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CD Projekt's highly-anticipated video game Cyberpunk 2077 is being booted for release tomorrow. Players across the globe are waiting eagerly to enter the Night City, the futuristic landscape where the game takes place.
Here's why the video game has created a buzz like none other, release information, what it can be played on, and what early reviews say.
The video game and creator
Cyberpunk 2077 is an upcoming action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt. It has been delayed multiple times before, and December 10 marks the end of an eight-year wait.
CD Projekt has specified global unlock times on PlayStation 4, Stadia, Windows PC, and Xbox One, as well as when players who pre-ordered the game can begin preloading. Other games from the Polish developers' CD Projekt include The Witcher series based on the fantasy novels. The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt, released in 2015, won the Game Award for the Game of the Year.
The website describes it as "an open-world, action-adventure story set in Night City, a megalopolis obsessed with power, glamour and body modification."
"You play as V, a mercenary outlaw going after a one-of-a-kind implant that is the key to immortality. You can customize your character’s cyberware, skillset and playstyle, and explore a vast city where the choices you make shape the story and the world around you."
The game reportedly offers a wide breadth of choice on how to build characters, choose sideways quests, and make decisions that breath life into your character and the stories of people in your virtual world.
How to play
The review embargo was lifted on Cyberpunk 2077 earlier, making troves of information available for players online.
The Polish company announced that "For PC and Stadia players, the release is simultaneous and scheduled for midnight GMT, and for all console players – midnight local time". It also released slated schedule for continents on its website.
It says that on PC and Stadia, Cyberpunk 2077 unlocks on December 10, 2020, at 12 am GMT — which is December 9 at 7 pm EST/4 pm PST for players in the U.S. And in CD Projekt’s home city of Warsaw, the game unlocks on December 10 at 1 am CST.
For players on console, the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One versions of Cyberpunk 2077 unlock at 12 am local time on December 10. Pre-loads for the Xbox One version went live December 3 at 5 pm CET, and pre-loads for the PlayStation 4 version will go live “2 days prior to the release date on PlayStation.” The PS4 and Xbox One versions will be playable on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X, respectively, through backward compatibility.
For those racing to pre-load the game on their systems, the players will need to download a 43 GB patch alongside the base game. The developers also announced that a day one patch is tagging along with the release, owing to bugs and glitches reported in early reviews. This includes the full next-gen upgrades for Xbox Series X and the PlayStation 5.
The full next-gen upgrades won't be available until 2021, but the process to generate updates will begin with the release.
According to some reviewers, the main story is possibly half the length of The Witcher 3, the developer's popular 2015 game. Also, one can swiftly log in 100 hours in Cyberpunk.
Early reviews
The early consensus has been positive towards the much-awaited game. Video gaming review aggregators OpenCritic and Metacritic reporting a 91 out of 100 average score, from 45 and 44 publications, respectively.
There have been concerns about the neurological impact of the game. After the embargo was lifted, a reviewer at Game Informer was reported to have a seizure while playing the game. She mentions that one of the features of the game involves “braindancing,” which allows the player character to explore and experience memories. This makes it important for players who suffer from seizure disorders or epilepsy to be cautious of photosensitive triggers.
The game carries a seizure warning in its user agreement, but the video game itself doesn't contain a warning. The developers responded to this concern and said they are looking at a more permanent solution.
While the game is still being perfected and has reported bugs and glitches in the system, critics agree that in line with CD Projekt's calibre, Cyberpunk 2077 is vivid and colourful in its offerings.
