Aaron Lauretani

Cyberpunk might be the most heavily scrutinized game of all time because of its launch. That's a shame because what it has is one of the most compelling and detailed stories and set of characters I've experienced in a game since, well, The Witcher 3 (yes, another CDPR game). Cyberpunk immerses you in a disgusting dystopian world where everything is commodified, gangs run amok, and socioeconomic inequality is everywhere under the rule of tyrannical megacorporations. Where do I start? Quests that seem linear at the start eventually reveal multiple gameplay approaches and choices with consequences that take time to be uncovered (and are often quite subtle). Choices reverberate in the form of different quests being unlocked, or even just new dialogue from characters, radio/TV content changing, or areas of the city appearing differently over time as a result of your actions. If you look, you'll see evidence of the way you've played the game changing your version of Night City. Some people have said that this isn't a real RPG, but that's nonsense. Your build matters, and there are several from which to choose. Gameplay is fun, frenetic, and appropriately violent and bloody. I've had fun in every enemy encounter, and the sheer range of weapons and approaches to every fight across various playthroughs is enough to keep things fresh. The game also has lore everywhere if you explore its city. You'll find details in even the most seemingly unimportant open world content that connect together the criminal underworld with narrative content in the game's biggest quests, which makes the city feel interconnected. As for the city itself, its its own character. It has been expertly designed to at once look beautiful from a distance and hideous up close with its homeless people, drug addicts, abandoned buildings, and garbage everywhere. People can also say whatever they want about the game not having "enough" choices compared to what was promised. The main quest might not deviate with as many major branches as something like Witcher 2 or Mass Effect 2, but there are still (with the upcoming expansion) seven radically different endings and two-four different endings for just about every side quest. The end result is an emotionally climactic story with humanized characters that always brings me to tears. The team nailed it.