Unlocking Night City's True Potential: Unveiling the Intricate Realism of Cyberpunk 2077

Highlights

Although the visual design of Night City in Cyberpunk 2077 is undeniably stunning, it fails to capture the vibrant essence of a thriving metropolis. The bustling energy one expects from a cityscape is conspicuously absent, as the streets remain eerily sparse with minimal vehicular activity.

Games such as Marvel's Spider-Man and Grand Theft Auto 5 excel at building lively and captivating cities, unlike Cyberpunk 2077, which falls short in this aspect. The upcoming sequel should strive to create a truly vibrant and bustling urban environment.

While the shortcomings of Night City may not completely ruin the overall gaming experience, they do impede the level of immersion. The updates made to the game have undoubtedly improved various elements, but there is still a considerable distance to cover before Cyberpunk can fully realize its potential.

The dynamic streets of Night City take center stage in Cyberpunk 2077, but there is a sense that something is amiss. Despite its impressive scale, the city's population feels lacking. The streets are not teeming with crowds, traffic is sparse, and much of the city appears deserted. Even with the inclusion of Phantom Liberty, Cyberpunk 2077's Night City fails to capture the true essence of a bustling metropolis, which somewhat hampers the immersive experience.

Creating expansive cities filled with people is a challenging task, as it can potentially impede gameplay and negatively impact performance. However, games like Marvel's Spider-Man and Grand Theft Auto 5 demonstrate the ability to incorporate lively, enjoyable cityscapes. Although Cyberpunk 2077's city is enjoyable to explore, it lacks the bustling energy one would expect. It may be too late to address this issue now, but perhaps the next installment of Cyberpunk can truly deliver the vibrant atmosphere that players have been longing for.

Cyberpunk's Night City Lacks That Crowded City Feel

Night City in Cyberpunk 2077 is a remarkable sight upon first glance. The landscape is adorned with towering skyscrapers, bustling streets filled with citizens, and an abundance of random events scattered across the various districts. This creates an exciting open-world environment just waiting to be explored. Moreover, players have a vast array of activities to engage in within this concrete maze. However, despite the inclusion of Phantom Liberty, the experience still seems to be lacking something crucial.

Although CD Projekt Red successfully captures the grandeur of a futuristic city like New York, Night City does feel somewhat empty. While there are cars on the city streets, traffic is not particularly dense, and the sidewalks, although populated, lack the liveliness of a true crowd. Moreover, although there are numerous buildings, many of them exist solely for aesthetic purposes. Only select areas of the city truly feel bustling and vibrant, a quality that Phantom Liberty manages to mimic in certain locations. As a result, the majority of the city feels barren, ultimately hindering the overall immersion of the open world.

Playing Cyberpunk 2077, the emptiness of Night City doesn't ruin the experience but it can compromise immersion for some players. The game presents an expansive open world that beautifully replicates a massive metropolis. However, it falls short of delivering the true metropolis feeling. The streets are empty and the sidewalks are devoid of activity, which prevents players from truly feeling like they are in a bustling city.

CD Projekt Red had the opportunity to address the game's flaws with Phantom Liberty and the 2.0 update, and they have largely succeeded. Cyberpunk 2077 now has significantly fewer bugs and many of its systems have been overhauled for a much improved experience. It feels like the game is in a much better state now, leading to a resurgence in its popularity. However, despite these updates, the city still has a lot of work to do in order to fulfill its immense potential.

Content must be

The last update for Cyberpunk 2077 is Phantom Liberty, making it unlikely for Night City to be fully realized. However, the upcoming sequel has the potential to address this. If the sequel also takes place in Night City, CD Projekt Red must ensure it captures the essence of a vibrant metropolis. Despite occasional frustrations, players should feel the need to navigate through bustling crowds to reach their goals. This was the city's allure, and the in-game version should reflect it.

Cyberpunk 2077: Phantom Liberty is accessible on PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S.