs in the mission fire starter where players must choose between sighting with Reed and the N USA in order to capture song bird or a line with song bird and facilitate her escape from n USA custody depending on which side you choose will dictate which of the story paths the DLC takes for its conclusion choosing to Ally with Songbird has you assisting with her escape plan from night City being a space shuttle Bound for the moon the nusa intervenes exposing my's brutality as they violate International law and Slaughter the space boort security as song and V attempt to fight through the army of NSA operatives we're treated to this absolute Gem of an adrenaline filled desperation induced [Music] [Applause] track overwhelmed by the onslaught your only option is to re-enter the black wall in a chilling Display of Power song manipulates the black wall to hack into and execute every Soldier between V and their destination on board the train to the launch terminal song confesses to betraying not only Reed 7 years ago but also V admitting that she can only save herself song that then Falls unconscious from prolonged exposure to the black wall with the rain beating down V carries song across the final stretch towards the shuttle when Reed emerges Reed confronts V in a tense Clash of ideologies where Reed argues that the NSA provides the best chance for song survival promising assistance for both her and V you must choose either execute read to save song from the N USA relinquishing your only C or hand song back to read securing a cure from the buyer chip but at the cost of song's fate not giving her up sa no [ __ ] [ __ ] choosing to eliminate Reed someone who had once been a friend and Ally to V leaves v as the only character left standing after carrying song to The awaiting shuttle V and and Johnny watch as song ascends to safety contemplating the harsh reality of their futile efforts in dog town and once again they face the prospect of imminent death in this ending V gains no cure receives nothing in return and is left to continue the search for salvation but hey at least song made it opting to return song to read unlocks the newly added Tower ending a resolution Laden with thematic complexity V awakens from a 2-year coma to find the N USA has cured them of their bioch chip but at a steep price their ability to use any cyberware is forfeit marking the end of their former life as a mercenary the consequence extends further as V has lost his only friends during the 2-year coma KN City 2 seems to forget their deeds buried under the Relentless March of time this ending contemplates the ideas of sacrifice and reinvention as V survives but must grapple with the profound loss of identity and the unique qualities that once defined them the conflicting nature of this Choice underscores the Thematic depth of phantom Liberty inviting players to contemplate the enduring impact of their decisions exploring the alternate path of phantom Liberty involves siding with Reed during Fire Starter this results in Songbird devising her own Escape Plan only to be swiftly captured by Max to rescue her V and re orchestrate an assault on the max Tac transport liberating song before she faces permanent imprisonment however Reed sustains injuries in the fighting and song escapes to an underground bunker in this route V is forced through a hellish horror section navigating black wallp possessed mechs that instakill V if detected this sequence offers a stark contrast to anything else the game has to offer and vividly portrays the terror of the black black wall and the atrocities n USA has subjected sbird to the climax unfolds at the Bunker's core where Songbird serves as a conduit for rogue AIS here Songbird reveals her desire to die pleading with v to Grant her release V faces a gut-wrenching choice either fulfill song Bird's request ending her suffering but extinguishing any hope of the nusa crafting AA thank you and and I'm sorry for everything or reject Mercy returning Songbird to n USA captivity but securing a qfv no want to believe I'm giving you another chance so I won't do it somi I can't I won't no please you're leaving me to fate wor than s show me opting to return song to The N USA unlocks the tower ending an outcome that not only shatters V's place in the world but now also casts the lingering shadow of guilt upon all the characters involved with Songbird suffering the worst fate the conclusions offered by Phantom Liberty weave into the broader Narrative of cyberpunk 277 enriching the overall story line with layers of moral ambiguity and emotional complexity your choices in the DLC Echo the overarching themes of sacrifice self-preservation and the cost of survival in night City's unforgiving landscape where The Narrative of phantom Liberty is self-contained each of the main quest lines of the base game unlock options for the game's climax these quest lines or more importantly these relationships provide friends to call upon as the inevitable final Choice Looms during the events of the voodo boys quest line we're brought past the black wall to the unrestricted side of the web here we meet Al Cunningham a digital replication of Johnny's ex-lover and the original creator of the Soul killer program arasaka had created The Relic and utilized the soul killer program with the intention of creating immortality alt explains that Soul killer stores the mines it's collected in MOSI a server with an arasaka Tower this leads V to meet with lady Hano who seeks Justice for her father's murder and in exchange for V assistance offers access to Moshi after meeting with Lady Hano V collapses from a severe biochip malfunction shortly afterward V is advised they're out of time and will soon die this prompts V to sit a top Misty's esoterica and contemplate their options with Johnny as they look out over the night City there are a possible five endings with intertwining paths between the way the endings start and finish the five endings are the arasaka PanAm Johnny and Rogue path of leas resistance and secret endings first off we'll talk through the arasaka ending the arasaka ending is unlocked by default serving as the only option for players who didn't progress through any of the game's other quest lines in this ending V agrees with hano's plan she exposes the board members to the flaws of their current leader allowing her to ascend to power following this V collapses in an elevator waking up on the spaceship makoshi where arasaka scientists conduct tests in an attempt to safely remove the biochip opting for this ending has arasaka reclaimed the biochip ultimately leading to them granting immortality to Saburo arasaka V is eventually presented with two options either agreeing to be part of the secure your soul program and forfeiting their mind and body to arasaka with the promise of future reincarnation or refusing and having roughly 6 months left before V's impending death both choices Grant the devil achievement the next ending revolves around PanAm and is only available for players who have fully completed PanAm quest line with the alos in this conclusion scenario V penam and the alos band together to breach araka and reach makoshi the assault takes a toll resulting in the loss of many alal members but the group perseveres and confronts the final boss Adam Smasher after defeating Smasher the group connects to Moshi presenting a crucial choice either keeping V's body or handing it over to Johnny the one who does not retain the body is transferred to cyberspace with alt opting to keep the body grants V roughly 6 months to live they joined penam and the Alder calos Breaking Free from night City to start a new life elsewhere this grants the star achievement choosing Johnny results in him coming to terms with V's sacrifice visiting V's grave and leaving KN City to begin life a new this unlocks the temperance [Music] achievement a [Music] v can't carry this around anymore you know can't keep wallowing can't keep obsessing over what happened couldn't forget you anyway I'm wearing your Goddamn face thanks for huh well for [Music] everything the third ending unfolds as V chooses to grant their body to Johnny allowing him and Rogue to assault arisaka Tower together echoing events from 50 years prior Johnny and Rogue fight through the tower confronting Adam Smasher tragically this time Adam Smasher kills Rogue subsequently Johnny accesses Moshi and faces the same Choice as the previous ending both choices remain possible but thematically johnny makes the decision not V if we pick Johnny the ending sequence unfold similarly however if we pick V they become the legend of KN Z taking over over and running rogue's Bar following this V embarks on a final mission to solidify their Fame as the shadow of the six-month timer weighs on V the mission involves assaulting the Blue Palace the world's largest casino situated on a space station this ending unlocks the sun achievement returning to the rooftop where V and Johnny contemplated their choices players also have the option to second guess whichever path they have chosen this prompts the option for V to end their life on their terms V's reasoning is rooted in the belief that any other course of action would result in the death of their friends and this way V can prevent that from happening V and Johnny discussed the value of their lives ultimately deciding to pull the trigger and end both of their Journeys this ending is considered one of the most tragic as V's friends are left heartbroken and neither Johnny nor V receives a second chance notably this is the only ending where players do not face Adam Smasher as the final boss depriving them of both the final challenge of the game and depriving the player of the opportunity to avenge David and Rebecca V you sure about this long as you got nothing against it not how I'd have done it but that's all right just like that no push back huh might have learned a little something from you [Music] too is it time you know it really is beautiful been nice working with you V yeah with you too Johnny finally we have the secret ending in this path Johnny presents V with an alternative when they wait roughly 5 minutes without selecting an ending unlocking this ending requires fostering a true friendship with Johnny not by appeasing him but by challenging him when he's in the wrong and showing kindness during moments of growth although the game tracks Johnny and V's relationship as it develops the trigger for the secret ending which is arguably the best ending hinges on an extremely specific dialogue choice in a single Mission thematically this Choice makes sense but it can be frustrating to have the entire ending locked behind one incorrect response out of hundreds of interactions with Johnny specifically you need to tell Johnny no Johnny you [ __ ] that up too what do you want from me okay but as Second Chances go this is your last this hypers specific requirement can be interpreted as V calling out Johnny for his bad behavior at a critical moment of reflection but still offering one last chance translating this to Johnny's actions during the rooftop scene he finally decides that regardless of everything else he'll be there for V the alternate option presented by Johnny is a suicide run against arasaka no PanAm no Alder calos no Rogue and no support V and Johnny would walk through the front door of arasaka Tower and fight their way to makoshi alone I got to die rather fall into my grave gun in hand and on fire and not drag anyone down with me huh you just discovered what it takes to become a legend grab your ey let's mobilize this ending is by far the most challenging in the game during the assault V constantly suffers Relic malfunctions losing permanent segments of their health bar adding to the difficulty the ending can be completed in a single attempt as if V dies they'll be sent all the way back to the rooftop if V successfully survives the assault defeats Adam Smasher and enters Moshi they'll once again be presented with the choice of who keeps the body choosing V here results in the sun achievement while Johnny gives the temperance achievement each choice that leads to this pivotal Point adds a unique Hue to the overarching narrative underscoring the game's exploration of the Blurred Lines between right and wrong in a city defined by its dark contrasts these relationship ships are defined by the player's choices encapsulating all that the player has done throughout their time in the game in essence the beauty of cyberpunk 2077 endings lies in not just its diversity but in the Thematic richness and the interplay of player agency and narrative Consequence the conclusion of these Journey isn't merely a binary Choice it's a culmination of the relationships nurtured the allian is forged and the moral compass Guided by your actions the game pay pay homage to its cyber Punk Roots embracing a dystopian ethos where no ending is free of complexity and Consequence the journey through night City with all of its twist and turns ultimately reflects the intricate tapestry of choices made in a world where morality is often a shade of gray when looking back on cyberp Punk's Journey the question arises should we encourage a title that launches in such a flawed State the answer as the neon lit streets of night City can attest lies in the transformative power of redemption what began with an Infamous launch has since evolved into an extraordinary gaming experience as we approach the game's third anniversary and the imminent release of the ultimate edition it's hard to ignore that cdpr has not just fixed a game they've realized its full potential in the end in the Luminous sprawl of night City where glitches once heralded broken promises you'll find a city Reborn and much like the city within cyberpunk 2077 has transcended its floors to become breathtaking think this is it kiddo guess so think we can find it in our heart to forgive each other yeah I can you think I can too that is it that is the video let me tell you this was by far the most work I've done for a video but also my most fun I'm absolutely loving working on the channel and I hope you guys are enjoying it too let's talk cyber Punk and gaming Redemption stories down in the comments do you think cyber Punk will win any of the game of the year nominations personally I think it'll take home the win for best Nar artive but not best ongoing game or best community support as always if you've made it to the end hit the like button and consider subscribing I'm going to be doing this for a long time to come and I'd love to have you along for the ride finally thank you for sticking it out to the end it's been a pleasure and just remember you're breathtaking you're all [Applause] [Music] breathtaking [Music] he

Channel: WOVOS

Views: 26,134

Keywords: Game, Gaming, Review, cyberpunk 2077, cyberpunk phantom liberty, cyberpunk GOTY, cyberpunk ultimate edition, Cyberpunk review, edit

Id: 7r-r_653Kuo

Length: 38min 40sec (2320 seconds)

Published: Sat Dec 02 2023